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Long week, big success

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged CMS Wolves, Finley Helm, girls basketball, Kennedy O'Neill, Northshore Christian Academy on March 2, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Finley Helm shows off her hops while winning a jump ball. (Jerry Helm photo)

It was a wild week.

Enduring the loss of both coaches and several players to the wave of winter illnesses crawling through area classrooms and gyms, the Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball squads still rallied to win three of five games against private school foes.

Playing at home Tuesday versus Northshore Christian Academy, before hitting the road Thursday to travel to Shoreline to face King’s, the young Wolves proved very resilient.

How things played out:

A clean sweep:

Coupeville kicked things off by taking both games against Northshore, which doesn’t field a third squad.

Team #1 held on for a 29-19 win, while Team #2 romped to a 42-6 victory, with both Wolf squads nailing down their first victories of the season.

Cameron Van Dyke had the hot hand for Coupeville’s first team, rattling the rims for a game-high 14 points, with eight of those coming during a game-clinching run in the fourth quarter.

The game had been knotted at 6-6 through one quarter and 10-10 at the half, before CMS pulled away in the second half.

Sophia Batterman and Zayne Roos each knocked down four points in support of Van Dyke, with Hazel Goldman (2), Emma Cushman (2), Cassandra Powers (2), and Kaleigh Millison (1) also netting points.

Kennedy O’Neill, Allison Powers, Aubrey Flowers, and Annaliese Powers rounded out the rotation.

Team #2 romped to its win, bolting out to a 12-2 lead before putting the hammer down by blanking Northshore in both the second and fourth quarters.

Emma Green torched the nets for 22 points, the biggest single-game offensive show by any Wolf this season, while Finley Helm and Annaliese Powers each added six.

Laurel Crowder (4), Ava Alford (2), and Sabrina Judnich (2) also scored, with Claire Lachnit and Addison Jacobson providing a spark on the defensive end of the floor.

Wolf coaches Makana Stone (left) and Brooke Crowder are guiding the program to success. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Strong road trip:

King’s has often been an overwhelming foe for Cascade League teams, but the Wolves pulled out a win in game #2 and almost made off with a victory in game #3.

The battle between the two school’s top teams was a one-sided affair, with the hosts securing a 55-4 victory, but that was the lone blowout of the day.

Cassandra Powers and O’Neill notched Coupeville’s buckets, with Van Dyke, Elizabeth Marshall, Cushman, Roos, Millison, Goldman, KeeAyra Brown, Batterman, and Annaliese Powers all seeing floor time.

Coupeville’s #2 team rebounded from an early 10-2 deficit, roaring back to life thanks to a 16-7 run in the second quarter fueled by eight points from a sweet-shooting Goldman.

Clinging to an 18-17 lead at the half, the Wolves held King’s to just two points in the second half.

Goldman’s eight points led CMS, with Annaliese Powers (6), Emma Green (4), Helm (4), and Flowers (3) scoring in support.

Judnich, Allison Powers, Millison, Savannah Coxsey, and Jacobson also contributed to the win.

Coupeville’s #3 squad almost got to 3-0 on the season, only to have King’s use a 9-4 surge in the fourth to pull out the 21-18 win.

The game had been tied at the half, with the Wolves up 14-12 heading into the final frame.

Crowder banked in eight points, with Bella Sandlin (6), Anabelle Cundiff (2), and Ari Vinson (2) also keeping the scorekeeper busy.

Abbey Hunt, Lachnit, Sophia Burley, Reagan Green, Ruby Folkestad, and Millie Somes were also in action.

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Wily Wolves tangle with testy Turks

Posted in Girls Basketball, Middle School, tagged CMS Wolves, girls basketball, Kennedy O'Neill, road trip, Sultan on February 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Finley Helm, a killer on the taekwondo mat and the hardwood. (Photos courtesy Jerry Helm)

It was a quick turnaround.

Less than 24 hours after hosting Granite Falls, the Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball teams hit the road Thursday for a trek to the wilds of Sultan.

