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Posts Tagged ‘La Conner’

Hardball aces earn sweet sweep

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , , , on April 15, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Scott Hilborn fires a bullet Friday as Coupeville High School baseball sweeps a doubleheader from La Conner. (Morgan White photo)

It was a great birthday present.

Coupeville High School varsity baseball coach Will Thayer celebrated his cake day in grand style Friday, guiding his squad to a doubleheader sweep at La Conner.

The twin victories lift the Wolves to 5-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 7-5 overall.

That keeps Coupeville just a game back of defending league champ Friday Harbor (6-0) and a half-game up on Mount Vernon Christian (5-2) as the teams battle for conference supremacy in the seven-team NWL.

Friday’s doubleheader was a pretty solid beat-down too, as the Wolves soaked in the rare sun and ran away with 11-2 and 21-4 wins.

 

Game #1:

CHS pitchers Scott Hilborn and Hawthorne Wolfe combined to whiff 15 Braves in the victory, holding La Conner at bay until the Wolf sluggers got crackin’.

“Took a minute for our bats to warm up, but a good game,” Thayer said.

Coupeville opened the scoring by pushing two runs across in the top of the second, then tacked on another tally in the third.

The top of the fourth was where things busted wide open, however, as the Wolves rained down five runs in a rally keyed by base-knocks from Hilborn and Jonathan Valenzuela.

Hawthorne Wolfe and Co. kept their bats sizzlin’ in the road wins. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Coupeville, which added three runs in the fifth to round out its scoring, took advantage of whatever La Conner gave it.

The Wolves cracked eight hits, with Cole White, Sage Sharp, and Valenzuela recording two apiece, while also walking seven times.

Whatever hopes La Conner had of pulling off the upset faded every time a ball hit one of their fielder’s gloves, as the Braves committed a horrifying nine errors to make life tough for their pitchers.

 

Game #2:

Coupeville cut this one short, with a 12-run fourth inning helping the Wolves seal the deal in a game mercy-ruled after five frames.

“One of my favorite games I ever coached,” Thayer said. “Everyone played and we had fun.”

The Wolves sent 8th graders Chase Anderson and Coop Cooper to the mound in the nightcap, and the young guns sizzled, getting nine of 15 outs via the strikeout.

Chase Anderson brings the knee-buckling heat. (Morgan White photo)

The ball flew off of Coupeville’s bats as well, with six different players recording two hits as the Wolves rang up 15 base-knocks in the finale.

Wolfe cracked a triple to lead the way, while Hilborn, Peyton Caveness, Johnny Porter, and Anderson all bashed two-baggers in support.

 

Friday stats:

Chase Anderson — 1 single, 1 double, 2 walks
Peyton Caveness — 1 single, 1 double, 1 walk
Coop Cooper — 1 single
Scott Hilborn — 2 singles, 1 double, 1 walk
Cole Hutchinson — 1 walk
Xavier Murdy — 2 singles, 3 walks
Aiden O’Neill — 1 single
Jack Porter — 1 double
Johnny Porter — 1 double, 1 walk
Sage Sharp — 2 singles, 1 walk
Jonathan Valenzuela — 2 singles, 2 walks
Cole White — 4 singles
Hawthorne Wolfe — 1 single, 1 triple, 1 walk
Kai Wong — 1 walk

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Wolf hardball crew hammers La Conner

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , on March 22, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Jonathan Valenzuela and friends racked up 19 runs, 13 hits, and 15 walks Tuesday afternoon in a big win. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Back on track.

After absorbing a couple of close non-conference losses, the Coupeville High School varsity baseball team bounced back with a vengeance Tuesday afternoon.

Raining down runs and getting a strong pitching performance from 8th grader Chase Anderson, the Wolves walloped visiting La Conner 19-9 in a game mercy-ruled after five innings.

The victory, coming in Coupeville’s conference opener, lifts it to 1-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League action, 2-3 overall.

