Anthony Bergeron (bottom, left) is joined by (clockwise) Joel Walstad, Oscar Liquidano and Jennifer Spark. (John Fisken and Shelli Trumbull photos)
We might have to ask for ID’s.
We’re going all “new school” today as we induct our 81st class into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.
But while our four CHS grads are all young enough they could still easily pass for high school students if a 21 Jump Street situation were to arise, they all left behind a strong body of work.
So let’s not wait years to give them their props, but get it done long before any of them would need a wheelchair to get to the induction ceremony.
With that, we welcome engaged couple Anthony Bergeron and Jennifer Spark and gridiron brothers in arms Joel Walstad and Oscar Liquidano.
After this, you’ll find all four at the top of the blog under the Legends tab.
Our first inductee, Spark, can stand with any player to ever pull on a CHS soccer jersey.
Owner of a leg which launched nuclear strikes, she is arguably the best defender in Wolf girls soccer history, but one who impacted play all across the field.
Spark scored a surprising amount of goals for a defensive player, and most of her tallies came on long, booming kicks which exploded, then curled over the surprised goaltender’s head.
Her best score?
Probably the one that left her foot at midfield, traveled on a low, vicious line, then hit the goaltender squarely on the top of the head and ricocheted into the back of the net as her teammates (and family) went bonkers.
A quiet, but very effective, team captain, Spark battled through a terrible leg injury to star as both a high school and select team player, and made the jump to college soccer this past fall.
Hard-working, extremely likable and a rock-solid young woman, both on and off the field, Sparky set a high standard for her teammates and the young women who will follow her on the pitch, and her legend will continue to loom large.
Her beau, Mr. Bergeron, came to competitive basketball fairly late.
But, in his two years as a Wolf, he transformed from a quiet, studious young man who worked long hours in the gym to a quiet, studious young man who soared through the skies and became one of the rare Wolves to legitimately dunk during game action.
Anthony is a testament to where hard work will take you, as he went from a rough-around-the-edges JV player who showed flashes of brilliance to an electrifying varsity player.
He always had hops, which he showcased early during his stint as a football receiver.
There is a photo out there somewhere, shot by Shelli Trumbull, in which Bergeron is almost a full body length above his defender, plucking a throw from fellow inductee Walstad, out of the evening sky.
On the basketball court, Bergeron, as his confidence grew, begin to play above the court more and more, a rare weapon in a Wolf hoops program where most of the action has been at ground level in recent years.
A class act, on and off the court, he’s gone on to launch a career in the US Navy and pop the question to Spark, taking over the world one quiet grin at a time.
Our third inductee, Liquidano, The Big O, is a rock of a man, an imposing football lineman and soccer defender who also knocked down a few foes on the basketball court during his day.
When he wasn’t protecting his QB or goalkeeper, Oscar was also a ball of fire in the stands and on the sidelines, one of the most vocal and enthusiastic fans of his fellow Wolf athletes you could find.
The body said, “I’m gonna knock you on your rear,” while the epic smile told you, “And then I’ll pick you back up and muss your hair.”
Oscar is the oldest in a family that has provided a string of superior athletes to CHS.
Uriel and Estefanny have followed in his footsteps, and the Liquidano family has become a vital part of Wolf Nation.
Now he’s a married man (having wed fellow CHS grad Ashlyn Miller) and a proud papa, yet never too busy to come back and cheer his siblings and former classmates, his voice booming from the stands.
It’s a bit of a recurring tend today, but Oscar, like his fellow inductees, earns his spot in the Hall for two reasons — his athletic skills and his character. Both are first-rate.
The same could be said of our fourth and final inductee, Walstad, who joins older sister Bessie in punching his ticket for entry to our digital wonderland.
A three-sport athlete (football, basketball, soccer), he was a star in all three, combining hustle and grit with talent and charisma to emerge as one of the most memorable of Wolves to wear the uniform during this decade.
He poured in buckets on the hardwood and deflected countless shots on goal while guarding the net on the pitch, but his senior season on the gridiron is what truly seals the deal.
Under the guidance of Tony Maggio, Walstad took the reigns in 2014 and put together one of the best seasons ever compiled by a Wolf QB.
Throwing for 1,675 yards and a school single-season record 18 touchdowns (he also scored four times as a runner), Walstad guided Coupeville to its best record in a decade.
That he kicked off the season by thrashing South Whidbey (going 20-29 for 252 yards and 3 TDs) to claim The Bucket? The cherry on top.
Four stellar athletes, four stellar human beings. The Hall o’ Fame is honored to welcome you all home.
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