Kacie Kiel “always made us better when she was on the court.” (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Breeanna Messner “was so much more than an athlete.” (Shelli Trumbull photo)
In the six years of Coupeville Sports, David King has helped set the gold standard.
Whether coaching softball or girls basketball, or discussing other sports from the sidelines, he remains one of the best go-to guys for a quote, a hot take, or well-reasoned analysis.
I hyperventilate, while he sits there, cool as a cucumber, small smile on his face, and tells me how things really work in the prep sports world.
Now, he’s here to join in on our continuing series of articles in which CHS coaches, past and present, discuss the best players they’ve worked with.
So, away we go.
Who is the best female athlete you coached at CHS?
Makana Stone.
She not only is the most gifted athlete I’ve ever coached, she is as humble and team-oriented as they come. Willing to help any and all teammates and encouraging them every step of the way.
Makana is a player that didn’t settle for good enough; she pushed herself to be great. Her work ethic is second to none.
She chose basketball to play in college and has flourished. But I believe she could have gone to college and played soccer, volleyball or ran track.
Not many athletes have that kind of talent.
Who is the best male athlete you coached at CHS?
Jordan Wilcox.
I was a volunteer high school baseball coach and also coached him in little league. I also had the opportunity to help some with basketball before high school.
A natural athlete that made the hardest plays look easy.
Jordan put in the time during the off-season and throughout the season. A great sense of humor that kept practices light, but still worked hard.
Jordan had that killer instinct that he would tap into when he had an opponent down.
What CHS athlete that you did NOT coach, do you wish you could have?
Grace LaPoint and Lauren Bayne.
I coached Grace in basketball, but not in softball.
During Grace’s senior year, I became a co-coach for softball, however Grace decided to hang up her softball cleats and pursued track.
A speedster and a very smart athlete.
I was disappointed when she told us she was going to track over softball. It would have been great to have her patrolling the outfield and creating havoc on the bases.
Lauren it seems is one of the few athletes I didn’t coach between basketball and softball.
I tried to convince her for four years to give basketball a try.
After seeing the type of athlete she was and seeing it first hand when she played middle school basketball, I felt like she could have been a major contributor to the basketball program.
Who is the most underrated CHS athlete you coached?
Kacie Kiel.
Anything I threw at Kacie regarding basketball she always accepted the challenge. A great attitude and selfless.
She may not have had the highest stats from game to game, however she was a complete player.
She could handle the ball, play the wing and knock down open shots. Rebound against taller and bigger players and she was a lock-down defender.
A player that I trusted on the court and one that always made us better when she was on the court.
Thinking about character/intangibles/commitment, what CHS athlete you coached would be the one you want young kids to emulate?
Breeanna Messner.
Breeanna is so much more than an athlete. Plain and simple, she is a great human being!
Her character is off the charts. It’s all on her along with her very supportive family.
Breeanna has a genuine caring heart that she is willing to share with everyone she comes in contact with.
The intangibles she brought to the teams she played on helped each team have the success they did.
She played point guard and was like a coach on the floor.
She was a catcher and her willingness to learn and grow as a leader was what brought her respect.
Breeanna would put in 100% effort at every practice, then on many occasions would ask to stay late to work on her skills in both basketball and softball.
She never thought she was “owed” a position or a starting spot. She earned it based on her commitment to help the team no matter what and her actual skills she possessed.
I was lucky enough to get to coach her in basketball and softball in high school and a year each in youth sports.
Coupeville Sports 