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A little easier, a little harder

Posted in playoffs, tagged , , , , on August 2, 2023| Leave a Comment »

There are two state berths available to Issabel Johnson and CHS spikers this season, after years of chasing just a lone ticket to the big dance. (Bailey Thule photo)

It’s a split decision.

Looking ahead at the 2023-2024 school year, with the first game set for September 1, it’ll tentatively be easier for two Coupeville programs to make it to the big dance, but harder for a third.

That’s because state tournament allocations issued to District 1, where the Wolves play, shift slightly for those three sports.

Odds are better for CHS volleyball and girls’ basketball, but worse for boys’ soccer, while all other sports remain the same from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024.

If, and that’s always a big if, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association honors what it currently has listed on its website.

To be fair, if the number of schools in a classification playing a given sport radically changes year to year, things may logically shift.

To be unfair, in the very recent past, Coupeville and District 1 were told one thing, only to have the WIAA pull a switcheroo after the fact thanks to administrators from a different district crying.

Volleyball has been brutal, with District 1 and 2 combining to net just one state berth, with four-time defending 2B state champ La Conner sitting right next door.

Things should be more open this fall, with D1/2 getting two tickets to Yakima right after Hall of Fame Braves coach Suzanne Marble retired.

That carries over to girls’ basketball in the winter, with D1/2 also surging from one state berth to two, in the wake of La Conner losing a pack of stellar seniors.

The competition in boys’ soccer gets even more brutal however, as District 1 — which has produced back-to-back state 2B/1B champs — dips from four tickets to three.

The Northwest 2B/1B League, which jumps from seven teams to nine in the sport by picking up four outside schools for boys’ soccer, while Concrete and Darrington don’t play, has actually provided BOTH teams in the championship game the past two seasons.

Friday Harbor knocked off Orcas Island 2-1 last fall to claim its first title, a year after the Vikings upended Providence Classical Christian by the same score.

Hunter Bronec and Co. are seeking a return trip to state. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Cross country, tennis, and track and field operate in their own specialized world, where individuals can advance to state on their own, regardless of how their team does.

With that in mind, here’s the projected outlook for sports where teams advance to state only as teams:

 

Baseball: 

Coupeville was part of a 12-team 2B state tourney bracket this spring, based on 47 schools playing the sport.

District 1 and 2 combine for the postseason, with one state ticket at play.

 

Boys Basketball:

The Wolves narrowly missed out on a return trip to state last winter, falling just short of joining a 16-team tourney winnowed down from 55 schools.

District 1/2 had two tickets last time and has two tickets again in 2024.

 

Boys Soccer:

With 22 schools playing last fall, state had an ultra-exclusive eight-team bracket.

Half that tourney hailed from District 1, but this fall Coupeville’s league nets three tickets.

 

Football:

The Wolves made it to state for the first time since 1990 and are looking to head back.

With 45 teams playing last fall, it was a 12-team field.

One ticket last year, one ticket this year, so Coupeville has to defend its league title while battling Friday Harbor and La Conner.

 

Girls Basketball:

La Conner nabbed the lone District 1/2 berth in last winter’s 16-team field, which was drawn from 54 schools playing God’s chosen sport.

This time around, there’s two berths at play, putting an extra skip in third-year coach Megan Richter’s step.

 

Girls Soccer:

With 42 schools playing, the 2B/1B tourney was a 12-team affair last fall.

District 1 retains the one ticket it had last time, making everyone chase Mount Vernon Christian.

 

Softball:

A 12-team bracket, with 47 schools playing this past spring.

Win the conference crown and Coupeville gets to hit the road for a play-in game against a District 4 squad, making this perhaps the hardest route for a NWL team to earn a trip to state.

 

Volleyball:

There were 54 schools playing last fall, which translated to a 16-team state tourney.

One ticket in recent years, but finally D1/2 gets two invites this time around.

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The Dude Departs, Chapter 3: Near Misses and Bitter Pills

Posted in Tennis, tagged , , , , on July 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Valen Trujillo catches her coach in mid-nap. (Photo courtesy Ken Stange)

The mission is complete … for now.

Ken Stange recently wrapped an 18-year run as Coupeville High School tennis coach, leading the Wolves through two seasons most years.

As he marinates in his “retirement” down at Bailey’s Corner Store, he’s sharing memories, deep thoughts, and (maybe) clues to where the bodies are buried.

A nine-part odyssey inside the mind of the man, the myth, the always-entertaining net guru:

 

I’ll forever remember the state tourney moments, as well as a few doubles teams and a singles player that just missed qualifying for state.

Players like Hayley Fiedler and Vivian Farris, who came up two points shy of a state berth.

