“When South Whidbey’s freshman girls traveled to Coupeville last week and dumped on the Wolves 69-6, the result did not portend a particularly exciting game for the varsity team Friday night.To tell the truth, it wasn’t. The Coupeville varsity rolled over 66-48 in a basketball game that was much closer on the scoreboard than it was on the floor. But, said Falcon coach Nancy Ricketts, the easy win Friday night and another one Wednesday night were exactly the kind of preparation her team needed to get them ready for the tougher games that lie ahead. Not only did the Coupeville game present the opportunity for all five varsity starters to play together for the first time this year, but it was the second straight game in which the team’s bench players got considerable playing time. They needed the practice, because last year’s “A” state champion, Lynnwood Christian, comes to town for a league game this Friday night.“This was another game where we got the whole bench in,” Ricketts said.The Falcons jumped out to an early lead over Coupeville, going up 26-14 by the half and 48-23 by the start of the fourth quarter. But then the defense let down and Coupeville piled on 25 points in the fourth — 18 of which were scored by one player. And at the buzzer, one of the Wolf girls hit a half-court shot that made the score look almost respectable.“They kept fighting. They didn’t give up,” Ricketts said of the Coupeville team.However, Ricketts’ admiration of the Wolves’ spunk did not blind her to the fact that her team did back off a bit too much in the fourth quarter. “They let down a little at the end. You don’t like to see that as a coach,” Ricketts said.The game marked the return of the Falcons’ go-to player, Kelsey Ellis. Out of the first game with an injured hand, Ellis made up for lost time by scoring a team-high 15 points. Also in double digits were Hilary Wick, Sierra Tornga, and Daylene Waterman.Friday’s Lynden Christian game starts at 7:30 p.m. in the South Whidbey High School gymnasium.”