Xavier Murdy | Coupeville Sports

Posts Tagged ‘Xavier Murdy’

Big Red Machine gets its closeup

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged boys soccer, CHS Wolves, Cole White, John Fisken photos, Xavier Murdy on April 17, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Cole White gets his head into the game. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)

The program which can’t be killed got its moment in the spotlight.

Back on the pitch Friday night, the Coupeville High School boys soccer squad romped to a 3-0 win over visiting Cedar Park Christian-Lynnwood, and got their closeup thanks to wanderin’ photo whiz kid John Fisken.

The pics above and below are courtesy him, but you can see many more (and buy some gifts for the grandparents) by popping over to:

BS 2021-04-16 vs CPC Lynnwood – John’s Photos

Andrew Williams slices a shot into the great wide open.

Aidan Wilson (center) is mobbed by his teammates after netting the first goal of the season.

Cael Wilson launches a laser.

Nathan Ginnings lets rip with a throw-in.

Preston Epp gets the offense out and running.

Owen Barenburg dances a tart tango with the ball.

A perfect 1-0 on the season, and looking for more.

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Reborn and rockin’

Posted in Boys Soccer, tagged Aidan Wilson, boys soccer, CHS Wolves, opening night, Xavier Murdy on April 16, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Xavier Murdy, seen here in 2019, returned to the pitch Friday, scoring in a season-opening 3-0 win for Coupeville. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Just getting on the field was a win.

From a program seemingly dead in the water, to one which swept to a victory in front of its home fans, all in two weeks — welcome to the ever-evolving saga of Coupeville High School boys soccer.

Jump back to April 2, and the news was dark and depressing.

Unable to field a full roster, the Wolf booters were shut down before they could play their first game for new coach Robert Wood.

But fate held plenty of twists and turns, as a Covid outbreak forced Friday Harbor to cancel all fall sports … which eliminated boys tennis … which sent a handful of Wolf players to soccer.

Toss in a couple of 8th graders — allowed when a 2B school is struggling to field a full team — and Coupeville soccer was reborn.

Which brings us to Friday, opening night, a little later than first expected, but welcomed by all.

Unleashed on the pitch under a fairly-blazing sun, the Wolves rode the hot shooting touch of Aidan Wilson and Xavier Murdy to a 3-0 win over visiting Cedar Park Christian-Lynnwood.

Sitting at 1-0 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, with five games left in a pandemic-shortened season, Coupeville hits the road for its next two games, playing at Grace Academy and Mount Vernon Christian.

As he heads into the weekend, Wood, an easy-going soccer sage, was a man basking in the afterglow of victory, while realizing it is just a small piece of the puzzle.

“VERY happy with the play we showed today as a TEAM,” he said. “Wins are fine … losses are fine … but I’m watching how we PLAY, because wins/losses come and go, but the recovery from one to the other is what a TEAM and a season are about.”

Getting that first W against a private school from the heart of elite soccer was extra-nice, however.

“Tough opponent from off-Island in the middle of the Rush Select Soccer recruiting area, so the results tonight are wonderful, and a huge confidence booster for the team,” Wood said.

Coupeville struck first, and last, but didn’t make the scoreboard jump until late in the first half.

After 28 minutes of the two teams slugging it out, with neither able to break through the opposing team’s defense, the Wolves got a break when they were awarded a penalty kick.

Wilson, a standout distance runner who was making his CHS soccer debut after his freshman season was erased by the pandemic last spring, ambled to the ball, then struck like a coiled snake.

Punching the ball to the corner of the net, he made the CPC goalie look slow, and set off the first, but not last, celebration of the night.

Not content to stay with a single score, Wilson struck again five minutes later, slapping a back-breaker of a second goal to pad the lead.

With Coupeville’s defense playing rough ‘n ready, and goalie Logan Martin in lockdown mode behind them, CPC didn’t have a chance to play catch-up.

But, just to make sure, Murdy broke free late in the game, angling a ball past the diving goaltender to record his first goal of the season, and second of his prep career.

