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Posts Tagged ‘Sarah Wright’

On the road (basketball in hand)!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , , on July 24, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Makana Stone (left) and Kailey Kellner (Amy King photo)

  Makana Stone (left) and Kailey Kellner, on the road and livin’ the hoops star life in Vegas. (Amy King photo)

Lindsey Roberts motors up-court during her 8th grade season. (John Fisken photos)

   Lindsey Roberts motors up-court during her 8th grade season. (John Fisken photos)

Do not trifle with Sarah Wright (33) when she has her hands on a rebound. It will not end well for you.

   Do not trifle with Sarah Wright (33) when she has her hands on a rebound. It will not end well for you.

Wherever there is a hoop, there will be a Wolf.

It may be the off-season, but Coupeville High School’s basketball players are busy criss-crossing the state (and the country) in pursuit of sharpening their hoops skills.

Fresh off a team camp, four Wolf girls paired off and hit the hard court for more action.

Freshmen Lindsey Roberts and Sarah Wright went to a camp at Western Washington University, while senior Makana Stone and junior Kailey Kellner are busy with a select squad based out of Everett.

For the fab frosh, who hope to make an immediate splash with the defending 1A Olympic League champion CHS girls’ basketball squad, the camp was a big push in the right direction.

“They worked on individual skills, along with playing many games,” said CHS coach David King. “It’s always great to see players get the extra time at camps during the off-season.

“Having freshman dedicated and wanting to put in the work to get better is great,” he added. “Hopefully we can build on that and if it works out next summer have more players attend as well.”

It was Roberts second trip to the camp, while the ever-busy Wright carved out some time to make her camp debut.

Stone, last year’s Olympic League MVP, and Kellner, who revived memories of Larry Bird with her long-range sniping, have been bouncing all across the USA with their seven-player select team.

After hitting a tourney in Oregon, they went on to Chicago for another, and are currently in Las Vegas.

King and wife/assistant coach/photographer Amy are on vacation in Vegas, which gave them a chance to watch their star players in action as they pulled away in the second half for a win Friday.

“Getting that exposure with playing against teams and players that are just as talented and athletic is outstanding,” King said. “It would be great for more players to jump on the select teams in the future to get more basketball during the off-season.”

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Wolf sluggers impress big city coach!!

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , on June 18, 2015| Leave a Comment »

pullover (Doerge photo)

Blakely Doerge models the team pullover, which bears a logo designed by Sarah Wright’s family. (Kolby Doerge photo)

“Coupeville softball has a bright future with this group leading the way!”

Kolby Doerge pulls double duty as a softball coach with Mount Vernon High School and the NW Storm select squad, and his interaction with the young Wolves on his second team has left him impressed.

“I would love to have a core group this young and talented on varsity like the Wolves do!” he said.

Powered along by that quartet — CHS sophomores-to-be Katrina McGranahan, Hope Lodell and Lauren Rose and incoming freshman Sarah Wright, the Storm rolled through most of the Thunder in the Valley Invitational in Sedro Woolley last weekend.

By the time they were done, they had played six games –with McGranahan taking the pitcher’s circle each time — and finished as runner-ups in the highly-competitive 16-18U class.

The Storm opened strongly, rallying for four runs in the final frame to nip the tournament hosts.

“These young ladies never give up, hitting, stealing and scoring when called upon,” Doerge said.

Riding their momentum, the Storm built a large lead on their arch-rivals, the Bellingham Bash, in game two, but couldn’t quite hold on.

While the game ended in a narrow loss, the action provided fans with thrills, chill and spills, while broadcasting a preview of what the tourney title game would look like on Sunday.

Back-to-back wins over a scrappy Lynden squad sent the Storm into the championship game, where one bad inning hurt them in an otherwise close game.

While they didn’t nab the title, Doerge came away impressed with the grit of his sometimes undermanned squad.

“Katrina pitched her heart out all weekend. She put the team on her shoulders and pitched six games in two days,” he said. “Each time I tried to give her a break she wanted nothing to do with that. A true leader and champion.”

Her Wolf traveling companions were just as feisty, with Lodell slapping away with a new-found precision, earning her burgeoning nickname of “The Surgeon.”

“Hope had a great weekend offensively and defensively,” Doerge said. “With the bat in her hand she has perfected the left handed, running, swinging bunt dropping the ball out of reach of the defense.

“Even when they knew it was coming she had the answer, laying down the bunt and out-racing the throw to first with her blazing speed.”

Rose, who was only able to play one day of the tourney, was equally adept with getting on base, while Wright was a pitcher’s worst nightmare.

Unless the pitcher was her own teammate.

“Sarah anchored behind the plate again all weekend, working so well with McGranahan,” Doerge said. “These two are going to lead the charge for the Wolves for years to come.

“Wright has one the best on-base percentages on the team, something that is rare for a power hitter,” he added. “She just gets on base and drives in a ton of RBI’s.”

After playing in several tournaments in a row, the Storm will have a month off to work on individual pitching and batting lessons. After that they return to kick-off the second half of the tourney schedule.

P.S. — The Storm have 12U and 10U teams in the works. If Whidbey players and their parents are interested, contact Doerge at kolbydoerge@yahoo.com

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Get your bat! You’re going in!!

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , on June 3, 2015| Leave a Comment »

rip-it

Sarah Wright prepares to grip it and rip it. (Kelly Crownover photo)

Be like Sarah Wright. Taste the adventure.

