The Whitman Middle School girls basketball team is on the verge of wrapping up a perfect regular season, its second in a row, heading into the playoffs.

The Wildcats finish up the regular season with a crossover game against TOPS at 3 p.m. on Jan. 28 at Whitman that will not count toward the final seedings for the playoffs.

Whitman made it to the city championship game last season. Seven of 12 girls on Whitman's roster this year were on that team.

Coach Mary Williams said that experience helped the team have the success it has.

She said the great programs and great coaches the players have had before coming to Whitman has been a huge factor too.

Players are coming in with great skill sets to go along with height and speed, she said.

She said this is one of the first teams she has coached where the players really push each other during practice, playing like they are in a game.

Williams said one of her goals coming into the season was to make the Whitman Wildcats a special team for the players, many of whom also play in recreation leagues and on club teams.

In order to build teamwork and differentiate the Whitman experience, WIlliams gave the players goals to accomplish together during the season.

For example, the girls worked together to plan a dance routine they will be performing during halftime of the Whitman boys basketball game Jan. 28.

Williams said she is happy with the progress the team has made on her goal.

"It's been a wonderful experience," she said.

Last season, the Wildcats were blown out 61-39 by Meany in the championship game.

Thanks to a league realignment, Williams said Whitman will be better prepared to play against any team this year.

Before this season, north Seattle schools would play against north Seattle schools and south Seattle schools would play against south Seattle schools in the regular season.

That meant Whitman would not have experience playing against south end schools, who have a different style of play, until the playoffs, Williams said.

This year, the league format has been changed so the regular season division is between middle schools and kindergarten through eighth-grade schools instead of northern schools and southern schools.

"For us, that was a really good change," Williams said. "And, it was a big change."

Whitman has had to play schools from the south end already this year and knows what it has to do to compete with them in the postseason, she said.

Williams said she wants her team to play good defense and turn up the tempo in the playoffs. But, she also has one other goal.

"We want to go all the way, of course," she said.

Whitman starts the playoffs Feb. 1. The championship game will be held Feb. 6 at Franklin High School.