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Posts Tagged ‘Haylee Armstrong’

Fierce finale, sweet success

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , , on March 9, 2023| 1 Comment »

Coupeville 6th grader Tamsin Ward has a bright hardwood future. (Photo courtesy Jandellyn Ward)

“What a cap to the season.”

The Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball squads brought an end to the campaign Thursday, netting a huge win and a narrow loss to archrival South Whidbey.

The Wolves #1 team pulled out its first victory of the season on their home floor, holding on for a 35-30 triumph, while the second unit lost a heartbreaker 10-9 at the buzzer.

How the day played out:

 

Level 1:

Big shots from behind the arc sparked Coupeville in a tense, physical conflict between two fairly evenly matched squads.

Wolf 8th grader Haylee Armstrong departed middle school hoops by splashing home a trio of three-balls in the third quarter, while 6th grader Tamsin Ward buried a huge trey in the game’s final minutes.

“The 1’s came out and played the most physical game of the year,” said Coupeville coach Bennett Richter. “They battled through bumps and bruises to pull out the win!

“These girls steadily improved and continued to work hard throughout the season and got their revenge on a very physical South Whidbey team.”

Coupeville jumped out to an early lead, heading to the first break up 8-4, before South Whidbey closed the gap back to 15-14 by halftime.

The third quarter was vintage Hayley Time, as the fast-dribbling, sweet-shooting Armstrong rattled the rims for all of her team’s points during a game-busting 11-4 run.

That gave the Wolves a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, though the visitors made things interesting at the end.

Armstrong, who now moves to high school softball to cap her 8th grade year, finished with a team-best 16 points, while Ward knocked down five in support.

Tenley Stuurmans, Lexis Drake, and Rhylin Price added four points apiece, with Capri Anter banking in a bucket to round out the scoring effort.

Chelsi Stevens and Adeline Maynes also saw floor time for the Wolves, providing scrappy defense.

 

Level 2:

South Whidbey bounced back from being blanked in the first quarter to pull out the win, with the game-deciding bucket falling through the net with mere ticks left on the clock.

In a game where scoring was at a premium, Coupeville led 2-0 at the first break thanks to an Ava Lucero bucket, and 3-2 at the half after Lina Shelly slipped a free-throw through the net.

The Wolves put up four points in the third quarter, with Kennedy O’Neill and Ari Cunningham both scoring, and carried a 7-4 advantage into the final frame.

Cunningham notched another bucket in the fourth, but South Whidbey managed to pull out the victory on the game’s final play.

Win or lose, first-year Coupeville hoops coaches Richter and Mia Littlejohn came away satisfied with the growth and effort of their players.

“It was a very intense final couple of minutes,” Richter said. “They played so incredibly hard.”

Izzy Bowder, Melanie Wolfe, Taylor Marrs, Amaiya Curry, Lillie Ketterling, and Isa De Souza Oliveira Mc Fetridge also saw action in the finale.

While South Whidbey only has two teams, Coupeville’s numbers were booming this season, with the Wolves fielding three squads most days.

All three CMS units enjoyed the taste of victory, heralding a bright future for Wolf girls’ basketball.

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Wolves, Tigers tangle on hardwood

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on February 28, 2023| Leave a Comment »

You get an “A” for defensive effort. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

It’s still raining.

A day after a substantial amount of chunky hail peppered parts of Whidbey Island, the Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball squads dropped numerous buckets from above on visiting Granite Falls.

With 14 different Wolves scoring in their home gym Monday afternoon, CMS won a game and came within a basket of forcing overtime in another.

How the day played out:

 

Level 1:

Coupeville’s top squad built an early lead, but couldn’t hang on late, and was nipped 23-21 in a nip-and-tuck battle.

Five different Wolves kissed the ball off the backboard in the second quarter, sending CMS into the halftime break up 14-8.

Unfortunately for local fans, the visitors clamped down on the defensive side of the ball in the second half, cutting their deficit to 17-14 after three quarters, before pulling away for the narrow win.

