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Posts Tagged ‘Katie Marti’

Build for the future, a bucket at a time

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

Lyla Stuurmans would appreciate it if you would get out of her face. (Jackie Saia photo)

The building blocks are in place.

The Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball team narrowly missed the playoffs this time around, stung by a couple of losses in which the offense dried up at inopportune times.

But there were a whole ton of moments when everything clicked into place for the Wolves, promising a bright future.

And that future could come to bloom next season, with nine of 12 players, including all five starters, slated to return for CHS coach Megan Richter.

The top seven scorers on a team which finished 2-6 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 7-13 overall (but could have easily been 13-7 with a tweak here and there) are all underclassmen.

Starters Mia Farris, Jada Heaton, Madison McMillan, Lyla Stuurmans, and Katie Marti are juniors, while Teagan Calkins is a sophomore and Haylee Armstrong a freshman.

Give them some time to fine-tune their offensive skill set, let them grow and mature in the heat of softball, track, and volleyball seasons, and plop them back on the hardwood next year, and things could get dynamic.

All five of Coupeville’s starters this season can return next year. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

La Conner, who they closed with, shares a lot of similarities with the Wolves — young players bursting with potential, finding their way to achieving the kind of success their predecessors enjoyed.

For this season, at least, the Braves proved to be just a hair further along the path.

Using its team-wide speed to its advantage, La Conner jumped out to a 14-6 lead after one quarter of play Tuesday night.

McMillan kept the Braves honest by knocking down a couple of early buckets, while Farris chased down a rival and rejected her shot to the delight of her teammates.

Coupeville came out strongly in the second quarter, chopping its deficit back to 16-11, but then was stung by one of those infamous offensive dry spells.

La Conner closed the frame on a 7-2 run, with just a roller from Stuurmans slowing the bleeding, then rippled the nets for the first six points of the third quarter.

That staked the Braves to their biggest lead of the night, at 29-13, and put a bit of panic in the heart of Wolf fans around the world.

To which Stuurmans said, “Calm down, Skippy, I got this.”

The ever springy one, bounding around on both ends of the floor, tossed in five points to key a 7-0 Wolf run, cutting things back to 29-20 heading into the fourth.

Now in her fourth season of CHS basketball, having first repped the red and black as a precocious 8th grader, Stuurmans capped the mini run with a pull-up jumper so pretty it made the basketball gods smile.

Unfortunately for the Wolves, that was as close as they would get to catching La Conner, with both teams going into an offensive slow-down in the final quarter.

McMillan banked in a bucket off of a long lob by Marti, but it was Maeve McCormick who delivered the dagger.

The Brave gunner scrambled to the sideline to save a ball seemingly intent on escaping into the inky darkness of the great outdoors, looped back to the top of the arc, and calmly flicked home a three-ball to deliver the punctuation point.

For Coupeville, McMillan and Stuurmans collected eight and seven points, respectively, while  Marti (4), Heaton (2), and Calkins (2) also scored.

 

Final season scoring stats:

Katie Marti – 152
Mia Farris – 104
Madison McMillan – 104
Lyla Stuurmans – 62
Teagan Calkins – 59
Jada Heaton – 50
Haylee Armstrong – 21
Skylar Parker – 19
Kayla Arnold – 5
Reese Wilkinson – 4
Bryley Gilbert – 2
Brynn Parker – 2

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Home finale, huge finish

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , , on February 3, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Give Jada Heaton the dang ball, cause they can’t stop her. (Jackie Saia photo)

There was a brief moment of concern.

Jennifer Heaton, high up in the stands, was gently rocking three-month-old coach’s daughter Adeline Richter, heir to the Coupeville High School girls’ basketball empire.

Meanwhile, down below on the hardwood, Jennifer’s own daughter, Joltin’ Jada Heaton, was destroying anyone foolish enough to get in her way.

Would mom lose herself in the moment, let loose a full-throated roar, and toss little Adeline high enough she could dust the CHS gym roof with her pajamas?

Spoiler alert: the cobwebs are still in place.

