Third time was still a charm.

Powered by a balanced scoring attack and a ferocious defensive surge, the Coupeville High School varsity boys’ basketball team opened the playoffs Thursday by winning against a familiar foe.

With three Wolves providing double-digit scoring, and a fourth missing by just a single point, Brad Sherman’s squad bounced visiting Friday Harbor 43-36.

With the win, Coupeville gets to 8-12 on the season and advances to the semifinals of the double-elimination District 1/2 tourney.

The Wolves hit the road Saturday to play top-seeded Mount Vernon Christian, before returning to Cow Town for playoff game #3.

Upset MVC, and Coupeville plays in the Bi-District title game Feb. 20 on its home floor, with a trip to state at stake.

Lose to the Hurricanes, and the Wolves host either Orcas Island or Summit Atlas Feb. 18 in a loser-out game.

Thursday’s playoff rumble was the third meeting this season between Coupeville and Friday Harbor, with the Wolves winning by four points in both game #1 and #2.

This time around, CHS flirted with a 10-point lead twice, controlled the action for most of the 32-minute running time, and never flinched from the spotlight.

Even when leading scorer Chase Anderson hurt his foot less than a minute into play and had to be tended to on the sideline.

While the junior net burner was being taped up, the Wolves spread the offensive love between Hurlee Bronec, Landon Roberts, and Jack Porter, bolting out to a 7-4 lead.

Anderson immediately had an impact the moment he returned to the court, busting through the Friday Harbor defense for a three-point play the hard way.

Taking a pass from Bronec, a half-second after a Wolf steal, he crashed hard to the hoop, slapped the ball home, then sauntered to the free throw line and drained the charity shot he was awarded for being smashed around the head and shoulders.

Anderson returned the favor to the Bronec family, feeding Hurlee’s twin brother Hunter for a bucket off another steal, and CHS had a lead it would never relinquish,

Up 14-9 at the first break, the Wolves opened the second quarter with a savage display of defensive intensity.

The Battlin’ Bronec Brothers delivered back-to-back booming blocked shots, making the paint a no-fly zone for the visitors.

With Porter raining down buckets, and Anderson drilling a three-ball from the right side, Coupeville shoved the lead out to nine points, then went to the halftime break with a 25-18 advantage.

With the defense continuing to come up big — Camden Glover was a beast on the boards and fighting for loose balls — the Wolves threatened to turn the game into a blowout.

But Friday Harbor’s hardwood aces still had some fight left in them, carving a double-digit deficit all the way back down to just 32-30 late in the third.

Enter the Battlin’ Bronec Brothers and exit any doubts.

Hunter and Hurlee combined to go on their own game-busting 9-3 run across the final minute of the third frame and a major chunk of the fourth, and the deed was done.

Anderson became the first non-Bronec to score across seven minutes and change, banking in a jumper, before Friday Harbor nailed one last futile three-ball.

Sherman kept it lean ‘n mean, with a seven-man rotation on this night, and everyone contributed.

Hurlee Bronec, Porter, and Anderson each scored 10 points, with Hunter Bronec banging away for nine and Landon Roberts chipping in with four.

Porter, who began the game with 149 career varsity points, cracked the 150-point club, while Hurlee Bronec needs just one point against Mount Vernon to reach 250.

Glover, who made life miserable for Friday Harbor’s big men, and scrappy guard Malachi Somes rounded out the rotation, both delivering key performances in supporting roles.

Photo by John Fisken