Like most coaches, Wood enjoyed the high points, while also seeing the areas he wants his players to improve.

“So very much we still need to work on,” he said with a chuckle. “But just being a team again is wonderful, and we wouldn’t be here without the desire of the kids to continue the sport.

“I support them in ANY sport they play, any, not just the beautiful game, but having a TEAM right now makes it so beautiful.”

The rebuilt roster boasts a lot of youth, with just two seniors in Owen Barenburg and Sam Wynn.

Toss in juniors Martin and Murdy, and 10 of the 14 Wolves are sophomores or younger.

Cameron Epp, Aidan Wilson, and Jesse Wooten rep the 10th grade class, with freshmen Cole White, Ryan Blouin, Nathan Ginnings, Nick Guay, and Andrew Williams joined by 8th graders Cael Wilson and Preston Epp.

“It’s an amazing rollercoaster of emotion,” Wood said. “Having to tell your players “we don’t have a team,” then recalling them five days later based on a rumor, then forming, storming, and norming, and winning our first competition against an unknown opponent.

“Very happy with the results, but I’m most happy about our team and the way we played together.

“What comes next? Time to study, practice the basics, work on our weaknesses, solidify and expand our strengths.”

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Big win, strong season

Posted in Baseball, tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, La Conner, Northwest League, Xavier Murdy on April 3, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville senior Daniel Olson closed out his high school baseball career Saturday by getting the final out in a 30-0 win. (Morgan White photos)

First, a small round of applause for Ivory Souryavong.

You probably don’t know him. I had never heard of him before Saturday.

But, as a major rebuilding season ended for a painfully-young La Conner High School baseball squad, Souryavong provided the lone highlight for Brave fans.

La Conner fell at home, and fell hard, losing 30-0 to a confident, really-starting-to-jell Coupeville squad.

The Braves sent 16 hitters to the plate in the loss, with 13 striking out against Wolf hurlers Hawthorne Wolfe, Xavier Murdy, and Daniel Olson.

Two others grounded out.

But Souryavong, a freshman third-baseman, rapped a two-out single in the bottom of the third, providing La Conner’s lone base runner.

It’s a small thing, but it should be noted — a kid refusing to go down easy even when things are not so great.

So, some kudos to Souryavong, before we move on to extolling the virtues of his foes.

And those Coupeville diamond men were in fine form, closing this pandemic-shortened season at 7-3, second-best in the Northwest 2B/1B League.

Cole White is one of six Wolf freshmen on a 16-man roster.

First-year coach Will Thayer, with a pretty young roster of his own, got the best out of his diverse team, and loses just one senior to graduation.

That’s Olson, who once upon a time was my “assistant manager” at David’s DVD Den when he was a preschooler.

He was paid in candy, and I’m still not sure all the customer’s money made it into the till…

Now all grown up (at least mostly), he scored four times Saturday, and came to the mound to get the final out of the game, the season, and his prep career.

Olson ended things with another strikeout, punching out La Conner’s lone senior, Alden Schnabel, then strolled into the twilight.

For a moment at least, as the lanky Wolf is likely to return for basketball season.

After netting just a lone run in the top of the first, Coupeville dropped a 10-spot in the second, then tacked on 15 more in the third, before coasting home with four in the fourth.

With so many runs flying across the plate, the scorebook doesn’t show how a lot of Wolf hitters got on base, and I was in Freeland, helping my sister with chicken coops, and not camped out in La Conner.

So, if you were hoping for a complete breakdown of the hit parade, this is not the story you seek.

But suffice it to say that Thayer was able to get all 16 of his players into the game, with his young guns getting plenty of playing time.

“Super proud of this team,” said the CHS coach. “And excited to start building towards next season.”

After a strong junior campaign, Cody Roberts is primed to be Coupeville’s #1 pitcher when next season rolls around.