Keeping any hootin’ and hollerin’ and baby-tossin’ for later, Jennifer Heaton just beamed a lot as Jada went bonkers, propelling the Wolf varsity to a 41-37 win Saturday over visiting Orting.

The non-conference victory against a 2A foe, coming in the home finale for the 2B Wolves, lifts Coupeville to 7-12 on the season.

That leaves one more game for CHS, which is out of playoff contention but still playing hard from opening tip to final buzzer.

The Wolves travel to La Conner Tuesday to close things out, and then coach Megan Richter will join Adeline on the sidelines (and the walking trails).

Since Saturday’s rumble, a late addition to the schedule, was the final time this year’s players will lace up their sneakers and stare down a rival in their home gym, the Wolves started seniors Kayla Arnold, Reese Wilkinson, and Skylar Parker.

That left Heaton, normally a starter, on the bench for the opening chunk of the contest, but she bided her time well, raising the roof for her teammates while eyeballing the Cardinals.

“I’m coming in like a wrecking ball, ladies, when I get in this game, so pull up your shorts and brace for impact!”

Is what I like to imagine Jada was saying.

Without their firecracker on the floor, the Wolves briefly (very briefly) fell behind 3-0, then kicked into gear.

Arnold pulled off a dazzling drive to the basket to open Coupeville’s scoring, before Katie Marti knocked down a three-ball and Wilkinson slid a free throw through the twines.

Reese Wilkinson clamps down on defense. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Up 6-3 after a defensive-minded opening frame, the Wolves ramped things up considerably during a 16-6 run in the second quarter.

Five different CHS players dropped in points during the game-busting tear, while Mia Farris — back on the floor after missing three games with an injury — provided a defensive spark.

Marti was wheeling and dealing, peppering Orting’s defense with precision passes, setting up one teammate after another while emulating Sue Bird in her prime.

Heaton, Madison McMillan, and Haylee Armstrong each racked up four points in the second quarter, but it was Marti, on a rare play where she didn’t flick a highlight-reel pass, who notched the best bucket of the day.

It came on a running hook shot in the paint and drew an appropriate burst of applause from her always-packed fan club in the expensive floor-level seats.

Up 22-7 at the half, the Wolves were romping, until, in what might have been a tribute to the Austin Powers films, they decided that they too liked to live dangerously.

Or Orting was just better than it showed in the first half, and finally got its act together.

Either way, the Cardinals came alive after the break, using a 15-2 surge to get all the way back to within 26-24 with about a minute and change left in the third quarter.

Collars were tightening, but the Wolves had an answer.

Marti, scampering up court, pegged a beautiful pass over the top of the defense, dropping the ball onto McMillan’s waiting fingertips, and her fellow junior slapped home a layup.

Add a Farris free throw and a defensive stand, and Coupeville was back up 29-24 with eight minutes to play.

Madison McMillan delivers another bucket. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Orting refused to go quietly, cutting its deficit down to a single bucket three times in the fourth, only to have CHS respond in style each time.

The first time Armstrong gut-punched the Cardinals with a three-ball which hit the rim, skipped high into the air, did a few ballet moves in the breeze, then splashed through the bottom of the net as the fab frosh danced away.

Then it was Jada Time, as Heaton flexed her biceps (while possibly doing a “check one, check two” pep talk to her guns), and closed the game like a Valkyrie unleashing Ragnarök.

I think that’s how it works. I am Norwegian, but not 100% sure about my myths. So, just go with it.

Three trips down the floor to end the game, and three HUGE buckets from Joltin’ Jada, slayer of mortals, and the game was in the win column.

Basket #1 came on a lob from Marti, still baffling and blitzing any rapidly retreating defenders in the region.

Basket #2? A power move down low from Heaton, who muscled her way through a mass of players in the mood to elbow and knee her tender regions.

And basket #3? An offensive rebound, a quick dip to get past a defender, and then a graceful arc of the ball off the glass while mom celebrated without mussin’ up the baby too bad.

The victory took some of the sting out of a loss to Friday Harbor less than 24 hours earlier, and was a true team affair, with eight of nine players to hit the hardwood scoring.

