As the end of the first quarter nears, the varsity girls basketball game against the South Albany High School Redhawks on Jan. 9 is neck and neck. While the teams are tied at eight points, junior Lola Chamberlain hits the ground during a confrontation with South’s defense. In the fray, senior Cate Kurth gains possession of the ball and is quickly fouled by South’s defense, sophomore McKenna Davis. Kurth sets up along the free-throw line and makes her shots, turning the tide of the game by scoring two more points for West Albany. The Bulldogs managed to keep this lead for the remainder of the game, winning with a score of 40-34.
Since COVID, the West Albany High School Girls Varsity basketball team has lost five out of six league games against South Albany High School, but recently, it seems this slump may be over. During the 2024-25 season, WAHS won their first game in nearly three years against the Redhawks. This victory was short-lived when South Albany won their next game against West Albany with a score of twenty-three points above the Bulldog girls.
“It’s always just a big game,” Kurth said, “it’s the one you want to win because it’s like who controls Albany.” Now the dogs are back in control after their win on Jan. 9. The question is: can they maintain their dominance for the remainder of the season?
This season, the girls’ basketball team has won all four games and is number one in the conference. The first couple of league games have been particularly difficult.
“We need to start practicing really intensely, because that’s how those teams in our league practice,” junior Payton Starwalt, point guard for the Girls’ Varsity Basketball team, said.
Although with a strong start to the season, the team is optimistic. West Albany and South Albany will face off one more time on Feb. 10 at the West Albany home gym.
