By DAVID SVIEN
Last season was historical, this season is full of promise.
The 2023-2024 basketball campaign was the landmark 50th for the Coupeville High School girls’ program, while their male counterparts saw senior Logan Downes shatter the Wolf boys career scoring record en route to racking up 1,305 points.
But time moves on, and a new year of hoops action waits to unfold.
On the boys’ side of things, Brad Sherman’s squad will need to replace nine seniors who departed after a 17-6 swan song which included a Bi-District title and a trip to the state tourney.
Leading the charge is junior Chase Anderson, who has been a key contributor the past two seasons, and looks to be the #1 scoring option this time around.
He’s racked up 260 points thus far, which has him sitting at #117 all-time for a CHS boys’ program which is entering its 108th season.
Joining him will be two pairs of senior brothers — Hunter and Hurlee Bronec and Jack and Johnny Porter — as well as senior Landon Roberts and Carson Field and juniors Camden Glover and Malachi Somes.
The Bronecs were part of last year’s varsity team, while the others ran wild with a JV squad which torched rivals on their way to finishing 14-2.
Junior Aiden O’Neill, a swing player last year, was also expected to make the jump to full-time varsity status but is recovering from surgery after going down with an injury during football season.
On the girls’ side of things, Megan Richter’s team will look to bounce back after missing the playoffs last season.
The Wolves went 7-13 and had numerous close calls which could have easily flipped the script.
One advantage the CHS girls have is they return their top seven scorers from last season and are led by a pack of seniors fresh off the most-successful volleyball campaign in school history.
Seniors Katie Marti, Mia Farris, Madison McMillan, Lyla Stuurmans, and Jada Heaton are joined by junior Teagan Calkins and sophomore Haylee Armstrong, while junior Danica Strong, sophomore Capri Anter, and freshman Tenley Stuurmans are on hand to help out this time around.
From that group, Lyla Stuurmans is set to make some history of her own.
She was a first team player as an 8th grader during the pandemic-shortened 2021 season and will be the first Wolf girl to play five years of varsity high school basketball.
Along with basketball, Coupeville has a winter cheer team, led by senior captains Alysia Burdge and Pamela Morell, while junior Finn Price will go his own way as the school’s lone male swimmer.
Without a CHS aquatic program, he will train and travel again with South Whidbey High School swimmers, with that group all making the trek to join Kamiak on the mainland.
(Photo by John Fisken) Seniors on the girls basketball team are, from left, Madison McMillan, Mia Farris, Lyla Stuurmans, coach Megan Richter, Jada Heaton and Katie Marti.
