Maddie Big Time | Coupeville Sports

Posts Tagged ‘Maddie Big Time’

I’m (officially) a bum!!

Posted in Ranting and Raving, tagged I'm an idiot, Maddie Big Time, Whidbey News-Times on July 4, 2014| Leave a Comment »

My anger for how The Examiner went out? I need to let it go. Probably should let this shirt go too. It’s getting a little drafty.

“Cookies! Bring me all the cookies now … for I am Maddie Big Time and I have earned them!!” (John Fisken photo)

This is my only job. At least for now.

Having walked out Sunday (literally) on my restaurant gig, after being there close to two years, I am free to put my full 100% into Coupeville Sports for the first time in the 22.5 months it has been in existence.

If anyone needs me, I’ll be down at Penn Cove, being a beach bum.

A Washington state-bred, rocky beach-usin’, is-it-even-55-degrees-out-here-complainin’, cold water-splashin’ beach bum…

A beach bum who hopes that, if folks like what they’re getting here, they might consider chipping in a buck or three to the cause. How convenient that I have a donation button at the top of the blog.

Handy.

While down at the beach — the barnacle-encrusted, jagged-rock-strewn beach — I will ponder the twists and turns Coupeville Sports has taken.

This blog started in anger.

I was mad at the Whidbey Examiner for selling out to a giant Canadian media conglomerate that already owned the Whidbey News-Times and South Whidbey Record.

I was mad Canada erased hundreds of my bylined stories off of what was now their web site.

I may have referred to the former owner of the Examiner as a carpetbagger. Actually, I’m sure I did.

Not the first time I ticked her off. By a long shot.

Perhaps, maybe, if we all believe hard enough, I will show some personal growth and it’ll be the final time I do so. That would be nice.

But as Coupeville Sports took off, hitting heights I didn’t think possible, as I have pulled in far bigger readership numbers than expected, as I delivered onto you 2,206 articles (they weren’t all gems, but dang, that’s 3.5 articles a day for almost two years, doing it PART TIME), most of the anger abated.

I have still continued to poke the eeeeeeeviiiiiillllll Canuck media empire that owns the three “local” papers, but I am trying (seriously) to tone that down a bit.

They’re not going to give me back my articles, and, at this point, I don’t much care.

Coupeville Sports has given me what I wanted most as a journalist (or whatever you want to call me — writer, blogger, spleen-venter, “that idiot who won’t shut up”) — freedom.

I don’t answer to an editor. No one touches my words except me. I publish what I want, when I want and how I want.

2:17 AM — the time when all the best articles get published. It’s true.

It has been liberating and, after 24 years of on-again, off-again sports coverage on Whidbey Island, there is a joy in my work again that was missing for a big chunk of that time.

What we have here in Coupeville Sports is something the papers can’t offer, because it’s not how they work. And I don’t mean that as a slam on them.

The newspapers are the responsible adult in the room.

I don’t have to be responsible, or act like an adult. I can be Dennis the Menace peeking over the fence and screaming, “Hey, guess what I heard?!?!?!?”

Newspapers report. They are part of the community, but there is always a level of removal from the people they cover. It’s how they operate.

Coupeville Sports is YOU, the people.

I may be largely writing it, but it exists because of the countless people who give me photos for free, who slip me info and gossip, who point me in new directions, who read my work, who tell me what they like or loudly yell at me about what they hated.

We can create larger-than-life myths, turning Madeline Strasburg into Maddie Big Time and convincing her to flex her guns for the camera guy after crackin’ a home run, than payin’ her off in cookies from the dozens donated to me by softball moms.

The News-Times won’t do that, can’t do that, and I don’t expect them to. It’s not how professional newspapers work.

Which is why I’m glad I don’t work for a professional paper, as I have done several times in my checkered employment past.

I’m having more fun this way. And now, I’m going to do it full-time.

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Well done, ladies! Well done!!

Posted in Softball, tagged 1A state playoffs, Breeanna Messner, CHS Wolves, Maddie Big Time, Softball on June 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »

McKayla “Million Dollar Arm” Bailey notices the paparazzi hangin’ around. (Robert Bishop photos)

Breeanna Messner reaches the end of an incredible four-year, four-sport journey for the Wolves.

Madeline Strasburg warms up the guns, gettin’ ready to unleash her alter ego, Maddie Big Time.

The Pride of Central Whidbey.

Aimee Bishop (Breeanna Messner’s mom), representing.

Messner dares anyone to run on her arm.

Hailey Hammer, who excelled all season while playing through an injury, and parents Linda and Mark Hammer.

They shocked the world.