That was the most recent one. Damn … it stings, and it always will.

That said, I had a front row seat for that district doubles final in May of 2023 and I can say that those two young women left it all on the court.

The rain probably still hasn’t washed away Hayley’s DNA from Court 5 at the Amy Yee Tennis Center in Seattle.

Or Joey Lippo and Will Nelson, who came up one point shy of a state berth in the fall of 2018.

It still feels as fresh as the near miss in 2023.

Like so many of the #1 doubles teams at CHS, Joey and Will ascended to that spot through a combination of attrition, hard work, and beating the guys ahead of them on the ladder.

I wanted it so badly for them … probably almost as much as they wanted it.

Had they made it out of that very difficult district tournament, they would’ve been in serious medal contention.

That loss gave me a level of sadness that was greater than the sadness I felt when Russ threw that pick against the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

I still must couch it in some dark humorous way, so it remains palatable to me.

That’s the way it goes, sometimes.

While I didn’t like the outcome of that Super Bowl loss, it’s still one of the greatest Super Bowls I ever saw.

I feel the same way about those two near misses.

There were other kids that I wish got their shot at state.

In 2017, Valen Printz (Trujillo) was a senior and #1 singles player.

She won a 3rd/4th place match at districts but only two kids made it to state.

She knew she was playing for pride (and the alternate spot just in case).

It was her final high school match.

She ended it just like she started when she was in ninth grade … with a win.

She was a fierce competitor and one of the nicest people I ever coached.

Valen was an unbelievably good leader too.

She was sort of like a team mom to the other kids.

What’s more, when she played, she would beat the crap out of her opponent and then on the bus ride home, she’d talk about how she and her opponent were now friends.

Another near miss just shy of state was Ben Hayes in 2010. I think he was a junior.

He was one of the most amazing athletes I ever coached.

He had a district tennis match that was being played at CHS, while school was in session.

I got some of the teachers to dismiss their classes to watch, so we could get another edge against the kid from Seattle Academy.

There were about 80 kids watching from the little corner by Court #2.

Ben had a set point, and the other kid made a horrible call.

The rules didn’t allow anything except for the bad call to stand.

Things went downhill and Ben lost the match. The other kid would go on to qualify for state.

Every time I saw the opposing coach after that, I had to suppress my truest feelings.

Tia Wurzrainer (left) and Avalon Renninger were a dazzling duo. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

There was also the season that never was: 2020, when Avalon Renninger and Tia Wurzrainer had put in the off-season time and work but were denied their shot at playing.

They both came out for that first week of the season and after five minutes I was already making plans for the state tournament.

They had taken lumps from their elders, Payton (Aparicio) and Sage (Renninger), and were ready to take home some state hardware.

I wanted it badly for them, too.

Avalon and Tia were the same age as my daughter. I knew them when they were tots.

It was their senior year, I was fully recovered from spinal fusion surgery, and I was going to help them get to state.

Damn, they had balance.

Tia was the steadying force with power and consistency while Avalon was the player who would do almost anything to get to a far away ball.

She wore her heart on her sleeve, just like me.

If I could give one doubles team their fair shot at a chance to play for a state berth, it would be Avalon and Tia.

Alas, the world got cancelled for a while. It was 2020, the season that never was.

Those near misses and bitter pills aren’t the best memories in the world, but nonetheless, they are memories.

While I do remember the outcome of those big losses, what sticks out most in my mind are the people involved in those memories.

The kids … their parents … their families … their teammates … even some of the opposing coaches, who became dear friends.

Everyone always in the moment and hanging on every shot.

How in almost every instance, the kids were as gracious in defeat as they were in victory.

How in almost every instance, the kids pushed things to the outer limits, much further than they probably thought they could have gone.

Good times for sure, but more importantly, those are the experiences that can be drawn upon later in life, when difficult situations arise.

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Big stage, big victory

Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged , , , , , on July 2, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Undefeated and flexing. (Kristi Stevens photos)

They embrace the spotlight.

With 10 of 12 players reaching base Saturday, and eight of them scoring, the Central Whidbey Little League Majors softball team opened the state tourney with a bang.

Playing in Vancouver, the Wolves demolished Asotin County 12-2 in a game mercy-ruled after four innings.

The victory lifts Central Whidbey to a crisp 15-0 on the season.

Now, the Wolves have several days off as they wait for the loser’s bracket to play out at the 10-team, double-elimination tourney.

Central Whidbey returns to the field Wednesday, July 5, when it plays the winner of South Hill and Evergreen.

South Hill hails from District 10, which pulls players from Auburn, Puyallup, and Kent, while Evergreen reps District 4, which covers Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat counties.

