For the Coupeville High School boys basketball team, its 59-36 district tournament loss at Cascade Christian in Puyallup Saturday, Feb. 14, was the end of the season. The game, however, marked a beginning as well.
The Wolves, winners of only three games in the three seasons heading into this one, finished with seven wins and its first district berth in four years.
The program is heading in a “positive direction,” coach Anthony Smith said.
“I like where it is going,” he added. “Our JV team did well, too. It’s a positive step in the right direction.”
The steady stream of lopsided losses are a thing of the past, Smith said, and his team is now competitive and in “a position to battle every game.”
Cascade Christian used a hot-shooting night to get by the Wolves in the single-elimination, opening round of the District 3 1A tournament.
“They shot the ball really well,” Smith said. “We’d have a hand in their face and they would still drain them.”
The Cougars jumped to an 18-8 first quarter lead. Coupeville hung with Cascade Christian in the second quarter and trailed 35-23 at halftime.
The third quarter blues bugged the Wolves all season, and another verse came to light Saturday. Cascade Christian held Coupeville to only three points in the period and pulled away 53-26.
It wasn’t the Cougar defense that stopped the Wolves in the third quarter, according to Smith, but poor shooting.
“Cascade Christian was better than us that night,” Smith said. “When they went to the bench, they were just as good. They are very athletic and can shoot. They do not waste possessions.”
Wiley Hesselgrave finished the season with another strong game, tallying 20 points and grabbing four rebounds.
Joel Walstad finished with six points, Aaron Trumbull four, C.J. Smith two, Ryan Griggs two and Hunter Smith two.
Matt Shank snared five rebounds, Aaron Curtin four and Trumbull and Griggs three each. Griggs added three blocks.
“Just wasn’t our day,” coach Smith said. “We battled; we went out swinging again.
“It’s a great pleasure and honor to work with these kids.”
