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Spring sports bloom anew

Posted in Baseball, Girls Tennis, Softball, Track, tagged , , , , , on February 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »

The Battlin’ Lucero twins are back to lead Coupeville High School softball into a new season. (Photo courtesy Jess Lucero)

Spring is sprung.

The weather isn’t all that balmy, but the calendar says Feb. 27 and Washington state is famous for starting prep spring sports way too early, so here we go again.

Coupeville High School softball, baseball, track and field, and girls’ tennis are back at it, with the first games two weeks away.

Wolf track and field has a stacked roster. (Photo courtesy Bob Martin)

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Some schedules to put a spring in your step

Posted in Baseball, Girls Tennis, Softball, Track, tagged , , , , , , on February 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Mia Farris and Co. start spring sports practices Feb. 27. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

It snowed in Coupeville last night. At least a few flakes.

So, perfect time to start thinking about spring sports.

Because, if the past tells us anything, it’s this — it’ll be cold, wet, and windy through almost every game, with perfect temps and sunshine for the season finale.

And ONLY the season finale.

It’s the Whidbey way…

That being said, Coupeville High School spring teams will hit the practice field (or court, or oval), Monday, Feb. 27.

Wolf baseball has a new head coach in Steve Hilborn, while Kevin McGranahan (softball), Elizabeth Bitting and Bob Martin (track and field), and Ken Stange (girls’ tennis) are all back to add another season to their resumes.

Nick Guay should be back to soar into the heavens.

With the pandemic having receded, there are full schedules for the first time in several seasons.

Both CHS softball and baseball are set to play 20 regular-season games, with three league games against fellow 2B schools La Conner and Friday Harbor, and two each against the 1B schools.

Mount Vernon Christian doesn’t field a softball program, however, so McGranahan’s crew picks up an extra road double-header with Eastern Washington power Onalaska.

Tennis is the trickiest sport to schedule, as just two of seven NWL teams play the sport.

That means four matchups between Coupeville and Friday Harbor, with the rest of the schedule filled out with bigger schools.

The Wolves currently have home-and-away series with 1A schools South Whidbey and Granite Falls, and Coupeville Athletic Director Willie Smith plans to add several more, with 3A Oak Harbor a likely contender.

The schedules below are valid as of Feb. 14, but can, and very likely will be tweaked as things play out.

For one thing, barring some kind of miracle all-sun-all-the-time spring for the first time in recorded history on the prairie, Mother Nature will shake things up.

“I can’t feel the lower half of my body on this sublime “spring” day, Skippy, but please kid, take your sweet time throwing a whole bunch of warmup pitches…”

To monitor those changes, keep an eye on these websites:

 

School calendar:

http://coupeville.tandem.co/

 

Northwest 2B/1B League site:

http://www.nw1a2bathletics.com/

 

And here are the skeds, with (*) indicating league contests.

 

BASEBALL:

Mon-Mar. 13 — @ Meridian — (4:00)
Wed-Mar. 15 — South Whidbey — (4:00)
Sat-Mar. 18 — @ North Mason — (12:00)
Tue-Mar. 21 — La Conner (*) — (4:00)
Sat-Mar. 25 — Forks — (1:00)
Tue-Mar. 28 — @ Friday Harbor (*) — (4:00)
Thur-Mar. 30 — @ Mount Vernon Christian (*) — (4:00)
Sat-Apr. 1 — Orcas Island (*) — (1:00)
Sat-Apr. 8 — @ Concrete (*) — (1:00)
Mon-Apr. 10 — Sultan — (4:00)
Tues-Apr. 11 — Darrington (*) — (4:00)
Thur-Apr. 13 — @ La Conner (*) — (4:00)
Tue-Apr. 18 — Friday Harbor (*) — (4:00)
Wed-Apr. 19 — @ South Whidbey — (4:00)
Thur-Apr. 20 — Mount Vernon Christian (*) — (4:00)
Sat-Apr. 22 — @ Orcas Island (*) — (1:00)
Tue-Apr. 25 — Concrete (*) — (4:00)
Thur-Apr. 27 — @ Darrington (*) — (4:00)
Sat-Apr. 29 — La Conner (*) — (4:00)
Thur-May 4 — @ Friday Harbor (*) — (4:00)