The championships run through July 9.

The Wolves huddle around coach Aaron Lucero, the Man in Black.

Saturday’s opening win was fueled by consistent work from the top of the lineup to the bottom.

The Wolves rapped out seven hits, with Chelsi Stevens blasting a double and Sydney Van Dyke whacking a pair of singles, while the team also collected eight walks.

Stevens also launched another successful long shot, coming all the way around to score off her base-knock.

The score book gives Asotin County two errors on the play, however, keeping it from being an “official” home run.

We know the truth, though.

Chelsi Stevens (with ball) carries a big bat, inflicting damage with each swing.

Central Whidbey jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one inning of play, then stretched the lead out to 11-1 through two frames.

“Solid play all around,” said Wolf coach Aaron Lucero. “Good hitting and base-running offensively.

“We put pressure on the defense every chance we had, and our ladies were relentless,” he added. “Good overall team hitting and win.”

Adeline Maynes prowled the pitcher’s circle for Central Whidbey, whiffing eight while scattering just three hits.

Toss in solid defense and a team-wide commitment to hustle plays and execution, and it’s simple to see why the Wolves continue to roll through an undefeated campaign.

“We’ve continued to preach “do the little things” and they’re executing,” Lucero said.

 

Saturday stats:

Samantha Antonio — One single
KeeAyra Brown — One walk
Adeline Maynes — Two walks
Allie Powers — One single, one walk
Cassandra Powers — One single
Selah Rivera — One walk
Chelsi Stevens — One double
Kennedy Strevel — One single, one walk
Cameron Van Dyke — Two walks
Sydney Van Dyke — Two singles

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Wolf baseball punches state ticket

Posted in Baseball, tagged , , , , , on May 14, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville High School seniors Jonathan Valenzuela (left) and Scott Hilborn were nine-year-olds the last time Wolf baseball went to state. (Morgan White photo)

Party like it’s 2014.

Thrashing Friday Harbor 11-0 Saturday in Arlington in a game mercy-ruled after five innings, the Coupeville High School baseball squad continues to rack up honors.

With the victory, the Wolves, now 16-5 on the season, add the District 1/2 title to their Northwest 2B/1B League crown, while earning a trip to the big dance for the first time in nine seasons.

The last time a CHS hardball squad went to the state tourney, Willie Smith was still head coach, current assistant coach Morgan Payne was in the starting lineup, and Coupeville was nipped 2-1 by Rochester in a first-round loss.

This time around, the Wolves are one of 12 teams still alive in the hunt for the 2B crown.

They will learn their opening opponent and the location of the game Sunday when the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association seeding committee releases its bracket.

First round and quarterfinal games will be played May 20 at various sites, with the semifinals May 26 and the title game and 3rd/4th place game May 27.

The May 26 and 27 games are set for Johnson-O’Brien Stadium at Ephrata High School.

The first two rounds of state are single elimination, with the top four seeds earning a first-round bye.

To see the bracket — without teams in place yet — pop over to:

http://www.nw1a2bathletics.com/m2/tourn.php?act=vt&tid=3930

Wolf coach Steve Hilborn strolls off with the hardware. (Shannon Hamilton photo)

Coupeville baseball had to wait a bit longer than expected to earn its tenth trip to state, with bi-districts delayed thanks to Friday Harbor having issues with the state ferry system.

Once the Wolverines, the #2 seed from District 1, arrived in Arlington, they jumped all over District 2’s Northwest Christian (Lacey), running them off the field 16-0 in a loser-out game.

The day’s second game was also a blowout, but this time Friday Harbor was the one being battered senseless.

Coupeville hit the field hot and never relented, scoring in all four innings in which it sent batters to the plate.

The Wolves slapped three runs on the board in the first, netting all the runs starting pitcher Scott Hilborn would need.

Jonathan Valenzuela lashed a two-run double to center to get CHS going, then came around to score on a Friday Harbor wild pitch.

Hilborn, who struck out eight while limiting the Wolverines to just a pair of hits and a lone walk, was fairly flawless, while his defense removed one brief threat with a slickly turned double play.

From 3-0, Coupeville pushed its lead out to 7-0 through two, then made it 10-0 after three, and 11-0 coming out of the fourth frame.

The Wolves finished with 13 hits in four innings worth of at-bats, with seven different hitters racking up at least one base knock.

Chase Anderson drops a bunt for a hit. (Morgan White photo)

Aiden O’Neill and Peyton Caveness crunched RBI doubles in the second, then both came around later to swat RBI singles.

