On Saturday, March 22, 2014, the Girls’ Basketball team took on Chaminade in round four of the State Playoffs. This was the semi-final game, which was played on neutral grounds at the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario. The Warriors lost the game with a final score of 50-67.

The team made history when they became the first Girls’ Basketball team in West High history to win a CIF Championship. “We knew they had a ton of talent and anything less of a CIF Championship would be a disservice to the amount of talent they have,” said Hayden Tanabe (12). The team also dominated enough games during the State Playoffs to make it to the Regional Finals. Although the Warriors were just short of making it to the State Finals, they had a very memorable season filled with amazing accomplishments.

Even though Saturday’s semi-final game was not at home, it did not stop the Tribe from traveling to the game with the team to bring positive energy and support. Dirk Young (12) said, “I think [the Tribe] had a huge impact because [it] would really pump the girls up to either come back from a deficit or to close out the game strongly.” The ongoing support from loyal fans and friends helped the team to come as far in the Playoffs as they did.

Students, such as Tanabe, recognized the Warriors constant effort and hard work. Tanabe commented, “They definitely always perform to the best of their abilities and it was just unfortunate that it was not the outcome we wanted.” Despite being down in score, the Warriors continued to battle until the very end. “They seem to [work] harder and harder each game because they wanted to win. When they were down they would work hard to get back up,” said Irene Wagabaza (11).

Saturday’s semi-final loss was hard for all the Warriors, especially for the seniors. As the Warrior’s season comes to an end, they continue to work vigorously in hopes of taking the team even farther.