While each school took a different route, Central Kitsap, Klahowya and Olympic fastpitch each advanced to their respective district tournaments.
Those tournaments begin today at Sprinker Recreation Center in Tacoma, with each school vying for a berth to its upcoming state tournament.
All three schools also advanced to districts last year, but only CK, which finished second, advanced to state.
With some new faces on the scene, as well as a handful of key seniors back for another shot, the Lady Cougars, Trojans and Eagles have high hopes for the 2009 postseason.
The following is a look at how each school made it this far and what the road ahead looks like.
Central Kitsap
The Lady Cougars are both talented and experienced. Led by senior pitcher Carolyn Cross, who pitched three complete-game shutouts in a row, CK reeled off three consecutive victories at last year’s Class 4A West Central District III tournament to advance to the championship game where it lost to Stadium, 4-1.
But CK only lost a few players from the 2008 squad and is primed for another run. With a 5-2 win against South Kitsap in the Narrows League Tournament, CK enters districts as a No. 3 seed, drawing the South Puget Sound League’s No. 6 team, Jefferson, in the first round.
A win against Jefferson would most likely pit the Lady Cougars against undefeated Emerald Ridge of Puyallup (18-0) in the second round.
Six teams advance to state. CK opens districts at noon today.
Klahowya
The Lady Eagles, like CK, are loaded with seniors. But this group of seniors has never reached the state tournament, adding plenty of incentive for an already talented team.
Senior pitcher Kazandra Holliday is the glue that keeps the team together, leading at both the plate and on the mound. She is the school’s all-time leader in strikeouts and will see plenty of action at the Class 2A West Central District III tournament, most likely starting every game.
KSS opens against Interlake and would face Steilacoom, which has a first-round bye, in the second round if it wins.
There is a chance the Lady Eagles could see North Mason in the district title, setting up what would be a Holliday/Emily Anderson showdown on the mound. The teams split two meetings during the regular season.
Three teams advance to state from the Class 2A West Central District III tournament. The KSS/Interlake game is at 6 p.m. today.
Olympic
A strong end to the season propelled the Lady Trojans to their second consecutive district berth.
With first-year coach Dusty Anchors at the helm, Oly got off to a slow start before rebounding to win three of its final four games to secure a spot in the postseason.
The team has a tough draw in Kennedy to open the Class 3A West Central District III tournament, but both Anchors and the players believe a win is possible.
“We really want to start out with a win,” said senior Kelsey Strickland, a captain who will start against Kennedy. “It should be a tough one.”
At last year’s district tournament, the Lady Trojans fell shy of a state tournament berth. Kelsey Anchors, who now plays at Oklahoma State University, Athena Rosario and Rachel Haas led that team, but all three are gone, giving Strickland and her fellow seniors an opportunity to step up.
“Last year, we had a lot of help from our seniors,” Strickland said. “We’ve been struggling in the outfield, but other than that, losing those three seniors wasn’t a difficult thing for us.”
Seven teams advance to state from the Class 3A West Central District III tournament. Oly begins play at 2 p.m. today.
