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Posts Tagged ‘West Virginia’

Home, sweet prairie home

Posted in Ranting and Raving, tagged , , , , on October 3, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Country roads, take me home, to the place I belong. Take me home to the prairie.(Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Well, I lasted 65 days in the (sort of) Deep South…

My sojourn to Shenandoah Junction, West Virginia, in which I couch surfed at my sister’s and got under my nephew’s feet as much as humanly possible, went from late July to early October.

Some mugginess, some heat, WAY too many bugs, a fair amount of yard work, and one trip to the ER to get antibiotics for a yard work-related foot infection later, I’ve called it a day and left behind Scooplex, the roadside ice cream stand which won my heart (and taste buds).

The taste of West Virginia.

Yes, I’m back … in red and black.

Back to the prairie which it turns out I missed far more than I thought I would.

Back to 45 degrees and rain, like Mother Nature and all other deities intended.

I continued to write about Cow Town from 2,800 miles away, but now I am returning to once again fully embrace my destiny in person as “that guy who won’t shut up about Coupeville.”

I have danced the dance with my blog for 13+ years, through nearly 12,200 articles — threatened to quit, sort of quit, changed my fickle mind, then gone through it all again — but apparently I’m not done just yet.

This is what I was meant to do, and this is where I was meant to do it. That much I know to be true.

At this point in my life, I don’t want a “real” job. I want the “right” job, and, for me, that “right” job is writing Coupeville Sports.

And to do that, to really do that, I need to be back on the prairie of my (sort of) youth.

From 2,800 miles away, I can get stat sheets and coach quotes by email, trying to adapt to the three-hour time difference between different sides of the country. That’s true.

But to truly have the blog be everything it can be, to go deeper, to be the person who really documents the sports hopes and dreams of a small town nestled in the middle of a rock out in the water in the Pacific Northwest, I need to live here.

Maddie Big Time hitting identical buzzer-beating three-balls from half court in back to back games … 17 days apart? It meant more in person. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

We’ve done so much together since Coupeville Sports began in 2012.

The Wall of Fame in the CHS gym, documenting 100+ years of athletic accomplishment.

The 101-year and 50-year celebration nights for Wolf boys’ and girls’ basketball, respectively.

Every time someone digs out an old newspaper clipping, or a lost photo, the past becomes the present. And there’s still more to uncover — Tom Sahli’s sophomore basketball stats will be mine one day, I swear!!

There’s more work to do. There’s more moments to celebrate. More lives to impact.

I’m gonna make some folks happy, and chafe some others. It’s my nature.

But I’m going to do it here, back on the prairie.

Back where the fog often rolls in across Mickey Clark Field — which turned 50 recently, by the way — as the deer wander in to lead the blocking for Wolves returning punts on the gridiron.

Where the rock-hard bleachers in the gym are ready and waiting to once again abuse my nether regions.

And where spring sports will undoubtedly start way too early, chilly prairie breeze shooting up my shorts and punching me in the tender vittles.

I’m not returning to my duplex, as it’s undergoing a transformation into something new, but I’ll be just a few blocks up the road.

Which means the library, post office, bank, gas station, PC, and the gym and sports fields all will still be within a mile or so of my new residence.

I am a creature of habit, though one who used the West Virginia sojourn to reduce my worldly possessions to what I could fit in a duffel bag.

For what do I truly need beyond a notebook and a computer?

Well, probably a microwave, so it’s a good thing my new place comes pre-equipped with one.

And a washer and dryer!!

I’ll be living the high life and not hanging around the Oak Harbor laundromats like in days past, feeding quarters into the hungry, hungry machines.

In the end, my trip to West Virginia pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me a slightly different perspective on things.

I saw some living history while squatting on the other side of the country, including the deadliest battle fields in US history at Antietam.

Unless we count my daily brawls with the local bugs in my sister’s back yard…

Bloody Lane, in quieter times. (Sarah Kirkconnell photo)

My time away also reinforced the core truth that I am most at home in Washington state, on Whidbey Island, camped in Coupeville.

I wasn’t born in Cow Town, maybe, but this is where I want to be, where I need to be.

Prairie Life Maybe 4 Ever.

 

 

Want to financially support “Coupeville Sports” and my writing?

There are several ways:

 

PayPal:

https://paypal.me/DavidSvien?locale.x=en_US&country.x=US

 

Venmo:

David-Svien

 

Snail Mail:

David Svien
1722 Whales Run Place #B
Coupeville, WA 98239

 

In person at Wolf games:

The “Godfather” handshake never goes out of style.

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It’s not the same old song…

Posted in Ranting and Raving, tagged , , , , on September 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

“Breathe the bug spray in, Beavis. Go to your happy place…”

The blast of the train whistle hangs in the muggy West Virginia afternoon air, a stark reminder I no longer camp along the placid shores of Penn Cove.