It’s also a nice kick-off to a stretch where the Wolves play seven straight games against league foes.

Coupeville dominated in the early going, ringing up seven runs in the bottom of the first, then tacking on another two in the second and four in the third.

That left CHS up 13-0 when Anderson departed the mound after three innings of work in his high school pitching debut.

After playing in the infield previously this season, the middle school ace was darn near impeccable on the mound Tuesday, retiring nine of the 11 Braves hitters he faced.

Anderson whiffed five while giving up just a single hit and a lone walk.

“Chase pitched awesome, especially for an 8th grader,” said Coupeville coach Will Thayer.

La Conner got to the Wolf bullpen a bit, pushing across six runs in the top of the fourth, and another three in the fifth, but the CHS hitters matched them step-for-step, ending the game early.

On the day, 15 Wolves saw action, with eight of them recording at least one base-knock.

Coupeville leadoff hitter Hawthorne Wolfe crunched a double and single to pace the hit attack, while Scott Hilborn, Cody Roberts, Jack Porter, and Anderson each delivered a pair of singles.

Sage Sharp, Xavier Murdy, and Jonathan Valenzuela also rapped out a hit apiece, as the Wolves piled up 13 base-knocks and 15 walks.

Three of those free bases carried a sting however, as La Conner pitchers plunked a trio of CHS sluggers with wayward pitches.

Thayer was able to keep most of his players busy, with Cole White, Alex Murdy, Aiden O’Neill, Zane Oldenstadt, Camden Glover, Johnny Porter, and Cole Hutchinson also seeing the field.

It was the high varsity debut for 8th graders Glover and O’Neill.

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Crush ’em, but with compassion

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , , on March 22, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Mckenna Somes whacked a pair of hits as Coupeville softball drilled visiting La Conner. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

The weather was nice, the offense nicer.

Playing under actual sunshine Tuesday, the Coupeville High School varsity softball squad racked up 14 hits and 13 walks, rolling to a 17-0 win over visiting La Conner.

The victory, coming in the Northwest 2B/1B League opener for the Wolves, lifts them to 1-0 in conference play, 2-1 overall.

Tuesday was a March rarity on the prairie.

No rain. Mild temps. Not even a lil’ gust of wind.

A perfect setting for a full-on beatdown, as Coupeville decimated Brave pitching, ringing up those 17 runs while only coming to the plate four times.

And it could have been much, much worse, but the Wolves danced a fine line between being dominant and not wanting to unnecessarily embarrass their foes.

CHS gave away outs by having runners leave the base early, and shuffled its lineup around, giving all 14 varsity players a chance to shine.

Mission accomplished.

Coupeville pitchers Izzy Wells, Allie Lucero, and Maya Lucero combined to chuck a five-inning no-hitter, with La Conner’s lone runner getting aboard thanks to a two-out walk in the top of the first inning.

Wells struck out nine in three innings of work, with Allie (2) and Maya (1) also recording K’s in their inning of work.

At the plate, the Wolves mashed all day long, with 10 different hitters recording at least one base-knock.

Senior centerfielder Audrianna Shaw provided an early highlight when she led off the bottom of the first with a resounding triple to left field, and the rout was on.

Coupeville put up six runs in the opening frame, with the first half of the tally coming around on a pair of errors and a bases-loaded walk to Sofia Peters.

After that, RBI singles from Melanie Navarro, Violette Huegerich, and Shaw plated another three runs.

The Wolves settled for just a lone run in the second, with Izzy Wells golfing an RBI single to left field after Lily Leedy singled and Madison McMillan walked.

CHS closed things out by tacking on five more runs in both the third and fourth.

Mckenna Somes, who enjoyed a stellar day both hitting at the plate and working behind it as a catcher, delivered a two-run single in the third, while Peters crunched an RBI single to center.

Some of the day’s biggest blows were saved for Coupeville’s final at-bats, with McMillan and Allie Lucero popping triples to deep, dark corners of the playing field.

