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Posts Tagged ‘road trip’

Wolves stay feisty on long road trip

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , on January 3, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Danica Strong played a stellar defensive game Saturday night. (Julie Wheat photo)

Forget about the third quarter and it was a nail-biter.

Having traveled way down the road Saturday, the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball squad squared off with a very-strong Morton-White Pass team and held its own.

Other than in the third quarter.

The host Timberwolves used a 21-7 surge in that frame to capture a 54-38 non-conference win, getting to 8-3 on the season while dropping a scrappy CHS squad to 2-7.

After playing its last four games on the road, Coupeville returns home Tuesday for a Northwest 2B/1B League brawl with Friday Harbor, and Scout Smith’s road warriors will be ready.

Much of what the Wolves did Saturday worked, from strong team-wide rebounding efforts to a balanced offensive attack.

Trailing just 11-10 at the first break with senior Teagan Calkins having rained down eight points fueled by a pair of three-balls, Coupeville was bidding for the upset.

MWP slightly stretched the margin out to 25-20 at the half, then pulled away with a decisive burst in the third.

Even then, the Wolves fought back, closing the game on an 11-8 run sparked by a rampaging Tenley Stuurmans.

The sophomore sensation finished with a team-high 11 points, while Haylee Armstrong, Coupeville’s top scorer this season, added 10 more to her total.

Calkins (9), Arianna Cunningham (6), and Adeline Maynes (2) rounded out the offense for CHS, with Danica Strong, Kennedy O’Neill, and Lexis Drake also seeing floor time.

Strong anchored Coupeville’s defense, ripping down six rebounds and rejecting three shots, while Calkins also snared six boards.

Armstrong, Cunningham, and Maynes each collected five rebounds apiece as the Wolves fought for every carom.

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Cold start derails upset bid

Posted in Boys Basketball, tagged , , , , on December 13, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Davin Houston torched the nets for a varsity career-high 19 points Friday afternoon. (Julie Wheat photo)

A strong finish. Balanced scoring. Better than average free throw shooting.

There were a lot of positives Friday afternoon for the Coupeville High School varsity boys’ basketball team as it played its first road game of the year.

Unfortunately for the Wolves, there was just one negative — a cold start — and it proved to be too much to overcome in a 63-56 loss on Orcas Island.

With the defeat to the undefeated (3-0) Vikings, the Wolves slip to 0-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 1-4 overall, with a home game against Mount Vernon Christian set for Tuesday.

Friday’s rumble featured the varsity boys playing first, and whether it was the long ferry ride or something else, Coupeville wasn’t clicking at first, falling behind 18-4 through one quarter of play.

Orcas sank four of its five three-balls in the opening frame, with Viking gunner Joe Stevens nailing three as he singed the nets for 13 of his team-high 19 points to set the early pace.

After that, however, the Wolves found their rhythm, outscoring their hosts 52-45 the rest of the way.

Coupeville cut the deficit down to 31-22 at the half, saw it get nudged back out to 45-34 after three quarters, then poured in 22 points across the game’s final eight minutes.

CHS didn’t get to the free throw line as often as Orcas did, but shot with much more consistency once there, sinking 17-22 attempts while the Vikings clanked their way to a 14-29 performance.

Brad Sherman’s squad also had the kind of balanced scoring any coach likes to see, with three different players landing in double figures.

Davin Houston, who had 11 varsity points to his credit coming into the contest, went off for a game-high 19, scoring in every frame and doing it in a variety of ways.

The Wolf junior knocked down a pair of three-balls, as did senior Chase Anderson, who had 13 points, while Camden Glover banged home 16 while controlling the paint.

Malachi Somes (4), Riley Lawless (2), and Aiden O’Neill (2) also tallied points, with Liam Blas, Carson Grove, and Easton Green seeing floor time.

With his 13 points, Anderson gets to 676 and moves from #26 to #24 on the CHS boys career scoring chart, passing ’70s legend Foster Faris (668) and ’90s big man Virgil Roehl (674).

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Scrappy Wolves wage hardwood war

Posted in Boys Basketball, Middle School, tagged , , , , , on November 22, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Kamden Ratcliff left it all on the floor Thursday. (RayLynn Ratcliff photo)

It was a split decision.

Playing on the road in Everett Thursday, the Coupeville Middle School boys’ basketball teams nabbed a nailbiter win and a hard-fought loss while squaring off with Northshore Christian Academy.

It was the third straight trip off-Island for the road warriors, who now get to stick to Whidbey the rest of the way.

Coupeville has four of its final five games at home, beginning with a bout with Granite Falls this coming Tuesday, Nov. 25, along with one short trek to Langley to face South Whidbey.

 

How Thursday played out:

 

Team #1:

Coupeville came out on fire but hit a bit of an offensive lull in the middle of the game, eventually falling 55-40.

The Wolves put up a spirited battle, however, with Diesel Eck (13), Kamden Ratcliff (12), and River Simpson (9) combining to score 34 of their team’s points.

