NOT MUCH HAS gotten in the way of La Center’s Katie Whitten (4) this season as the senior guard has led the Wildcats to the round of 16 teams in the Class 1A state playoffs.
La Center suffered a heart-wrenching overtime loss in the championship game of the district tournament but the Wildcats aren’t worrying about their last game. The game that has their focus is the next one.
La Center can earn a trip to the Class 1A state tournament’s round of eight teams with a win over Cascade Christian in a game scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday at Rogers High School in Puyallup.
“There’s always going to be a winner and there’s always going to be a loser,’’ said La Center coach Herm VanWeerdhuizen about his team’s 63-57 overtime loss to Montesano in the championship game of the district tournament. “I tell the kids to give it 100 percent and after the game, no matter what the score is, go shake the other team’s hands and move on.’’
VanWeerdhuizen has plenty of reasons to be optimistic about his team’s chances of winning the loser-out battle it currently faces. The Wildcats earned a win over Kalama in their final Trico League game to earn a tie for the league title. Then, they won a coin flip for the No. 1 seed into the district tournament and a more desirable path to the finals.
Now, it appears La Center has once again received a better fate than district-mates Montesano (to play Lynden Christian) and Kalama (to play King’s), who will face two of the state’s highest ranked teams in the round of 16.
“On paper, if you look at it, our draw isn’t that bad,’’ VanWeerdhuizen said. “But, I still would have taken the district championship over a good draw.’’
La Center got to overtime in the district title game thanks in large part to the play of senior guard Katie Whitten and junior Andrea Griffee. Whitten scored 18 points and Griffee added 17 in the loss to Montesano.
“Griffee carried us in the first half,’’ VanWeerdhuizen said. “Montesano relies on a fullcourt press (defense) and by the fourth quarter they had to take it off because Katie was just going right through it.’’
The problem for La Center was Montesano sophomore Jordan Spradlin, a strong 6-foot-1 post player. Spradlin scored 28 points, many coming at the free throw line. La Center’s two post players – Taylor Mills and Shelby Vermeulen – both fouled out in the game as Montesano shot 32 free throws and La Center attempted just five.
“Our girls played their hearts out and we just ended up with a loss,’’ the coach said.
VanWeerdhuizen’s confidence in his team heading into the round of 16 is due in large part to Whitten. The coach said his senior has really stepped up her offensive game during the postseason.
“This year, she has really become a leader and not just a point guard,’’ VanWeerdhuizen said of Whitten. “Her scoring has been down this season because she hasn’t had to score. In the district tournament, she stepped it up knowing she had to. She had a great district tournament.’’
VanWeerdhuizen is also confident in his team’s defense, which starts on the perimeter with Whitten and Griffee and also includes Bethany Whitten, Katie’s freshman sister. Mills and Vermeulen capably man the inside for the Wildcats.
“Taylor Mills is really coming into her own and Shelby (Vermeulen) has been ferocious for us all year,’’ VanWeerdhuizen said. “The girls are playing hard and that’s all you can ask for.’’
