Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Hawthorne Wolfe’

Hardball squad claims pressure-packed win

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , , on April 22, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Hawthorne Wolfe and Coupeville won Friday, keeping alive their hopes of claiming a league title. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

The stage is set.

The Coupeville High School varsity baseball squad took care of business Friday, nipping host Mount Vernon Christian 4-3 to remain a half-game out of first place in the Northwest 2B/1B League.

Now 8-1 in conference action, 10-5 overall, the Wolves host defending NWL champs, and current frontrunner, Friday Harbor (8-0, 11-1) Tuesday, Apr. 26.

The first time the hardball teams met, Coupeville fell 3-2 to the Wolverines.

After Tuesday’s battle royal, CHS has league games remaining with Orcas Island (4-3) and Darrington (1-6), while Friday Harbor plays Concrete (0-6), La Conner (1-7), and Orcas.

A win Tuesday is crucial for Coupeville, as only one of the league’s three 2B schools advances to the playoffs, with that squad going straight to the 16-team state tourney.

La Conner is already eliminated, leaving Friday Harbor and CHS to vie for the league crown, and the postseason berth.

With that in mind, Friday’s rumble in Mount Vernon was huge for the Wolves, and they stepped up big time.

“An amazing game; was fun to be part of,” said Coupeville coach Will Thayer. “Hawk (Wolfe) and Cody (Roberts) pitched a hell of a game.”

The Wolves jumped on MVC for three runs in the top of the first, raising hopes that the game might be a blow-out.

Wolfe led off the game with a walk, scampered to second on a stolen base, then careened home on the first of two doubles Scott Hilborn would blast on the day.

Scott Hilborn is a force at the plate and on the basepaths.

The hit parade continued with Xavier Murdy drilling an RBI single to right field, before the wily senior came around to score himself thanks to smart base-running and an MVC wild pitch.

But while Coupeville pitcher Cody Roberts was stifling the Hurricanes, his own team’s bats suddenly went to sleep after the opening rally.

Following Murdy’s base-knock, MVC retired 11 straight Wolves, preventing Coupeville from adding to its lead.

CHS didn’t get another base runner on until Sage Sharp was plunked by a wayward pitch leading off the top of the fifth.

Unfortunately though, both he and teammate Cole White, who singled in that frame, were stranded.

The hosts made things dicey with their own three-run surge in the bottom of the fifth, using a couple of key hits to tie the game up and tighten Coupeville collars.

Or so it might have seemed.

The reality was Hilborn was primed to save the day, bopping his second two-bagger in the sixth inning, then scoring the go-ahead run when Peyton Caveness reached on an error.

Given the lead back, Coupeville turned to its version of Mariano Rivera — one Hawthorne Wolfe, Esq. — and he sealed the win with a strong relief appearance.

MVC had the tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the seventh and final inning, but Wolfe induced the game’s final two outs, then strolled back to the bus, ready for Tuesday’s titanic tussle.

Coupeville finished with six hits Friday, getting solid bat work from Hilborn (two doubles), Cole White (1B), Wolfe (1B), Murdy (1B), and Sharp (1B).

Roberts and Wolfe combined to limit to MVC to just four base-knocks while striking out five Hurricanes.

Read Full Post »

Wolf hardball squad cracks Concrete

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , , on April 19, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Senior Cody Roberts was dominant Tuesday, as Coupeville High School pitchers held Concrete to two hits in a doubleheader sweep. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

It was a shellacking in the sunshine.

Taking advantage of a surprisingly nice day Tuesday, the Coupeville High School varsity baseball squad got two games in, with both being lopsided victories.

Sweeping visiting Concrete 11-0 and 19-0 in games mercy-ruled after five innings, the Wolves improve to 7-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 9-5 overall.

That leaves Coupeville a half-game back of defending league champ Friday Harbor (7-0 in NWL action) and two games up on third-place Mount Vernon Christian (5-3).

The next two games are as big as any this season, with the Wolves set to square off with their prime rivals.

Coupeville travels to MVC this Friday, Apr. 22, before hosting Friday Harbor Apr. 26.

The Wolves head into those games with the warm glow of victory cascading everywhere, after wrecking winless Concrete.

