On Saturday March 8, 2014, the West High Girls’ basketball team made history by winning the CIF Championship against El Dorado. The game took place on neutral grounds at Azusa Pacific University. With the support from parents and the enthusiastic student section, the Warriors were able to defeat El Dorado with a final score of 65-52.

The competition was tough during the CIF Playoffs and “El Dorado made [the team] earn every bit of the game,” said shooting guard and point guard Bailey Kurahashi (11). The Warriors battled throughout the game and ended the game with a solid victory. West scored 18 points in the first quarter and maintained the lead to the very end of the game.

One of the captains, Hayley Tanabe (10) said, “We played really well as a team. The game had it’s ups and downs, and there’s definitely a lot that could have been executed better, but all in all, it was a game of who wanted it more, and we did.” By winning Saturday’s game, the Warriors accomplished something that has never been done before. Center and forward, Monica Merkovsky (11) said, “It felt amazing [to know] that we were the first girls’ basketball team to win a CIF championship game in West High history.”

The support from the student section played a major role in the team’s success. Tanabe commented, “The energy they brought to the arena made us go harder in the game and we couldn’t have done it without the support.”

With the title of CIF Champions, the Warriors now prepare for their next challenge of the State Playoffs. Reminiscing on how far they have come, Tananbe stated, “we’ve worked so hard to get to this point, so we might as well make it worth our while and try to go all the way in State.” In regards to the State Playoffs, teammate and captain Kayla Sato (11) added, “we just need to stay focused and take one game at a time.” The first State Playoff game will take place Wednesday March 12th at home.