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Posts Tagged ‘state tourney’

“Heck of a game!”

Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged , , , , , on July 6, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Ava and Aaron Lucero, chasin’ that softball dream. (Jess Lucero photo)

No fear, plenty of fight.

Facing a traditional powerhouse at the state tourney Thursday, without their normal starting pitcher in the lineup, the Central Whidbey Little League Majors softball squad pushed Gig Harbor to the final batter.

While the Wolves were edged 7-6 in a loser-out game in Vancouver, losing by one run to a team coming off of 25-1 and 22-3 wins is nothing to be ashamed about.

“I told the team to hold their heads high,” said Wolf coach Aaron Lucero. “How proud I am of them, and they should be proud of themselves.

“Heck of a game.”

Central Whidbey, which went undefeated during the regular season and won the District 11 title, finishes 15-2.

The Wolves opened state with a 12-2 win over Asotin County and hung around to play three games over a six-day span.

They were the fifth squad eliminated from the 10-team tourney, with Gig Harbor moving on to play another loser-out tilt Friday against either Sammamish or Mill Creek.

The tourney wraps Sunday.

Squaring off with Gig Harbor, the Wolves handed the ball to hurler Kennedy Strevel, and she knocked it out of the park on both offense and defense.

“Kennedy pitched a great game in very hot weather,” Aaron Lucero said.

“And to add to it, she hit a home run for which she was awarded a pin from the tournament staff.”

Strevel’s blow was the big one, but Central Whidbey got contributions up and down the lineup.

Brent Stevens works with a Whidbey slugger. (Kristi Stevens photo)

“We had great hits from several players, including crucial moments from Selah Rivera and others,” Aaron Lucero said. “We executed small ball to put pressure on the defense.

“We had our opportunities, but Gig Harbor made some plays,” he added. “We did the same against them when they had their opportunities.”

Central Whidbey’s rivals got on the board first, pushing across a run in the top of the first and two more in the second to build an early 3-0 advantage.

The Wolves never blinked, however, putting together three-run rallies in both the second and third to reclaim the lead at 6-3.

Strevel and Co. retired eight of 10 Gig Harbor hitters during a stretch which ran from the end of the second to the start of the fifth, before the bats got warm again.

A run in the fifth trimmed Central Whidbey’s margin to 6-4, then Gig Harbor rallied for three runs in the top of the sixth to move back in front.

The Wolves weren’t able to get a tying run in the bottom of the final frame, ending their run.

But, as they packed up and prepared to head back to The Rock, Central Whidbey’s coaching staff were quick to applaud their players.

Wolf players get a final pep talk from their coaches. (Kristi Stevens photo)

While most of the other teams at state are true all-star squads, having drawn players from multiple teams or leagues, the Wolves were almost completely a group of players from one small town.

Coupeville’s 12 sluggers did get a little postseason help, picking up a single player each from Oak Harbor and South Whidbey, but its roster construction is nothing like the teams repping areas like Seattle or Puyallup.

“All around it was a solid softball game and our ladies and their families should have pride in how we represented Whidbey Island,” Aaron Lucero said.

“Every single player on our roster contributed to the game. Proud of them.”

 

Central Whidbey’s postseason roster:

Samantha Antonio
KeeAyra Brown
Emma Cushman
Ava Lucero
Olivia Martin
Adeline Maynes
Allie Powers
Cassandra Powers
Selah Rivera
Chelsi Stevens
Kennedy Strevel
Cameron Van Dyke
Sydney Van Dyke
Mary Western

Central Whidbey was one of the final six teams standing at the state tourney. (Kristi Stevens photo)

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Tough loss, resilient spirit

Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged , , , , on July 6, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Central Whidbey Little League softball sluggers are still chasing state tourney success. (Kristi Stevens photo)

Their record got dinged, but not their spirit.

Missing a key player and down another one due to an in-game injury, the Central Whidbey Island Little League Majors softball team absorbed its first loss Wednesday night.

Playing against tourney favorite South Hill, which includes players from Auburn, Puyallup, and Kent, the Wolves fell 17-0 at the state championships in Vancouver.

There’s still a viable path to the title game for Central Whidbey, however, which returns to action Thursday, playing Gig Harbor in a loser-out game.

The Wolves, 15-1 on the season and 1-1 in the state tourney, have to win daily from here on out to get to Sunday’s best 2-of-3 title bout.

If they do, South Hill, which has outscored three foes by a combined 44-1 during the tournament, will likely be waiting for them.

