“On the heels of a season that brought the Wolves 15 wins against only 11 loses, the Coupeville varsity squad has undergone some big changes. Out is head coach Willie Smith, who led the Wolves for the past seven years. Gone too are five seniors who helped the team to those fifteen wins. In is a new head coach in Greg Oldham and assistant coach Jason Meyers. They will implement a faster, more up-tempo style of play that is sure to keep every Coupeville fan on the edge of his or her seat. That is definitely the direction that we’re going to go this year, said Oldham. I think that speed is definitely our strength. Our posts are tough, but they will be the first to admit that they are undersized. Oldham and Meyers know that the transition for the girls is not an easy one, but it’s a shift that could be highly successful for the team after the players adapt.I have a lot of compassion for this year’s seniors because coach Smith is the only coach they have known from the time they were little, said Oldham. This style of play is a big change and we are all going to be learning all the way through, and me especially. It will be a while before we see the full effect of this style of play where it feels natural to them.Oldham says that one of the reasons that he took the job was the work ethic of the players.Seeing them play in tournaments this summer I saw kids that worked hard, that enjoy what they are doing and that they are willing to push themselves, said Oldham. Oldham says that he is looking to his seniors to bring a sense of leadership to the court.I think that they will really set the tone for this year and they have done a great job, said Oldham. I come in with very high expectations which some people have found a little intimidating, but I think also that most people have embraced. I think that barring injury we should challenge for a league title. Our district is a tough district but we also have lots of berths to state. It’s one of our goals as a team, to go to the state tournament in Yakima, which would be a homecoming for me. Oldham says that he wants his team to excel and perform at its highest potential at all times. The team will come into the season at a high level because of Ron Bagby and Randy King, according to Oldham.I want to say thanks to both, said Oldham. They have daughters who play and they took charge of that during spring and summer before I was hired. They did a great job working with the kids, getting them to tournaments and getting them playing. Someone else that Oldham and the girls have faith in is assistant coach Jason Meyers, who was an assistant coach for the Coupeville football team this fall.One thing I really appreciate about Jason is the enthusiasm that he brings to everything that he does, said Oldham. Everybody likes him and I think it is going to be great to work with him this year.The respect between the coaches is mutual.He has years of experience, which is nice to have in a program he has taken his programs to state, said Meyers. And he knows how to maintain that, which is a hard thing. Sometimes it is just a one-time shot. If you can maintain a ‘dynasty’ like quality to your school than it is nice to have and to let the kids know that he knows how to win. Meyers, who coached boys varsity basketball in Idaho for the past two seasons prior to coming to Coupeville, will be making the transition from the gridiron to the hardwood.It’s just getting from outside to inside I guess is what I am doing right now, said Meyers. I will tell you that there are some girls out here that have some better basketball skills than some guys, and that is something that I have been really impressed with. Maybe the most important thing that the team has going for it this season in the faith that Oldham has in his team: I think that all the kids have shown a lot of enthusiasm and hard work and that will take us a long way. “