Coupeville Sports

Light her up!!

April 24, 2026 by David Svien

Ava Lucero and the ball she mashed over the left field fence. (Photo courtesy Aaron Lucero)

“That was a clinic.”

Two solid high school softball squads clashed on the sun-drenched prairie Friday, but one ended up towering over the other.

Mashing 18 hits, including 10 in the first inning alone, high-flying Coupeville ran its visiting archrivals from South Whidbey off the diamond, emerging with a 17-1 win mercy-ruled after five innings.

With the non-conference victory, the Wolves get to 14-1 on the season, while the Falcons drop to 8-5.

That opening quote came from a South Whidbey supporter, as he paid tribute to the beat-down issued by the Smash Sisters, and it summed up the day.

Wolf hurler Adeline Maynes was flingin’ fire from the pitcher’s circle, whiffing nine and getting solid defensive work behind her from young infielders Allie Powers and Cami Van Dyke and sticky-gloved centerfielder Haylee Armstrong.

The web gem of the day, however?

That was a prime-time Maynes moment, as the sophomore pitcher charged out of the circle and went airborne to pluck a bunt out of the air, snagging the falling ball before it could touch infield dirt.

But while the pitching was on point and the defense often inspired, it was the offense which once again stole a great deal of the spotlight for Aaron Lucero’s squad.

Coupeville unleashed a tsunami of base knocks in the bottom of the first, with Sydney Van Dyke crushing a two-run double off the center field wall and Ava Lucero smoking a two-run single back up the middle.

That was just the start, with Armstrong and Cami Van Dyke connecting on RBI-rich hits before Teagan Calkins got epic.

Playing in the next-to-last home game of her storied career, the Wolf senior launched a screamer to left, then let her feet run wild as she crashed home with an inside-the-park two-run tater.

By the time the Falcons finally escaped from the frame, the damage had been done, with 14 batters coming to the plate, 12 of those reaching base, and the score sitting at 10-0.

Not that the Wolves were done, as Ava Lucero led off the bottom of the second with a home run of her own, this one clearing the fence in left and waving bye-bye as it headed off towards the Prairie Center parking lot.

Having herself a day to remember, the coach’s daughter struck one more time, whacking a three-run triple to right field in the third, capping a six-RBI performance.

Deep sac flies from Maynes and Calkins, and some nimble base-running on double steals padded out the lead as the Wolves rolled into the weekend having outscored their foes 244-33 this season.

Friday stats:

Zariyah Allen — Two singles
Haylee Armstrong — Two singles
Teagan Calkins — One home run, one walk
Ava Lucero — One single, one triple, one home run
Olivia Martin — One double, one walk
Adeline Maynes — Two singles
Chelsi Stevens — Two singles, one walk
Cami Van Dyke — One single, two triples
Sydney Van Dyke — One single, one double

Friday they were rivals, but during travel ball season a fair number of Wolf and Falcon sluggers unite on the diamond. (Photo courtesy Jess Lucero)

Posted in Softball | Tagged Ava Lucero, CHS Wolves, Island rivalry win, Softball, SWHS Falcons | Leave a Comment »

Diamond rally falls a run short

April 24, 2026 by David Svien

Wolf first-baseman Riley Lawless smacked a pair of hits Friday in a rivalry game with South Whidbey. (Jackie Saia photo)

They didn’t get a hit until the fourth inning, and didn’t score until the sixth, yet almost pulled off the comeback win.

Unfortunately for the Coupeville High School baseball squad, a torrid finish couldn’t quite overcome a slow start Friday, as the Wolves fell 7-6 to visiting South Whidbey.

The non-conference loss, coming on a rare sunny spring afternoon on the prairie, drops CHS to 9-5 on the season while the upstart Falcons improve to 3-11.

Friday’s fracas was a pitcher’s duel for most of the day, with eight of the 13 runs not being scored until the final inning-and-a-half.

South Whidbey did put together a five-run rally in the top of the third, however, accounting for the only scores until the late going, and that was tough to overcome for the scrappy Wolves.

The big blows were a pair of two-run doubles from Levi Batchelor and Weston Dill, and they staked the Falcons to a lead they never relinquished.

Meanwhile, Coupeville put four runners aboard through the first three innings — all on walks — but came away empty-handed.

In the fourth, the Wolves got another walk, this one from Trent Thule, before Riley Lawless broke up the no-hitter. Once again, however, the runners were stranded far from home.

Steve Hilborn’s squad finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth, pushing three runs across to tighten things up.

Two runs came home on Falcon miscues, while Lawless smoked an RBI single to the left side of the infield to account for the other score.

South Whidbey proved resilient, tacking on two insurance runs in the top of the seventh to go up 7-3, then turned out to need both runs as the Wolves rallied hard in their final at-bats.

Chase Anderson led off the bottom of the seventh by getting drilled in the back, then stole second and third before scooting home on a Camden Glover RBI single.

An RBI groundout from Thule cut the deficit to 7-5 and a bases loaded walk to Killian Shaw made it a one-run game, but South Whidbey hurler Easton Niemi came out of the bullpen to end the game with a strikeout, allowing longtime Falcon coach Tom Fallon to exit with another win.