Central Whidbey, which thumped Asotin County 12-2 to open state, has proven to be resilient all season, something Wolf coach Aaron Lucero is relying on.

“We win or we learn, and tonight we learned,” he said.

“Hats off to South Hill. They are a very talented team in all phases of the game.”

While Central Whidbey failed to generate any offense against its big-city foes, who field an all-star team with players drawn from multiple teams, Lucero preaches patience and the joys to be found in a bounce-back performance.

“I told the team to hold their heads up and get their minds right,” he said. “We still have an opportunity to advance and win some ball games.”

The diamond guru praised the performance of relief ace Sydney Van Dyke, who took over pitching duties after starter Kennedy Strevel took “a hot liner to her pitching hand” early in the game.

“Sydney came in and did an admirable job pitching coming in cold,” Lucero said.

“We’ll move past this one and get ready for tomorrow!”

One team, one dream for the Wolves, one of the few state tourney squads to not draw players from multiple regular season teams. (Jess Lucero photo)

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Pack the car, they’re state bound!

Posted in Little League, Softball, tagged , , , , on June 27, 2023| Leave a Comment »

District champs, and still undefeated heading into the state tourney. (Kerry Western photos)

Roll on, mighty Wolves, roll on.

Beating visiting Sedro-Woolley 10-0 for the second night in a row, the Central Whidbey Little League Majors softball team cleared a major hurdle Tuesday night in Oak Harbor.

The victory lifts the Wolves to 14-0 on the season, gives them the District 11 title, and sends them on to the state tourney.

The big dance goes down July 1-9 in Vancouver, with Central Whidbey slated to open play against the winner of District 5, which reps the lower corner of Eastern Washington.

Here’s the state bracket, just waiting for teams to be plugged in:

Click to access 2023_LLSB_State_Bracket_1.0.pdf

Tuesday night, the Wolves went for the clincher in their best 2-of-3 district rumble, and once again came up big against a tough foe.

Walks were key, as Central Whidbey racked up a ton, but the Islanders also got base-knocks from Kennedy Strevel, Chelsi Stevens, and Cassandra Powers.

The Wolves pushed three runs across in the first to snatch the lead, before tacking on two more in the third, four in the fourth, and a final tally in the fifth to push the game into mercy-rule territory.

“We were very disciplined tonight against a pair of good Sedro pitchers,” said Central coach Aaron Lucero.

“Hats off to Sedro, they came out looking to fight and made some big plays,” he added. “We had bases loaded in the first three or four innings and we just couldn’t put it away.”

Stevens launched “an absolute laser shot with the bases loaded and two outs” that might have broken the game open early, only to see Sedro’s outfielder make “a fantastic grab” to save runs.

The Wolves never backed down, however, continuing to put the pressure on their foes.

“Great job by our ladies to just keep chipping away,” Aaron Lucero said. “Putting the ball in play, aggressive base-running, and hustle, got it done for us offensively.”

Strevel and Adeline Maynes both tapped home plate twice for the Wolves, while Sydney Van Dyke, Stevens, Olivia Martin, Cameron Van Dyke, Emma Cushman, and KeeAyra Brown also scored.

Basking in the afterglow of sweet victory.

Mary Western, Ava Lucero, Selah Rivera, Samantha Antonio, and Allie Powers also played for Central Whidbey.

Maynes returned to the pitcher’s circle for Central Whidbey and was in lock-down mode most of the game, whiffing eight.

She got big-time help on defense from her catcher, Ava Lucero, who made the defensive play of the night for the final out.

Sedro had the bases jammed with two outs and was desperate to keep the game going when a wild pitch ran away from the waiting glove.

Responding instantly, Ava Lucero scrambled to the backstop, sliding on one knee to snatch the ball off the ground and fire it back to Maynes, who slapped the game-ending tag on an incoming runner.

Now, it’s off to the big stage for the Wolves, with their coach ready to hit the open roads for another long trip.

“Really proud of these players on a truly undefeated season,” Aaron Lucero said. “They showed a lot of grit.”

On to the next challenge!

 

Want to help the Wolves make their trip to state?

You can support the 14 girls — 12 from Coupeville, and one apiece from Oak Harbor and South Whidbey — two ways.

Checks made out to Central Whidbey Little League can be mailed to P.O. Box 222, Coupeville, WA 98239.

Or use Venmo to send money through Wolf Mom Kelly Powers, who can be found at https://account.venmo.com/u/Coupeville2029.

