The thump of a bright orange ball on the court. The squeak of tennis shoes on a hardwood floor. The swish of a net after making a basket. The final buzzer. All of these are noises that the packed Nut House heard during the womens’ varsity basketball regional qualifier.
This year, for the first time since 2010, the women’s varsity basketball team qualified for the OHSAA Regional Finals.
The team faced off against Princeton High School on March 2 in a crucial match that determined which team would advance to the state tournament. To support the team, the WHHS athletic department provided a bus for students to ensure a strong showing of school spirit in the stands.
Though the Lady Eagles fell to Princeton with a final score of 58-45, they held their heads high, proud of their historic run to the Regional Finals. Preparing for this high-stakes game was a challenge; one strategy the team used was reviewing lots of tape to gain a complete understanding of their opponents.
“It’s tough to prepare for [regionals] because there’s a lot of pressure, and it’s hard to prepare for playing in front of as many people as [there are] going to be at the regional games, but we try to teach our kids to focus on us, focus on their teammates, focus on their coaches,” Adam Lazar, the women’s varsity basketball coach, said.
This year, a key factor that contributed to the team’s success was the development of a strong bond between team members. They participated in multiple team bonding activities, such as a team sleepover and a picnic. This dedication paid off, earning them an impressive record of 20-6 overall, with a 12-4 standing in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference (ECC).
“We were able to spend time outside of the gym together and be around each other in a more natural setting,” Satiana Hackworth, ‘27, a member of the team, said. “When we’re closer together, then we play better as a team.”
To achieve such success, the Lady Eagles had to overcome several challenges throughout the season. Balancing academics with athletic commitments proved to be a significant hurdle for many players.
“Playing sports and going to Walnut is a lot, because there’s so much homework,” Hackworth said. “I get a lot of hours of homework on average, and then I don’t get a lot of sleep.”
Another obstacle was the inconsistent student support at games. Although the tournament games saw a significant increase in attendance, regular season games often had sparse crowds, with the majority of fans being the players’ parents.
“During the regular season, we would love to see more students at our games,” Lazar said. “It’s a different level. When they [the team] walk out there and see people there to support them, they’re excited, they want to play. It’s a totally different level, so it’s much needed.”
However, these challenges proved inconsequential in the team’s success, as they entered the Princeton game on an eight-game winning streak. In order to make it to the Regional Finals, the team had to advance past Mount Notre Dame on Feb. 26, a team they previously lost to by eight points the year before. The game proved to be close, but WHHS pulled away with a final score of 50-48, moving forward in the tournament and sparking excitement amongst players and coaches.
“It was an amazing feeling [making it to regionals], one that I won’t forget, and I’m a lot older than them, but I know they’ll have those memories as long as they live,” Lazar said. “This will stick with me forever. It was just an amazing feeling.”
The Regional Finals game, however, did not go as well as the team wished. Going into halftime, the team was down by 10 points, and ultimately lost the game, ending their postseason run. Sanei Partridge, ‘26, feels that this can be attributed to a variety of factors, including a lack of preparation.
“We didn’t have our scout team for the majority of the practices, so we weren’t able to fully prepare for Princeton’s pressure against us,” Partridge said. “I feel like also a lot of us were nervous with being around a big crowd, but also such a big team, so we weren’t as locked in as we should have been.”
Despite the unfortunate outcome, the atmosphere in the stands remained positive, carrying the team’s spirit throughout the game.
“I really enjoy them,” Charles Swift, ‘25, one of the Nut House leaders, said. “The girls show lots of sportsmanship and the games are really fun. I would say the Nut House is pretty good, especially with the last few games… it’s been really fun to watch.”
Even though the season didn’t end as they hoped, the women’s varsity basketball team has already started preparing for next year, and is looking forward to another season.
“I definitely do [anticipate success next year],” Lazar said. “I think number one, we bring back a lot of kids from this year, only having two SENIORS, but again, these kids learned how to win this year, and that’s something that sticks with you.”