4A Boys Capsules | Ferris, Franklin lead the pack at state tournament

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Ferris Saxons

Location: Spokane.

Record: 25-0 (Greater Spokane League champions; Eastern Regional champions).

Coach: Don Van Lierop (6th year, won 2007 championship).

Key players: G Shawn Stockton, 6-1, Sr., 9 ppg, 6 apg (GSL co-MVP; F DeAngelo Casto, 6-8, Sr., 15 ppg, 10 rpg; F Jared Karstetter, 6-5, Sr., 15 ppg, 8 rpg (GSL co-MVP).

Inside look: Five Ferris players have committed to Division I colleges to play basketball, football or baseball, and Casto is also considered a Division I talent.

Outlook: Ferris comes in with a 54-game winning streak. Unless someone comes up with a way to overcome the Saxons' athleticism, depth and composure, they will make it 58 and leave with the title.

Franklin Quakers

Location: Seattle

Record: 21-2 (KingCo 4A Lake Division champions; Sea-King District champions).

Coach: Jason Kerr (9th year, won 2003, 2006 championships).

Key players: G Peyton Siva, 6-0, Jr., 19.5 ppg, 5.5 apg, 3.0 spg (KingCo 4A MVP); G Sterling Carter, 6-0, Jr., 12.2 ppg, 2.9 apg; W Chris Holmes, 6-3, Jr., 15.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg.

Inside look: Franklin has only one senior in its seven-man rotation, but that doesn't mean the Quakers aren't experienced. Siva is a three-year starter, and juniors Carter and Holmes are two-year starters.

Outlook: The Quakers never quit, and that's one reason they have beaten bigger, more experienced teams. The bracket is set up for a Franklin-Ferris final. It would be a great one.

Contenders

Lincoln Abes

Location: Tacoma.

Record: 22-4 (2nd in Narrows League; West Central District champions).

Coach: Aubrey Shelton (1st year).

Key Players: F Kaleb Shelton, 6-5, Sr., 12 ppg, 8 rpg; G Ryan Rogers, 6-1, Sr., 13 ppg, 4 apg.

Inside look: Tournament veterans might recognize the coach. Aubrey Shelton was a senior on the 2001 Lincoln state-championship team. His younger brother, Kaleb, is a senior on this team.

Outlook: Recent wins against Bellarmine Prep and Kentridge make the Abes the South Puget Sound-area team to beat. But they could see Franklin in the second round.

Kentridge Chargers

Location: Kent.

Record: 21-5 (Tied for first in SPSL North; 3rd in West Central District).

Coach: Dave Jamison (8th year).

Key players: F Renado Parker, 6-5, Sr., 21.9 ppg, 9.8 rpg (SPSL North co-MVP); F Brandon Turner, 6-4, Sr., 12.9 ppg, 4 apg; F Chris Washington, 6-3, Sr., 12.9 ppg.

Inside look: The Chargers, last year's runners-up, have one of the most athletic and versatile frontcourts in the state, led by Parker, and star-to-be freshman point guard Gary Bell.

Outlook: A year ago, Kentridge took Ferris to double overtime in the championship game. This year, the Chargers will likely have to get through Ferris again, but in the second round. If they do, watch out.

Shadle Park Highlanders

Location: Spokane.

Record: 21-4 (2nd in Greater Spokane League; 2nd in Eastern Regional).

Coach: Tim Gaebe (6th year).

Key Players: G Zack Humphrey, 5-11, Sr., 15.5 ppg; G/F Anthony Brown, 6-4, Jr., 13.2 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 4.5 apg.

Inside look: The tournament will be the first chance for fans west of the Cascades to see Humphrey and Brown, a Washington State commit. All of Shadle Park's losses are to Ferris.

Outlook: We know they can hang close with Ferris, as the Highlanders did in three of the four losses. But the big question will be how Shadle Park sizes up with teams outside Spokane.

Bellarmine Prep Lions

Location: Tacoma

Record: 22-3 (1st in Narrows League; 2nd in West Central District).

Coach: Bernie Salazar (13th year).

Key Players: G Abdul Gaddy, 6-3, Jr., 23.6 ppg, 6 rpg, 5 apg (Narrows co-MVP); G Avery Bradley, 6-3, Jr., 25.3 ppg, 7 rpg (Narrows co-MVP).

Inside look: The Lions' backcourt features two of the highest-ranked juniors on the West Coast in Gaddy and Bradley. Nicknamed Fire and Ice, they combine for almost 49 points per game.

Outlook: The backcourt duo makes the Lions dangerous against any team, including Ferris, a potential semifinal opponent. But Bellarmine Prep could also be vulnerable to an upset if the guards have an off night.

Might surprise

Snohomish Panthers

Location: Snohomish.

Record: 20-3 (1st in WesCo North Division; Northwest District champions).

Coach: Len Bone (12th year).

Key Players: G/F Zach Wilde, 6-6, Sr., 15.7 ppg; G/F Brad Shaw, 6-5, Jr., 11.6 ppg; G Brad Low, 6-1, Sr., 9.5 ppg.

Inside look: For the fourth straight year, the Panthers are in the state tournament, this time having won 14 of their last 15 games.

Outlook: Snohomish placed fifth last year, losing to only one team. Who was it? Decatur, its first-round opponent this year. Can the defensive-minded Panthers keep Decatur from running wild?

Decatur Gators

Location: Federal Way.

Record: 20-6 (SPSL North Division co-champions; 4th in West Central District).

Coach: Kevin Olson (8th year).

Key players: G Marcus Tibbs, 6-1, Sr., 18.4 ppg, 5 rpg, 4.7 apg; G Michael Hale, 5-7, Jr., 16 ppg, 4.9 apg; F Darious Walker, 6-5, Sr., 14.8 ppg, 8 rpg.

