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Posts Tagged ‘Island rivalry’

Net crew finally unleashed

Posted in Girls Tennis, tagged , , , , , on April 9, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Jaimee Masters teamed with Abby Mulholland Tuesday to pull out a three-set varsity doubles win. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Avalon Renninger flicks another winner.

Tia Wurzrainer reaches high to snare a runaway tennis ball.

Eryn Wood showcases flawless form on her backhand.

Just getting on the court is a win.

The Coupeville High School girls tennis team has been hit by scheduling issues, rain delays, and all manners of roadblocks this season.

So, even though the Wolves fell 4-1 Tuesday to visiting South Whidbey, fighting against buffeting wind and the league’s best team, it was still somewhat of a positive outcome.

While other CHS teams have broken double digits in games played, or are about to do so, the netters have a whopping total of two matches in the books.

The first didn’t come until Mar. 27 against King’s, and then the Wolves promptly went back to waiting, sitting another two weeks before Tuesday’s tilt.

At least the next match will come much quicker, barring any weather surprises, as Coupeville, 0-2 on the season, is scheduled to travel Thursday to Friday Harbor.

Facing off with a powerhouse South Whidbey team, which improved to 3-0 in North Sound Conference play, the Wolves put up a strong fight.

And no one played tougher than the duo of sophomore Jaimee Masters and freshman Abby Mulholland, who rallied for a win at #3 doubles.

After splitting the first two sets, the Wolves held off three match points in a third-set tiebreaker, eventually pulling out a victory to send the remaining fans home happy.

Both Masters and Mulholland came up with big shots down the stretch, forcing the action as the huddled masses prayed for relief from the cold and wind as the clock crept towards 7 PM.

The ticket to head home finally arrived on a perfectly-executed drop shot which bit a chunk off the back line, then skipped merrily away for the match-winning point.

 

Complete Tuesday results:

 

Varsity:

1st Singles — Genna Wright lost to Fariss Jokinen 6-3, 6-4

2nd Singles — Jillian Mayne lost to Ashley Ricketts 6-0, 6-1

1st Doubles — Tia Wurzrainer/Avalon Renninger lost to Mary Zisette/Allison Papritz 6-2, 6-1

2nd Doubles — Eryn Wood/Emily Fiedler lost to Ainsley Nelson/Elizabeth Simmons 6-3, 6-3

3rd Doubles — Jaimee Masters/Abby Mulholland beat Oliana Stange/Erin Brewer 6-4, 6-7(5-7), 13-11

 

JV:

4th Doubles — Elaira Nicolle/Wood lost 8-5

5th Doubles — Noelle Daigneault/Katelin McCormick lost 8-1

6th Doubles — Maddy Andrews/Mary Milnes lost 8-1

7th Doubles — Cecelia Camarena/Cassidy Holmes lost 6-3

8th Doubles — Daigneault/McCormick lost 7-1

 

To see more photos from Tuesday’s match, pop over to:

https://www.johnsphotos.net/Sports/Coupeville-Tennis-2018-2019/GT-2019-04-09-vs-South-Whidbey/

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High-flying Falcons add to Wolf woes

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , , on April 8, 2019| Leave a Comment »

CHS freshman pitcher Cody Roberts (left) and head baseball coach Chris Smith survey the action in a recent game. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

After awhile, the games start to blur together into a familiar pattern.

The Coupeville High School baseball squad — young, hungry and scrappy — hangs with more-seasoned teams three, sometimes four or five, innings.

But, ultimately, a season-long offensive funk makes life tough, and when you’re hanging by a thread all the time, any mistakes are greatly magnified.

It’s a scenario which played out one more time Monday afternoon, as visiting South Whidbey rode a 2-hit, 14-strikeout performance from pitcher Ethan Petty to send Coupeville to a 12-0 loss.

The Island rivalry rumble, the first in a three-game set this week between teams headed in opposite directions, drops the Wolves to 0-7 in North Sound Conference play, 0-11 overall.

South Whidbey, which is a half step behind Cedar Park Christian in the battle for a league title, improves to 9-1 in league, 12-1 overall.

That’s the best start in program history.

Monday’s game, which played out partially in a driving rainstorm, was just 3-0 through four innings, but even then, it was largely a one-sided affair.

Petty retired the first 11 Wolf hitters, whiffing nine of them, and wasn’t touched until CHS pitcher Dane Lucero looped a two-out single which dropped in over the head of a backpedaling Falcon infielder.

The Falcon junior slightly raised an eyebrow at seeing his perfect game go bye-bye, then immediately rebounded with strikeout #10, effectively ending any hopes the Wolves might have had.

With a little help from catcher Dexter Jokinen and shortstop Kody Newman, Petty gunned down nine straight batters after Lucero’s base-knock.

Newman went to his knees to spear a liner off of Daniel Olson’s bat, while Jokinen threw off his mask and scrambled to haul in a high, arcing Bryce Payne foul ball right in front of the chain link fence.

