9:04 PM: Tomorrow at Denny International Middle School, it’s playoff time for girls’ basketball teams from middle schools around the district. Thanks to Byron for the tip! He says Madison Middle School is undefeated and the #1 seed, with Denny, 6-1, the #2 seed. The Dolphins play Eckstein at 8:30 am; the Bulldogs play McClure at 10 am, and the winners of those two games play for the district title at 4 pm. Here’s the full day’s schedule. As Byron said in his note, “Exciting times for both the girls’ teams!” Denny is at 2601 SW Kenyon.

ADDED 2:20 AM: Denny principal Jeff Clark points out the boys’ middle-school playoffs are next door at Chief Sealth International High School (2600 SW Thistle) concurrently; here’s the schedule. Denny plays Mercer at 8:30 am, and Madison plays Jane Addams at 1 pm.

ADDED 10:33 AM: Update from the principal:

Update: Our boys played hard in a close, back-and-forth, game with Mercer, with Mercer winning in the end. Our girls’ game was also a battle, with the Dolphins prevailing! Girls are in the city-wide championship at 4:00 today here at home!

1:08 PM UPDATE: Updates in comments – the girls’ championship game is Denny vs. Madison at 4!

Two more West Seattle High School student athletes have signed letters of intent. We were invited to a short celebration in the WSHS gym this afternoon as seniors Kai Osaka and Reuben Gut signed their college commitments in front of their Wildcat baseball teammates:

Reuben is going to Everett Community College, and Kai is going to Chapman University in Southern California. WSHS athletic director Corey Sorenson lauded both for their hard work on academics as well as athletics.

After the signing, it was practice time over at Hiawatha. The WSHS baseball team plays their first regular-season game at 4 pm Friday vs. Chief Sealth IHS at Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle).

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

It’s high-school baseball time! Chief Sealth International High School‘s field took the field this afternoon and evening, hosting three other schools for a jamboree at Southwest Athletic Complex – a series of three-inning games. Head coach Ernest Policarpio is kicking off another season leading Sealth’s team:

Sealth beat Nathan Hale HS 6-0 in its first of two jamboree games – here’s Liam Moe on the mound:

At today’s jamboree, the Seahawks also hosted Washington and Mt. Rainier, which will be their first opponent as the season officially begins at 10 am Saturday (March 9th) at SWAC (2801 SW Thistle).

P.S. On Friday, March 15th, at 4 pm, Sealth will host West Seattle HS for the first of two scheduled games between the teams this season.

(WSB photos)

9:33 AM: Congratulations to the West Seattle High School girls for another successful season. The season finale just finished at the Tacoma Dome, with the Wildcats bringing home the 6th-place trophy from the state 3A tournament after a 38-33 loss to Snohomish HS. This was the third consecutive year they made it to state; many of the regulars are seniors. Details and photos when we get back to HQ.

ADDED 1:53 PM: The game began with one of the WSHS seniors, #4 Kelsey Lenzie, singing the anthem, part of which we recorded:

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Thanks to @WSHSAthletics1 for the photo! We couldn’t be at the Tacoma Dome this morning but we’ll be there tomorrow at 8 am as the West Seattle High School girls take on Snohomish HS for fourth place at the state 3A basketball tournament. The Wildcats earned the ticket to that game by defeating Roosevelt this morning, 50-42.

3:23 PM: Just over at the Tacoma Dome – the second state 3A girls-basketball tournament game for West Seattle High School ended in a 55-35 loss to Mt. Spokane HS. They’re now in the bracket that leads to the fourth-place game, so the Wildcats are back here tomorrow, 10:30 am, to play Roosevelt. Photos and details from today’s game later.

ADDED EARLY FRIDAY: There was hope in the early going. We arrived with two minutes to go in the first quarter, and WSHS was up 7-4. Then it became the battle of the threes – five of them in those two minutes. Three were by Mt. Spokame – whose #1 Aspyn Adams sank six of her nine 3 attempts in the game – two by West Seattle, #21 Julianna Horne and #32 Meghan Fiso, who had three on the day.

The first quarter ended in a 13-13 tie. After that, the Wildcats began slipping behind. They were outshot and outrebounded – that last category in particular, with Mt. Spokane totaling 33 and West Seattle 18, was brutal, with few chances to try again after missed shots.

Mt. Spokane expanded the gap bit by bit through the second quarter, up to a 12-point advantage, trimmed a bit just before halftime by a #4 Kelsey Lenzie three.

Score at the half was 30-21. The Wildcats made another dent with a Fiso in the first minute of the second half.

But Mt. Spokane wouldnt let them get close. A Sarver basket at just under three minutes to go in the third made it 34=26.

