ARLINGTON — The Lady Eagles were handed their first playoff defeat on Feb. 21, by Lynnwood High School losing 46-34 in the Wesco 4A District Championship game.

Arlington won its first two Wesco 4A District games with little problem, but Lynnwood, undefeated in conference, proved too much for the Eagles and took the District 1 title.

Arlington won its first two Wesco 4A District games with little problem, but Lynnwood, undefeated in conference, proved too much for the Eagles and took the District 1 title.

From the start, Arlington felt the pressure from the No. 1 4A South team. The Eagles failed to keep up with the consistent scoring and defensive pressure from Lynnwood.

“Lynnwood’s one of the best teams in the state, there is no doubt about that,” Arlington head coach Joe Marsh said. “They came out and started the game great.”

Arlington didn’t do so well in its first run-in with Lynnwood earlier in the season. On Jan. 17, Arlington was handed its second conference defeat at home by Lynnwood losing 58-40.

Though the Eagles’ lost the final game in Districts, Marsh was not too worried about the outcome. “We’re in a good spot,” Marsh said. “The same thing happened to us last year. We’re going to put in work and get back to State.”

In the first quarter, Lynnwood put up the first points on the scoreboard. The Eagles’ offense was stifled by Lynnwood’s defense, but Arlington’s defense made plays as well.

But it was executing on offense that gave the Eagles trouble. Arlington was missing 3-pointers and failing to connect on the inside.

“We need to make our free throws,” Marsh said. “It’s really the difference in the game. This time of year, you’ve got to knock those down.”

The first quarter ended with back and forth turnovers from both teams, but ultimately, the Eagles were unable to score more thn three points.

Lynnwood led the Eagles 10-3 at the end of the first quarter.

The Eagles managed to get a run in the second quarter. After a goal made by Lynnwood in the opening of the quarter, Arlington sophomore guard Serafina Balderas began the rally with a goal.

After some scoring from both teams, and a missed set of free throws from Arlington, sophomore guard Sevi Biesler sank a 3-pointer which had the Eagles only trailing Lynnwood, 14-10.

“We weathered the storm and came back,” Marsh said. “We stayed in the game.”

As the two teams battled, the Eagles’ scrappy defense showed up again, with a swat by sophomore guard Emma Janousek, but the ball was knocked out of bounds.

“Defensively, we had some stretches that caused some turnovers, but that’s a really good team and you have to put the ball in the basket,” Marsh said.

Arlington had a chance it seemed, but Lynnwood restrained the Eagles’ potential comeback as the team extended its lead slightly toward the end of the second quarter.

Lynnwood was ahead 20-14, at halftime.

It was any team’s game, with only a six point difference as Arlington and Lynnwood faced off in the third quarter.

But it wasn’t so. Lynnwood crushed any hope of an Arlington comeback by unloading 18 points to the Eagles’ 13 points in the third quarter.

The third quarter ended 38-27 with Lynnwood in the lead.

It didn’t get much better for the Eagles in the final quarter. Lynnwood sustained its significant lead over Arlington as they scored 10 more points and kept the Eagles at eight points.

The Eagles play their first 4A Regional game against Todd Beamer on March 1 at Puyallup High School.