Down to their final out, the Wolves finally put their second runner aboard, when CHS catcher Gavin Knoblich beat out an infield chopper for a single.

But that was it for Coupeville — two hits spaced far apart, no walks, and little offensive momentum.

Lucero kept his team in the game for the first hour, scattering hits and coming up big to blunt Falcon rallies in the second and fourth inning.

South Whidbey got the only run it would need when first-baseman Brent Batchelor tore the hide off the ball with a booming RBI single to left in the top of the first.

The Falcons picked up two more runs in the third, courtesy a bases-loaded walk and an RBI ground-out, but it could have been worse.

Twice, Lucero danced with the devil in the pale moonlight and lived to tell about it, escaping identical jams.

He had runners at second and third with two outs in both the second and fourth, but coaxed a fly-out to center-fielder Hawthorne Wolfe to end the first trouble, and a ground-out to Shane Losey to snuff the second.

The dam finally broke in the top of the fifth, as the Falcons jumped on a rash of Coupeville errors to plate four more runs.

South Whidbey tacked on yet another five across the final two innings against the Wolf bullpen, but there were a few bright spots for Coupeville in the late going.

Wolfe, who made solid contact at the plate in all three of his appearances and was the lone CHS player to not whiff, had a nice over-the-shoulder snag while on the run in center.

His fellow freshman, pitcher Cody Roberts, picked up the other two outs in the seventh inning by flinging strikeouts.

The final out came on a nasty slider which dove with an unexpected ferocity, causing the Falcon slugger to rip out most of his back muscles in a vain attempt to catch up with the pitch.

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Shorthanded booters fight hard in rivalry game

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , on March 29, 2019| Leave a Comment »

With starting goalie Dewitt Cole rehabbing an injury, Michael Langille played in goal Friday for the Coupeville High School boys soccer squad. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Sometimes it’s just about survival.

Playing with a gutted roster Friday, and that was before losing players mid-game, the Coupeville High School boys soccer team fell 5-0 at South Whidbey.

Losing to a team which went to the state quarterfinals last season, and is the heavy betting favorite in the new North Sound Conference, is not unexpected.

The hope though is to have a full roster when the two schools tangle Apr. 23 in the regular-season finale.

Coupeville coach Kyle Nelson was philosophical as part of his team boarded the bus for the short trip back home from Langley.

“Considering we only had 14 players for the game and had to put a makeshift lineup together, I am proud of their effort,” he said.

With starting goaltender Dewitt Cole rehabbing an injury, back-up Michael Langille played the entire game in net and held up well.

South Whidbey senior Michael Lux paced the high-flying Falcons, rattling home a hat trick.

Coupeville, which was shut out for only the second time this season, drops to 2-2 in league play, 4-4 overall.

The Wolves sit solidly in third-place in what is supposed to be a six-team league.

CHS is a game-and-a-half off of league leaders King’s (3-0, 4-1-1) and South Whidbey (3-0, 6-1).

Cedar Park Christian (0-3, 0-4) and Sultan (0-3, 0-7) bring up the rear, while Granite Falls suspended its program this year due to a lack of players.

Staying in at least third-place is big, since it would bring the Wolves a “home” game in their district playoff opener.

Coupeville, which travels to Forks Monday for a non-league game, closes with four conference clashes, and is already assured of a postseason berth.

The #1 and #3 NSC teams host their first playoff bout, though the Wolves would need to travel to Oak Harbor for any postseason “home” games, since Coupeville High School doesn’t have a turf field.

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Play for today, build for the future

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , , on March 25, 2019| Leave a Comment »

CHS freshman Kylie Van Velkinburgh made her high school pitching debut Monday afternoon in Oak Harbor. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Mckenna Somes had Coupeville’s lone hit in a 15-3 loss.

Stretch yourself now, try new things, and it may pay off down the road.

JV sports are about mixing and matching, seeing who can excel while playing multiple positions.

And, while the Coupeville High School JV softball squad fell 15-3 at Oak Harbor Monday, the Wolves got a chance to build for the future.

The Wolves, now 2-1 on the season, put freshman Kylie Van Velkinburgh in the pitcher’s circle for the first time, and she went the distance, facing 27 hitters.

That’s huge, as Coupeville tries to build a solid pitching staff at the JV level.

Van Velkinburgh’s best inning was the bottom of the second, when she erased three Wildcat hitters in order, ending things by taking down the top two hitters in the lineup.

While Coupeville’s JV was hoping to follow in the footsteps of the school’s varsity softball players and upend a 3A school, Wolf bats had a rare cold day.

McKenna Somes smashed a single in the first inning, but that was it for CHS, which did manage to eke out seven walks.

They came from seven different Wolf hitters as well, with Lily Leedy, Heidi Meyers, Van Velkinburgh, Abby Meyers, Chloe Wheeler, Morgan Stevens, and Amanda Thomas all reaching base thanks to possessing eagle eyes.

