Prepping for the Playoffs - By Emily Martin

    Going into the playoffs this Friday, February 10th, is our very own girls' basketball team led by Coach Westerfield. Playing against our powerhouse of a team are the Lewis and Clark Tigers, traveling from Spokane to compete in our home court at the Art Dawald gym. The game is set to start at 5:00 pm, but we all know that students will be pouring in hours ahead to begin the construction of what is, and always will be, the most iconic student section there is. The student section’s dedication and enthusiasm are what brings such positive energy to each game; hopefully, we can use that influential energy to motivate and bring extra confidence to our players as they begin the postseason fight for the championship title. 

The student section from Tuesday's game against Walla Walla. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    In an interview with player Lexi Hay, a formidable member of the Bomber team, I was presented with the opportunity to ask for her thoughts on making the postseason. Hay responded that she’s “really excited for the team”, especially since many of the girls are seniors, making this their last year. It’s incredible to see how all of their hard work and dedication have paid off. Two of these seniors, Maggie Smith and Kylee Fox, have both accomplished something else incredible this year that also speaks to their hard work and dedication. Both players have had the rare and exhilarating experience of hitting the 1000-point mark during their high school careers. Fox explained that the achievement was really exciting, despite the game when it happened not going as well as she’d thought it would. Regardless of her frustration with that, she was still incredibly happy for the long-hoped-for moment to finally come. Smith agreed and said that the success has been fun to celebrate. But there’s always more work to be done and more things to accomplish, so both girls will continue to work their hardest to help bring triumph to the team this postseason. 

The six seniors on the team, posing for a picture on Senior Night. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    Lewis and Clark’s girls, with a 0.45 win percentage this season (9-11), have no idea what’s coming for them this weekend. Richland’s girls however, with a win percentage of 0.75 (15-5), are ready to absolutely dominate—just like last year. Is anyone else feeling a sense of deja vu? Last year the Bombers faced Lewis and Clark in the first game of the playoffs as well, except it was at their home court in Spokane. However, that did nothing to stop the Bombers from bringing their all and securing a win with a score of 64-29, completely destroying the Tigers despite their best efforts. In an interview with player Macie Milum, she mentioned the teams’ plan to come into this year’s game with the same intensity as last year's. Looking back at that game, it’s pretty clear that our Lady Bombers have a very good chance of demonstrating their power once again with another crushing win. When asked if the team is anticipating a little more competition this year or if they expect another easy victory, Hay agreed: “Overall, they’re pretty similar to how they were last year, and I feel like we’ve gotten better, so I think the result will be pretty much the same.” 

Lexi Hay defending the Walla Walla Blue Devils. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    However, despite the team’s confidence in their abilities, they’ll still be working on preparing for the unknown. In order to be the incredible team that they are, the Bombers are always working on being ready for anything. To do this, they watch films of the teams they’ll be facing and look out for different plays and patterns, taking note of certain players, team tendencies, and possible weaknesses. With this information, they’re able to then plan on how to best prevent their opponent's success while simultaneously working towards their own. Another member of the team, Sydney Westerfield, explained that the way they make this happen is by keeping track of their priorities when going into a game. When they make specific goals and know how they’re going to work towards meeting those goals, that’s when the team is most victorious. 

The team cheering each other at Tuesday's game against Walla Walla. Photo courtesy of Megan DeGraaf (RHS Yearbook).

    But no matter how much planning the Bombers do, it won’t be effective unless they work together as a unit—communicate with each other, and support each other through each and every play. Smith stated she believes that one of the reasons the team has been so successful is that they play together. They’re constantly working on being more connected and coordinated as a whole. They have to have that “team chemistry”, as Ella Muir would say, whom I also had the opportunity to speak with. Muir explained that in order for them to have this “team chemistry”, it’s important for the players to be connected on and off the court. She detailed how it’s essential for all of them to come to one another whenever they need help or support so that they can always be there for each other and build each other up. This kind of support is especially important during playoffs when there’s a huge increase in pressure and intensity. 

    Clearly, plenty of hard work goes into qualifying for the playoffs. There are a lot of challenges that come with being in the playoffs as well—emotional, physical, and strategical—however, beating Lewis and Clark shouldn’t be one of them. Perhaps later on there will come challenges when the Bombers are sure to face someone from the west side. But for now, make sure to don your green and gold to come to support the Bombers as the playoffs begin this Friday.