8th grade ace Haylee Armstrong paced the Wolves with a team-high eight points, with Capri Anter chipping in with four.

Sydney Van Dyke (2), Rhylin Price (2), Tamsin Ward (2), Adeline Maynes (2), and Tenley Stuurmans (1) also scored, with Lexis Drake rounding out the active roster.

 

Level 2:

The Wolves bolted out to a quick lead, then held on for the victory in a defensive-minded rumble.

Holding Granite scoreless in the second quarter, Coupeville pushed a 4-2 lead at the first break out to a 10-2 advantage at the half, with the two teams combining for just 10 points in the second half.

Ari Cunningham had the hot hand for the Wolves, banking in six points, with Lillie Ketterling (4), Lina Shelly (2), and Melanie Wolfe (2) also tallying points for CMS.

Kennedy O’Neill, Izzy Bowder, Taylor Marrs, Amaiya Curry, and Isa De Souza Oliveira Mc Fetridge all saw floor time as well.

 

Level 3:

You got me.

The Wolves lost 28-12, but it’s tricky to know more.

My sister is in Antarctica for two weeks (seriously), so I’m holding down the farm — and three nephews, two dogs, a cat, 75,612 chickens, and assorted wayward coyotes — and unable to attend any of the home games in person.

Monday’s book?

Willow Leedy-Bonifas is visible, pulling off the Beyonce-style one-name thing, but everyone else appears to have joined the Witness Relocation Program and I have no list of players matching names with jersey #’s, so…

 

What’s next:

Coupeville has a busy week, traveling to Lakewood Tuesday, before hosting Sultan Thursday. Tipoff is 3:15 PM.

The season wraps the following week, with a final home royal rumble Thursday, Mar. 9 against South Whidbey.

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Wolves scrappy to the final buzzer

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , , on February 21, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Capri Anter (left) and Haylee Armstrong (right), rising hoops stars. (Photo courtesy Michelle Armstrong)

“We are working on putting together a full game.

“When we can play the first half as tough as we normally do the second half, we will be a very tough team to deal with.”

That’s how Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball coach Bennett Richter felt after the Wolves played their home opener Tuesday afternoon.

Facing off with ritzy private school Northshore Christian Academy, both CMS teams to see action progressively got better as the game unfolded.

How the day went, as I stayed home to fight off a head cold:

 

Level 1:

8th grader Haylee Armstrong poured in a team-high 11 points and the Wolves put together their best stretch of play in the 4th quarter.

“Haylee is showing that she is and will be a force to be reckoned with!” Richter said.

While the Wolves fell 40-17, they played NSC even in the final frame, holding their own in a 10-10 stalemate.

Lillie Ketterling added four points in support of Armstrong’s 11, while Rhylin Price also banked home a bucket.

Adeline Maynes, Lexis Drake, Capri Anter, Sydney Van Dyke, Chelsi Stevens, and Tamsin Ward also saw floor time for the Wolves in the day’s first game.

 

Level 2:

Coupeville fell 32-15 in the nightcap but increased its scoring total in each quarter.

“Slow start, strong finish,” Richter said. “Team Two really made Northshore work in the second half.”

Ari Cunningham paced the Wolf attack with six points, with Isa De Souza Oliveira Mc Fetridge rattled the rims for four.

Kennedy O’Neill (2), Lina Shelly (2), and Ava Lucero (1) also scored, with Izzy Bowder, Amaiya Curry, and Taylor Marrs rounding out the active roster.

 

What’s ahead:

Coupeville hits the road Thursday, traveling to Shoreline to face King’s, then closes with three of four in its home gym.

The Wolves welcome Granite Falls (Feb. 27), Sultan (Mar. 2), and South Whidbey (Mar. 9) to town, while also riding the bus to Lakewood (Feb. 28)

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Young hardwood aces survive, thrive

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on February 16, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Sophia Batterman lines up a shot during warmups. (Bennett Richter photo)

Survive Sultan, and you can survive anything.

