Current Wolves get support on the road from the next generation of Coupeville hoops stars. (Michele Murdy photo)
Roll on, Wolves, roll on.
Capping what’s believed to be the first undefeated regular season in the 105-year history of the program, the Coupeville High School varsity boys basketball team dismantled host La Conner Thursday, romping to a 79-45 win.
The victory lifts the Wolves to 11-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 15-0 overall.
Next up for CHS is the District 1/2 tournament, which it will host.
As the #1 seed from the NWL, the Wolves advance directly to the title game next Thursday, Feb. 17, when they will play for the program’s first district title since 1970.
A win in that game also assures the Coupeville boys of their first trip to state since 1988.
Thursday night, facing a La Conner team which had been run off the court by Friday Harbor the day before, the Wolves rained down death from above.
Netting a season-high 12 three-balls, Coupeville put four players into double digits, with 11 of 12 players to see the floor scoring.
And Dominic Coffman, the one player not to score, still had a huge impact, sacrificing his body on dives to the floor while coming up with one of the prettiest assists of the season.
The key to getting to 15-0 — especially for a program which didn’t post a winning season between 2010 and 2021 — has been this group’s willingness to play as a team, feeding the hot hand and lifting each other up.
Alex Murdy and Co. are on the prowl. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Thursday’s game was a prime example, as seniors Caleb Meyer and Hawthorne Wolfe combined for 17 points in the first quarter, then added just one more point after that.
Not because either hardwood veteran went cold, but instead other players jumped to the forefront and the duo slid into facilitator roles, whipping pinpoint passes, forcing turnovers, doing whatever was needed in the moment.
So you had Xavier Murdy and Logan Downes each go off for nine points in the second quarter, then big moments for Grady Rickner, Alex Murdy, and Logan Martin.
Share the ball, share the glory. Just get that W.
It might almost make Coupeville coach Brad Sherman a bit misty, as he sees his best-laid plans play out in high style.
Though, steely eyes scanning the court while much of his face lurks behind a pandemic era mask, the prairie legend hides any emotion well.
His players, however, showed off a mix of bravado and joy, with just a little chest-thumping when appropriate.
Wolfe, after draining a second three-ball to cap the first quarter, dropped a few good-natured sweet nothings to the La Conner cheerleaders as he ran back down court.
Meyer, when he wasn’t busy pulling his teammates together and giving them fatherly advice, pumped his fist each time he flipped the net skyward.
And that was pretty much every time he touched the ball in the opening quarter, as he drained a trio of three-balls and a sweet lil’ jumper while on the move.
There were actually two ties in the game, the last at 10-10, and La Conner wasn’t too far off at the first break, trailing 21-16.
But then the Wolf defense got nasty, and the tsunami hit.
The lead was at 28-20 when Coupeville dropped the hammer, going off on a 15-0 tear.
Downes, already a dangerous sharpshooter and just a sophomore, rifled home back-to-back treys as he poured in nine points during the run.
The second three-ball, which sent the CHS bench into a tizzy with a 23-point lead, was set up by a kickout from Rickner, who a play earlier, benefited from another nice set-up.
That one came flying off the hand of Wolfe, who looked one way, then fired a bullet right through three defenders, the ball smacking into Rickner’s hands with a happy little sigh.
Up 43-22 coming out of the halftime break, Coupeville kept its intensity up while emptying the bench.
Basically, everyone played, and everyone contributed.
Coffman pulled off two big-time hustle plays, the first on defense, the second while he was sprawled on the floor.
On the first, he could have straggled back downcourt with a 30+ point lead and La Conner on a breakaway.
Instead, Coffman flew like a bat out of Hell, got in front of the incoming ballhandler and planted himself, absorbing a huge collision and drawing the offensive charge on his rival.
It was a play which didn’t have to happen, but meant a ton to his fellow Wolves, who pulled him back to his feet while beating the crud out of him for a second time — this time in celebration.
Later Coffman came back around, diving on the floor, before shooting the ball to a waiting Logan Martin, who calmly splashed home yet another three-ball.
There was also Nick Guay, likely another varsity star of the future, taking advantage of some floor time to pull off a three-point play the hard way.
Cole White set him up with a strong dish, then Guay powered his way to paydirt while being slammed around the head, converting the bucket under great duress.
Don’t forget about Meyer, who made his own highlight reel-worthy pass in the fourth quarter, zipping a ball through multiple defenders to set up a Jonathan Valenzuela layup.
Coupeville, which topped 70 points for the 10th time in 15 games, spread its offense out admirably.
Xavier Murdy finished with a team-high 19 points, with Downes (12), Meyer (11), and Rickner (10) hot on his heels.
Alex Murdy (9), Wolfe (7), Martin (3), Guay (3), White (2), Valenzuela (2), and Zane Oldenstadt (1) also scored for a CHS squad which has won by double digits 12 times this season.
And some side notes for stats freaks, as Wolfe and Downes hit personal milestones.
With 775 points and counting, Wolfe moves past all-timers Barry Brown (769) and Jack Elzinga (770), and now sits at #14 on the CHS boys career scoring chart, which dates back to 1917.
Meanwhile, Downes, with 205 points as he nears the halfway point of his prep career, joins the 200-point club.
He’s the fifth active Coupeville player to reach that mark, joining Wolfe (775), Xavier Murdy (436), CHS girls star Maddie Georges (234), and Rickner (212).
Up next: a run at a district title and state tourney glory. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
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