Not only did Coupeville outscore the Lions 30-0, it also outhit the visitors 23-2, pasting the ball to all fields.

 

Game #1:

The opener gave locals a chance to watch Cody Roberts tossing liquid heat, as the senior righty whiffed nine across four innings of work.

He no-hit Concrete during his time on the hill, scattering some walks to keep things interesting, before turning things over to 8th grade ace Chase Anderson.

The future of Wolf baseball also proved to be deadly in the present, with “The Magic Man” slamming the door with a pair of knee-buckling strikeouts after the Lions scratched out their only base-knock of the game.

Chase Anderson gets electric.

Offensively, Coupeville chipped, chipped, chipped away, before finally busting loose in the late going.

The Wolves opened the scoring in the bottom of the first thanks to Jonathan Valenzuela blistering a two-out, two-run single back up the middle.

From there Coupeville rinsed and repeated, pushing two more runners across in both the second and third to build a 6-0 lead.

Cody Roberts had the big blow in the second, bopping a double which curled down the left field line and hit paydirt.

With the lead in hand, the Wolves shoved the game into mercy-rule land by dumping five runs on the board in the fourth inning.

Coupeville mixed a flurry of hits — including a bunt single from the fleet-footed Anderson — and several Concrete errors to officially end things.

 

Game #2:

New pitcher, same results.

Coupeville senior Hawthorne Wolfe took the bump in the nightcap and went the distance, recording 13 strikeouts across five innings of (almost) no-hit ball.

The Lions poked a leadoff single into left to open the fifth inning, putting their first runner aboard since the game’s second hitter had his lower leg blown off by a wayward Wolfe pitch.

After that, the most entertaining man in high school sports entertainment was in lock-down mode, flicking fastballs past flailing Concrete hitters, then piling up base-knocks when he himself was at the plate.

Hawthorne Wolfe throws ’em, but you can’t hit ’em.

Wolfe crunched three of Coupeville’s 14 hits in the second game, and should have had a fourth one, only to be denied by an ump who left his seeing eye dog in the car.

Not that it ultimately mattered, as CHS put this game on ice quickly.

Sending 18 batters to the plate in the first inning, the Wolves tapped home plate 13 times, with the carnage only stopped by a runner being called out on interference on a pop-up to third base.

Mixing JV players with varsity veterans, Coupeville coach Will Thayer got action for everyone in uniform in the nightcap, doing what he could to ease the pain of a blowout.

The Wolves still added three runs in the second and another three in the fourth, with Concrete failing several times to get out of innings when it had the chance.

8th grader Aiden O’Neill walloped a gorgeous double to deep left to start one rally, with Jack Porter ripping a two-run single to cap another.

Along the way Wolf catcher Peyton Caveness was drilled not once, but twice, with pitches which got away from Concrete’s hurlers.

He wore both plunkings with style, earning a nod of approval from big sis Coral, who was hit approximately 43,917 times during her own stellar Coupeville softball career.

 

Tuesday stats:

Chase Anderson — 1 single
Peyton Caveness — 2 singles, 2 walks
Camden Glover — 1 walk
Scott Hilborn — 2 singles
Cole Hutchinson — 1 single
Xavier Murdy — 2 walks
Aiden O’Neill — 1 double, 1 walk
Jack Porter — 1 single
Cody Roberts — 1 single, 2 walks
Landon Roberts — 2 singles, 1 walk
Sage Sharp — 2 singles, 1 double
Jonathan Valenzuela — 2 singles
Cole White — 3 singles
Hawthorne Wolfe — 4 singles, 1 walk

Read Full Post »

Hardball aces earn sweet sweep

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , , , on April 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Scott Hilborn fires a bullet Friday as Coupeville High School baseball sweeps a doubleheader from La Conner. (Morgan White photo)

It was a great birthday present.

Coupeville High School varsity baseball coach Will Thayer celebrated his cake day in grand style Friday, guiding his squad to a doubleheader sweep at La Conner.

The twin victories lift the Wolves to 5-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 7-5 overall.

That keeps Coupeville just a game back of defending league champ Friday Harbor (6-0) and a half-game up on Mount Vernon Christian (5-2) as the teams battle for conference supremacy in the seven-team NWL.

