TUMWATER — In 2023 and 2024, the district tournament wasn’t kind to the Tumwater girls soccer team. In both years, the T-Birds were just one win shy of earning a state bid, but they fell short.
Tumwater had another chance at home on Saturday afternoon against W.F. West, and a pair of goals from Kayla Pope was enough to give the T-Birds a 2-0 victory, one that sends them through to state for the first time since 2022.
“It means the world,” Pope said. “We’ve been working since April for this moment. That just makes it feel so much more deserved … I cannot wait to go to practice on Monday.”
Pope opened the scoring in the 26th minute off an assist from Sophie Boatright, and though Pope and the Thunderbirds had several chances to extend their lead, W.F. West’s Charlee Nelson made multiple saves in net to keep the score at 1-0.
Tumwater was maintaining possession in the attacking third, but W.F. West was able to generate a few chances on the counter attack throughout the second half.
In the 71st minute, Pope had the ball on the left side of the 18-yard box, and she attempted to cross the ball to Brielle Clark. Pope didn’t get the cleanest shot off, but it floated over Nelson and into the side of the net for her second of the day.
“I think it just solidifies the type of player and person (Pope) is,” Tumwater coach Abbey Bergquist said. “She steps up in those big moments and doesn’t hesitate at all to put the team on her back and lead.”
About 10 minutes after Pope’s second, the final whistle blew, and the T-Birds flooded toward midfield to celebrate.
Bergquist, who is in her first year as the head coach of the program, helped Tumwater (14-5-1) reach two state tournaments as a player, and she said that she wasn’t taking the opportunity to lead her alma mater back to the state tournament for granted.
“Being able to work with this school and be back here has been incredible, particularly this group of girls,” Bergquist said. “They’ve worked tirelessly.
“We by no means are the most technically sound or the most talented team out there,” Bergquist continued. “But they have a lot of heart, and they’ve worked for this since April. It showed out there today and throughout this district tournament.”
On the other bench, W.F. West coach Kevin Schultz shared a similar sentiment about his group, regardless of the outcome.
“The game is what it is,” Schultz said. “The story for this team is so much more than that. The work that they’ve put in from June 1 to today to change the culture and make it a joy to come to practice every day … I’m just proud of them.”
The Bearcats (14-4-1) won 14 games this year, the most in Schultz’s three-year tenure in Chehalis so far, and it’s the second year in a row that they’ve been within one win of a state tournament appearance.
In either of the past two years, both W.F. West and Tumwater would have been through, as District 4 had four berths. But this fall, the district only had three spots, so the two teams had to play for the third and final state spot.
“In my mind, we’re one of the 16 best teams in the state,” Schultz said. “That’s how it goes sometimes.”
W.F. West will graduate nine seniors — Lauren Kelley, Reese Mishler, Wyatt Rogerson, Eden Hornby, Berkeley Varick, Violet Ratke, Alabama Ropka, Elizabeth Mittge, and Leah White — a group that Schultz described as “special.”
“They’ve shown a lot of leadership,” Schultz said. “They’ve shown a lot of toughness to battle and get to this point … I’m just super proud of them. We have a lot of really great kids in our program.
“I’m just so dang proud of how hard they worked and what they created this year,” Schultz added. “This year was special beyond anything I’ve experienced as a high school coach.”
Tumwater will find out its seed and Round of 16 opponent on Sunday, and that matchup will be played on either Tuesday or Wednesday.
“I’m super psyched to take this team to state,” Pope said. “They’re the most prized group of girls to me, and we’re so bonded. We all support each other, and I think that’s gonna carry us through the season, whatever is left of it.”
