Kennedy Catholic sophomore Jayden Fitzgerald leads upset over Gonzaga Prep in 4A quarterfinals

The 15-year-old point guard scored 32 points to power the No. 11 Crusaders to a 62-52 win over the No. 5 Bullpups.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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Sophomore point guard Jayden Fitzgerald scored a game-high 32 points to lead the No. 11 Kennedy Catholic Crusaders to a 62-52 upset victory over the No. 5 Gonzaga Prep Bullpups in the Class 4A girls basketball state quarterfinals. The 5-foot-5 Fitzgerald shot 11-for-23 from the field, including 2-for-3 from three-point range, and helped the Crusaders pull away in the fourth quarter after leading by just three points heading into the final period.

Why it matters

Kennedy Catholic entered the tournament as the No. 11 seed, but proved they belong among the top teams in the state with the win over Gonzaga Prep, which entered the tournament with a 22-2 record. Fitzgerald's dominant performance showcases the talent of the young point guard and the potential of the Crusaders to make a deep run in the tournament.

The details

Fitzgerald led the Crusaders' scoring attack, which outscored Gonzaga Prep 16-6 in the fourth quarter to pull away for the victory. Kennedy Catholic head coach Michael Brooks praised Fitzgerald's leadership and work ethic, saying "She's the leader of our team. She's humble. She's the hardest worker. And she puts people in places to be successful." The Crusaders will now face the defending state champion and No. 1 seed Davis Pirates in the semifinals on Friday.

  • Kennedy Catholic led 49-46 after three quarters on Thursday.

The players

Jayden Fitzgerald

A 15-year-old sophomore point guard for the Kennedy Catholic Crusaders who scored a game-high 32 points in the upset win over Gonzaga Prep.

Michael Brooks

The head coach of the Kennedy Catholic Crusaders.

Gonzaga Prep

The No. 5 seed in the Class 4A girls basketball state tournament, who were upset by Kennedy Catholic in the quarterfinals.

Davis

The defending Class 4A state champion and the No. 1 seed in this year's tournament. They will face Kennedy Catholic in the semifinals.

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What they’re saying

“She's the leader of our team. She's humble. She's the hardest worker. And she puts people in places to be successful. We're blessed to be able to have her as our point guard. She makes everybody better and it's a fun thing to witness. She doesn't need the acclaim. She just wants to play as hard as she can and have everyone play that hard with her.”

— Michael Brooks, Kennedy Catholic head coach (The Bellingham Herald)

“They couldn't stay in front of me, so (I) was just attacking every time.”

— Jayden Fitzgerald (The Bellingham Herald)

What’s next

Kennedy Catholic will play defending state champion and top-seed Davis at 3:45 p.m. Friday with the winner of that game heading to the state championship game on Saturday.

The takeaway

This game showcases the talent and potential of Kennedy Catholic sophomore Jayden Fitzgerald, who led her team to an upset victory over a highly ranked opponent. The Crusaders have proven they can compete with the top teams in the state and will now have a chance to reach the state championship game with a win over defending champion Davis.