Friday stats:

Chase Anderson — One walk
Coop Cooper — One single
Camden Glover — Two singles, one walk
Carson Grove — One walk
Riley Lawless — Two singles, one walk
Aiden O’Neill — One single
Leo Rodriguez — Two walks
Killian Shaw — One walk
Malachi Somes — One single
Trent Thule — Three walks

Camden Glover, here crashing in to score in an earlier game, reached base three times Friday afternoon. (Julie Wheat photo)

Posted in Baseball | Tagged baseball, CHS Wolves, Island rivalry, Malachi Somes, SWHS Falcons | Leave a Comment »

Wolf grad delivers top-tier performance

April 24, 2026 by David Svien

Taygin Jump, ready to take on the world.

Ice Cube would agree, it was a good day for Taygin Jump.

The Coupeville grad, now a junior track and field star at Plattsburgh State, nailed top-two finishes in all three of her throwing events Friday at the SLU Twilight Invite in Canton, New York.

The former Wolf won the hammer throw, chucking her implement 125 feet, 11 inches, while also finishing second in the discus (93-06) and javelin (92-00).

Jump’s impressive performance helped carry the Cardinals to a second-place finish in the team standings at the meet, which was hosted by St. Lawrence College.

When she’s not busy chucking things, Aleksia and Khanor’s older sister is an honor student pursuing a degree in Environmental Planning and Management.

Posted in Track, Wolves in college | Tagged CHS Wolves, hammer throw, SUNY Plattsburgh, Taygin Jump, track and field | Leave a Comment »

“The curtains are in tatters, and it matters!”

April 24, 2026 by David Svien

The curtains in the CHS/CMS PAC have supported many a production over the years. (Stefanie Ask photos)

As the only performing arts space in town, the Coupeville Middle School/High School PAC is ground zero for creative expression.

“On our stage throughout the course of a year, you can watch secondary and elementary theater productions, choir and glee performances, local community concerts, awards presentations, 8th grade passages ceremonies, 5th grade moving on ceremonies, Veterans’ Day assemblies, Homecoming rallies, and so much more,” said CHS drama teacher and play director Stefanie Ask.

“The Performing Arts Center stage is the hub of how we come together as a school and community to celebrate achievements, attend performances, and collaboratively create art.”

But that space is in serious need of an upgrade, specifically where it concerns the stage curtains, which have become battered over decades of use.

“Every student that steps on the PAC stage deserves to feel pride in themselves and the environment we cultivate for them,” Ask said.

“The PAC has recently been improved by replacing the seats for our audiences, but if you’ve been to a performance recently, you’ll inevitably have noticed a problem that distracts from the magic on the stage.

“Our curtains, or “stage blacks,” are antiques at this point and are essentially disintegrating before our eyes.”

That creates numerous issues for the theater troupe, which is currently gearing up to deliver performances of “Too Many Detectives in the Murder Mansion” May 7-9.

“When I teach students to use the space for rehearsal or performance, they all learn the first rule above all else: “Do NOT touch the curtains!” Ask said. “The fabric simply can’t handle it.

“Over the past 40 years, tiny holes or snags have occurred, and as the years have passed, the ancient fiber of the fabric has just broken down to the point that the holes are growing and growing.

“In fact, when performers have to cross behind the back curtain to get to the other side of the stage for an entrance, you can see them walking by through the unintentional little portholes that have been created.

“The curtains are in tatters, and it matters!”

Cost for purchase and installation of new curtains is $33,000, and the Coupeville Schools Foundation is leading a fundraiser drive to cover the expense.

With help from the Foundation, as well as the Coupeville Lions Club and Coupeville Arts Festival, almost half of the money has been raised, but “it takes a community!” as Karen Koschak, Vice President of the Foundation, said.

If you’re interested in learning more, or want to make a donation, pop over to:

https://givebutter.com/PAC_Curtains

Posted in Drama | Tagged CHS drama, Coupeville Schools Foundation, fundraiser, Stefanie Ask, theater curtains | Leave a Comment »

Record smasher, diamond queen

April 23, 2026 by David Svien

Oak Harbor slugger Layla Suto celebrates a milestone. (Photos courtesy Matt Suto)

First she broke the record, then she hit triple digits.

Oak Harbor High School softball sensation Layla Suto is one of Whidbey Island’s best diamond players, whether starring for the Wildcats or playing travel ball alongside Coupeville students such as Teagan Calkins and Taylor Brotemarkle.

A dangerous hitter, Suto broke the OHHS career hit record of 95 earlier this week, which had stood for a decade.

Thursday, in a win over league rival Mount Vernon she continued to push her record pace, collecting her 100th and 101st hit in her 79th game as a ‘Cat.

Oak Harbor, which lost a one-run thriller in extra innings to Coupeville to open the season, has won six of its last seven games to get to 9-9 on the season.

While she still has more games to play in her senior campaign, Suto already knows she’ll continue the game at the next level.

That’s because she’s signed to play softball for the University of Sioux Falls, an NCAA D-II program in South Dakota.

All the success makes for one proud papa in Matt Suto, who has coached both Wildcats and Wolves alike to travel ball success.

“It’s been amazing to watch this kid work hard day after day to get better at the sport she loves,” he said.