 

GIRLS TENNIS:

Thur-Mar. 16 — Granite Falls — (3:30)
Tues-Mar. 21 — @ Friday Harbor (*) — (4:00)
Thur-Mar. 23 — @ South Whidbey — (3:30)
Mon-Mar. 27 — @ Granite Falls — (3:30)
Fri-Mar. 31 — Friday Harbor (*) — (4:00)
Fri-Apr. 14 — South Whidbey — (3:30)
Fri-Apr. 21 — Friday Harbor (*) — (4:00)
Tues-May 2 — @ Friday Harbor (*) — (4:30)

 

SOFTBALL:

Mon-Mar. 13 — @ Meridian — (4:00)
Wed-Mar. 15 — South Whidbey — (4:00)
Tue-Mar. 21 — La Conner (*) — (4:00)
Sat-Mar. 25 — Forks — (1:00)
Sat-Mar. 25 — Granite Falls — (4:00)
Tue-Mar. 28 — @ Friday Harbor (*) — (4:00)
Fri-Mar. 31 — Cedar Park Christian — (4:00)
Sat-Apr. 1 — Orcas Island (*) — (1:00)
Sat-Apr. 8 — @ Concrete (*) — (1:00)
Tue-Apr. 11 — Darrington (*) — (4:00)
Thur-Apr. 13 — La Conner (*) — (4:00)
Sat-Apr. 15 — @ Onalaska – Game 1 — (TBD)
Sat-Apr. 15 — @ Onalaska – Game 2 — (TBD)
Tue-Apr. 18 — Friday Harbor (*) — (4:00)
Sat-Apr. 22 — @ Orcas Island (*) — (1:00)
Tue-Apr. 25 — Concrete (*) — (4:00)
Thur-Apr. 27 — @ Darrington (*) — (4:00)
Sat-Apr. 29 — La Conner (*) — (4:00)
Thur-May 4 — @ Friday Harbor (*) — (4:00)
Sat-May 12 — @ South Whidbey — (4:00)

 

TRACK:

Wed-Mar. 15 — @ La Conner (*) — (3:30)
Wed-Mar. 22 — HOME MEET (*) — (3:30)
Wed-Mar. 29 — @ Mount Vernon (*) — (3:30)
Fri-Mar. 31 — @ Trojan Twilight (Meridian) — (4:00)
Sat-Apr. 8 — @ Birger/Solberg Invite (Bellingham) — (10:00)
Sat-Apr. 22 — @ Eason Invite (Snohomish) — (10:00)
Sat-Apr. 29 — @ Sunny & 70’s Invite (Lakewood) — (10:00)
Wed-May 3 — @ League Championships (La Conner) — (3:30)
Sat-May 13 — Districts (HOME MEET) — (11:00)
TBD — @ Quad-Districts (TBD) — (TBD)
Thur/Sat-May 25-27 — @ State (Yakima) — (TBD)

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Young sluggers bring the thunder

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , on August 20, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Chelsi Stevens, ready to unleash holy heck on a rival pitcher. (Allison Scarpo photo)

They’re the next generation of superstar softball sluggers.

Pulling together 13 girls from across the region, the Whidbey Thunder is a 12U diamond squad which plans to play in eight tournaments over the next year.

Coached by Keasha Campbell, the team will travel across Washington state, with games slated to start in late fall/early winter.

As it preps for this new adventure, the Thunder have launched a GoFundMe to give fans a chance to support their efforts.

Money raised will help with league fees — currently $900 per player — uniforms, equipment, insurance, travel expenses, and tournament fees.

Whether the Thunder players go on to suit up for Coupeville, Oak Harbor, or South Whidbey once they hit high school, the travel ball experience should be invaluable to their growth.

“Softball has always been part of our community,” Campbell said.

“It’s the basis of many young girls’ aspirations to attend college and play big, to form lifelong friendships, and to learn a skill they will love the rest of their lives.

“The goal of our team is to support our athletes not only in softball, but also in academics, school activities, and their families.”

