SEATTLE – Bainbridge Coach Cindy Guy said maybe she was just a bit inspired by all the football huddles she’d seen recently.

If that was the motivation, well, it worked.

Guy called her Spartan gymnasts in for a huddle just after they had competed on bars, with the vault coming up as their last event.

Holy Names, the BHS team’s big worry this season, was getting set for the floor exercise.

“I kind of felt like they were gaining momentum on us,” Guy recalled.

A message needed to be sent.

“I made the girls get in a circle and I said, ‘I think we need to psych them out,’” she said.

“One! Two! Three! BAINBRIDGE!!” came the shout.

The Spartans stuck their landings, and edged the Cougars by an oh-so-slim margin, 145.75 points to 145.4.

West Seattle was third in the Metro matchup, 130.9.

“It was so close,” Guy said.

“I was proud of how they handled the pressure. We stuck our landings, and that’s the key to success,” she said.

Bainbridge placed second and third in bars, with Sarah Rice posting a score of 7.6 for second and teammate Miller Shor claiming third with a 6.95.

Julia Cassella placed fifth for the Spartans (6.4).

Bainbridge went one-two on beam, with Rice earning first with a score of 9.3. Shor was second with an 8.8.

The Spartan dynamic duo also won first and second in the floor exercise, with Rice in front at 9.55, and Shor in second at 8.8.

Rice helped seal the deal for Bainbridge in the vault with an 8.5 for first, while fellow Spartan Juliana Hinckley tied for second with a score of 8.0.

The vault wasn’t Hinckley’s only standout moment, though.

“She had a bar routine that was really pretty and she scored real well,” Guy said.

It was a close win, true, as well as an endurance test for the Spartans considering the much-delayed start of the match.

“We were really happy with our performances,” Guy said.

Holy Names will get another crack at Bainbridge on Friday, as the Spartans host the Cougars for a meet that starts at 6 p.m.

This time, Bainbridge will have less time to get ready, as there was one fewer practice this week due to the holiday.

“It’s really nerve-wracking and exciting at the same time,” Guy said.