The last of O’Neill’s run-scoring hits plated courtesy runner Landon Roberts to close the scoring, before Hilborn ended the game with three straight strikeouts.

Coupeville’s stellar season has come courtesy of a young team, as seven of the 11 players sent into Saturday’s game by first-year CHS head coach Steve Hilborn are freshmen or sophomores.

Scott Hilborn and Valenzuela are the only seniors, while starters Chase Anderson, Coop Cooper, Camden Glover, and O’Neill are 9th graders.

 

Saturday stats:

Chase Anderson — Two singles
Peyton Caveness — Two singles, one double
Camden Glover — One walk
Scott Hilborn — Two singles
Aiden O’Neill — One single, one double
Jack Porter — One single
Johnny Porter — One walk
Jonathan Valenzuela — One single, one double, one walk
Cole White — One single

League champs. Bi-District champs. Ticket to the big dance punched. (Morgan White photo)

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Making memories, earning awards

Posted in 2022: Looking Back, tagged , , , , , on December 30, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville athletes like Lyla Stuurmans spent much of 2022 earning awards for their stellar play. (Photo courtesy Sarah Stuurmans)

Things got historical.

As the last days of 2022 play out, a look back at the year that was reveals huge highs and crushing lows.

The biggest story was almost certainly Coupeville High School’s male athletes finally making it back to the promised land.

Both the Wolf boys’ basketball and football squads advanced to the state tournament in ’22, snapping 34 and 32-year dry spells, respectively.

Off the schneid, and it feels so good.

Brad Sherman’s hoops squad was the last unbeaten 2B team in the state this year, crunching La Conner in the bi-district title game to get to 16-0.

With a different leading scorer almost every night, and an aggressive defense anchored by the Marauding Murdy boys — Xavier and Alex — the Wolves win their first league title since Sherman was dropping three-balls back in 2002.

The bi-district win is the program’s first postseason crown since 1970, and Coupeville plays strongly against top-ranked Kalama and always-tough Lake Roosevelt in their first trip to state since 1988.

Xavier Murdy (front) and Grady Rickner clamp down on defense. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Jump forward to the fall, and the Wolf gridiron squad, led by first-year head coach Bennett Richter, roars to a 7-2 mark, claiming its first league title and trip to state since 1990.

Coupeville hosts 2B power Onalaska in that postseason clash and pushes the Loggers to the last play, despite losing starting quarterback Logan Downes to injury midway through the third quarter.

With that in mind, a reflection on the year on its way out the door, and other stories which captured our attention.

 

Hello and Goodbye:

A handful of Wolf coaches leave their posts, for varied reasons, and new leaders rise in the ranks to take their places.

Out the door – high school: Randy King (track), Paige Spangler (cross country), Kyle Nelson (girls’ soccer), Will Thayer (baseball), Marcus Carr (football), Greg Turcott (JV girls’ basketball).

In the door – high school: Bennett Richter (football), Elizabeth Bitting (cross country and track), Bob Martin (track), Steve Hilborn (baseball), Katrina McGranahan (JV softball), Kassie O’Neil (JV girls’ basketball).

Out the door – middle school: Katie Kiel (volleyball), Kassie O’Neil (girls’ basketball), Kristina Forbes (girls’ basketball), Elizabeth Bitting (cross country and track)

In the door – middle school: Raven Vick (volleyball).

 

Still the King:

Coupeville grad Kyle King, a five-time state champ who went on to be an NCAA D-I athlete, wins the 47th Marine Corps Marathon, besting a field of thousands.

The race is the fourth largest in the United States and ninth largest in the world.

Kyle King, at rest. (Photo courtesy Randy King)

 

Big brains, fast feet:

The CHS girls’ cross country squad wins a league title, makes it to state as a team, and claims an academic state title for having the best GPA among all 2B schools.

Helen Strelow, Claire Mayne, Cristina McGrath, Noelle Western, Erica McGrath, and Reagan Callahan are joined at state by Wolf boys Mitchell Hall and Carson Field.

 

They rule the school:

Junior Carolyn Lhamon (soccer, basketball, track) and senior Xavier Murdy (soccer, basketball, baseball) are honored as Coupeville High School’s Athletes of the Year.

It’s a repeat for Murdy, who also won the year before.

 

Better than the state champs … for a day:

Friday Harbor goes on a rampage on the pitch, riding a hot streak all the way to the first boys’ soccer state title in school history.

The Wolverines lose twice all season. Once to state runner-up, and defending champ, Orcas Island, and once to Coupeville.

It’s true.

CHS senior Aidan Wilson nets a hat trick, while younger brother Cael is superb in net as the Wolves shock Friday Harbor, and the prep soccer world, winning 3-1 at Mickey Clark Field.