Strafed by bugs of all sizes and shapes, which rise in waves off the well-manicured lawns rain or shine — at least when I’m around, it seems —  it makes for a far different life.

I was born in Washington state, and between the last day of April, 1971 and late July of 2025, I was perfectly content with it being like 45 degrees, mildly misty, and gently breezy nearly every day.

And now, 37 days into taking up space at my sister’s house 2,800 miles away from Cow Town, it’s not just the weather.

Back at “home” on the prairie, Coupeville High School sports teams start playing games for real Friday night.

Volleyball is first up, with a home clash against archival South Whidbey, followed by Wolf football and cross country teams hitting the road Saturday for brief off-island journeys.

But I won’t be there for any of that, like I wasn’t there for the recent football jamboree or volleyball alumni clashes.

And that’s taking some getting used to.

This blog started in 2012, and has been a focal point of my life for a decade-plus.

Add in the countless freelance stories I banged out for the Coupeville Examiner, and, before that, my early ’90s stint as Sports Editor at the Whidbey News-Times, and I’ve arguably written more about Wolf athletics than just about anyone out there, past or present.

As a new season comes screaming into view — the final ride for CHS seniors Teagan Calkins, Camden Glover, and associates, or the start of a whole new chapter for freshmen like Tamsin Ward and Brian Thompson — there is an inescapable feeling I should be there documenting it.

I’m not, and that’s weird. It just is.

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Far from home, forever gossipy

Posted in Ranting and Raving, tagged , , , , on August 23, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Jacob Schooley and Bella Karr are your new Coupeville High School cheer captains. (Photo courtesy Jennifer Morrell)

John Denver was a dirty, sweaty lil’ liar.

When he sung about West Virginia he failed to mention the heat, the humidity, or the non-stop bugs.

So many bugs.

And yet, according to the internet, West Virginia is not even in the top 10 for states in the USA when it comes to bugs.

I don’t think John Denver is the only liar…

Or maybe 54 years of living in Washington state, with the last 20 perched on the shores of Penn Cove, have left me unprepared for life in the buzz zone.

Twenty-four days in, I’m adjusting — somewhat — to life on the other side of the country, while still keeping at least one eye on the prairie.

With Coupeville High School football kicking off its first practices Wednesday, and other fall sports like volleyball and cross country slated to hit go this coming Monday, it feels more than a bit odd to not be in the thick of things in Cow Town.

August was traditionally the hardest time to find stories for the blog, with the dog days of summer preceding the return of school sports to the forefront.

Though, here in West Virginia, my two youngest nephews have already been back in class for a full week as of yesterday.

If I was still hanging out in my duplex, with a breeze bouncing off the water, and bugs few and far between, this is some of what I probably would have written about.

A young Deb Dire, now known as teacher extraordinaire Deb Sherman.

It sounds like Deb Sherman, the gold standard of elementary school teachers, is heading in to her final year in the classroom.

So many kids have deeply benefited from her gentle guidance over the years, and Coupeville was greatly blessed that she brought great joy and love to its classrooms.

I also see several former CHS athletes made it official and got hitched this summer.

Among those whose nuptials who I noticed were Hannah Davidson, Arisbeth Montiel, and Joey Lippo.

Arisbeth Montiel

Left to right are Scout Smith, Tia Wurzrainer, Scott Fox, Hannah Davidson, and Avalon Renninger.

Joey Lippo

Hannah’s marriage ceremony brought her back together with her former teammates, and their high school hoops guru, Scott Fox, in a complete-the-circle movement.

And one of those former running mates, Scout Smith, is about to embark on two new adventures this fall.

The Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Famer replaces the departed Cory Whitmore as head volleyball coach at CHS — running the program she once starred for — and will also be a full-time teacher after snagging a classroom gig at the elementary school.

Other new coaches coming aboard include Jasmine Ader (CHS girls’ soccer) Tianna Carlson (CHS volleyball — JV), James Kunz (CHS boys’ soccer), and Katelynn Quinonez (CMS volleyball), though Makana Stone (CMS girls’ basketball) has recently resigned.

In the world of high school cheer, Bella Karr and Jacob Schooley were tabbed as captains for the upcoming football season, while Wolf Nation took a hit with the passing of Martha Rose.

The former Island Transit Director was a strong supporter of CHS soccer, with her daughters Emily (May) and Taichen both starring on the pitch for the Wolves.

Soccer, in all its forms, continues to enchant many in Cow Town, whether it’s the young female stars of tomorrow, who continue to pile up the hardware, or a brave young teen heading overseas.