Friday’s doubleheader was a pretty solid beat-down too, as the Wolves soaked in the rare sun and ran away with 11-2 and 21-4 wins.

 

Game #1:

CHS pitchers Scott Hilborn and Hawthorne Wolfe combined to whiff 15 Braves in the victory, holding La Conner at bay until the Wolf sluggers got crackin’.

“Took a minute for our bats to warm up, but a good game,” Thayer said.

Coupeville opened the scoring by pushing two runs across in the top of the second, then tacked on another tally in the third.

The top of the fourth was where things busted wide open, however, as the Wolves rained down five runs in a rally keyed by base-knocks from Hilborn and Jonathan Valenzuela.

Hawthorne Wolfe and Co. kept their bats sizzlin’ in the road wins. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Coupeville, which added three runs in the fifth to round out its scoring, took advantage of whatever La Conner gave it.

The Wolves cracked eight hits, with Cole White, Sage Sharp, and Valenzuela recording two apiece, while also walking seven times.

Whatever hopes La Conner had of pulling off the upset faded every time a ball hit one of their fielder’s gloves, as the Braves committed a horrifying nine errors to make life tough for their pitchers.

 

Game #2:

Coupeville cut this one short, with a 12-run fourth inning helping the Wolves seal the deal in a game mercy-ruled after five frames.

“One of my favorite games I ever coached,” Thayer said. “Everyone played and we had fun.”

The Wolves sent 8th graders Chase Anderson and Coop Cooper to the mound in the nightcap, and the young guns sizzled, getting nine of 15 outs via the strikeout.

Chase Anderson brings the knee-buckling heat. (Morgan White photo)

The ball flew off of Coupeville’s bats as well, with six different players recording two hits as the Wolves rang up 15 base-knocks in the finale.

Wolfe cracked a triple to lead the way, while Hilborn, Peyton Caveness, Johnny Porter, and Anderson all bashed two-baggers in support.

 

Friday stats:

Chase Anderson — 1 single, 1 double, 2 walks
Peyton Caveness — 1 single, 1 double, 1 walk
Coop Cooper — 1 single
Scott Hilborn — 2 singles, 1 double, 1 walk
Cole Hutchinson — 1 walk
Xavier Murdy — 2 singles, 3 walks
Aiden O’Neill — 1 single
Jack Porter — 1 double
Johnny Porter — 1 double, 1 walk
Sage Sharp — 2 singles, 1 walk
Jonathan Valenzuela — 2 singles, 2 walks
Cole White — 4 singles
Hawthorne Wolfe — 1 single, 1 triple, 1 walk
Kai Wong — 1 walk

Read Full Post »

Hardwood honors rain down

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , on March 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Senior Grady Rickner won the Hard Hat Player of the Year award Monday as Coupeville High School boys basketball capped its best season in decades. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

First the hard work, now the hardware.

Coupeville High School basketball players and coaches capped off the program’s most-successful season in decades Monday, handing out letters and awards at a team banquet.

Dodging frequent Covid tests, and adapting to an ever-changing schedule, the Wolves soared.

Coupeville’s varsity finished 16-2, won its first league title since 2002, claimed a district crown for the first time since 1970, and advanced to state for the first time since 1988.

While the JV didn’t reach those same win totals, the Wolf young guns showed considerable promise and were competitive every time out.

Xavier Murdy headlined the awards banquet, taking home team MVP honors, while Caleb Meyer and Alex Murdy were honored as Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively.

Grady Rickner closed out his prep hoops career by taking home the Hard Hat Player of the Year award.

That honor goes to a Wolf who “embodies the hard hat mentality,” said CHS head coach Brad Sherman. “Hard work, dedication to the little things, commitment to being a great teammate every day.”

Hawthorne Wolfe, a four-year varsity starter who finished with 800 career points, received “Mr. Basketball 2018-2022” honors.

“This recognition goes to an individual who showed an exceptional commitment to the Coupeville basketball program throughout their basketball career,” Sherman said.

“This is a person who is Coupeville basketball through and through.”

Hawthorne Wolfe finishes as the #14 scorer in the 105-year history of Coupeville boys basketball.

Xavier Murdy and Rickner were also honored for their work as varsity captains, while the duo joined Logan Martin, Miles Davidson, and Wolfe as four-year players.

