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Posts Tagged ‘Haylee Armstrong’

Tough foe, stellar effort

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , on December 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Lexis Drake banks in a shot while Chelsi Stevens comes flying in to help. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Big fight, no quit.

Friday night’s JV girls’ basketball game between Coupeville and visiting Sultan featured twists, turns, and a lot of rock-em-sock-em action.

Which is no surprise, since the Turks are traditionally one of the scrappier foes the Wolves face, while Scout Smith’s CHS players are no pushovers.

When the game ended, Sultan had a 50-36 win in hand but had faced a ton of resistance.

“We showed a lot of heart and played hard till the final buzzer,” Smith said.

The non-conference loss drops Coupeville to 2-4 heading into the winter break, with the JV not returning to action until Jan. 7.

In their final game of 2024, the Wolves put up a strong fight.

Led by the hot shooting hand of Adeline Maynes, Coupeville kept things knotted at 12-12 at the first break.

Sultan had a much-deeper bench on this night, however, and used the extra bodies to put together a game-busting 24-3 run in the second frame.

But even trailing 36-15, the Wolves were far from done.

Some words from their coach at halftime, and the third quarter was an entirely different affair, as CHS put together a 12-0 tear across an eight-minute span.

“We came out with a renewed fighting spirit,” Smith said. “I am extremely proud of how our team performed and the fight they showed throughout the game.

“It is a testament to the culture we are building as a program to play hard, play smart, and play together.

“I could not have asked more from my team.”

Adeline Maynes is off to the promised land.

While Sultan closed the game on a 14-9 surge to hold off the Wolves, Smith saw a lot of things she liked.

“Haylee (Armstrong) played a vital role for us as an offensive and defensive threat,” she said.

“She has been a consistently key player for us throughout the season. Her vision, read of the game, and speed make her a valuable asset.”

Smith also praised Maynes and fellow freshman Marin Winger for holding up well against an opponent not afraid to throw some elbows their way.

“Addy and Marin both did an excellent job fighting through a rough and tumble game,” Smith said.

“Both worked through tough contact and continued to fight for the team.”

That spirit was evident from all eight Wolves in uniform.

“Overall, I am extremely happy with what I saw from our team,” Smith said. “We showed grit, fight, and an undying will to play hard till the end of the game.”

Armstrong paced CHS with a team-high 14 points, with Maynes (9) Lexis Drake (6), Winger (4), Sydney Van Dyke (2), and Capri Anter (1) also scoring.

Chelsi Stevens and Amelia Crowder rounded out the rotation, bringing fire to their time on the floor.

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Three-ball monsoon overpowers Wolf girls

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , on December 20, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Mia Farris banked in a season-high 14 points Friday night. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

It might not have been raining outside Friday night, but it was pouring inside.

Visiting Sultan dropped eight three-balls through the bottom of the net, including four in an explosive opening quarter, downing the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball team 48-33.

The non-conference loss drops the Wolves to 3-4 on the season, and now they’ll have a stretch of days off for the holidays.

After Christmas, the CHS varsity heads to Eastern Washington for a two-game road trip, playing games against Kittitas and Toledo Dec. 27-28 at Central Washington University.

Overall, Coupeville’s next four games are on the road, with the Wolves not playing in their own gym again until Jan. 10.

Friday’s rumble, played in front of an enthusiastic group of home fans, briefly belonged to CHS.

Mia Farris slapped home a rebound for the first two of her team-high 14 points, followed by Katie Marti rustling the net on a pair of successful free throws, and the hometown squad was up 4-3.

Then the bottom fell out.

Hitting back-to-back-to-back three balls, Sultan went on a scoreboard-exploding 16-0 run to blow the game open, while the Wolves went six-plus minutes without scoring.

And yet, there was still life in Coupeville.

Farris broke the drought with two free throws to end the first quarter, before the Wolves ripped off the first eight points of the second frame.

The buckets were often sensational, with Tenley Stuurmans dropping a perfect pass to a rampaging Farris for a layup and Madison McMillan drilling a supremely sweet jumper from the side.

Meanwhile, the Wolf defense was ramped up, with Farris picking off passes and Marti using her elbows to massage the Turks heads, and Sultan went scoreless for a solid six minutes.

The visitors did briefly surge back to life, netting a pair of three-balls in the final moments before halftime, but Coupeville was back within 25-19 at the break and feeling pretty good.

The good times did not continue for CHS, however, at least in the third quarter and the start of the fourth, as the team’s shooting touch largely evaporated.

Sultan continued to pepper the net from behind the three-point arc, eventually pulling ahead 46-26 midway through the fourth.

Coupeville stayed scrappy until the end, closing on a 7-2 run with Haylee Armstrong netting her team’s lone three-ball, the ball splashing home with a nice lil’ pop.

But that was it for the Wolves, as time ran out on any comeback hopes.

Farris had a season high with her 14 points, while McMillan and Armstrong both chipped in with five.

Marti (3), Jada Heaton (2), Tenley Stuurmans (2), Danica Strong (1), and Lyla Stuurmans (1) also tallied points, with Teagan Calkins bouncing off the floor in pursuit of loose balls and rebounds against a fairly physical Sultan team.

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Wolf buzzsaws shred Vikings

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , on December 15, 2024| Leave a Comment »

When she’s not entertaining her many fans, Haylee Armstrong is a buzzsaw on the hardwood. (Michelle Armstrong photo)

Fire up the zone and shut down their rivals.