McMillan’s laser, which skidded off her bat and landed in left field, brought a runner around, while Lucero cleared the bases with a three-run three-bagger to right-center.

Coupeville returns to action this Saturday, Mar. 26, when it travels to South Whidbey for a non-conference bout.

After that, the Wolves play four straight against league foes.

 

Tuesday stats:

Taylor Brotemarkle — 2 walks
Mia Farris — Walk
Gwen Gustafson — Single, walk, RBI
Violette Huegerich — Single, 2 walks, RBI
Lily Leedy — 2 singles
Allie Lucero — Triple, 3 RBI
Maya Lucero — Walk
Madison McMillan — Single, triple, walk, RBI
Melanie Navarro — Single, walk, RBI
Sofia Peters — Single, walk, 2 RBI
Audrianna Shaw — Single, triple, 2 walks, RBI
Mckenna Somes — 2 singles, 2 RBI
Izzy Wells — Single, walk, RBI

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Rough loss, but hope lives

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , on February 17, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Audrianna Shaw and Co. lost Thursday to La Conner but get another playoff game Saturday on the road. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

The wheels on the bus go round and round, all the way to Tonasket.

After absorbing a 70-19 loss to La Conner Thursday in the title game of the District 1/2 tourney, the Coupeville High School girls basketball team gets a second chance at punching its ticket to state.

That game goes down Saturday at 1 PM and will pit the Wolves, now 9-8 on the season, against the Tonasket Tigers (15-7).

But first Coupeville has to travel 241 miles to Okanogan County, where it’s a crisp 29 degrees as I write this.

Saturday’s game is a loser-out, winner-to-state affair.

With Friday set as a travel day, Coupeville won’t have to pop off a bus and immediately open fire, instead getting a chance to camp out in the finest hotel the school system is willing to fund.

When the Wolves do hit the floor Saturday, goal #1 will be to get off to a quicker start than they did against La Conner.

The Braves, with eyes firmly set on competing for a 2B state title, got to 20-1 on the season by throwing down an avalanche of points.

The first 31 of the game to be exact, as La Conner busted out to a 28-0 advantage after one quarter, then nailed a three-ball to open the second frame.

That was the fifth of 10 treys the Braves hit on the evening, as they stung Coupeville inside, outside, and every which way.

The Wolves finally got on the board thirty seconds into the second quarter, thanks to a runner off the fingertips of Maddie Georges.

That sparked Coupeville’s one sustained run, as Ja’Kenya Hoskins banked in a shot from the paint, followed by freshman Savina Wells drilling the bottom out of the net on a long jumper from the side.

But a 6-0 mini-run, while nice, wasn’t going to be enough to catch La Conner, which stretched its lead to 42-8 at the half and 64-14 heading into the final frame.

Coupeville’s best play probably came on a defensive stand, with Georges scrambling back to continue her streak of drawing offensive charges from out-of-control rival ballhandlers.

Sliding into a narrow gap, the Wolf point guard planted herself and accepted the collision without budging a muscle, earning a hearty round of congratulations from her teammates as they hauled her back up off the floor.

Audrianna Shaw, who paced Coupeville with five points, made off with a couple of steals late in the game which she turned into breakaway buckets, while Georges chipped in with four points.

Savina Wells, Hoskins, Abby Mulholland, Lyla Stuurmans, and Izzy Wells added a basket apiece, with Carolyn Lhamon, Nezi Keiper, and Gwen Gustafson also seeing floor time for the Wolves.

“It’s how many miles to Tonasket???”

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Playoff fever captivates the nation

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , on February 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Abby Mulholland powers to the hoop. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Middle school hoops players hype up high school stars Grady Rickner and Caleb Meyer. (Megan Somes photo)

Big games, big moments.

Six teams enter the District 1/2 basketball tournament — which starts Tuesday in Coupeville — with two teams guaranteed of punching a ticket to state.

