Originally published November 28, 2007 at 12:00 AM | Page modified December 3, 2007 at 11:11 AM
Boys Basketball | Franklin's leading man lies in Siva
The line of retired jerseys on the Franklin gymnasium wall begins with Jason Terry, then continues through Alvin Snow, Aaron Brooks, Lyndale...
Seattle Times staff reporter
Preseason boys rankings
(With last season's records)CLASS 4A
1. Ferris (Spokane) 29-0
Defending champs stacked even if DeAngelo Casto is ineligible
2. Franklin 24-3
With Venoy Overton at UW, this is Peyton Siva's team
3. Kentridge 25-4
Chargers have talented trio in Renado Parker, Brandon Turner, Chris Washington
4. Prairie (Brush Prairie) 14-13
Last year's surprise team at state won't shock anyone this season
5. Decatur (Federal Way) 24-4
Guard Marcus Tibbs is great; will forward Darious Walker get a fifth year?
6. Inglemoor (Kenmore) 13-10
How far can Nevada-bound Mark McLaughlin row the Vikings?
7. Kentwood (Covington) 16-13
State's best sophomore? It could be Conks' 6-9 Josh Smith
8. Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma) 12-11
Juniors Avery Bradley, Abdul Gaddy make up menacing backcourt
9. Gig Harbor 12-11
Montana recruit Matthias Ward is one of state's top big men
10. Pasco 20-9
Last year's semifinalists return 6-7 forward Gavin Gilmore
Others — Bethel, Curtis, Edmonds-Woodway, Federal Way, Foss, Garfield, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Shadle Park, Snohomish, Wenatchee.
CLASS 3A
1. Rainier Beach 20-9
Good team is even better with transfers of Aaron Dotson, Nyandigisi Moikobu
2. Lakes (Lakewood) 22-4
Football isn't big man Kavario Middleton's only specialty
3. Seattle Prep 17-11
Jordan Hamilton, Jack Hanley tough to guard on the wing
4. Bellevue 22-7
Transfers Aaron Bright, Colton Christian bolster Wolverines
5. Auburn 16-11
Top scorers Ryan Snowden, T.J. Stafford have great supporting cast, too
6. Mercer Island 16-8
Islanders always seem to have talent, and this year is no exception
7. Enumclaw 17-5
Hornets have size and G Julian Fernandez, one of state's best
8. O'Dea 25-5
Defending champs lose longtime assistant Gregg Kalina, now girls coach at Roosevelt
9. Bainbridge 25-4
Lost top two scorers, but still have horses
10. Franklin Pierce (Parkland) 11-18
Transfer Patrick McCollum joins big man P.J. Bolte to give Cardinals inside-out threat
Others — Bishop Blanchet, Cleveland, Hudson's Bay, Issaquah, Kennedy, North Central, North Thurston, Renton, Southridge, West Seattle.
Tom Wyrwich
Scores & stats
Schedule/results
Standings
Leaders
Teams
Rankings
More sports: Golf | Tennis | Swimming | Cross-country
The line begins with the jersey retired on the Franklin gymnasium wall, Jason Terry, then continues through Alvin Snow, Aaron Brooks, Lyndale Burleson, and most recently, Venoy Overton.
With each standout Franklin guard who leaves, another is ready to take his place.
"It's been a bit of a tradition around here," boys basketball coach Jason Kerr said. "It has been one great guard after another, passing it down to the next."
Junior Peyton Siva followed the Quakers as a child and came to Franklin to be that next great guard. And with Overton now at the University of Washington, the line now moves on through the 5-foot-11 Siva.
"It's very important," Siva said, "to keep that tradition alive."
The past two years, the Quakers relied on Overton to lead. Siva was comfortable in the background, swishing long-range jumpers and swiping passes.
Overton pushed Siva in practice, forcing him to find and fix the flaws in his game. Siva shined, and Franklin won the Class 4A title in 2006 and finished third in 2007.
In his freshman year, Siva averaged 13.2 points. He improved to 18.7 last season. In the Quakers' semifinal loss to Ferris, Siva wowed the Tacoma Dome crowd with 35 points.
"It's a snapshot of his talent," Kerr said of that game. "But I don't think points by themselves come anywhere near to describing what he's capable of. You could let a Peyton Siva go every night and he could score 40 points a night. The question is, will that help his team win? I don't think it will."
Siva hasn't been able to shake the memory of that semifinal defeat. The Quakers were so focused on winning the state championship, Siva said, they overlooked the semifinals.
"We had state on our minds," he said.
Franklin should challenge for the state title again. The Quakers start the season ranked second — behind Ferris — by The Seattle Times.
Franklin received national hype when Ferris' DeAngelo Casto, who scored 27 points against the Quakers last March, transferred to Franklin this fall. But in late October, he returned to Ferris, where he has been ruled ineligible at the district level because of transfer rules.
"There's not a whole lot of conversation about it," Kerr said.
Roosevelt coach Bart Brandenburg sees Franklin's success boiling down to Siva, whom Brandenburg said is one of the state's best players with the ball at the end of a game.
"He makes plays," Brandenburg said. "He makes a steal, and within three seconds, he's scored.
"But can he step in and be that leader guy? "If he can't do that, there are teams out there that have as much talent as them."
Kerr is in no hurry to rush him into a leadership role.
"For him to balance being our best player and being a good teammate is a difficult thing for anyone in that position," Kerr said. "Right now, he's doing it well."
Tom Wyrwich: 206-515-5653 or twyrwich@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
Prep Soccer | 4A: Skyline keeps state title, beats Issaquah 2-1
UPDATE - 10:20 PM
Prep Football | 3A: Bellevue rolls past Glacier Peak, 34-7
Prep Football | 3A: Meadowdale flattened by Union, 49-7
NEW - 10:37 PM
Prep Football | 4A: Skyline crushes Curtis, 49-14
Prep Soccer | 3A: Columbia River tops Mercer Island 2-1 for title

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