This year’s Hilltop Middle School girls basketball team were all smiles when their final game concluded. Pictured left to right are Coach Jackie Smith with players Jayden Patana, Brooklyn Avalon, Mikaila Warfield, Autumn Shaw, Marlee Hughes, Taylor Schock, Alexis Ahlers, Emilee Dodson, Angel Salas and Coach David Blaylock. Not pictured are Madison Key and Makenzee Graff.

ILWACO — When it comes to basketball, the girls at Hilltop Middle School rule the court.

The team has just concluded its winter season with a 9-0 record.

What’s more, one Ilwaco player rewrote the school record books with her individual achievement. Brooklyn Avalon scored six three-pointers in a game against the sixth-grade boys that Hilltop won, helped by her 31 points. That eclipses any previous single-game record of threes and is better than any boy basketball player has achieved at the school.

The season also saw Mikaila Warfield chalk up a “triple double” in one game with 27 points, 15 rebounds and 10 steals.

In the final game, the team beat Ocosta 64-10. As if the large margin of victory wasn’t enough, the win was notable because every Hilltop player who suited up that day scored points.

For the record, as well as Avalon and Warfield, team members are Ana Petry, Jayden Patana, Brooklyn Avalon, Autumn Shaw, Marlee Hughes, Taylor Schock, Alexis Ahlers, Emilee Dodson, Angel Salas, Madison Key and Makenzee Graff.

Jackie Smith, an intervention specialist for the Educational Service District, and David Blaylock, a math and P.E. teacher at Hilltop, have more than 10 years coaching experience between them, but this was their first year working together. Both were full of praise for the enthusiasm and dedication of their squad, which was predominantly seventh-graders with just two eighth-graders.

“It is obvious this is a special group of girls coming up through our program,” said Smith. “I have not met such a nice and sweet group of middle schoolers. They have a bright future ahead of them, and not just in basketball.”

Blaylock agreed. “We have been unbelievably impressed with these girls, with their ‘situational awareness,’” he said. “They are always prepared and have high morale. They have loved each other and lifted each other up.”

The success of the team has been followed with significant interest by Ned Bittner, the Ilwaco High School girls basketball coach. “Great to see some girls and parents excited about basketball,” he enthused.

“A great season for the middle school team — which is a great achievement because we had to pull up two eighth graders to fill our high school Varsity and JV teams, leaving the middle school team with mainly seventh graders.

“It’s also great having two passionate coaches in Coach Blaylock and Coach Smith.”