While there, the Wolves played a full slate of three games against the Turks, with Team #3 continuing to set a torrid pace.

How the day went:

Team #1:

Sultan’s top squad, always a heavy hitter in the Cascade League, got out to a big lead early and rolled to a 38-12 win.

The Wolves struggled on offense in the first half, being blanked in the opening frame and facing a 23-2 deficit at the break.

But things improved quite a bit after that, with CMS coming out on top 6-5 in the third, and fighting hard until the end.

Cameron Van Dyke paced the Wolves with a team-high four points, while Emma Cushman, Kaleigh Millison, KeeAyra Brown, and Kennedy O’Neill each banked in a bucket in support.

Sophia Batterman, Laurel Crowder, Annaliese Powers, Finley Helm, Allie Powers, and Elizabeth Marshall round out the Coupeville roster.

The Wolves have claimed the ferry as their own.

Team #2:

Toss out the third quarter and this was a three-point game.

But a 13-2 Sultan run during the first frame after halftime stung, and the Wolves fell 32-18.

Up until that point, the Turks clung to just an 8-4 lead after one quarter of play, and a 12-10 advantage at the break.

Millison was top girl for the Wolves, rattling the rims for six points, with Helm banking in four.

Hazel Goldman, Emma Green, Selah Rivera, and Aubrey Flowers all added a bucket to the cause, with Cassie Powers, Laurel Crowder, Annaliese Powers, Sabrina Judnich, Addison Jacobson, and Claire Lachnit also in the rotation.

Team #3:

The squad that can’t be beat.

After sitting out the opener against South Whidbey when the Falcons couldn’t come up with a third squad, Coupeville’s gunners have gone 2-0.

Following up a win against Granite, the young Wolves held on Thursday to claim a 16-13 victory.

“Team 3 is crushing it!” said CMS coach Makana Stone. “Defensive mentality and teamwork on offense is really clicking for Team 3 – some hard workers really stepping up.”

Coupeville built a 6-2 lead through one quarter, then held Sultan scoreless in the second frame en route to heading to the locker room with a 10-2 advantage.

The Turks made things interesting with a 10-4 run in the third, but Coupeville’s defense limited their hosts to just a single free throw in the fourth to nail down the win.

Ava Alford knocked down eight points to lead the way, with Annabelle Cundiff torching the nets for six and Crowder banking in a bucket.

Ruby Folkestad, Sophia Magdolen, Lachnit, Bella Sandlin, Abbey Hunt, Ari Vinson, Cassie Powers, Emily Rains, Sophia Burley, and Reagan Green round out the hottest team in Wolf country.

Up next:

Coupeville returns home Feb. 25, when it hosts Northshore Christian Academy.

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Battle today, build for tomorrow

Posted in Middle School, Volleyball, tagged CMS Wolves, Island rivalry, Kennedy O'Neill, Rhylee Inman, season finale, volleyball on October 21, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Tomorrow’s volleyball stars are already making names for themselves on the court. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The matches end, but the work goes on.

The Coupeville Middle School volleyball season came to a close Monday, with the Wolves waging a fierce, if good-natured, war with next-door neighbor South Whidbey.

Now, the next question will be which Wolf spikers will seize opportunities to fine-tune their skill set and deepen their passion for the sport.

Some of the girls in red and black uniforms Monday will move on to high school next year, while others will be back in the CMS hallways a year from now.

Where will they be in their volleyball journey?

Will they listen to the many lessons imparted by coaches Cris Matochi and Kristina Hooks this time around, accept the challenges available, commit themselves to growth, and continue to build towards a bright future on the court?

One hopes so, but only time will tell the tale.

For now, this is how the 2024 campaign ended:

Level 1:

Coupeville’s top squad put up a spirited fight, but fell just short in a 25-21, 25-21, 15-12 loss.

The Wolves started strongly, jumping out to a 5-1 lead in the first set behind precision serving from Cameron Van Dyke.

