.         On December 30, 2023, Westfield’s girls Varsity basketball team won their championship game in the Shark Tank Classic at Colgan High School, managing to beat out Colonial Forge, host Colgan, and finally West Potomac. We decided to get a recap of the tournament from Noel Klippenstien (Coach Klipp), the girls head basketball coach. 

.         When asked if she expected her team to win, Klipp responded, “Well, we talked to the team before the tournament about winning and having that very expectation to win, but we were seeded four out of eight going into the tournament.” 

.         Expecting to win is certainly key to doing well because it helps foster confidence, and with the odds stacked against Westfield as the tournament progressed, it inspired the team to continue to do well.

.         Klipp mentioned a major factor leading towards the winning streak, stating, “The players rose to the occasion, and they did it because they were unified. They became unified through adversity, and that adversity pulled them closer together. They played within their means and they completed their missions and their goals while playing in these games.”

.         Team unity stimulates team chemistry, which allows individuals to play well on the court. This was especially true for Westfeld at the start of their second game, when they were down zero to ten at the start. Though this was a discouraging scenario, Westfeild was able to draw itself out of the slump. Klipp revealed how the girls pulled through, commenting, “Charisma Hall was able to score off two drives. Then I think we threw the ball to Emma O’Connor and Emma kicked out to either Ava Anderson or Cam Gallagher, and we hit a three to all the sudden have seven points, and it evened up the game a bit. Once we had just that little spert, the whole game was close. It was neck and neck the entire time.”

.         The girl’s efforts paid off, as they won the game by three points and made it to the Championship round where they won by five points with a final score of 53-48 against West Potomac. 

.         While exciting moments like this helped the team to succeed, there were also individuals that played key roles in Westfield’s victory. O’Connor was one, managing to win MVP of the entire tournament. In one game, she managed to accomplish a triple double, scoring 10 points, and getting 15 blocks and 15 rebounds. In the faceoff with West Potomac, freshman Anderson led the team in scoring. Samantha Etzler, 12, was also a valuable asset, averaging double digits in scoring throughout the tournament. 

.         While these players were extremely important in Westfield’s tournament win, it was the team as a whole that paved the way to victory. Etzler applauded her teammates ability to adapt, stating, “Everyone on our team can play many positions and that helped our team because people were able to rise to the challenge when others got hurt or weren’t able to play.”

.         Adjusting throughout the tournament was necessary as Westfield was confronted with various challenges. With the pressure the Bulldogs faced, Klipp noted, “We had quite a few turnovers, which made some games much closer than we would have liked.”

.         However, it displays the true character and work ethic that the Bulldogs possessed while they played as they continued to win each game regardless of the setbacks they experienced. 

.         With this tournament win under their belt, girl’s varsity basketball is hoping to end their season on a high note. Klip remarked, “My hopes for the rest of the season are that we have our whole team playing more unified than we ever have before, and we continue to realize our skill level. We’ve spent some time talking about confidence and the girl’s confidence definitely grew through the tournament.” 

.         Etzler agreed that the Shark Tank Classic helped the team grow quite a bit, commenting, “I think this win made everyone realize that we can win games if we don’t make silly mistakes, play as a team, and put our minds to it.”

.         Girls varsity basketball has played great throughout the season and has proven their capability to do so under pressure. As district playoffs begin, these lady Bulldogs will continue to display their amazing capabilities to both their coaches and opponents.