EVERSON, Wash. — In the tiny town of Everson, you'll find a big-time environment when the girls' basketball team takes the court. There's pride for the Pioneers.
Nooksack Valley High School is coming off a historic season, where they won the school's first-ever girls' basketball state championship. Senior Devin Coppinger is a big reason why the Pioneers won the title.
"Dreams come true," said Nooksack Valley Head Coach Shane Wichers. "I think you think about being out there and holding the trophy, looking at your fans, a sea of purple. Hopefully, it's something they will never forget."
For Coppinger, a 5-foot-10 guard, the title was special because of the people rallying around the Pioneers.
"It meant so much because of the community and how bad we've been working and wanted it and working at it for so long," Coppinger said.
Nooksack Valley is currently the No. 1 ranked Class 1A team in the state of Washington, and Coppinger continues to thrive. She is ranked as the 37th overall recruit in the country for the class of 2024 and is a nominee for the McDonald's All-American list.
Wichers said one of the things that makes Coppinger special is that she can impact the game in many ways.
"My experience with great players in the past – they can do one or two things well," Wichers said. "Devin can do everything well. She can rebound, she can pass, she can score, she can shoot, she can defend the best player. It's all things and she is equally good at all of them."
Coppinger said she loves that there's a multitude of things to work on to improve your game.
"It's not easy, but if you love it, you need to be willing to do it every day," Coppinger said. "Do what others are not doing and be willing to work more."
Coppinger's dad was her first coach. She also learned a lot from her AAU coach Mo Hines, but she also drew inspiration after watching former Washington legend Kelsey Plum.
"She was definitely an idol for me, just watching her made me want to get better, like wow, I want to be where she is one day," Coppinger said.
Plum is the Huskies' all-time leading scorer. It's a record Coppinger will now set her sights on. She's committed to the University of Washington.
"When I watched Kelsey, I always wanted to go there, but then for a while, I was like I want to get out of Washington, but the staff right now is so amazing, and they are everything I want, so it's kind of a full circle story that I'm going there," Coppinger said.
Next year it's off to the big city, but looking back, Coppinger said she'll never forget the small-town memories made at Nooksack Valley High School. Coppinger said she's played with her friends since kindergarten, and her dad coached them all.
"I wouldn't want to do it with any other group of girls," Coppinger said. "They are great. They are part of the history."