For the eighth consecutive year, the W.F. West girls basketball team has advanced to the state tournament.
This year, the Bearcats clinched their spot with a 58-39 win over Ridgefield in the 2A District 4 semifinals.
“That’s kind of the tradition this school has, and we’re just trying to uphold that,” W.F. West Kyle Karnofski said. “It was one of our goals … The girls were really excited to punch their ticket.”
W.F. West won as it has most of the season on Monday, with Julia Dalan leading the way and several others contributing.
Dalan finished with 16 points, 17 rebounds, and nine blocks, while Dilyn Boeck added 12 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Grace Simpson and Joy Cushman scored 10 points each, and Amanda Bennett tallied five rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
Karnofski went down the list when commending his players, giving nods to both Simpson and Cushman while adding that Boeck was “absolutely unreal” in the third quarter.
“She was a big-time catalyst for us,” Karnofski said.
Boeck’s strong third, a quarter she scored six points in, helped the Bearcats push a small halftime lead to 11 after three, and they pulled away for good in the fourth.
With the win, the Bearcats are on to the district championship game. It’ll be the 11th time in the last 14 years that they’ll play for a district title.
“It’s one thing that was kind of just ingrained in the program,” Karnofski said. “That’s who W.F. West is … I’m super proud of our girls and our program.”
W.F. West will face Columbia River in the district title game at Kelso on Friday at 6 p.m.