One cookie-fueled win at a time, the Coupeville High School softball squad beat every prediction, shut every expert up, went out the only way they would want to — on their own terms.

Districts. Tri-Districts. State for the first time in 12 seasons. Best softball team on Whidbey, hands down.

Along for the ride was Island County Coroner Robert Bishop (dad of Wolf senior catcher Breeanna Messner) and he snagged these pics for us during the trip to Richland for the final days of the season.

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On to fortune and glory!!

Posted in Baseball, Softball, Track, tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, Maddie Big Time, Makana Stone, Softball, Track on May 21, 2014| Leave a Comment »

They call her Maddie Big Time, cause her homers make all the other teams cry. (Robert Bishop photo)

Sylvia Hurlburt qualified for Tri-Districts in four events. It’s what happens when you’re really, really fast. (John Fisken photo)

Kurtis Smith, whose RBI single sent CHS to state, dances off the bag. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

Wolf hurler McKayla Bailey photo-bombs the Senior Night display. (John Fisken photo)

Makana Stone, bustin' school records with every stride. (JF)

Makana Stone, bustin’ school records with every stride. (John Fisken photo)

Wolf baseball guru Willie Smith congratulates pitcher Ben Etzell. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

Wolf baseball guru Willie Smith congratulates pitcher Ben Etzell after he threw eight shutout innings in the game that sent CHS to state. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

Emily Coulter stands tall, slappin’ down the tag in a bang-bang play at second. (John Fisken photo)

Power up the spotlight, cause it’s time to shine.

Coupeville High School sends its baseball, softball and track squads into their biggest competitions of the season this week, while Lone Wolf golfer Christine Fields bides her time and waits for next week’s state tourney.

Track and field is up first, with the Tri-District meet, the final stop before state, kicking off Thursday in Shoreline.

The first day is mostly prelims for Makana Stone, Sylvia Hurlburt, Jared Helmstadter and Co., with finals Saturday.

CHS baseball makes its first return to state since 2008 when it travels to Volunteer Park in Anacortes Saturday for a 10 AM showdown with Rochester.

Win and the Wolves return to action later in the afternoon against the winner of Hoquiam and Cedar Park Christian (Bothell), with a trip to Yakima and the Final Four in the balance.

A resurgent Wolf softball squad kicks off Tri-Districts in Janicki Fields in Sedro-Woolley Saturday at 12 PM.

Their opponent will be the #3 seed from District 3 and, if they win the loser-out game, they hang around to play two more games.

The first would be against the winner of Forest Ridge and Lynden Christian. Win two games this weekend and the softballers are state bound as well.

To get you prepared, we offer a medley of photos for your viewing pleasure. Click away.

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Boom, baby!!

Posted in Softball, tagged 1A District 1 playoffs, CHS Wolves, Emily Coulter, Maddie Big Time, Softball on May 17, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Being awesome is hard work, and now Maddie Big Time must replenish!! (Robert Bishop photos)

“We’re going to Disneyland … uh … I mean, coming back to Sedro-Woolley!!!”

Maddie Big Time crushed another home run to the deepest, darkest part of the field, Emily Coulter swung a mean bat and the Coupeville High School softball squad split its first two games at the 1A district softball tourney Friday in Sedro-Woolley.

After dropping a 15-7 fireworks display to Lynden Christian, the Wolves rebounded to drill Meridian for the second time this season, winning 6-2 and guaranteeing themselves two more playoff games.

CHS, now 5-16, returns to the Janicki Playfields today to face Nooksack Valley (9-12) at noon.

Win and they’re tri-district bound and play in the 3rd/4th place game at 2 PM. Lose the opener and they play for 5th place, and the last spot at tri-districts, at 2 PM.

In a weird wrinkle, if Coupeville finishes 5th, they would host their first tri-district game May 21.

Of course, the focus for the Wolves will be on winning two Saturday and putting themselves one step deeper into the postseason. If they swing the bats like they did Friday, when eight starters had a hit, that’s a strong possibility.

While there were contributions from all sides, junior Madeline Strasburg and sophomore Emily Coulter were the superstars on this day.

Both players collected four hits over the two games, with Maddie Big Time eyeballing the Lynden pitcher and then crushing a grand slam over the center field fence.

When freshman Emily Licence delivered a two-run double of her own, the Wolves had a six-spot in the first inning and looked like they would run away from the Lyncs.

Then things got funky.

After having its first 10 batters reach base, Coupeville only got three of its next 20 hitters aboard. The final 11 hitters all went down, and Lynden took advantage of a ton of Wolf errors to surge for seven runs in the sixth to put the game away.

Digging down deep, the Wolves immediately bounced back, with Coulter swinging the hot stick in game two.