But then – another Adams three. Seconds later, a Fiso three … but then a Mt. Spokane layup. And so it went. The third period concluded with yet another three by Adams, and the WSHS deficit was double digits, 42-31.

The fourth quarter was grimmer aside from four alternating baskets around the 3-minute mark. The Wildcat scoring woke up too late – none of them hit a double-digit point total in this game – and once it was down to the final few minutes, they were too far back to recover, and some of the reserves came in to get playing time under the bright lights of the big court. Final score 55-35, and back to Tacoma in the morning.

P.S. The WSHS sportsmanship award this game went to Fiso.

(WSB photos. Above, #3 Sage Nelson)

10:23 PM: We’re at the Tacoma Dome, where the West Seattle High School boys have just lost to Capital, 48-41, at the state 3A basketball tournament, and that wraps a strong season for head coach Keffrey Fazio and team. They made a big comeback in the late third quarter/early fourth, but then fell behind again and couldn’t regain the lead. Photos and game report after we get back to HQ.

ADDED EARLY THURSDAY: The game’s leading scorer, Capital’s Chris Penner (26 points), announced himself right at the start, with two 3-pointers putting the Cougars ahead 6-0 within the first few minutes of the game. #24 Abdullahi Mohamed was the first to get on the scoreboard for WSHS.

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3:34 PM: An almost-down-to-the-wire victory for the West Seattle High School girls in their must-win opening game at the state 3A championships – they just beat Arlington, 50-45 at the Tacoma Dome. They were up by just 1 with less than a minute and a half ago, but fought to widen the margin and net the win. More details, plus photos, later. Here’s a highlight from the last minute before halftime:

Next up for the girls – Mt. Spokane, 2 pm Thursday, also at the T-Dome, which is where the WSHS boys start their state-tournament play tonight at 9 vs. Capital.

ADDED 5:53 PM: Here’s how the game played out:

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(WSHS #24, Abdullahi Mohamed)

The West Seattle High School boys just lost to Eastside Catholic in the regionals, 48-41, but this was NOT a loser-out game, so they’re on to state – next game, 9 pm Wednesday (February 27th) at the Tacoma Dome, vs. Capital. Details and photos from tonight’s game – played at Issaquah HS – when we get back to HQ.

ADDED EARLY SUNDAY: A smothering defense was Eastside Catholic’s hallmark during this game. More than a few times, they all but forced West Seattle players into a crouch to find a way to get a shot out.

But the Crusaders didn’t entirely own the game.

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(WSHS #4 Kelsey Lenzie, winner of the game’s Sportsmanship Award)

FIRST REPORT, 7:25 PM: The West Seattle High School girls are on to the state basketball tournament after they just took a heartstopper regional win over Meadowdale, 41-40. Though the Wildcats controlled the game in the first half, the second half was a tougher slog and they didn’t regain the lead until late. Their next game will be at the Tacoma Dome, 2 pm Wednesday (February 27th) vs. the winner of tomorrow’s Arlington/Prairie game. Photos and details of tonight’s win, coming up.

P.S. The boys’ regional game vs. Eastside Catholic has a new time – 8 pm Saturday (at Issaquah HS).

(#32 Meghan Fiso, who had a 6-point game)

ADDED EARLY SATURDAY: Here’s how the Wildcats won:

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(WSB photos by Patrick Sand, from WSHS teams’ district-tournament games last weekend)

As reported here Monday, both West Seattle High School teams are on to regional competition, after winning their third-place district-tournament games. Now we know who/when/where they’re playing next:

–WSHS girls, Friday night (February 22), 6 pm, vs. Meadowdale, at Garfield HS (400 23rd Ave.)
–WSHS boys, Saturday night (February 23), 6 pm, vs. Eastside Catholic, at Issaquah HS (700 2nd Ave SE)

You can see the full regional game lists here (girls) and here (boys).

1:39 PM: Also winning third place at the district tournament in Bellevue today, the West Seattle HS boys, who just wrapped up their win over O’Dea, 58-54. Photos and details to come.

ADDED 7:06 PM: Between a short-lived early lead for O’Dea and their late-in-the-game challenge, it was all West Seattle. And a large part of that was #22, senior Nuh’Kosi Roberson:

He led West Seattle with 25 points. Roberson and teammates kept the Fighting Irish on the run all game, no sign of the slowdown offense they tried in Saturday’s loss. By early in the second quarter, they were already up by 14 points. Second leading WSHS scorer of the game was #3, (corrected) junior Sage Nelson:

#24, senior Abdullahi Mohamed, shone more on the boards than on the scoreboard, totaling 8 points.

They were in charge throughout the second quarter and went into the locker room ahead 33-22 at the half.

Not much changed in the third, but O’Dea made a run for it in the fourth, cutting the Wildcats’ lead to six points with five minutes to go and staying within that range for a while, whittling their deficit to five points before West Seattle #15, junior Xavier Giomi (above), netted a crucial three-pointer. O’Dea still wasn’t giving up, and was just three points back in the final half-minute, but head coach Keffrey Fazio‘s Wildcats held on for the win.

WHAT’S NEXT: On to regionals/state starting next weekend – the matchups haven’t been announced yet, but watch here.

12:22 PM: The West Seattle HS girls took third place in districts with a 57-54 win over Lake Washington this morning. Full details to come!

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

ADDED 3:42 PM: Neither team pulled away at any point during this game, but the Wildcats found their surest footing when it counted most, in the late going.

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(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

FIRST REPORT, 8:31 PM: Just over at Sammamish HS in Bellevue, an overtime heartbreaker for the West Seattle High School girls, losing to Garfield in the district semifinals, 65-59. They play Lake Washington for third place at 10 am Monday, same location but in the lower gym. Full story and photos to come.

ADDED 11:55 PM: This one was intensely fought all the way. Garfield was the tournament’s top seed, West Seattle fourth, but the Wildcats had the Bulldogs in check for a good long time.

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FIRST REPORT, 6:38 PM SATURDAY: Just over at Sammamish High School – a slowdown offense did not serve the West Seattle High School boys well in their district-semifinal match against Ingraham, which took the victory, 57-46. The WSHS boys play again here at 11:45 am (correction) Monday, vs. either O’Dea or Rainier Beach. More later.

ADDED EARLY SUNDAY: A frenetic, strange start for this game, before it moved to a pace so slow that the halftime score was only 18-17 (West Seattle with that one-point edge).

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The West Seattle High School boys’ basketball team has advanced to the district semifinals after Friday night’s overtime win over Mercer Island. Playing at Sammamish HS, the Wildcats came from behind to defeat MIHS 50-44. Next up for head coach Keffrey Fazio and his team, Ingraham HS at 5 pm Saturday, also at Sammamish HS (100 140th Ave. SE, Bellevue).

(Added: WSB photos by Patrick Sand. Above, WSHS #11 Jasmine Gayles with the basketball)

The West Seattle High School girls have just wrapped up their first postseason win, 55-49 over Holy Names Academy in a district-tournament game at Chief Sealth IHS. The Wildcats led the entire game; the Cougars came close in the final quarter – just three points back with less than three minutes to go – but not close enough, never recovering from West Seattle’s strong start.

The Wildcats’ first points came barely a quarter of a minute in, on a basket by #32, senior Meghan Fiso (above), who scored the next basket too. But HN only had a foul-shot point on the board until 3:12 was left in the first quarter, when the Cougars snagged a basket.

Shortly thereafter, a quick three-pointer by WSHS #4 Kelsey Lenzie (above) had WSHS up 15-3 with 2:35 to go in the first. 21-9 was the score going into the second quarter. That’s when Holy Names got hot with three-pointers, but they were still a dozen back, 29-17, at the half.

ADDED 8:46 PM: More photos are above and below, and here are the leading scorers: Jasmine Gayles with 18, Grace Sarver (#20, above) with 15, Meghan Fiso with 13, Kelsey Lenzie with 9.

(Head coach Darnell Taylor)

NEXT: The WSHS girls play either Juanita or Garfield in the district semifinals tomorrow (Saturday, February 16), 6:30 pm at Sammamish HS.

That’s one of the photos tweeted by the West Seattle High School Athletics Department tonight, right after the boys’ basketball team won its snow-delayed first postseason game of the year – 48-42 vs., and at, Roosevelt HS. The WSHS boys (15-6) play Mercer Island at 8:15 pm Friday at Sammamish HS (100 140th Ave SE, Bellevue).

Also tomorrow, the WSHS girls (15-4) play their first game of the postseason, vs. Holy Names Academy, 4 pm at Chief Sealth International HS (2600 SW Thistle).

Both teams are now in district play; with all the snow-closure days, the Metro League canceled its tournaments, sending the regular season’s top finishers into district play, which determines who qualifies for state.

As athletic director Corey Sorenson (above left) noted while these four West Seattle High School seniors celebrated their college commitments on National Signing Day, all have made school history: Ally Veenhuizen with the first WSHS girls’ soccer team to go to state:

She’ll play at Seattle Pacific University.

Chloe Cunliffe, track and field athlete, is a state recordholder:

She’s headed for Washington State University, as is Grace Sarver:

Grace and her basketball teammates finished third in the state last year – among them, Kelsey Lenzie:

Kelsey will play at University of Portland.

P.S. The center chair at the table in our top photo was in honor of another Wildcat senior who’s college-bound, Abdullahi Mohamed, who’ll play basketball at Eastern Washington University.