The first game of any team’s season can be a bit wonky. Players often take the court together for the first time, hoping to begin to coalesce while facing a team that is trying to do the same.
That was true for W.F. West on Monday against Woodland, when the Bearcats held a slim halftime lead despite not playing their best basketball through the first 16 minutes.
“We had a lot of ideas at the start and we were trying to do some stuff,” W.F. West coach Kyle Karnofski said. “It’s just about finding a rhythm as a group.”
The Bearcats simplified things in the second half on Monday, though, pulling away for a convincing 63-31 victory to start the season 1-0.
“It’s early,” Karnofski said. “You try to control what you can control … It’s just about playing your principles.”
The Bearcats led just 22-14 at halftime, but they scored 24 points in the third quarter to pull away. Dilyn Boeck led the way offensively in that frame, scoring 14 points and eventually finishing with a team-high 22.
“You can see that she’s made great strides with her game,” Karnofski said. “When she gets going, she’s really good … That’s what people of her caliber do. She’s that type of kid.”
After being held to just two points in the first quarter, Julia Dalan added 16 points over the next three to finish the game with 18. She is now within 13 points of breaking Drea Brumfield’s W.F. West career scoring record, which she set in 2022.
Kaitlyn Chloupek and Hadley Hoffman added six points each, Grace Simpson added four, and Izzy Teeter hit a late three. Amanda Bennett and Madi McManus added two points each to round out the W.F. West scoresheet.
Rhylee Beebe didn’t get on the scoresheet in her first game in a Bearcat uniform, but she did lead the way defensively for W.F. West in the third quarter.
“I thought she really gave us a good boost,” Karnofski said. “Just being active defensively that led to some things. It may not have been her steal, but she was involved with that. I thought she really contributed.”
It’ll be a quick turnaround for the Bearcats (1-0), who have a front-loaded schedule.
On Tuesday, they’ll head to Montesano, and they’ll play Clarkston and King’s back-to-back Friday and Saturday before heading to Ridgefield next Monday, Dec. 9.
“Tonight, we simplified and internally did a good job,” Karnofski said. “I think we are still learning to play together … We want to see what we’re made of.”