Marenna Rebischke-Smith and Ivy Leedy rounded out the lineup for the Wolves, who now head into a long break.

The JV isn’t scheduled to play again until Apr. 10, while the Wolf varsity takes the field five times during that stretch.

When they do get back into action, Coupeville’s young guns have eight games left on their schedule, including a rematch Apr. 18 with Oak Harbor.

That game is set to go down on Coupeville’s diamond.

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Split decision in Langley

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , on March 5, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Maddie Georges netted six points Tuesday, including a key pair of free throws, as Coupeville’s 8th graders completed a three-game sweep of Langley. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

You win some, you lose some.

The action was fast and furious on the hardwood Tuesday in Langley, with Coupeville Middle School’s varsity girls basketball squads earning a split against their arch-rivals.

The Wolf 8th graders remained perfect with a narrow victory, while the CMS 7th graders took their game to the final buzzer, only to fall on the final shot.

How the day played out:

 

8th grade varsity:

Still perfect, and still the best team on Whidbey.

Holding on down the stretch, while enjoying a sizable advantage at the free throw line, Coupeville held off their hosts 39-34.

The win gives the Wolves a three-game sweep of the Cougars, while lifting CMS to 5-0 on the season.

Each of the three contests the Island rivals played had a different rhythm.

In the first one, Coupeville had to roar from behind and erase a double-digits deficit for the win.

Second time out, the Wolves blew Langley off the floor, romping to a lopsided victory.

The final match-up was a nail-biter, but one in which CMS held the advantage from start to finish.

Powered by a big three-ball from Alita Blouin, the Wolves went to the first break up 6-5.

After that, it was time for Carolyn Lhamon to shine, as the Wolf post powerhouse dropped in 11 of her game-high 12 points across the final three quarters.

The teams battled through a tight second quarter, with CMS clinging to a 14-13 lead at the half, but the Wolves slowly pulled away after the break.

Four points from Lhamon and three from Ryanne Knoblich keyed a 13-10 surge in the third, before Lhamon and Nezi Keiper each tossed in three during a taut 12-11 fourth frame.

With the clock running down, and Langley still just a three-ball away from forcing overtime, Maddie Georges iced the game.

Striding to the free throw line with confidence in every step, Mad Dog knocked down a pair of free throw attempts, giving CMS a 10-2 advantage on successful charity shots, and that was that.

Lhamon paced the Wolves with 12, while Keiper and Blouin backed her up with seven points apiece.

Georges (6), Knoblich (3), Gwen Gustafson (2), and Hayley Fielder (2) rounded out the scoring attack, with Jill Prince and Jordyn Rogers chipping in with hustle on defense.

 

7th grade varsity:

One of the odder games in recent memory, as South Whidbey went scoreless until the third quarter, only to win 8-6 with a basket in the final seconds.

The loss drops Coupeville to 2-4 on the season, and gives the Island rivals a split of their two-game season series.

And no, you didn’t read that score wrong.

After four quarters and 28 minutes of floor time, the teams really did combine for a meager 14 points.

“Really good defense was played,” CMS coach Megan Smith said with a laugh. “It was a very close game. The girls played very hard and well, but South Whidbey just beat us at the end and scored at the buzzer.”

Coupeville’s defense was smothering in the first half, but the Wolves could only generate a pair of buckets, both off of the fingertips of Brionna Blouin, and led 4-0 at the half.

Then CMS went cold, while South Whidbey got slightly (very slightly) warmer, slicing the lead down to 4-2 heading into the final quarter.

After that, things went bonkers (sorta) on the offensive side of the ball, with the squads scoring more points in the fourth quarter than in the first three combined.

Blouin hit another bucket, giving her 65 points for the season, best by any CMS girl in either grade, but the Cougars knotted things up, then pushed in the winning basket as time ran down.

Lauren Marrs, Allison Nastali, Skylar Parker, Reese Wilkinson, Erica McGrath, Kayla Arnold, Kaitlyn Leavell, and Desi Ramirez also saw floor time for the Wolves.

 

7th/8th grade JV:

Coupeville got balanced scoring, with eight players etching their names in the book, but the Wolves fell 26-18.

The loss drops the JV to 2-4 on the season.

Other than a brief defensive lapse in the second quarter, the game was a taut one, with Langley up 6-4 at the first break, and the second half a 10-10 stalemate.

The deciding factor was the second frame, where the Cougars surged to a 10-4 advantage.

Claire Mayne rattled the rims for four points to pace the Wolves, while Mercedes Kalwies-Anderson netted three.

Cristina McGrath (2), Jessenia Camarena (2), Jill Prince (2), Melanie Navarro (2), Adrian Burrows (2), and Trinity McGee (1) also scored, while Ava Mitten, Jackie Contreras, Karyme Castro, Jesse McMahon, Jordyn Rogers, and Abigail Ramirez all saw playing time.

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