Playing inspired defense Friday, the Coupeville High School JV girls’ basketball team bolted out to a 20-point first-quarter lead and ran away with a 58-12 win over visiting Orcas Island.

The victory lifts Scout Smith’s squad to 1-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 2-2 overall.

The Wolves, who have been bearing down in practice, have seen immediate results.

“The girls played a great game and their effort and commitment in practice is having a direct impact on our games,” Smith said.

The JV has been working on implementing a zone press, and that, combined with a willingness to get out and run on offense sparked CHS to a 21-1 lead after one quarter of play.

Tack on another large surge in the second frame, and the halftime advantage was a tasty 38-6.

“The girls executed beautifully,” Smith said. “I have to credit our team with the great work they do on running our fast break.

“I constantly reiterate that our fast break is our primary offense, and they have completely bought in. Every time we rebound, we have eyes up, and runners getting down court.

“It has a massive impact.”

Seven of nine Wolves scored against Orcas, with fab frosh Adeline Maynes outscoring the Vikings by herself as she racked up a game-high 18 points.

But it wasn’t just buckets for the high-energy hoops star.

“Addie clearly had a great night scoring wise,” Smith said.

“But what might go unnoticed on the scoresheet is the work she puts in at the top of our press to cause turnovers and quick buckets.”

Smith also praised Lexis Drake — “I have to give props to hers for her good shooting night. As soon as she gets the ball she is always looking to shoot and score” — and Haylee Armstrong.

“Haylee also continues to play a big role for us offensively and defensively. She has great vision and an exceptional read of the game.

“Her ability to drive and finish with both her left and right hand makes her a dynamic player and an offensive threat,” Smith added.

Armstrong banked in 11 to support Maynes, while Capri Anter (8), Drake (7), Sydney Van Dyke (6), Ava Lucero (6), and Chelsi Stevens (2) scored, and Jeanna Nitta and Amelia Crowder helped spark the withering defense.

The Wolves play twice next week, then head into winter break. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

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Slow start dooms Wolf girls

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , on December 9, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Wolf senior Katie Marti reached a personal milestone Monday in Forks. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

They left their shooting touch at home.

Coming out ice cold in the early afternoon Monday on the road at far-off Forks, the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball team built itself a big deficit and couldn’t get all the way back.

The undermanned Wolves, who were missing a key starter with Lyla Stuurmans out ill, did fight back strongly in the second half, but ultimately fell 42-29.

The non-conference loss to the always-tough Spartans snaps a two-game winning streak for Coupeville, which slips to 2-2 on the season.

Megan Richter’s squad will get to stay closer to home for its next two tilts, welcoming Orcas Island and Morton-White Pass to Whidbey Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Monday’s rumble in Forks got off to a bad start for CHS, which fell behind 16-2 after one quarter of play.

From there, the deficit stretched out to 22-4 at the half and 32-11 through three quarters.

The fourth frame was Coupeville’s strongest, with five different Wolves finding the bottom of the net to spark a game-closing 18-10 run.

Haylee Armstrong navigates the defense.

Sophomore guard Haylee Armstrong provided a large chunk of the offense for CHS, pumping in a season-high 11 points.

Mia Farris banked in seven to back her up, with Madison McMillan chipping in with four.

Jada Heaton (3), Danica Strong (2), and Katie Marti (2) rounded out the scoring, while Teagan Calkins and Tenley Stuurmans also saw substantial floor time for the Wolves.

Forks 8th grader Brooklynn Rondeau led all scorers with 17 points, including netting four of the six three-balls the Spartans made on the afternoon.

Marti did nab a bit of history in the loss, moving past Hilary Kortuem into 50th place on the CHS program’s all-time scoring chart.

The feisty senior sits with 232 points for her career, and next up on her “hit list” is her cousin, Breeanna Messner, who scored 235 points during her stellar run as a Wolf.

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“It was a great team win!”

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , , on December 6, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The Wolves listen as coach Scout Smith (far left) talks strategy. (Michelle Armstrong photo)

They play just like their coach.

And that’s a good thing. A very good thing.

Handing former Wolf hoops supernova Scout Smith her first win as a high school head coach Friday, the Coupeville High School JV girls’ basketball team decimated host South Whidbey in every facet of the game.

Whether it was Haylee Armstrong terrorizing the Falcon ballhandlers, or Ava Lucero strolling up court to drain a Caitlin Clark-style three-ball from well behind the line, the Wolves were poetry in motion on the hardwood.

The result?

A 40-15 romp which evens Coupeville’s early season record at 1-1 heading into a road trip Monday to the end of the Earth (otherwise known as Forks).

For Smith, among the most cerebral of players in her heyday, the first win as a coach was sweet.

“It was a great team win where we executed our plays and systems very well,” she said. “Everybody contributed and did their role.”

Armstrong, a buzzsaw on both ends of the floor who lives to collect knee burns, fired it up Gary Payton-style on defense.

“Haylee had a great game defensively,” Smith said.

“She was a menace for South Whidbey guards to deal with, causing turnovers, steals, and chaos for their offense.”

Once they had possession of the ball, the Wolves quickly sent the orb crashing through the net, with seven different players scoring.

Lucero topped CHS with 10 — “She had a great night shooting,” Smith said — while Armstrong and Adeline Maynes netted nine apiece.

Ari Cunningham (5), Lexis Drake (3), Chelsi Stevens (2), and Sydney Van Dyke (2) rounded out the multi-pronged offensive attack, with Marin Winger, Capri Anter, Jeann Nitta, Amelia Crowder, and Willow Leedy-Bonifas also seeing floor time.

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