Ratcliff was an equal opportunity threat, pounding the boards and “handling the ball with grace and composure” as he “made action happen with his drives!”

Gracen Joiner rattled the rim for four points in support, while Trey Stewart and Colton Ashby rounded out the offense by netting a free throw apiece.

Xander Beaman and Darius Stewart also saw floor time for the Wolves.

Les Queen rolls to the hoop for a bucket. (Jackie Queen photo)

 

Team #2:

Balanced scoring was the key, as eight different Wolves made the net bounce during a 38-37 win.

Les Queen paced CMS, scoring in all four quarters as he racked up a game-high 15 points.

Abel O’Neil (7), Braxten Ratcliff (4), Henry Purdue (4), Xander Flowers (2), Hayden Maynes (2), Brady Sherman (2), and Nico Strong (2) also kept the scorebook keeper busy.

Rounding out the roster were Liam Stoner, Mario Martinez, Brayden Grinstead, and Dreyke Mendiola.

 

Team #3:

Northshore only goes two teams deep, so the Wolves sat this one out.

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CMS spikers on the rise

Posted in Middle School, Volleyball, tagged , , , , on October 7, 2025| Leave a Comment »

CMS spikers celebrate in an earlier match. (Julie Wheat photo)

They’re showing great promise.

Through three matches, Coupeville Middle School volleyball players continue to display ever-growing skill and a never-say-die attitude.

While the Wolves weren’t able to topple powerhouse King’s Monday, the Wolves did give their hosts a furious fight, winning a set in each rumble.

“The girls did great yesterday,” said CMS coach Shaloma Allen. “They are growing as a team, and we all had a great time.”

Ready to rock ‘n roll. (Photo courtesy Shaloma Allen)

 

How Coupeville fared:

 

Varsity:

King’s held on for a 25-19, 17-25, 15-11 win, ultimately nipping the Wolves by just two points total.

“Varsity battled hard against a tough opponent,” Allen said.

“The team’s progress is undeniable. Each match, they’re gelling more as a unit, and their skills are sharpening with every play.”

 

JV:

Another close one, with King’s only finishing three points better in a 26-24, 20-25, 15-9 nailbiter.

“The junior varsity team also brought their A-game!” Allen said. “Their consistent improvement is something special.

“These players are learning fast and playing with so much heart!”

 

C-Team:

Coupeville came out blazing, winning the first set 26-24, before King’s rebounded to snag the next two frames 25-14 and 15-3 for the victory.

“The C-Team started strong, showcasing their potential and teamwork,” Allen said. “Sets two and three were tougher, but their spirit never wavered.

“This group is laying a solid foundation, and I’m excited to see their growth as the season continues.”

 

After back-to-back road trips, Coupeville plays its next three at home, starting with a match against Granite Falls this Thursday, Oct. 9 at 3:15 PM.

Allen is looking forward to Wolf fans getting a chance to see the spikers in action up close and personal.

“All three teams showed resilience, teamwork, and a positive attitude that makes coaching them such a joy,” she said.

“We’re building momentum and can’t wait to keep pushing forward in our next game!”

Enjoying a ferry ride while knowing your next three matches are at home. (Photo courtesy Shaloma Allen)

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Young booters build bright future

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged , , , , on October 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Wyatt Fitch-Marron gets things kicked off. (Julie Wheat photos)

They stood their ground.

Playing the defending state champs Saturday — on the day Orcas Island celebrated Homecoming — the plucky Coupeville High School boys’ soccer squad gave its all against the juggernaut.

“Great game. Orcas won 8-0, but we played so much better than our first game against them,” said CHS coach Jim Kunz.

“We were organized and kept good coverage.

“We drove the ball down the field for quite a few shots. Unfortunately, none made it to the back of the net.”

While the deadly-efficient Vikings rattled home a collection of goals, Coupeville’s back line stood tall.

“Defense gave them a great fight with Sam Richards in the goal,” Kunz said.

“One of Sam’s many fantastic saves ended with his arms around the ball while an Orcas player tried to kick it through his chest.”

Wolf goalie Sam Richards leads the handshake line.

Also possibly helping the hometown team a bit was a lack of a full ref contingent, which caused some of the calls to be skewed.

“We knew going into this game that it would be extremely tough,” Kunz said. “Unfortunately, there was only a center ref and one line ref.

“Many offsides situations weren’t called and some of those resulted in goals, which was very disappointing,” he added.

“We had the line ref in the second half and Orcas got called offsides time and time again.”

Coupeville, which has a very young roster this season, sits at 2-5 at the halfway point of the season, with four of its final seven regular season games set to go down at Mickey Clark Field.

The first of those home games arrives Friday, Oct. 10, when CHS hosts Cedar Park Christian-Lynnwood.

“I’m excited to see our Wolves playing as a team,” Kunz said. “I imagine we’ll be giving some opponents a run for their money over the next few weeks.”

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