Heaton finished with a season-high 12, while Marti banked in eight and McMillan and Armstrong each tallied seven.

Farris (3), Arnold (2), Teagan Calkins (1), and Wilkinson (1) rounded out the attack, with Parker going toe-to-toe with the Cardinals in a series of battles for loose balls and rebounds.

Katie Marti weaves through the defense. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

While Marti’s day featured some of her best passing work of the season, it also saw the Wolf junior hit a personal milestone in the great career scoring race.

She broke into the 200-point club with her first quarter three-ball, the 62nd player to achieve that feat in the 50 years of Wolf girls’ hoops.

Now sitting at #59 all-time with 207 points, she’s the third family member to reach the mark, chasing Cousin Breeanna Messner (235 points) and Aunt Judy Marti (545).

And it wasn’t the only milestone on the day, as McMillan (102) also cracked the 100-point club and Heaton reached an even 50 for her career.

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Shoot, score, take a siesta

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , on December 24, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Jack Porter comes in hot. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Now the numbers sit for a bit.

The holidays are upon us, putting a temporary freeze on the pursuit of scoring excellence for Coupeville High School basketball players.

Games return Jan. 5, when the Wolves hop on the bus and trek off to Darrington.

Until then, an up-to-the-moment look at individual scoring stats for CHS hoops stars.

Wolf JV players await their moment in the spotlight.

 

Varsity – Girls
(9 games)

Katie Marti – 67
Mia Farris – 54
Madison McMillan – 44
Lyla Stuurmans – 23
Jada Heaton – 21
Haylee Armstrong – 9
Skylar Parker – 8
Teagan Calkins – 6
Bryley Gilbert – 2

 

JV – Girls
(6 games)

Haylee Armstrong – 60
Tenley Stuurmans – 39
Bryley Gilbert – 28
Capri Anter – 14
Teagan Calkins – 9
Lexis Drake – 8
Adie Maynes – 6
Brynn Parker – 6
Taylor Marrs – 4
Chelsi Stevens – 3
Ari Cunningham – 2

**Missing 26 points​​**

 

Varsity – Boys
(9 games)

Logan Downes – 211
Cole White – 84
Chase Anderson – 63
Ryan Blouin – 52
Hunter Bronec – 33
Nick Guay – 19
Hurlee Bronec – 17
William Davidson – 8
Zane Oldenstadt – 4
Quinten Simpson-Pilgrim – 4
Mikey Robinett – 2

 

JV – Boys:
(6 games)

Jack Porter – 69
Camden Glover – 67
Johnny Porter – 49
Aiden O’Neill – 45
Landon Roberts – 40
Riley Lawless – 17
Davin Houston – 10
Easton Green – 8
Jayden McManus – 6
Makai Myles – 4
Malachi Somes – 3

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Marti, Armstrong shine in tough loss

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , on December 20, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Wolf freshman Haylee Armstrong made her varsity debut Wednesday, then joined the sisterhood by scoring. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

A rough night, but with some bright spots.

Playing deep on the road in Eastern Washington Wednesday, the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball team struggled to find its shooting touch and paid the price.

Unable to hit a field goal until early in the third quarter, the Wolves got roughed up 56-17 by host Cle Elum-Roslyn.

But while the non-conference loss drops CHS to 3-5 on the season, the game did feature a strong second-half performance from sparkplug Katie Marti, and the varsity debut of fab frosh Haylee Armstrong.

Plus, there’s another game tomorrow, offering the Wolves a chance to immediately get this one out of their system.

Coupeville squares off with Kittitas Thursday at Central Washington University, then is off until Jan. 5.

Maybe it was tired legs, having traveled 130+ miles on a school bus right after playing Forks at home Tuesday night.

Maybe there was some wayward breeze in the Cle Elum gym, or the rim was tweaked and twisted.

Or maybe it was just a night where nothing was going to drop, no matter what angle the ball went skyward.

Coupeville failed to record a single field goal in the first half, netting just a solitary Mia Farris free throw midway through the second quarter, and trailed 26-1 at the break.

Things got better in the third, thanks to the rampaging force of nature keeping alive the Marti/Messner legacy.