Traveling out to the wilds makes for a long day on the bus, and a long day of dodging elbows on the floor, as the Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball squads found out Thursday.

But while the young Wolves absorbed three losses, and some bruises against the Turks, they acquitted themselves well.

“The girls learned a good lesson in what playing aggressively and physically looks like,” said CMS coach Bennett Richter.

“Every team improved in the second half, which means they are willing to keep working! And that bodes well for any program!”

Sharpshooter Melanie Wolfe (left) has scored in both of her team’s first two games this season. (Photo courtesy Molly McPherson)

Richter and fellow Wolf coach Mia Littlejohn were both impressed with the fight shown by their Level 3 team, which outscored Sultan — always a top middle school program — in the second half.

“That honestly was very cool to see,” Richter said. “They learned a lot on the go and in such a short amount of time!”

After opening the season with two straight games on the road, the Wolves make their home debut next Tuesday, Feb. 21 against Northshore Christian Academy.

Tipoff is 3:15 PM.

Amelia Crowder delivers a present to the hoop. (Bennett Richter photo)

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Hardwood aces tip off new season

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on February 9, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Sharpshooter Kennedy O’Neill informs big bro Aiden she plans to score more points on the basketball court than he does. (Photo courtesy Ashley Blouin)

First road trip, in the books.

The Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball teams kicked off a new season Thursday, making the trek down-Island to face off with arch-rival South Whidbey.

The Wolves came away with a split, plus their first taste of life in other people’s gyms, while CMS coaches Mia Littlejohn and Bennett Richter debuted as hardwood gurus.

How the day played out:

 

Level 1:

Coupeville 8th grader Haylee Armstrong led all scorers, but South Whidbey pulled away in the second half to claim a 31-19 win.

The hosts jumped out to an 8-3 advantage after one quarter, then slightly bumped the lead ahead to 14-8 at the half.

The third quarter was a killer for Coupeville, however, as South Whidbey gunner Greta Jones knocked down all seven of her points, including a three-ball, during a game-busting 11-4 run.

Jada Balora banked in six points in support of Jones, while Armstrong rattled the rims for nine points.

The sweet-shooting guard tallied points in every quarter and proved to be a deadeye at the free-throw line, where she sank three charity shots.

Capri Anter tossed in five points in support of Armstrong, with Tenley Stuurmans (3) and 6th grader Tamsin Ward (2) also scoring for the Wolves.

Adeline Maynes, Lexis Drake, Sydney Van Dyke, Chelsi Stevens, and Rhylin Price all saw floor time for Coupeville’s top squad.

Chelsi Stevens, a powerhouse on the taekwondo mat and the basketball hardwood. (Photo courtesy Kristi Stevens)

 

Level 2:

She who scores last, wins the day.

Coupeville went scoreless in the first quarter, fell behind 6-0 midway through the second frame, then stormed from behind to capture an 18-14 victory.

In a back-and-forth affair, the Wolves led 8-6 at halftime, South Whidbey went back in front 14-10 through three quarters, and then the visitors closed on an 8-0 fourth quarter surge.

Lillian Ketterling had the hot hand down the stretch, knocking down a pair of buckets to fuel the late rally, while Kennedy O’Neill and Ava Lucero also netted baskets in crunch time.

Arianna Cunningham paced the Wolves with six points, while O’Neill (4), Ketterling (4), Taylor Marrs (2), and Lucero (2) also wrote their name in the scorebook on opening day.

While they didn’t score, Isabella Bowder, Amaiya Curry, Isabella de Souza Oliveira Mc Fetridge, and Melanie Wolfe brought hustle and defense to their time on the floor.

 

Up next:

Coupeville has a week off, traveling to Sultan next Thursday, Feb. 16 to play Sultan.

The home opener is Feb. 21 against Northshore Christian Academy, and the Wolves get a rematch with South Whidbey — this time at CMS — in the Mar. 9 season finale.

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