Wolfe and Murdy were pitching for the first time in a game this season, while Jonathan Valenzuela paced the offense, scoring five times.

Olson and Scott Hilborn both tapped the plate four times apiece, as well, with Cody Roberts coming around three times.

Also seeing playing time in the finale were Gabe Reed, Miles Davidson, Cole White, Sage Sharp, Zane Oldenstadt, Andrew Williams, Nick Guay, Coen Killian, Peyton Caveness, and Seth Woollet.

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“Our future is very exciting!”

Posted in Baseball, tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, Daniel Olson, Hawthorne Wolfe, Spring Sports Preview, Xavier Murdy on February 25, 2021| Leave a Comment »

After COVID-19 stole a season from him, Hawthorne Wolfe returns to the baseball diamond. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

New coach, new league, new schedule.

Everything is a little different for the Coupeville High School baseball squad as it gets ready for its first games since 2019.

The pandemic erased prep sports last spring, then coach Chris Smith departed Whidbey Island after the graduation of his youngest child.

Now, Will Thayer steps into the dugout as the head man and his first Wolf team is scheduled to play a pared-down, conference-only slate of games.

That will give Coupeville a strong introduction to their new foes, at least, as CHS moves from 1A to 2B, returning to its old stomping grounds in the Northwest 2B/1B League.

While the schedule seems to shift each day, as of Thursday the Wolves are set to play fellow 2B schools Friday Harbor (4) and La Conner (3) the most, with a single game against 1B rivals Darrington, Mount Vernon Christian, and Concrete.

Orcas Island (1B) opted not to play spring sports as long as its students were not back in class, while Chimacum (2B) is slated to join the NWL for the 2021-2022 school year.

Having a chance to go toe-to-toe with Friday Harbor should give Thayer and his crew a solid idea of where they fit in the new hierarchy.

“Perennial power in this league seems to be Friday Harbor; they are a very well-coached team and consistently at the top of their league,” Thayer said. “This is our first year in this league and we will have to learn the teams on the fly.

“It is kind of nice being a first-year coach in a new league so I can learn with the team,” he added. “We will be able to measure ourselves against our league for the first time together.”

With the unexpected gap year, the Wolf roster has seen a fairly large turnover.

Of the 15 players listed on the roster posted on the league web site, only four have ever played in a CHS baseball game — senior Daniel Olson and juniors Hawthorne Wolfe, Cody Roberts, and Sage Sharp.

Olson and Roberts provide a one-two combo at the top of the pitching staff, while Wolfe is back to hit leadoff and prowl center field.

Cody Roberts joins Daniel Olson at the top of Coupeville’s pitching rotation. (Photo by Karen Carlson)

Three sort-of newcomers, all with plenty of hardball experience, are expected to have immediate impacts, as well.

Xavier Murdy, a junior, joins Olson and Wolfe as a team captain, while sophomores Scott Hilborn and Jonathan Valenzuela will start at shortstop and third base, respectively.

“We are anchored on the left side of our infield,” Thayer said. “This will be their first year of high school baseball and they have proven themselves ready to rise to the occasion and lead us in to the future.”

Murdy spent his freshman year on the soccer pitch, but with the move from 1A to 2B, boys soccer slides from spring to fall.

Rounding out the preseason roster are junior Miles Davidson, sophomore Coen Killian, and a pack of freshmen — Nathan Ginnings, Cole White, Nick Guay, Andrew Williams, Seth Woollet, and Zane Oldenstadt.

It’s a group which will have to learn on the fly.

“Just coming together as a team, as we haven’t had much time to bond as a tight group; but every practice we become a tighter group,” Thayer said.

“We are learning from each other as we go in a very short time.”

However the lineup eventually breaks down, Thayer is excited to get on the field.

“Our goal for this season is to compete for a league title,” he said. “Since there is no state tournament this year, our team goal is league title, and let everyone know that we are a state-worthy team next season.

“We are a very young team so our future is very exciting, and I believe we will be in contention for league and state for the foreseeable future.”

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