McKinley Stotts (11) is the only senior on this season's Washougal roster. But the Panthers are loaded with young talent that played key roles in last year's state championship run. (Wayne Havrelly/Post-Record)
Basketball is fun in Washougal. A state championship, the program’s first, has a way of making it so.
“There’s a lot of good energy and a lot of the girls are willing to sell out for each other,” said third-year coach Britney Ervin (formerly Knotts).
The Panthers still have to deal with the loss of the skillset of Beyonce Bea and leadership of Kiara Cross. That doesn’t mean they’re setting their sights lower than a gold ball.
Washougal will tailor its style to its personnel, which is still loaded with talent.
“We’re smaller and we’re faster,” Ervin said. “It’s going to be fun to see who is going off for 20 each night and watch each other grow.”
All-league returners include 5-11 forward Skylar Bea, 5-10 forward McKinley Stotts and 5-10 forward Jaiden Bea. Five-foot-9 guard Savea Mansfield and 5-7 guard McKenna Jackson are stepping into heavier leadership roles in the backcourt.
All five of those players can slide to almost any position on the court, giving Ervin plenty of options as she crafts her rotations. Defense is the strength, as the Panthers are longer and faster than a season ago.
“This group feels like my group; we’ve all been here about the same amount of time,” Ervin said. “The long state run made these girls more experienced, more confident about what we’re doing and wanting to make another run.”
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