She bashed three hits, knocked in a pair of runs and was a holy terror on defense at second, and Coupeville came alive behind her.

The Wolves knocked Meridian’s pitching around for 11 hits, with Strasburg and Madeline Roberts each contributing a pair. Breeanna Messner, Hailey Hammer, McKayla Bailey and Haley Sherman each chipped in with a base knock as well.

While Strasburg’s moon shot was the eyeball-grabber, Coupeville also bashed its share of two-base hits, with Sherman, Bailey and Strasburg all doubling.

Maddie Big Time had a pair, because, well, she’s Maddie Big Time.

Coupeville coach David King was pleased with most of what he saw on the day.

“We had great balance throughout and players stepping up with getting big hits,” King said. “Monica (Vidoni) played well in right and made a couple of tough catches on fly balls. Bree, Hailey and Madi Roberts played their solid games and I’m looking forward to them stepping up more today.

“McKayla pitched well and had really good control in both games,” he added. “She had her change up working well in game two and getting either strike outs or weak grounders for outs.”

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Never boring, always roaring!!

Posted in Softball, tagged CHS Wolves, Maddie Big Time, Madeline Strasburg, Softball on May 5, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Maddie Big Time welcomes you to the gun show. (John Fisken photos)

Strasburg and Madeline Roberts share a moment.

Madeline Strasburg (left) and Madeline Roberts share a moment.

The home run ball Strasburg crushed over the center field fence Monday.

The most vocal cheerleader in her dugout, Coupeville High School junior Madeline Strasburg is a whirlwind on the softball field and a showman every step of the way.

Monday she stole the spotlight on Senior Night, crushing a home run over the fence in center, gunning down a runner at third with a laser strike from the outfield and doing everything humanly possible to try and lift the Wolves to a stunner over one of the best teams in the Cascade Conference.

In the end, a highly questionable call by a one-man umpire crew gave visiting Sultan just enough air to stage a comeback, and the Turks held on for a 3-2 win.

Still, on a day that started with rain and ended with mid-summer blue skies and blazing sun, the show was all Maddie Big Time.

She hammered a pitch in the second inning that sent the ball screaming to the deepest, darkest regions of the field.

As the yellow ball arced through the air and vanished over the fence, still on the rise as it cleared the barrier, Strasburg did a happy dance round the base paths, only to be mobbed by her entire team at home.

When Wolf senior Haley Sherman whacked the next pitch for a double, followed by a single off the bat of sophomore Emily Coulter, Coupeville looked like they were about to explode for a big inning.

But as suddenly as they had heated up, the bats went cold for CHS. Both runners were stranded and, other than a Strasburg single, the Wolves offense sputtered for several innings.

During the downtime, Sultan took advantage of the home plate umpire having a senior moment.

In the top of the fifth, the Turks had a runner at first with one out, when a batter topped a dribbler that never made it back out of the box.

Despite every person with two working eyes knowing it stayed foul, including the possibly blushing Turk coach, the ump gave Sultan a hit.

With an extra boost, Sultan took advantage two batters later, when Rachel Kirkpatrick dumped a three-run home run over the left field fence.

Coupeville, which had been blown out in the team’s first two meetings, kept things close this time around.

The Wolves scraped together a run of their own in the fifth, to cut the margin to one.

Mighty mite Jae LeVine took a vicious-sounding pitch off an already-bandaged hand (and hopped around wailing long enough you thought, and secretly hoped, she might charge the mound and instigate a bench-clearing brawl).

Then, after a non-painful walk to Breeanna Messner, Hailey Hammer sliced an RBI single up the middle.

Once again looking like they might break out, the Wolves watched their rally die nearly as quickly, with the next two hitters going down swinging.

Coupeville refused to surrender, however, with third baseman Emily Licence making two defensive gems in the sixth packaged around another appearance by Maddie Big Time.

Charging a shallowly hit single to center, Strasburg caught the ball on the bounce and fired in one smooth motion.

The ball launched from her fingertips and landed with a sharp crack in Licence’s glove, catching a very startled Turk runner trying to gently slide into third.

The Wolves got three runners on base over the final two innings, but couldn’t find a game-tying run on Senior Night, when Sherman, Messner and sweet-fielding shortstop Madeline Roberts were honored.

While the loss dropped Coupeville to 4-12 overall, 3-12 in Cascade Conference play, the Wolves retain a half-game lead over South Whidbey in the race for playoff positioning.

The Falcons were bombed 18-6 by league leader Granite Falls Monday and sit at 3-13 in league play.

CHS has three games to play — all on the road — SWHS two and the Wolves own the tiebreaker, having taken the season series between the Whidbey rivals.

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