Walkerville entered the postseason with only three victories, but the Wildcats will leave it hoisting a district championship trophy.
The Wildcats knocked off Baldwin Friday night in the district finals at Mason County Eastern, 50-43, to bring home the team's first title since 2021.
The two teams split their two meetings in the regular season, but it was Walkerville (5-14) that brought its best to the finals.
"During the regular season,
we didn't see as many wins as we had hoped for, but the girls continued
to work hard and learn from every game," Walkerville coach Mandy Achterhof said. "They have put the time in at
practices and made it a priority to play with teamwork and
sportsmanship. It feels great to see the girls really come along as a
team and the improvements they are making."
Achterhof added that the Wildcats don't have any seniors on the roster, so their Cinderella March sets the stage for what could be a fruitful next couple of years as the players continue to improve.
Jamari Carter briefly left the game with an injury after a first-quarter collision with a Baldwin opponent, but she returned to the game in the second quarter and led a balanced Walkerville offense with 13 points. Gaby Berumen added 12 points, and Paige Sadenwater-Riggs and Marrison Simpson each chipped in eight. Onyx Thommen-Fulford pulled down 13 rebounds.
"The girls worked as a team, moving the ball well on
offense and getting many rebounds," Achterhof said. "The girls also played strong defense
and kept good pressure on Baldwin's scorers."
