Wolf senior Connor McCormick celebrates his win at #2 singles with the president of his fan club. (Wendy McCormick photo)
Coupeville’s netters pose with the brand spanking new score cards they bought for their coach. (Ken Stange photo)
Langley is where Wolf tennis dreams often go to die.
It’s an undisputed fact South Whidbey has had a stellar tennis program for eons, and, while the names may change, the quality hasn’t.
That was proven again Thursday, as the Falcons dumped Coupeville 4-1 in a non-conference tilt, sending the Wolves to their first team loss after two straight wins to open the season.
While a loss is never fun, there was hope on this day, however.
First, South Whidbey is annually the toughest foe CHS faces, and you only get better by playing the best. And, once in awhile, a Wolf rises up and smacks a Falcon upside the head.
Thursday it was #2 singles player Connor McCormick, who roared back after dropping the first set, eventually winning a three-set slugfest.
“Connor has been so steady and he continues to hone his game,” said Coupeville coach Ken Stange. “He’s turned into a solid singles performer.”
Stange also paid tribute to the doubles duo of Joey Lippo and William Nelson, who were nipped in an epic third-set tiebreaker and top gun Sebastian Davis, who had the misfortune of clashing with Falcon net royalty.
“Joey and William played a fantastic match,” Stange said. “It was a thriller. A few points here or there and the outcome could have been reversed.
“Sebastian also played well at #1 singles, but young Kody Newman is a talented ninth grader. We are no stranger to the Newman clan. They’ve been slaying us for years!”
Newman’s many older siblings combined to accumulate four state tennis titles.
Also putting Stange in a top-drawer mood was a surprise present from his players, who showed up bearing brand-new scorecards for the CHS tennis courts.
The new addition will be on display when the Wolves host their home opener Wednesday, Sept. 30 against Chimacum.
“I had no idea this was coming,” Stange said. “From what I gather, a bunch of the guys got together, they pooled what I know was a decent chunk of change, and then they took it upon themselves to make it happen. I was touched.
“From the opening day of practice, we’ve had a great deal of fun, and the boys have represented the school and community quite well,” he added. “This is a great example of their goodness.”
Complete Thursday results:
Varsity:
1st Singles — Sebastian Davis lost to Kody Newman 6-1, 6-4
2nd Singles — Connor McCormick beat Ryan Wenzek 1-6, 6-3, 6-1
1st Doubles — John McClarin/Joseph Wedekind lost to Jacob Nelson/Hank Papritz 6-3, 6-1
2nd Doubles — William Nelson/Joey Lippo lost to Michael Hastings/Ari Rohan 4-6, 6-3, 14-12
3rd Doubles — Jimmy Myers/Lilan Sekigawa lost to Angus Dubendorf/Larsen Christensen 6-4, 6-1
JV:
1st Singles — Cole Payne lost 8-1
2nd Singles — Garrett Compton lost 8-6
1st Doubles — Grey Rische/Jared Helmstadter lost 8-6
2nd Doubles — Nile Lockwood/Aiden Crimmins lost 8-1
3rd Doubles — Nick Etzell/Tiger Johnson lost 8-1
4th Doubles — Jakobi Baumann/Jaschon Baumann lost 8-3
5th Doubles — Nick Blalock/Santiago Ortiz lost 8-2
Coupeville Sports 