“We’re coming for all your trophies!” (Photo courtesy Kimberly Kisch)

Young gun Chayse Van Velkinburgh will spend the next 10 months at the Euro Madrid Soccer Academy in Spain. (Photo courtesy Dustin Van Velkinburgh)

Meanwhile, a bevy of former Wolves are trying their hand at playing college sports, with some photos popping up showcasing them in their new uniforms.

Here’s three which recently hit my feed:

Marcelo Gebhard, ready to hit the gridiron for Lewis-Clark Valley College.

Two-time CHS Athlete of the Year winner Mia Farris (right), now a freshman volleyball spiker at Whatcom College.

Lyla Stuurmans (second from left), hankering for some kills at Skagit Valley College.

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Dave’s kinda not here, man

Posted in Everything changes, tagged , , , , on August 2, 2025| 2 Comments »

My last ferry ride? (Charlotte Young photo)

I really did leave.

After 54 years in Washington state, 36 on Whidbey Island, and 20 in my duplex on Penn Cove, I stumbled my way through airport security Wednesday, and am now in my third day living in West Virginia.

I followed my sister and brother-in-law and three nephews, who left Freeland back during Spring Break.

The first moment I stepped out of Dulles Airport and into the steaming hot sludge known as non-Pacific Northwest weather was like being hit by a freight train.

But, so far, other than a quick, ferocious thunder storm my first day in West Virginia, it’s been like being on Whidbey, just a couple degrees hotter.

And yes, I know these last two days are unusual, and my baptism by fire (or by mugginess, bugs, and sometimes brutal weather changes) is likely just around the corner.

We shall see how I endure.

But, for now, if you hadn’t heard, now you know why Coupeville Sports, which generally publishes daily, has gone into shutdown.

For those who still want to see stories from the past 13 years, all 12,110 of them are still available here, as the blog is paid for through the next eight months.

Will I add to it? Well, covering sports in Cow Town while living several thousand miles away, would not be easy.

But never say never. Weirder things have happened.

For now, let’s all just agree to pray that the weather stays moderate here. I wasn’t made to marinate in mugginess 24/7/365.

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And then he was gone…

Posted in Everything changes, tagged , , , on July 6, 2025| 1 Comment »

Welcome to the World Headquarters of Coupeville Sports.

I’m not big on change, apparently.

I’ve lived my entire life in Washington state, with 36 of those 54 years here on Whidbey Island — the last 20 residing in the same duplex on the shores of Penn Cove.

It used to be a candy store back in the day, and a beach shack before that.

I arrived on the corner of Sherman and Madrona in time for the second season of Lost and have remained here through two sets of landlords, several next-door neighbors, and at least four mailboxes — only three of which have been exploded by wayward drivers.

Being a converted beach shack, it often doesn’t hold its heat very well in the winter but catches enough breeze skipping off the mussel rafts in the water below to stay cool for all but a few days in the “sunnier” months.

I’m used to it, and it’s used to me.

From the latter part of my video store days through farm and restaurant work, we have endured together.

And, for the past 13 years, it has been the home of “Coupeville Sports.”

My computer setup has moved from the bedroom to the living room over the years, with furniture changing, and — over the course of the last year — 7,000+ DVDs/Blue-Rays coming to reside on 34 bookshelves.

I live in a video store now, something which is both sublime and stupid all at the same time.

Videoville is never coming back in reality, but, for relatively few bucks, I recreated it for a moment.

But things have been thrown asunder of recent, and it’s sent me drifting in a deep funk.

My sister, brother-in-law, and three nephews, who lived in Freeland the past seven years, suddenly moved to West Virginia in April.

I have kept the blog going for 13 years, and 12,105 articles, by being willing to live on a few pennies here and there. There were far more positives than negatives over the years.

But losing daily, or semi-daily, contact with my nephews has forced me to reflect on things.

I can keep the blog going, I can attempt to scrape by on sporadic donations and side hustles.

Or I can make a big change and go see my nephews continue to grow up in person, while I’m still taller than at least one of them.

Will I adjust to wild West Virginia weather after a lifetime of living in the fairly serene Pacific Northwest? I guess we’ll see.

So, this is a long way to get around to confirming that yes, this is the end of Coupeville Sports. And the start of something else.

I’m not 100% sure when I’ll be on a train heading East, duffel bag in hand, but it will be sooner rather than later.

To all of you who supported me over the years, with financial help, or baked goods, or kind words, thank you.

If anyone wants to help me ease down that long and winding road, you can always celebrate the legacy of Coupeville Sports with a final visit to:

 

Venmo: David-Svien

PayPal: https://paypal.me/DavidSvien?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US

 

And if you know someone interested in swinging a deal for a whole lot of movies, well, there’s that, too.

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