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Road warriors make state tourney plans

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

Cole White, and the parental units, are headed to the 2B state baseball tourney next weekend. (Morgan White photo)

The road to a state title begins with a long road trip.

Fresh off winning the District 1/2 title, thumping Friday Harbor 11-0 Saturday, Coupeville High School’s baseball squad got its marching orders for the state tourney.

The Wolves, who sit at 16-5, are seeded #10 in the 12-team 2B field, and play #7 Toledo Saturday, May 20 at Castle Rock High School.

First pitch is set for noon.

The loser is eliminated, while the winner returns to the field at 3:00 PM to face #2 Toutle Lake, which is led by junior pitcher Zach Swanson, who has committed to play college ball for Oregon State.

Toledo is 18-5, and handed Toutle Lake (20-2) its only losses, beating the Ducks 1-0 and 6-1 way back in the first two games of the season.

The winner of next Saturday’s second game advances to the state semifinals, is guaranteed to play both May 26 and 27 at Johnson-O’Brien Stadium at Ephrata High School and will bring home a trophy.

To see the bracket, pop over to:

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

Coupeville’s diamond dogs, who are making the program’s first trip to state since 2014, will have a much longer trip than their rivals.

It’s 173 miles, give or take a kilometer or two, to go from Central Whidbey to Castle Rock, while Toutle Lake (10.8 miles) and Toledo (14.4) are just down the street.

Sophomore Landon Roberts, seen with sister Lindsey and mom Sherry, is part of a successful Wolf diamond team. (Morgan White photo)

This is the tenth trip to state for CHS baseball, while Toledo is making its twelfth visit to the big dance.

The Riverhawks won the 2B state title in 2016, knocking off Warden, Colfax, Asotin, and Pe Ell/Willapa Valley.

Toutle Lake, which finished second last season, falling 7-6 to Brewster in the championship game, is back for the 25th time.

The Ducks have four state baseball titles, but it’s been a bit since the last one, with title runs coming in 1977, 1978, 1990, and 1991.

Toutle Lake and Coupeville have clashed twice in the state baseball tourney, with the Wolves falling 2-0 in ’90 and 8-1 in ’77, both seasons in which the Ducks finished as champs.

The Wolves also squared off with Toutle Lake at the state volleyball tourney in 2002 and 2003, splitting those matches.

The Coupeville and Toledo baseball programs have never met in a state playoff game, though the school’s girls’ basketball teams shared the hardwood at the 1998 and 2000 state championships, with the Riverhawks winning both.

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Coupeville has Onalaska’s number (sorta)

Posted in Football, Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , on November 10, 2022| Leave a Comment »

Lexie Black and friends beat Onalaska the one time the schools played at the state tourney. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Coupeville doesn’t lose to Onalaska in the state playoffs.

That’s just a stone-cold fact.

Sorta.

As we head towards Saturday’s gridiron rumble between the Wolves and Loggers, I decided to look back and see if the two schools had ever met before at the big dance.

And lo and behold, they have, and Coupeville won the showdown.

No, we’re not talking about the Wolf football team.

Instead, the one previous time Onalaska and CHS met in the state tourney, it was the school’s girls’ basketball squads which faced off in Mortal Kombat.

The date was Feb. 27, 2002, and the Wolves held off the Loggers 39-31 in a first-round game, the first of two victories Coupeville captured as they advanced to the semifinals.

A 53-37 dunking of Overlake the next day pushed CHS to within two wins of a state title, but it wasn’t to be, as losses to Colfax and Brewster left the Wolf hoops stars with a 6th place trophy.

The 2001-2002 Coupeville girls’ hardwood team remains the highest scoring unit in program history, rippling the nets for 1,499 points as six players topped triple-digits.

Brianne King led the way with 386 points, with Ashley Ellsworth-Bagby (266), Sarah Mouw (259), Erica Lamb (174), Amy Mouw (137), and Tracy Taylor (115) also making the nets pop.

Rounding out a deep roster were Vanessa Davis, Carly Guillory, Christine Larson, Lexie Black, Whitney Clark, and Taniel Lamb.

And what does this all mean?

Well, probably not a whole lot, seeing as how those Wolf basketball players are all in their mid to late 30’s now, and no current CHS football player was alive in 2002.

But it is a fun fact.

And if Coupeville fans holler “The Wolves don’t lose to Onalaska!” Saturday, well, facts are facts, even when they’re cherry-picked by bloggers with possibly too much time on their hands.

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