Wright and fellow Coupeville sluggers Lauren Rose, Katrina McGranahan and Hope Lodell (plus South Whidbey’s Bella Northup) have been playing for the NW Storm select softball squad, and now, so can you.

Storm coach Kolby Doerge, who has 26 years of coaching youth baseball and fastpitch, from t-ball to 4A high school, would like to pull together more teams.

And, he’d like to bring in as many Whidbey Island players as possible.

The Storm currently pulls players from Skagit, Whatcom, Island and Snohomish counties.

These new teams, which would be 10U, 12U, 14U and 16U, would start play this summer.

Doerge is also interested in working with local coaches.

He brings the complete package to the diamond, with a pitching instructor and a ACE certified personal trainer, along with a batting cage where he does individual and team training.

For more info contact Doerge at 360-941-8053.

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“I see a couple more trophies on the horizon!!”

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , , , on June 2, 2015| Leave a Comment »

storm (Photo courtesy Kolby Deorge)

   Storm players, including Hope Lodell (back left), Katrina McGranahan (back right) and Lauren Rose (in front of Lodell) celebrate. (Photo courtesy Kolby Doerge)

Whidbey’s best are tearing up the diamond as road warriors.

CHS freshmen Katrina McGranahan, Hope Lodell and Lauren Rose, along with CMS eighth grader Sarah Wright and South Whidbey freshman Bella Northup, continue to play on as members of the NW Storm select softball squad.

Keeping its recent hot streak alive, the Storm snatched second place at the Western Worlds Championships over the weekend.

Coming off of a tourney title in Selah, the sluggers went 2-1 on Saturday to earn the #2 seed headed into play Sunday.

Brimming with confidence, the Storm jumped all over their semifinal opponent to the tune of eight first-inning runs, igniting hopes of a runaway win.

Things got a little more complicated when their foe came right back, taking advantage of a few tricky “turf bounces” to score six runs of its own in the bottom of the first.

Clinging to a 10-8 lead in the third, the Storm went to another level, dropping 14 straight runs in a 45-minute display of raw power.

Facing off with the Abbotsford (British Columbia) Outlaws in the final, the Storm found themselves pitted against the only team to have beaten them in the last month.

“You could feel the tension as both teams realized a battle was at hand,” said Storm coach Kolby Doerge.

And, while a few Storm missteps allowed the Outlaws to snatch away the title, their coach left satisfied with what he saw.

“The game was full of great defensive plays, good pitching and little give from both sides,” Doerge said. “We did gain their respect and two classy teams finished with trophies.”

With tournaments in Bellingham and Skagit County the next two weekends, the softball guru sees a bright future for his squad.

“I see a couple more trophies on the horizon!!”

Doerge’s Whidbey warriors were key to Storm success all weekend.

“Katrina played her heart out at shortstop, making many tremendous defensive plays wowing the crowd,” Doerge said. “Leaping backhand outs to double plays at the most opportune times.

“Her hitting is always there for us, but knowledge and the speed on the bases again applies so much pressure on the opponent,” he added. “It is tough to defend her.”

When describing The Surgeon, he drew comparisons to the Northwest’s most famous ballplayer.

“I know what it felt like for Lou Piniella to have Griffey junior in center field,” Doerge said. “Hope Lodell in center field sends would-be hitters back to the dugout as easy routine outs.

“When she gets to first base it is a formality that I will see her over at third base ready to score another run,” he added. “Offense generator. Always wearing a huge smile.”

Rose and Wright give the Storm varied weapons, with both bringing a different, yet very effective, style to the plate.

Lauren has taken on the tough task as our lead-off batter. I put the most pressure on this hitter and she in turn teaches me a thing or two with her abilities,” Doerge said. “Often I ask her to see many pitches that help the others gauge the new pitcher.

“Always battling through tough at-bats, once on base the other team cannot help but to keep their attention on her, losing focus on the current hitter. A rally starter!

“Sarah has the boom-stick power like Nelson Cruz and the ability to adjust her swing to help the team out with a run-scoring single if needed,” he added. “Holding down the catcher’s position, she gives great effort, always with a big heart and smile.

“Would-be base runners aren’t smiling when she is done with them, though!”

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Speedy Sox stun Skagit!!

Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged , , , , , on May 28, 2015| Leave a Comment »

South Central Sox players (Kelly Crownover photo)

South Central Sox players discuss their goals for the afternoon during a pre-game meeting. (Kelly Crownover photo)

The best thieves are raised in Central Whidbey.

Base thieves, that is.

Spurred on by 14 pilfered bags from their four Coupeville mercenaries, the South Central Sox little league softball squad pulled out a barn-burner Wednesday, edging visiting South Skagit 10-9.

Down big early after a rough six-run second inning, the Sox rallied in the fifth inning to reclaim the lead for good.

The tying and eventual winning runs came via the fleet feet of Wolves Veronica Crownover and Ema Smith, who zipped across home mere footsteps away from each other.

Quick toes were the order of the day, as CMS students Sarah Wright (five steals), Tamika Nastali (4), Crownover (3) and Smith (2) spent most of the game baffling the Skagit catcher.

Wright dominated in the pitcher’s circle, whiffing four, and at the plate, where she whacked her customary three hits.

Nastali chipped in with a pair of singles and kicked off a dandy double play when she ran down a fly ball in center.

Having snagged the ball, she pivoted and gunned down a foolhardy runner headed home.

Swinging a hot bat herself, Crownover thumped a pair of base knocks and knocked in three runs, while Smith laced a single in the second inning.

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