NORMAL — Washington’s first appearance in the IHSA girls’ basketball state finals since 1977 brought a unique energy to the halls of the school.
That buzz carried over from the school day through the Panthers’ 48-33 Class 3A semifinal loss against St. Ignatius in a Class 3A semifinal game, with much of CEFCU Arena’s lower bowl decked out in orange and black.
“Vibes were really high,” Washignton senior Cash Wisher said. “We were sending them through, they were all excited, high-fiving people. A lot of people wanted to see them win today.”
Wisher — sitting next to classmates C.J. Duncan, Carter Prina and Mekhi Johnson — was eager to watch his friends play on the state’s biggest stage.
“It’s great,” Wisher said. “They’ve worked really hard all season, they played great basketball, one loss. We just came to watch some more great basketball.”
Being on the other side of the Panthers’ Orange Crush is something Wisher is used to as well.
The versatile athlete has been a key part of the Panthers’ fortunes on the gridiron and baseball diamond; Wisher helped anchor the Panthers’ offensive line during an 8-3 football campaign last fall.
Thursday belonged to Becca McDougall, Dani Guedet and Ainsley Redlingschaefer, however. McDougall scored 10 points and Guedet and Redlingschaefer scored eight points apiece to pace the Panthers’ offense.
Former Washington athletic director Herb Knoblauch has been taking in games from a different vantage point this season.
And Knoblauch — who served as the Panthers’ athletic director for 14 years before retiring in May, 2024 — has been more than happy to become a fan.
“The girls program, the community support has been awesome in the last couple years,” Knoblauch said.
“Kim (Barth) and the girls and the coaching staff, they got the support because they do so much in the community and doing things out there. All those girls work second jobs, so they’re very well-known.
Close games — like Washington’s 58-54 super-sectional win against Sterling on March 3 — are easier to digest from the bleachers.
“It was a close game, people were getting into the game,” Knoblauch said. “I get to reap the benefits now.”
Knoblauch knows many of Washington’s current players from his time at the school. Some of their older siblings also factored into the Panthers’ athletic fortunes during their time in high school.
But Washington’s run to the state finals was as much about the team’s coaching staff as its relatively young roster, in Knoluach’s estimation.
“I’m probably here more for the coaching staff than the kids, because even though I’ve only been gone for a year, they were young,” Knoblauch said. “When you do something this long and you hire people, there’s a tight connection.”
Washington’s first state finals appearance in 47 years coincided with the end of Gary Manier’s long run as the town’s mayor.
Manier — who was first elected in 2001 — took in the game in CEFCU Arena’s upper level next to Washington baseball coach Kyle Wisher.
“These young ladies have done an incredible job,” Manier said. “What a way to end my run, to be able to celebrate a team like this. No different than what the wrestlers have done or some of the other teams. These girls are going to put us on the map, no doubt.”
Manier’s presence is often felt at the season-opening Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions, where the Panthers’ girls’ team played for the first time on Nov. 26, 2024.
That was the Panthers’ fifth game of the season; Washington bested Class 2A finalist Peoria Notre Dame in a 56-47 decision.
“These kids, they work hard,” Manier said. “I understand they go in at 5 a.m. and shoot, that’s a lot of dedication and you can’t teach that. It seems like they all like each other, so that helps too.”
Washington’s cheerleading team also relished the chance to perform during the final weekend of the girls basketball season.
“This is so awesome,” Washington cheerleading coach Kara Kaminsky said. “We are super pumped and these girls, they are these cheerleaders’ teammates, they’re their peers, they’re their friends, so to watch them be able to perform on the biggest court they can, it’s pretty awesome.”
The Panthers’ cheerleaders were situated along the north baseline at CEFCU Arena, in front of Washington’s sizable contingent of fans.
And that crowd had plenty to cheer for during the second half as the Panthers overcame a 19-0 deficit after the first quarter and whittled the gap to 36-30 in the middle stages of the fourth quarter.
“We’ve had some long bus rides,” Kaminsky said. “We have not had an easy route in terms of travel, we’ve been pretty far away. Tonight’s a close game, it feels like a home game, almost.”
The cheerleading team’s season highlights have included long bus rides to Ottawa and Rochelle in the postseason. And the winningest campaign in Washington history will continue against Quincy Notre Dame or Montini in the third-place game at 7:45 p.m. on Friday.
“The school was definitely buzzing today,” Kaminsky said. “Everyone was dressed up in their orange, we had a parade for the kids as they left. And the town, they flew the flags all around the square today. It was pretty cool.”
A revised schedule for IHSA’s state basketball finals got its first test on Thursday afternoon.
So far, so good for the tweaked format, which ensured every team would have a two-day experience.
“We’ve got the new format going, so it’s kind of a wait-and-see approach with that,” IHSA Assistant Executive Director Matt Troha said. “We’ll evaluate that after, got a little behind schedule this morning and kind of got back on … pretty good crowds so far today, Washington bringing the house, so it’s a lot of fun.”
The presence of local teams like Washington and Peoria Notre Dame was a boon for the organization, though teams from other parts of Illinois were well-represented throughout Thursday’s six-game slate.
“It’s always a neat mix to see people from all over the state,” Troha said. “It’s just neat to see, you see a lot of repeats throughout the years, but you get some different teams and different faces … it’s always fun to see who makes it and the support they get.”
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