The Port Townsend Redhawk girls’ basketball team is gearing up for a regional playoff game against Nooksack Valley at Mount Vernon High School Feb. 23, with the winner moving onto the 1A State Tournament in Yakima’s Sun Dome.

The Redhawks, as the Olympic League champions and second-place team in the West Central District, are seeded 16th among the teams still in contention for the state tourney. Nooksack is seeded 10th and plays in what PT coach Scott Wilson deemed “the powerful” Whatcom County League.

The time and place of the game is yet to be announced.

“Nooksack is a tough opponent,” Wilson said. “We’ll have to play our very best game to move on.”

The two teams have played one common opponent, 2A Lakewood of Arlington. The Redhawks lost to Lakewood 29-48, in a game that saw three of their five starters get fouled out, while Nooksack won its Lakewood match 51-33.

The Redhawks finished second of the seven teams playing for the West Central District III Championship, beating Cascade Christian 58-54 in overtime Feb. 14, then falling to sharpshooting Seattle Christian 40-77 in the district title game on Feb. 17.

In spite of that loss, the Redhawks have moved into the regional qualifying games for state. Another loss to Nooksack would end the Redhawks’ season.

The Redhawk girls have not been to state since 2004.

“Even with the high hurdle of Nooksack Valley, the Redhawks have made a powerful mark as one of the final 16 teams playing,” Wilson said.

The 7-2 Olympic League record has made the Redhawks first in league, including two wins over Coupeville, which had been undefeated in league play for the previous two years.

“Port Townsend played larger schools for almost all of its nonleague schedule,” Wilson said. “It toughened the girls up for playoffs, despite what is now a 10-10 overall record.”

Wilson credited the Redhawks with “putting their best game together” against Cascade Christian on Feb. 14, winning in overtime 58-54.

“Cascade is the team that knocked the Redhawks out of the playoff track last year,” Wilson said. “Cascade jumped out to an early lead, 15-8 for the first period, but the Redhawks’ defense focused on stopping post scoring and stifled them in the second period.”

Wilson attributed the Redhawks’ 19 points in the second period to “balanced scoring” from Jaz Apker-Montoya, Kaitlyn Meek, Mackenzie Lake and Izzy Hammett, yielding a halftime mark of 27-22 for the Redhawks.

“With Meek driving hard for baskets and loose balls, the momentum stayed with the Redhawks in the third period, with the Port Townsend team leading 42-33,” Wilson said. “But Cascade’s press tightened up in the final quarter, and Cascade climbed back in to tie the game at 48 at the end of regulation.”

In overtime, Wilson cited “the mental and physical toughness” of the Redhawks as making the difference.

MEEK WAS ‘RELENTLESS’

“Meek and Hammett hit key baskets, and Apker-Montoya nailed the final free throws to seal the 58-48 win,” Wilson said. “This was Kaitlyn’s best game of the year and probably of her four years of varsity basketball for Port Townsend, on both offense and defense.”

Wilson additionally described Meek, his 5-foot, 7-inch senior point guard, as “relentless,” as she finished with game-high tallies of 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Apker-Montoya, a junior, finished with 14 points, including 3 treys. Hammett, a sophomore post, finished with 13 points.

For the WCD III district championship game Feb. 17, Wilson conceded, “It was a different story.”

Seattle Christian, the top team of the Nisqually League, had dispatched Bellevue Christian to get into the game, and Wilson noted it brought four “dangerous” outside shooters, plus a “strong” post.

“The shooters shot and hit all night, as the Redhawks struggled to close out quickly enough to get hands up on the shots,” Wilson said. “Seri Anderson was especially deadly, hitting 8 treys from the corners, toward her game high of 26 points. Olivia Clark was not far behind, hitting 4 treys toward 18 points.”

Although Wilson attested that his team had prepared for Seattle Christian, “When it came to the tip-off, we were just not prepared for their speed and quick shooting. It’s a good team, and they deserve their ranking in the top 10 in Washington.”

As the Redhawks struggled to keep pace with Seattle Christian on defense, Wilson likewise acknowledged, it took PT time to gain their footing on offense.

At the end of the first half, Seattle Christian led 39-15, and would go on to win 77-40.

“Their press was effective, and they didn’t really take it off the entire game,” Wilson said. “We were tired, but these Redhawks never quit.”

Wilson praised the “standout defensive game” of junior Karlee Kellogg, “who did the best job closing out on shooters” and gave Anderson some trouble on the perimeter.

In the tallies of points, Meek would finish with 16, Apker-Montoya with 14, and Hammett with 10. They were the only Port Townsend scorers.