 

Bad break on the hardwood:

There were numerous injuries, but the one with the biggest impact comes in January, when basketball sharpshooter Alita Blouin breaks her ankle during pregame introductions.

She misses the rest of the 2021-2022 hardwood season, and both Wolf hoops programs bar their players from jumping during future roll calls.

But once she heals, Blouin returns to star on the volleyball court, is named Homecoming Queen, and is now back torching basketball nets as a senior.

Alita Blouin launches a serve. (Bailey Thule photo)

 

Change in the boardroom:

Longtime school board director Glenda Merwine retires with a year left in her term, citing health concerns, and is replaced by tireless school volunteer Alison Perera, who is plucked from a field of six candidates.

 

The Torpedo hits pay dirt:

Coupeville grad Sean Toomey-Stout becomes the first former Wolf to record stats for the University of Washington football program.

A sophomore in his second season with the NCAA D-I powerhouse, he plays in six games, inlcuding the Alamo Bowl, making seven tackles.

Plus, Toomey-Stout smashes another barrier, landing on a trading card as part of a set featuring U-Dub players, coaches, and the team mascot.

 

International woman of mystery:

Makana Stone is gettin’ paid.

The Wolf grad is in her second season as a pro hoops star, first playing for Leicester in England and now suiting up for Baerum in Norway.

Stone pours in 275 points and snatches 193 boards as a rookie and currently leads her second squad in scoring as she and teammates vie for a league crown.

Makana Stone rises to the heavens. (Photo property Marianne Maja Stenerud)

 

All your titles are ours:

Coupeville claims conference crowns in boys’ basketball, softball, baseball, girls’ tennis, football, and both girls’ and boys’ cross country in 2022.

Toss in a district title for boys’ track and a bi-district crown for boys’ basketball and the trophy case is getting (nicely) crowded.

 

R-E-S-P-E-C-T:

Coupeville brings home league MVP awards thanks to Izzy Wells (softball), Xavier Murdy (boys’ basketball), Dominic Coffman (football), Hawthorne Wolfe (baseball), and Scott Hilborn (football).

Taking it to the next level, Murdy and volleyball spikers Maddie Georges and Alita Blouin play in All-State games, while Wolfe and Hilborn receive All-State honors for their work on the diamond.

Ja’Kenya Hoskins (left) and Izzy Wells enjoy each other’s company. (Katy Wells photo)

 

A net loss:

The CHS boys’ tennis program sits quiet for a third consecutive season, unable to attract enough players to form a competitive team.

The pandemic hurt, but Coupeville’s transition from 1A to 2B, with boys’ soccer moving from spring to fall — where football, cross country, and boys’ tennis also compete for athletes — has been a so-far fatal blow.

 

Rulers of the oval:

Coupeville sends 16 athletes to the state track and field meet in Cheney, with the Wolf boys finishing 7th in the team standings.

Ryanne Knoblich (high jump), Logan Martin (shot put, discus) and the 4 x 100 unit of Reiley Araceley, Aidan Wilson, Caleb Meyer, and Dominic Coffman claim 2nd place finishes.

When the official state meet is done, Martin moves on and also finishes 2nd in the hammer throw at an invite-only championship event.

 

Save your best shot for last:

Wolf senior Hawthorne Wolfe, denied a chance to make a full run at the all-time CHS boys basketball career scoring record when Covid interrupts two seasons, closes on a high.

Scoring 10 of his game-high 16 points in the fourth quarter of Coupeville’s state tourney finale, he knocks down a three-ball for his final high school bucket.

That gives Wolfe exactly 800 career points — one of just 14 Wolf boys to hit that mark for a program which launched in 1917.

Hawthorne Wolfe, skippin’ through life. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

 

Remembering those who fell too soon:

Throughout the basketball season, and also on Graduation Day, Coupeville students keep the memory of Bennett Boyles alive and close to their hearts.

The former hoops star lost a battle with cancer just short of his 13th birthday but is with his fellow Wolves in spirit as they finish their high school journeys.

Late this year, Wolf Nation is rocked when Lathom Kelley, a badass with an unexpected huge heart, dies in a boating accident days after his 25th birthday.

Coupeville’s football program remembers its wild child, and his giddy, full-throated embrace of life, beating Sultan after an emotional halftime tribute which includes current players giving the family Lathom’s #44 jersey.

 

Still at it, huh?

Milestones, they keep on comin’.

Coupeville Sports turns 10 years old Aug. 15 – a testament to me frequently writing at 2 AM in hopes of getting free cookies from readers.

Some days are easier than others, but the march towards story #10,000 continues.

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