With tomorrow’s district opener against her team’s fiercest district foe looming, Westlake coach Rennie Rebe said her side appears ready to defend its 25-5A crown.

“I feel like we are as prepared as we can be heading into district play,” she said, referring to a blistering nondistrict schedule that included last weekend’s Governor’s Cup in Georgetown. “We have continued to make adjustments through tough tournament competition.”

Such competition has limited Westlake to a 3-4-2 record, but it should bolster the team in its matchup with Bowie tomorrow at 7:45 p.m. at Chaparral Stadium. The Chaps have faced ranked teams from every region of the state, including a pair of powerhouses in Georgetown.

Westlake opened the tournament with a 2-0 loss to Westwood Thursday but rebounded from the lackluster effort with a 5-0 victory over Kingwood Atascocita Friday. Alexandra Perez and Reilly Wheat each had two goals, and Katharine Noonan added a goal. Noonan, Caroline Furst, Peyton Janssen and Christy Goldberg each had an assist.

Janssen also scored in a 1-1 draw with Grapevine in the tournament finale Saturday. The Chaps’ ability to match the rugged play of a physical Grapevine team impressed Rebe.

“We matched up well considering how big and physical they played,” she said. “I was encouraged by our fight and tenacity.”

The Chaps will need such an effort against a 6-1-0 Bowie team that has carried its playoff momentum from last season into this year. The Bulldogs fell twice to Westlake in the 2009 regular season but ended the Chaps’ year with a 1-0 victory in a regional quarterfinal match.

According to Rebe, her team’s ability to close out wins will determine whether the Chaps can beat Bowie and repeat at champions in a rugged district that also includes strong sides from Bastrop and Pflugerville.

“We need to battle from start to finish,” she said. “We are scoring first on many teams but getting complacent and allowing them to get back into the game. We need to finish games on the offensive and with an exclamation point.”