Playing against Langley Middle School’s seventh graders Wednesday afternoon, girls basketball players from Coupeville Middle School found themselves suffering a common fate.

The squad of Central Whidbey players were just the last notch in a 10-0 season for the Cougs, who used crushing offense and tough defense to reverse their school’s fortunes from the previous year, when the seventh-graders were 1-9. The 48-12 Cougar victory on their home court at the middle school was representative of a season in which only two teams, Lakewood and Granite Falls, were able to stay within a dozen points of the Cascade League champions.

Also a winner Wednesday was the school’s eighth-grade team, which squeaked by Coupeville 31-28 to end the season 5-5. This record, too, shows success after the same group won only one game in 2003 as seventh graders.

Of the two teams, the seventh graders seemed to bring the most talent and size to the court. With most players having been involved in AAU basketball over the years, the team was able to play well beyond the basics, according to their coach, Paul Arand.

“This seventh grade group is a wonderful group of athletes,” he said this week. “It’s a good collection of basketball players.”

Included in that collection was 5-foot, 11-inch center Ruby Jones, 5-6 guard Samantha Pope, 5-5 guard Lauren Fletcher, forward Karissa Thomas, and the team’s top scorer, Lindsey Newman. Newman lead her team by scoring an average of 15 points per game. Also putting up big numbers was Thomas with an average of nine points per game.

With two scoring threats like this on the court, Arand said his team had no trouble intimidating opponents.

“Those two really wreaked havoc in the league,” he said.

Working zone and full court offenses throughout the season, the Cougs gained a reputation as a fast break team as it took advantage of its speed. Adding zip from the bench were the team’s other varsity players Jazym Graham and Stephanie Raymond.

Also having a big season were the junior varsity seventh graders. Playing two-quarter games this season, team members Gillian Tippery, Alexi Grant-Best, Jennifer Gemkow, Lauren Stelling, Chantelle Grove, Alyssa Price and Mary Brown also went undefeated.

Winning awards at season’s end were most valuable player Lindsey Newman, top rebounder Ruby Jones, top defender Samantha Pope, top offensive player Karissa Thomas, most improved player Jennifer Gemkow, and most inspirational Chantelle Grove. Winning the coach’s award was Lauren Fletcher.

Arand said he looks forward to the possibility of a number of his players jumping onto the varsity team at the high school as underclassmen, but only after he coaches them in the eighth-grade season in 2005.

Seventh graders make steady gains

While the start of the season served up some disappointingly big losses, the LMS eighth graders were not discouraged. At or near .500 most of the season, the Cougars managed to close the gaps in late February and early March. On Monday, in a game against Lakewood, the Cougs lost by just five points after being buried by 30 points by the same team on Feb. 11.

John Pyrtek, the team’s coach, said this kind of progress was made possible by a move out of a 4A conference and into a 2A, small-school conference this season.

“This league allowed them to get better from the beginning of the season to the end of the season,” he said.

Ending with their victory over Coupeville, the team was able to show off its skills progression in winning style. Though the smaller team on the court, the seventh-grade Cougs used hard cutting and accurate passing to get around their opponents — two big factors in keeping turnovers to a minimum.

Leading the team’s offense throughout the season was 5-2 point guard Erica Johnson, and the team’s top three-point shooter, forward Lauren Sandri.

Pyrtek gave credit all around for the season result. He pointed to guard Natasha Roberts as the team’s best all-around player, and credited Martha-Rocio Gil-Osorio as the team’s most improved.

“She’s a wicked athlete,” he said.

And, keeping the team’s defense working at a high level was the team’s post player Kayley Mulcahy. At 5-2, she worked against larger players during much of the season, something that Pyrtek said was impressive week after week.

Langley Middle School now moves into its spring sports season, sending students outdoors to participate in the school’s only spring sport, track and field. Competition starts April 27 with a triangular meet at Granite Falls.