South Whidbey battled back, however, forcing three ties before sliding out in front for good at 9-8.

Kennedy O’Neill and KeeAyra Brown scored winners — the first by flipping the ball between defenders, the second by dropping a slicing overhead — but the visitors got the lead up to five points and never relented.

Van Dyke kept her rivals honest with a few more nasty serves and Rhylee Inman stood tall, dropping an emphatic kill, but Coupeville could never quite get completely back over the hump.

The second set was a donnybrook, with 12 ties, including a final one at 19-19.

Emma Leavitt had the hot hand at the service stripe in this frame, peppering South Whidbey with balls which tore off fingertips and skidded away.

Down 23-19, the Wolves got back-to-back winners from Inman — one via a tip, one via a well-crunched kill — but once again the visitors slipped away at the last second.

While the third set was for practice and little else with the match already decided, the two teams still put together another titanic tango.

Van Dyke, Inman, and O’Neill all offered strong work at the service line, while Inman also delivered on several of her team-high seven kills.

Stats:

Zariyah Allen — 4 digs, 1 ace
KeeAyra Brown — 1 kill
Laurel Crowder — 2 digs
Rhylee Inman — 7 kills, 7 digs, 2 aces
Emma Leavitt — 1 dig, 1 ace
Kennedy O’Neill — 1 kill, 2 digs, 1 ace
Cassie Powers — 2 kills, 1 dig, 3 assists, 1 ace
Scarlett Spencer — 1 kill, 1 dig
Sage Stavros — 3 digs, 2 assists
Cameron Van Dyke — 1 dig, 4 assists, 3 aces

Level 2:

The closest match of the day, except for the first five minutes.

Coupeville fell behind 11-1 in the opening set, then roared back to life, outscoring the Falcons the rest of the way in a razor-thin 26-24, 25-21, 14-16 loss.

The turn started with Scarlett Spencer, Emma Leavitt, and Emily Rains catching fire on their serve, then really got interesting with Laurel Crowder and Olivia Martin going bonkers at the stripe.

Crowder, just a 6th grader, smoked a particularly sweet ace before Martin, having her best performance of the season, started dropping bombs on South Whidbey from all angles.

From 10 points down, Coupeville got all the way back to holding a 23-21 lead.

And while the Falcons proved to be a hard target to take down, the Wolves did hold off a set point, forcing the frame beyond the standard 25-point finish line.

Properly warmed up by that point, CMS came out swinging in the middle set.

Up 4-1 after Leavitt dropped a winner over her shoulder while her back was to the net, the Wolves set off a yo-yo effect.

South Whidbey jumped out in front at 11-7, Crowder brought the Wolves back to a 12-11 advantage on her serve, then the Falcons reclaimed control at 19-14.

Except Coupeville wasn’t done.

Savannah Coxsey strolled to the service stripe and pounded out a pristine run of five straight points, with two of them coming on unhittable aces, pushing the Wolves back in front.

While CMS ultimately couldn’t quite close out the middle set on top, it did complete the KO in the third frame.

Rains proved to be the difference in the finale, matching Coxsey with her own five-point surge on her serve, while Spencer nailed a key tip winner to help close things out.

Level 3:

The final moments of the 2024 season went in South Whidbey’s favor, with the Falcons winning 25-14, 25-23, 15-8, but again a scrappy Wolf squad refused to exit the floor without first putting up considerable resistance.

Autumn Rubin, Maja Govorcin, and Sabrina Junich picked up points on their serve in the first set, with Junich dropping an ace which caught the sideline and skidded away, leaving the Falcons flat-footed.

The second set showcased the Wolves at their grittiest.

While it trailed for most of the frame, Coupeville steadily chipped away at the deficit, with Emma Green, Bella Sandlin, Rubin, Amira Anunciado, Reagan Green, and Govorcin all picking up points.

Sandlin was an equal opportunity assassin, scoring both on her serve and with a variety of flips and lobs in the open court, while Rubin finally pushed the Wolves ahead at 21-20.