There’s a possibility as many as four area teams will advance to the big dance, though things will have to play out perfectly for that to happen.

The setup for districts calls for four games in the CHS gym.

After that, the district title winners are state-bound, while the runner-ups hit the road for loser-out, winner-to-state games with schools in other districts.

What you need to know before tip-off:

 

What:

District 1/2 basketball tourney

 

When:

Tuesday and Thursday, Feb. 15 and 17

 

Where:

Coupeville High School (501 S Main)

 

Admission:

Tickets can be purchased two ways – online or at the door.

No regular season passes are accepted, as playoff money goes to the districts, and not the school hosting the tourney.

Ticket sales at the door are CASH only.

To purchase online, scan the barcode in the photo above, or pop over to the GoFan link at:

https://gofan.co/app/school/WA86277

You select the game and date, then bring your phone with you to the game. The ticket taker will hit redeem on the screen, stamp your hand, and you’re cleared to enter.

 

Schedule:

Tuesday-15

Coupeville girls vs. Auburn Adventist (5:15) – LOSER OUT
La Conner boys vs. Auburn Adventist (7:00) – LOSER OUT

 

Thursday-17

La Conner girls vs. Coupeville/Auburn winner (5:15) – WINNER TO STATE
Coupeville boys vs. La Conner/Auburn winner (7:00) – WINNER TO STATE

 

Brackets:

Girls:

http://www.nw1a2bathletics.com/m2/tourn.php?act=vt&tid=3499

Boys:

http://www.nw1a2bathletics.com/m2/tourn.php?act=vt&tid=3498

 

Team capsules:

 

GIRLS:

Auburn Adventist Academy

Season record: 7-10

League: 1B/2B SeaTac

Trips to state: None

Fast fact: Eight of 11 players are freshmen

Coach: Jessie Plecker

Seniors: Caitlyn Walter

Mascot: Falcons

 

Coupeville

Season record: 8-7

League: Northwest 2B/1B League

Trips to state: Seven (Most recent: 2016)

Fast fact: Assistant coach Cherie Smith has worked the Wolf bench with both her husband (Willie) and daughter

Coach: Megan Smith

Seniors: Ja’Kenya Hoskins, Abby Mulholland, Audrianna Shaw, Izzy Wells

Mascot: Wolves

 

La Conner

Season record: 19-1

League: Northwest 2B/1B League

Trips to state: 13 (Most recent: 2020)

Fast fact: Only loss was 45-43 to 4A Eastlake, which is 19-2

Coach: Scott Novak

Seniors: Sarah Cook, Rachel Cram, Aubrie Sloniker, Juna Swanson

Mascot: Braves

 

BOYS:

Auburn Adventist Academy

Season record: 9-7

League: 1B/2B SeaTac

Trips to state: None

Fast fact: Was supposed to play La Conner in December, but non-conference game was cancelled

Coach: Angel Ogando

Seniors: Joshua Bruce, Stephen Ellis

Mascot: Falcons

 

Coupeville

Season record: 15-0

League: Northwest 2B/1B League

Trips to state: Five (Most recent: 1988)

Fast fact: Only unbeaten 2B boys team in state

Coach: Brad Sherman

Seniors: Bennett Boyles, Miles Davidson, Logan Martin, Caleb Meyer, Xavier Murdy, Grady Rickner, Hawthorne Wolfe

Mascot: Wolves

 

La Conner

Season record: 6-12

League: Northwest 2B/1B League

Trips to state: 42 (Most recent: 2019)

Fast fact: Beat Friday Harbor 48-38 Saturday in tie-breaker game to earn playoff berth

Coach: CJ Woods

Seniors: Ace Baker, Cameron Burks, Jahrel Cayou, Josh Denton, Haydin Dinnuis, Collin Joe, Quentin Kaubin, Luke Marble, Spencer Olson, Miles Sidzyik, Mason Wilson

Mascot: Braves

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