 

The Thunder roster:

Jolene Coleman
Annika Hastings
Sophia Jennings
Gretta Jones
Charlotte Lasick
Ava Lucero
Adeline Maynes
Chelsi Stevens
Kennedy Rae Strevel
Cameron Van Dyke
Sydney Van Dyke
Abby Whitney
Sophie Zeigler

 

To support the team, pop over to:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/player-fees-for-whidbey-island-thunder-softball?qid=b1e59481aa5496815ff0c4360621c547

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Coupeville’s loss is Florida’s gain

Posted in Everything changes, tagged , , , , , on July 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Savina Wells, one of Coupeville’s best and brightest, has moved to Florida. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

Savina Wells has taken her talents to South Beach.

Or, at least somewhere close to there.

A family move to Florida will subtract the rising sophomore from Coupeville High School sports rosters, bringing an end to a stellar run in Wolf uniforms for the youngest child of Lyle and Katy Wells.

The move also affects Cow Town’s teaching depth, as Katy Wells was an Elementary Paraeducator for the Coupeville School District.

Savina, who followed in the footsteps of Ulrik and Izzy, who both graduated from CHS, has been at the forefront of Coupeville athletics since she was old enough to walk.

In the early days, you’d be at one of her siblings’ games, and there would be Savina doing a series of never-ending cartwheels, all while never losing the bag of chips she was bringing back from the snack bar.

The Wells sisters fuel up before wreaking havoc on the diamond.

Once she was old enough to capture the spotlight, she was a gold-plated star from day one.

Did I think about calling Savina “The Chosen One?”

Possibly.

Did I show restraint for once, though, and not refer to her as that in print until now?

Definitely, though it was a tough battle with the shameless hype master living inside me.

A standout in little league and youth sports, Savina made her high school basketball debut as a precocious 8th grader and was second on the team in scoring during a pandemic-shortened season.

Through her first year-and-half of high school hoops, she racked up 133 points, leaving her 85th all-time among Wolf girls for a program which started in 1974.

Older sister Izzy graduated with 204 points to her credit and is #58 all-time.

Soaring above the competition.

Savina was also a varsity volleyball and softball player for CHS during her freshman year.

On the volleyball court, she registered 70 kills, 47 digs, five block assists, and 42 service aces in her debut, ranking #2 on the team in aces and #3 in kills.

When spring rolled around this year Savina was Coupeville’s starting catcher, where she hauled in pitches from her sister.

The lanky fab frosh was a dangerous hitter and a fleet-footed runner, cracking a steady string of extra-base hits for a Wolf squad which went 16-3.

Savina hauls in another strike from big sis Izzy.

Coupeville has taken a hit in the offseason from family moves, losing four talented athletes in the prime of their prep careers.

Along with the Wells clan moving to Florida, other Wolves departing include sisters Olivia and Amaya Schaffeld and three-sport star Mikey Robinett.

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Summer is for softball sluggin’

Posted in Softball, tagged , , , , on July 25, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Teagan Calkins and her fellow Wolf diamond queens picked up a ton of experience this summer playing for a travel softball squad. (Photo courtesy Shawn Calkins)

The uniform may change, but the game remains the same.

Coming off another successful high school softball season, six Coupeville sluggers stayed on the diamond this summer, playing for the Whidbey Thunder travel team.

Allie Lucero, Taylor Brotemarkle, Madison McMillan, Teagan Calkins, Maya Lucero, and Mia Farris formed the core of the squad, which played almost every weekend in June and July.

“They had a very good and productive summer, getting in tons of extra reps with the bat and also in the field,” said CHS coach Kevin McGranahan, who played the role of fan this time around.

“The experience they gained will pay huge dividends for us next season,” he added. “And hopefully lead us to another league/district championship.”

McGranahan was in the stands in Federal Way this past weekend for the finale and came away pleased with what he witnessed.

“I got to see the work they are putting in firsthand, and it was impressive to see them leading their combined team of travel players and the overall growth they showed.”

The Wolves taking advantage of the extra work range from rising seniors (the Lucero twins) to sophomores-to-be (Brotemarkle, McMillan, Farris) and an incoming freshman (Calkins) who saw varsity playing time as an 8th grader.

Not only did the players benefit from their summer work, but they also helped inspire their high school coach.

“I took the summer off to regroup and rest a little,” McGranahan said. “But watching them play their hearts out has relit my passion for the game.”

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