The runaway locomotive down the lane? That is Nooksack Valley's Devin Coppinger coming at you

In her basketball life, Devin Coppinger is growing up fast.

Just a sophomore, she is already one of the most dynamic and feared playmakers in the state for Class 1A's top-ranked Nooksack Valley Pioneers.

And while she displays an innate understanding of how team basketball functions, what stands out about Coppinger is her unrivaled pure power at point guard.

Lynden Christian girls basketball coach Brady Bomber said it's like watching "a running back" get loose on the hardwood.

"She is obviously skilled, but her ability to get by people with her strength, and rebound at both ends, make her so hard to deal with," Bomber said.

Kind of like another recent point-guard standout - Hailey Van Lith, the state's all-time leading scorer from Cashmere who is now at Louisivlle?

"When we've talked to the recruiter from Louisville, that (comparison) comes up a lot," said Mike Coppinger, Devin's father and youth-age coach. "Devin is naturally athletic, strong and works out a lot."

Growing up with two brothers - one older and one younger - and a father who emphasized old-school halfcourt basketball, Devin Coppinger quickly acclimated herself to the physical side of the sport.

"We'd play ones (1-v-1) in the backyard," Coppinger said. "That is kind of how it was - attacking the hoop."

And some of those battles with her older brother, Cody, who is now at Whatcom Community College, had heated endings.

"He did not take it easy on me because I was his sister," Coppinger said. "We always had fights. Dad would have to be out there to calm it down."

Eventually, Coppinger realized she had a knack for getting to the basket -against anybody.

Even in prime-time AAU tournaments. Coppinger recalled an instance when, as a member of the top Under-17 Tree of Hope team, she came up against 6-foot-2 Sara Puckett, one of the top players in the country for the Alabama Southern Starz program. Puckett is now a freshman at Tennessee.

"It was a fastbreak layin," Coppinger said. "I think I got fouled. We ended up losing, but it was cool because we had so many coaches at our game

"I know when you have that one-step advantage to the basket, and it's an oh-crap moment, you have to know how to go get it."

Coppinger has been weightlifting with Nooksack Valley High School football players since she was in middle school, and now participates in speed training twice a week.

This week, the mission is much different - win a Class 1A title in Yakima.

And Nooksack Valley girls coach Shane Wichers knows any deep tournament run will likely be spearheaded by Coppinger, who is averaging 21.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game.

"What makes her so unique - I've never had a player who could impact the game in every possible way," Wichers said.

(All photos by Mike Hughes)