They’re in.

With an assist from Shorecrest, the Oak Harbor High School boys basketball team qualified for the district tournament for the first time in 13 years.

Although the Wildcats lost at first-place Glacier Peak 73-53 Thursday, Feb. 3, Oak Harbor earned the sixth and final playoff spot when Shorecrest defeated Everett 58-52. The Scots’ win prevented Everett from skipping past the Wildcats in the Wesco standings.

Oak Harbor will join fellow Wesco 3A teams Glacier Peak, Mountlake Terrace, Meadowdale, Shorecrest and Shorewood, and two teams from the Northwest Conference to form the eight-team, double-elimination district playoffs. The top three teams will advance to the state tournament.

Ironically, Oak Harbor (5-9, 6-14) will open the tournament the same place it finished the regular season, at Glacier Peak (14-0, 18-3). The ‘Cats face the Grizzlies Thursday, Feb. 10, at 7:30 p.m.

In their win over Oak Harbor yesterday, Glacier Peak blistered the nets, shooting 68 percent the first half (19-of-28), to race to a 42-24 halftime edge. They upped the margin to 61-38 heading into the final quarter.

Although the Wildcats committed just nine turnovers (to GP’s six), the Grizzlies picked up 15 points off the miscues to Oak Harbor’s four.

Oak Harbor had trouble containing 7-foot Payton Pervier, who finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds.

Washington Jr. scored 22 points for Oak Harbor, and Jay Stout had 17 and a team-high five rebounds. Stevie Bratt added 10 points, Corey Houck three and Denzel Massey one.

Coach Mike Washington Sr. said, “They (Glacier Peak) all shoot lights out. They are straight-up loaded.”

The Wildcat coach praised the hustling play of Connor Paul: “He worked his tail off.”

Washington said, in regard to qualifying for district, “We are going to enjoy the weekend and then hit it again Monday.”