Katie Marti opened the quarter with a free throw, closed it with another one, and in between sank a pair of three-balls on plays where her defender was a step slow to stop her gun-slinging nature.

Cle Elum had plenty of firepower itself, stretching the advantage out to 43-9 heading into the fourth, but the Wolves made sure the locals had to work hard for their points.

Farris made off with a steal to open the fourth, outracing the defenders as she slashed in for a silky layup.

Late in the game, Armstrong and Teagan Calkins connected on back-to-back buckets — the only time all game CHS was able to score on consecutive plays.

Teagan Calkins, here eyeballing mom Jackie Saia, played strongly on both ends of the floor.

It was a milestone moment for Armstrong, as the freshman was making her varsity debut a night after scoring 20 for the Wolf JV in a win.

Her fourth-quarter basket makes her the 243rd Coupeville girl to score in a varsity game across the last 50 years.

Marti paced the Wolves with 10 points, and in doing so, moves into the top 100 scorers in program history.

With 121 career points and counting, she’s #95 all-time, and just five points from passing mom Christi Messner (125).

After that comes Aunt Aimee (Messner) Bishop (168), Cousin Breeanna Messner (235), and Aunt Judy Marti (545).

Farris (3), Armstrong (2), and Calkins (2) rounded out the offensive attack at Cle Elum, while Jada Heaton, Lyla Stuurmans, Reese Wilkinson, Madison McMillan, Bryley Gilbert, and Kayla Arnold also saw floor time for Megan Richter’s squad.

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Wolves scrappy, Spartans deadly

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , on December 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Katie Marti, always ready to get scrappy. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

The second half was way rougher than the first.

Squaring off with a hot-shooting, hotter-rebounding Forks squad Tuesday, the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball squad hung tough for 16 minutes on its home floor.

But then the basket stopped accepting Wolf shots, and things went South in a hurry.

Scoring only four points across the game’s final two quarters, Coupeville saw a 10-point game turn into a 56-20 loss.

Now 3-4 after absorbing the non-conference defeat, the Wolves get an immediate chance to turn things around, playing games the next two days.

Coupeville travels East for clashes with Cle Elum Wednesday and Kittitas Thursday, then is off until Jan. 5.

Facing off with Forks, the Wolves ran into a solid, fundamentally-sound squad which hit the boards with passion and rattled the rims on seven successful three-balls.

In the early going, CHS stayed close next to some inspired shot making of its own.

Madison McMillan put the Wolves on the board with maybe the most sensational shot anyone on the team has hit this season.

Slicing between two defenders, the junior guard hit a running bank shot that got up over the defender’s outstretched arms and back down through the net before she even had time to call “Glass!”

It was a thing of sublime beauty, and added to buckets by Jada Heaton and Katie Marti, it kept the Spartans on their toes.

Down 18-7 at the first break, Coupeville played their visitors virtually even in the second quarter, winning that eight-minute scrimmage 9-8.

Marti had the hottest hand in the frame, banking in a three-ball, before coming back around to score off of a rebound.

That carom came off of her own shot, as she followed the path of the ball, scooting beneath the rim and catching the comebacker off the glass as if she had passed it to herself.

While the Wolves were still trailing as they headed in for halftime, the deficit was just 26-16 and it still felt very manageable.

Jada Heaton fights for a loose ball.

But, after trading buckets to open the third, with Mia Farris drilling a long jumper just a step or two inside the three-point line, Coupeville’s offense vanished.

From that point on Forks ran off 28 unanswered points, hitting four of their three-balls during the explosion and making the final score look much worse to a casual observer who hadn’t seen the rest of the game.

McMillan popped a jumper with several ticks left on the clock to end the Forks run and provide the game’s final bucket, but the previous 15 minutes had been a killer.

Marti paced the Wolves with a team-high seven points, while McMillan (6), Heaton (5), and Farris (2) rounded out the attack.

Lyla Stuurmans, Reese Wilkinson, Teagan Calkins, Bryley Gilbert, and Kayla Arnold also saw floor time, with Arnold earning sustained whoops of excitement from her fan club in the student section.

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