Westwood girls hungry for state title

ALBANY — Losing is not something that happens very often for the Westwood girls basketball team.

But that doesn’t mean that winning is the only thing that they talk about.

The Lady Wildcats, who are in the midst of an undefeated season at 28-0, have learned to worry about today and to not think too far ahead.

“We try not to look at the fact that we are undefeated,” senior Callie Smith said. “That would just be added on pressure that we don’t need to think about.”

Westwood will try to keep the loss column at zero when they face The Heritage School in the semifinals of the Georgia Independent Schools Association Class AAA state tournament Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Mercer’s Hawkins Arena.

The current class of seniors are seeking their third state title. The Lady Wildcats previously won the Class AA championship in 2013 and 2014 and lost in the Class AAA semifinals last year.

The Lady Wildcats have compiled a record of 102-5 in the past four years. The three seniors — Callie Smith, Haley Marshall and Lexie Davis — have lost on average just over one game a year.

“There is a lot of pressure,” Marshall said. “You are held to a higher standard. People expect us to win and expect it to be easy, but it isn’t that easy.”

The only loss that Westwood sustained last year was to Bulloch Academy in the semifinals. Ironically, Westwood exacted its revenge on the Lady Gators last Friday in the second round when Callie Smith’s 3-point buzzer-beater helped the Lady Wildcats to a 50-48 victory.

“I felt like people thought we had the worst season ever (last year),” Westwood coach Jenni Smith said. “We lost one game to the team that won the state championship. I feel like that is kind of what happens with expectations.”

The longtime coach said her team isn’t looking back.

“This team has been hungry for a championship and I feel like the fans are too,” Jenni Smith said. “I feel like the way we won the game last week really ignited a fire for our team, our fans and our school. Everyone is very excited and it feels very fresh.”

The coach said that the Lady Wildcats’ practices are more intense than normal during this time of year but that helps the girls during the game.

“That intensity carries over from practice to games,” Jenni Smith said. “When you just play hard every second that you are on the floor, you put yourself in a position to win. You aren’t taking possessions off and you are completely engaged all the time.”

Despite already making it to the semifinals, the Lady Wildcats are in the midst of a youth movement. They have six freshmen including two that played on the team that made it to the final four last year.

But the expectations are still there.