A tense tussle which included a ball being launched skyward, where it got trapped (possibly forever) in the curtain which can be used to divide the court, ended in favor of the Falcons.

But, like the third set, which featured spotlight-worthy plays from Milly Somes and Diana Herrera, there were many bright spots for a still-developing pack of Wolves.

Jade Peabody, Annabelle Cundiff, Addison Jacobson, Kaylee Moore, and Kaylee Beshear round out a roster full of potential.

The matches are done (for now). The uniforms to be returned shortly.

But the future is right there, waiting to be claimed.

Which of these Wolves makes the commitment to become the next Teagan Calkins?

She’s currently a junior kill machine for an undefeated high school squad, and a positive role model who devotes a chunk of her time to helping the middle school coaches.

And which of these bright and whip-smart young women comes for the mantle currently held by CHS senior Katie Marti?

She’s the sublime setter who drives her team’s attack, and the saint who gave me a free hamburger after I endured almost four hours on rock-hard bleachers.

To the CMS spikers — this is your moment, ladies. This is your time.

Make it all you can.

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Spikes fly, young Wolves grow

Posted in Middle School, Volleyball, tagged CMS Wolves, Emma Leavitt, Granite Falls, Kennedy O'Neill, volleyball on October 18, 2024| Leave a Comment »

They came, they saw, they won. (Brooke Crowder photos)

It was a super busy week.

With the end of the middle school volleyball season roaring up on them, Coupeville played three times across the last four days, with all of their rumbles on the road.

Thursday, a day after traveling to the wilds of Sultan, the Wolves were right back at it with a trek to the even wilder Granite Falls.

How things went down:

Level 1:

Capturing their second win of the season, the Wolves had their “best match up to date,” according to coach Cris Matochi.

“We had an amazing day,” he said. “The girls were so solid.

“We did everything well yesterday, and I am so happy to see how they are progressing over the last two weeks. As I said before, this is a very special group, and I am so proud of them.”

CMS headed back to the bus with a 25-18, 25-19, 13-15 win, one fueled by smooth team-wide play.

“We were passing so well, and the setters were doing a fantastic job with setting the hitters,” Matochi said.

“We got a few solid swings, and it was so cool to see that.”

“Granite Falls was a solid team, and the girls were not intimidated. They were in control of the match, and you tell that from watching them at any time during the game.”

Rhylee Inman elevates.

Rhylee Inman paced Coupeville with five kills and five digs, while Zariyah Allen (10 digs), Cassie Powers (three kills), Cameron Van Dyke (three kills, three digs), Olivia Martin (one kill), and Laurel Crowder (one ace) provided key support.

Coupeville was on fire at the service line with multiple players ripping off aces.

Emma Leavitt and Kennedy O’Neill topped the squad, with five and three perfect serves respectively.

Kennedy O’Neill fires off a serve.

“We committed only a few unforced errors, and the girls have really been so good about focusing on their forms and mental game,” Matochi said.

With the season set to come to a close at home against South Whidbey Monday, Oct. 21, the Wolf coaches are beginning to accept that the whirlwind is about to end.

“I am sad that we only have one game left,” Matochi said.

“I wish I had a little more time with these players, as things are finally clicking for them.

“We have a lot of talented players in this group, and their love for this sport is so beautiful to watch.”

Level 2:

Coupeville’s net crew put up a strong battle in a 25-12, 25-15, 16-14 loss.

“Though we may not have won I was really proud of how well the girls played today,” said Wolf coach Kristina Hooks.

“Granite Falls had some really strong overhand servers; these were probably some of the toughest serves the team has received this season, but they handled it well.

“They had a lot of great passes on serve receive as well as some great rallies during the game.”

Level 3:

The Wolves pushed Granite to the edge in a narrow 25-15, 25-23, 8-15 loss.

“We had a lot of strong servers during our sets which I was really proud to see with a handful of aces from some players,” Hooks said.

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