Inside look: The Gators can run with anyone and have great balance. Tibbs, Hale and Walker each made the SPSL North first team.

Outlook: If its backcourt gets hot, there isn't a team in this tournament Decatur can't play with. But how will a 9 a.m. tipoff affect the Gators?

Prairie Falcons

Location: Brush Prairie.

Record: 14-7 (Greater St. Helens League and Southwest District champions).

Coach: Kyle Brooks (8th year).

Key players: G Jeff Dorman, 6-2, Sr., 15 ppg (GSHL MVP); G Kevan West, 6-3, Sr., 15 ppg; F Michael Hamberg, 6-5, Sr., 11 ppg, 8 rpg).

Inside look: This will be the fourth consecutive state tournament for Dorman and Hamberg, the team captains. They have placed twice.

Outlook: The Falcons grabbed a No. 1 seed by winning the district, but with Bellarmine Prep and Ferris in their bracket, it won't be an easy road to Saturday.

Federal Way Eagles

Location: Federal Way.

Record: 18-6 (4th in SPSL North Division; 5th in West Central District).

Coach: Jerome Collins (24th year).

Key players: G/F Aaron Broussard, 6-5, Sr., 17 ppg, 6 rpg; G/F Cole Dickerson, 6-7, So., 12 ppg, 7 rpg, 3 bpg; G Jeff Forbes, 5-11, Jr., 10 ppg.

Inside look: The Eagles have beaten Decatur and Prairie, and they beat SPSL North rival Kentwood in a loser-out game to qualify. Dickerson is the half-brother of former NBA player Michael Dickerson, a Federal Way graduate.

Outlook: The Eagles face Franklin in the first round, the first time the two prominent basketball schools have met in a state tournament. Federal Way would probably prefer to wait a few more years.

Edmonds-Woodway Warriors

Location: Edmonds

Record: 19-4 (WesCo South Division champions, 2nd in Northwest District).

Coach: Gail Pintler (2nd year).

Key players: F Connor Donaldson, 6-6, Sr., 15.3 ppg; G James Conti, 5-10, Sr., 13.1 ppg; G/F Sean Laue, 6-3, Sr., 9.8 ppg.

Inside look: The Warriors lost Donaldson for six games in January to a knee injury and won each game, allowing them to win the WesCo South.

Outlook: Edmonds-Woodway has seen few teams as well-rounded as Kentridge. The Chargers' speed and size will make for an awfully difficult matchup in the first round.

Long shots

Garfield Bulldogs

Location: Seattle

Record: 17-7 (2nd in KingCo 4A Lake Division; 2nd in Sea-King District).

Coach: Dan Finkley (3rd year).

Key players: G Tony Wroten, 6-5, Fr., 21.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 4 apg; G De'Andre Taylor, 6-0, Jr., 15.9 ppg, 2.1 three-point FGs per game.

Inside look: Wroten, ranked by hoopscooponline.com as the nation's top freshman, and Taylor are cousins. Taylor was the KingCo 4A leader in three-point shooting, at 48.9 percent.

Outlook: Garfield opens with top-ranked Ferris, and the young Bulldogs will have to play well beyond their years to advance to the quarterfinals.

Foss Falcons

Location: Tacoma.

Record: 15-11 (3rd in Narrows League; 6th in West Central District).

Coach: Scott Sonntag (5th year).

Key players: F Nick Edwards, 6-4, Sr., 14 ppg, 8.1 rpg; G LuQuam Thompson, 13.7 ppg, 3.5 apg; F TeAire Bell, 11.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg.

Inside look: Foss won 11 of 12 in the second half of the regular season and won its first two district-tournament games to qualify for state.

Outlook: Sonntag thinks the key is defense. In every game Foss has won this season, the Falcons allowed fewer than 60 points.

Mariner Marauders

Location: Everett.

Record: 18-6 (2nd in WesCo South Division; 3rd in Northwest District).

Coach: Dexter Griffin (10th year).

Key players: G Joey Dillon, 6-4, Sr., 14.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg; F Damascus Purnell, 6-4, Jr., 12.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg; G Danny Chhann, 5-10, Sr., 8.7 ppg, 4.3 apg.

Inside look: The Marauders were once ranked in the top 10 before a four-game losing streak in January. They have won seven of eight since.

Outlook: Mariner's reward for making its second straight state tournament? Maybe the state's hottest team, Lincoln. It's not the worst draw, but it's definitely not the best.

Richland Bombers

Location: Richland.

Record: 19-8 (3rd in Columbia Basin League; 3rd in Eastern Regional).

Coach: Earl Streufert (9th year).

Key players: G Ryan McKinney, 5-11, Sr., 15.5 ppg; G Jake Haworth, 6-0, Sr., 11.6 ppg; G/F Tom Sanford, 6-2, Sr., 9.9 ppg.

Inside look: The Bombers won nine of their last 10 to qualify, including two upsets of CBL regular-season champ Wenatchee in the postseason.

Outlook: Richland will have to find some more magic; it opens against Bellarmine Prep and is on Ferris' side of the bracket.

Mountain View Thunder

Location: Vancouver.

Record: 18-7 (2nd in Greater St. Helens League; 2nd in Southwest District).

Coach: Mike Cranston (16th year).

Key players: G Joseph Vance, 6-1, Jr., 14 ppg, 7 apg; F Taylor Dunn, 6-5, Jr., 12 ppg, 7 rpg; G Matt Raivio, 6-1, Sr., 11 ppg.

Inside look: The Thunder is making its first state appearance since 1996, and had to beat Bothell, the KingCo 4A third-place team, to qualify.

Outlook: Mountain View's best wins have come because of an excellent transition game started by solid defense. It might have to play its best game of the season to upset Shadle Park.

Tom Wyrwich