At the JV level, Zane Oldenstadt (Hard Hat), Ryan Blouin (Offensive Player), and Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim (Defensive Player) were honored.

Oldenstadt and Nick Guay were noted for their work as JV captains, while David Somes was recognized for everything he did as team manager.

Zane Oldenstadt is a star today, and likely a star tomorrow.

Rounding out the awards, Sherman and assistant coaches Greg White, Hunter Smith, Randy Bottorff, and Arik Garthwaite also hailed a trio of behind-the-scenes stars.

“Courtney Pilgrim for her continued commitment and hard work for the team year in and year out,” Sherman said.

“Dan Verduzco, our custodian, for always making sure we have the best facilities anywhere and for the constant support and encouragement he gives to our athletes, and Phil Jump, our bus driver, for taking us to every corner of the state this season.”

 

Varsity letter winners:

Dominic Coffman
Logan Downes
Logan Martin
Caleb Meyer
Alex Murdy
Xavier Murdy
Grady Rickner
Jonathan Valenzuela
Cole White
Hawthorne Wolfe

 

Varsity participation certificates:

Hunter Bronec
Nick Guay
Zane Oldenstadt

 

JV participation certificates:

Ryan Blouin
Hunter Bronec
Hurlee Bronec
William Davidson
Carson Field
Nick Guay
Zane Oldenstadt
Jack Porter
Johnny Porter
Landon Roberts
Mikey Robinett
Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim

Read Full Post »

Big bats, big arms, big goals

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on March 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Hawthorne Wolfe and fellow seniors are ready to dominate the diamond. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Will Thayer may need to pace himself.

The Coupeville High School baseball guru is entering his third season at the school but will finally be getting his first crack at a full schedule.

Thayer’s first job at CHS — as an assistant coach with Wolf softball — evaporated when all spring sports were erased by the pandemic.

Last year, he stepped into a new role atop the school’s baseball program, but schools only played against league rivals, with no chance of advancing to playoffs.

Toss in some cancellations, and Thayer and Co. had to make do with a 10-game schedule, one in which they went 7-3 to finish second in the Northwest 2B/1B League.

But this spring, hope abounds, with Wolf baseball eyeing a 20-game regular season campaign, and the postseason the prize at the end of the road.

Add in the end of mask mandates and Covid testing for prep athletes, and the mood is joyful.

“I think the biggest thing for these players was no notes and no masks seemed to be what they were the happiest about on the first day of practice,” Thayer said.

“Playing a full 20 games will be awesome and having something to play for like district titles and playoffs,” he added. “Playing a normal schedule will be a blessing to me.”

Only one team beat Coupeville last season, and the Wolves are chomping for some revenge.

“Friday Harbor is going to stand in our way, and, if we come together, we should be able to take the title away from them,” Thayer said.

Coupeville’s coaches and players have a list of items to accomplish, from being league and district champs, to returning to the state tournament, and “continuing to build the program.”

Thayer only lost one player to graduation and returns a roster which offers “lots of senior leadership.”

“I think pitching and defense will be our strength this year,” he said.

Cody Roberts headlines Coupeville’s pitching staff. (Morgan White photo)

Now the Wolves want to add some pop when batting.

“Just becoming more consistent at the plate,” Thayer said. “We have lots of great athletes; if they become consistent hitters, we will be able to do some special things this year.”

Seniors Cody Roberts (P, OF), Hawthorne Wolfe (P, OF), Xavier Murdy (P, C, INF), and Sage Sharp (UTL) lead the returnees, and are joined by juniors Scott Hilborn (P, SS) and Jonathan Valenzuela (P, 3B) and sophomore Peyton Caveness (1B).

Senior Caleb Meyer, a Little League star back in the day, returns to Coupeville for his final season, while junior Alex Murdy joins his brother on the diamond with soccer having moved from spring to fall.

And the cupboard won’t be bare when this year’s deep senior class departs, as the Wolves have a solid group of freshmen and eighth graders joining the program.

“I’m excited about young talent like Chase Anderson, Camden Glover, Landon Roberts, and Jack and Johnny Porter,” Thayer said.

Scott Hilborn is a vacuum at shortstop. (Morgan White photo)

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »