(WSB photos. Above, Matthew Henning)

In the third week of the season, the league-leading, undefeated West Seattle High School varsity baseball team just scored their third consecutive shutout victory. Playing tonight at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex, the Wildcats beat Franklin, 20-0.

(Tonight’s starting pitcher, Miles Chandler)

According to the GameChanger summary, WSHS really broke things open with a 10-run third inning. Owen Earls was the night’s leader in RBIs, with five; TJ Buehring was right behind with four. Starting pitcher tonight was Miles Chandler, who held Franklin to one hit in four innings; the hitless fifth inning was pitched by John Langen. The Wildcats’ next two games are on the road; they’re back home at 7 pm next Monday (April 3rd) vs. Cleveland at NCSWAC (2801 SW Thistle).

West Seattle High School cheer coach Nadine Nguyen sends word that tryout time is approaching:

Are you ready to become a part of the State-Winning West Seattle High School Coed Cheer Team?

Now’s your chance. Tryouts will be held in person March 28th-March 31st from 4:30 pm-6:30 pm @ WSHS. To try out, you will need to fill out all online forms and provide a current Sports Physical.

* We will also be hosting Cheer Clinics on March 20th and March 21st.
CHEER CLINICS – Learn the cheer basics to help prep you for tryouts!
*For those interested in trying out for our State Winning Competition Team, you are invited to attend our Stunt Clinics where you will learn basic stunt skills. Though stunting is not part of our final tryouts, attendance may or may not benefit your chances on making our Comp Team! Stunt Clinics are on March 22nd and March 23rd from 4:30 pm-6:30 pm

To participate in tryouts on March 28th – Match 31st, Stunt Clinics, and the Cheer clinics, please bring a printed and signed copy of the following items below to the first day of the clinics/tryouts.

-Student Athletic Registration Form
-Signed Parent Waver
-Both Covid Forms (Screening and Release)
-Up-to-date Physical

The Tryout application and required forms are available through the following link tree:
linktr.ee/westseattlecheer

For tips and more information regarding tryouts, follow our Instagram @westseattlecheer

Good Luck and Go Wildcats!! For Questions email: westseattlecheer@outlook.com

If you haven’t seen the team in action, check out their promotional video here.

Hours after classes ended for the day, the Chief Sealth International High School galleria had a full house Tuesday night, with students, families, and educators gathered for the winter sports banquet. They celebrated student athletes for a variety of achievements – first, Luke Sketchley and Ryan Moore, signing letters of intent to play college baseball – Sketchley at Bellevue College, Moore at Wenatchee Valley College:

Then came the honors for recipients of the Seahawk Award, which ‘epitomizes attitude, effort, work ethic, and being a total team player.” Violet Beck was honored for flag football:

Valentina Minoprio Boffi, for cheer:

Elsa Chao, for bowling:

Owen Dortero, for swimming:

Declan Golan, for (corrected) basketball (below, with head coach Richard Stephens:

Jay Johnson, for wrestling:

Eden Lopez, for wrestling:

Giana Moore, for gymnastics:

And Maryann Passmore, for basketball:

One more plaque was presented – this one for a 2021 winner – no sports banquet that pandemic year. The honoree was Delaney Sipila, for basketball:

Congratulations to all!

Congratulations to the West Seattle High School boys’ basketball team for their strong season, which ended tonight at Bellevue College.

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

In their first game of this year’s state tournament, the Wildcats fell to North Thurston, 51-34. Half their points came in the final quarter, but they started connecting too late, including this defiant dunk by #23, sophomore Alex Pierce:

The struggle started early – WSHS didn’t get on the scoreboard until a basket by #2, senior Maximus Holliman, more than midway through the first quarter.

He had eight points on the night, as did #5, senior Ryder Mackay:

The Wildcats never did manage to consistently break through North Thurston’s defense, which meant they had to do a lot of outside shooting, without much success, though #3, junior Bo Gionet, got two 3s:

The WSHS boys finished the season 14-12.

Congratulations to the West Seattle High School girls’ basketball team for a strong season. It ended far from home this afternoon, with a 47-45 loss to Lynnwood in a state-tournament regional game at Arlington High School. According to writer Doug Petrowski‘s tweets from the game, WS led 16-7 after the first quarter, with Carmen Cruz netting four 3-pointers; the Everett Herald‘s Evan Wiederspohn tweeted that Cruz led WSHS scoring with 24. The Wildcats finish the season 16-10.

8:21 PM: On their home court, the West Seattle High School girls’ basketball team has just won their opening game in this year’s state tournament, beating Central Kitsap, 48-37. Photos and details after we get back to HQ!

10:48 PM: Though the Wildcats led the Cougars by double digits for more than half the game. it was not a case of coasting to victory. They were behind 11-9 at the end of the first quarter, getting lots of shots but unable to convert many of them. In the second quarter, WSHS suddenly got prolific with three-pointers.

First one was by #0, senior Lauren Wright, then one by #4, junior Carmen Cruz, and then #22, junior Lucy Larson, netted three triples in the last two minutes before halftime – she was the Wildcats’ top scorer on the night, with 14 points:

Head coach Darnell Taylor‘s team went into halftime up 30-19.

First points of the second half came on a basket by Cruz, the night’s second-leading scorer with 13 points:

In the last minute of the third quarter, a triple by #11, senior Brooke Swanson (WSHS’s third top scorer tonight with 10 points), gave WSHS their widest lead, 42-22:

After that, though, Central Kitsap started a comeback attempt, with 10 unanswered points, halving West Seattle’s lead, until #21, sophomore Alyssa Neumann, broke the spell with a basket at four minutes to go. The Cougars answered with their own, but WSHS didn’t let them get any closer, and finished out the win in their home gym.

Another must-win game is next – the Westside girls (16-9) have to head 50 miles north to Arlington for a noon Saturday game against Lynnwood (16-6).

As noted here Saturday night, both West Seattle High School teams have made it into the state tournament. Tonight, we know when and where they’ll play their first games. As announced by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, here’s the schedule:

GIRLS: Tuesday (February 21st) 7 pm, at WSHS vs. Central Kitsap

BOYS: Saturday (February 25th) 8 pm, at Bellevue College vs. winner of Tuesday’s Everett–North Thurston game

Both are open to the public, with admission charges.

Though their victories last night earned them berths in state-tournament competition no matter what, West Seattle High School‘s girls’ and boys’ basketball teams each had to play one last district game this afternoon at Bellevue College. Both scores are now in: The girls won, beating Eastside Catholic, 60-57, taking fifth place in the district; the boys lost to Rainier Beach, 71-58, finishing sixth. Seedings for the state tournament are due to be announced tomorrow afternoon, so that’s when we should know where and when both teams will play their first games in state competition, which begins Tuesday.

9:29 PM: West Seattle High School is also sending its girls’ team to the state tournament. The Wildcats just beat Holy Names 47-35 to clinch the spot. This game also was played at Bellevue College; details and photos when we get back to HQ.

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

ADDED 3:20 AM: This was a little rough in the early going, with Holy Names’ defense succeeding for a while in keeping West Seattle from getting inside, forcing tough-to-land outside shots. But the Wildcats kept battling back.

That aggressive style, though, got them into foul trouble fairly quickly, giving Holy Names so many foul shots that those compromised much of the Cougars’ scoring. Nonetheless, WSHS stayed in command, with a 22-10 lead at halftime. Scoring leaders were #4, junior Carmen Cruz and #20, sophomore Colby Timmons.

Head coach Darnell Taylor‘s Wildcats play their final district game at 4:45 pm today (Saturday) at Bellevue College (3000 Landerholm Circle SE) vs. Eastside Catholic – winner takes 5th place, but both teans are guaranteed trips to the state tournament, which runs February 21-March 4.n

7:58 PM: The West Seattle High School boys’ basketball team is headed to the state tournament after a big win in districts tonight – 72-49 over Liberty HS at Bellevue College. Details and photos later.

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

ADDED 1:40 AM: The Wildcats took the lead two and a half minutes into the game and never looked back. They just kept building, and Liberty had no chance to even attempt a comeback. By halftime, WSHS was up 38 to 29, then extended the lead into double digits in the second half.

West Seattle had four players with double-digit point totals – #2, senior Maximus Holliman; #3, junior Bo Gionet; #5, senior Ryder Mackay; and #11, senior Luke Wade.

For outside-shooting fans, this game had plenty of threes, and sharpshooting combined with tough defense led WSHS to the big win. Tomorrow, head coach Dan Kriley and the Wildcats have one more game at the district tournament, 3 pm today (Saturday) vs. Rainier Beach, again at Bellevue College (3000 Landerholm Circle SE).

The game is for fifth place in the district, but both teams already are guaranteed a spot at the state tournament, which starts next Tuesday (February 21st) – opening-round matchups and locations are yet to be determined.

When the state 3A high-school diving championships are held tomorrow night in Federal Way, a local student will be there – for the second time! Here’s the announcement we received:

West Seattle High School junior Giovanni Slye will be competing at the state diving championship tomorrow (Thursday) at the Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way. His performance at the Districts meet last weekend guaranteed him a spot at the statewide competition. Diving Coach Stephanie Hunt is proud to take him all the way to state two years in a row.

Event info is here. You can see on page 5 here who he’s competing against.

Tough night for both West Seattle High School basketball teams at the King County District 2 3A playoffs. Both played at Bellevue College, and both lost. This afternoon, the girls fell to Bishop Blanchet, 55-48, and tonight, the boys lost to Eastside Catholic, 54-48. Both get one more chance to advance in the playoffs, with loser-out games Friday night (February 17th) at Bellevue College – the boys vs. Liberty at 6:30 pm, the girls vs. Holy Names at 8 pm.

Spring sports are approaching and West Seattle High School is looking for softball coaches. Athletic Director Corey Sorenson asked us to publish the announcement:

West Seattle High School is looking for qualified applicants interested in being a Head Coach or Assistant Coach for Girls Fastpitch Softball this year. Applicants are encouraged to apply in the link provided and contact Mr. Sorenson at cjsorenson@seattleschools.org. (Application Link – Head Coach or Assistant Coach)

The second round of the high-school basketball postseason has begun!

(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

Tonight at West Seattle High School, the Wildcats won their first game in the district tournament. Strong defense as well as offense took WSHS to a 60-41 victory over visiting Mercer Island.

Top Wildcat scorer on the night was #5, senior Ryder Mackay (above), with 20 points. Not far behind at 18 points was #24, senior Chase Clifton.

#3, junior Bo Gionet, was next with eight points. Head coach Dan Kriley‘s Wildcats (13-9) move on to play Eastside Catholic Tuesday night (February 14th), 8 pm at Bellevue College (3000 Landerholm Circle SE).

Ticket info for Tuesday’s game is here.