Alex Murdy is a key part of a Coupeville varsity which sits at 11-0. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
Quality beats quantity.
Coupeville is the smallest of the three Whidbey Island high schools, but its varsity boys basketball team is the undisputed king of the Rock for the 2021-2022 season.
Having already polished off 3A Oak Harbor, the 2B Wolves went to Langley Saturday and smacked 1A South Whidbey to the merry tune of 74-38.
The non-conference victory caps a torrid week for Coupeville, in which it won four times in five days to run its record to 11-0.
Not always knowing from day to day which players will be on the floor during the test-three-times-a-week stage of the Age of Coronavirus, the Wolves have adapted.
A key player is missing, another steps up.
And they all attack with savage glee on defense, a key part of a run which has left Coupeville as the only unbeaten boys team left standing in the 2B classification.
A huge test awaits next Thursday, Jan. 27, when Coupeville travels to Mount Vernon Christian, but Saturday was all about getting some revenge on the next-door neighbors.
There was no Kody Newman to save the Falcons this time. No Lewis Pope.
Instead, after a relatively close opening quarter, in which sophomore Logan Downes poured in nine points during a 22-13 surge, the Wolves took the Falcons apart piece by piece.
A 25-6 run in the second frame, fueled by three-balls off the fingertips of Logan Martin and Downes, stretched the lead out to 47-19.
After that, Coupeville was methodical, putting together a 19-8 advantage in the third quarter, with Xavier Murdy dropping in nine points, before coasting in for the win.
Downes paced the Wolves with a game-high 18, while the X-Man was right behind him with 17.
Logan Downes has been strong on both ends of the floor as a sophomore.
Grady Rickner banked in 12, Caleb Meyer knocked down 11, Martin rippled the nets for six on a pair of treys, and the duo of Hawthorne Wolfe and Alex Murdy rounded out the attack with five apiece.
Also seeing floor time for Coupeville were Hunter Bronec and Dominic Coffman.
The two teams were nearly flawless at the free throw line in the game, combining to drain 26 of 27 freebie shots.
The Wolves were a perfect 16-16 — including Xavier Murdy hitting a pair of technical foul shots after South Whidbey was whistled for being overly yappy — while the Falcons finished 10-11.
Coupeville Sports 