By Nathan Joyce
MaxPreps.com
The University of Washington landed one of the top recruiting classes in the nation.
The key?
The high school players from in-state.
Scout.com rated UW’s class No. 14 in the nation and third inthe Pac-10.
Twelve of the 26 players in the class were from the state, including seven of the top 10 players. Lakes tight end Kavario Middleton is considered the top recruit in the class. He and teammate Jermaine Kearse, a wide receiver, are key signees.
"That was huge for those two guys to jump in at that point in time and cast their lot with the Huskies and believe in the direction of the program," recruiting coordinator Chris Tormey told the SeattleTimes. "That was a huge boost for our football program on a lot of different levels."
For a list of the state’s Division I recruits, click here.
State: Busy Weekend on Tap
The busiest weekend of the winter sports seasons is on tap, starting Friday.
Mat Classic, the all-classification state wrestling tournaments, are set for the Tacoma Dome, with 24 mats running simultaneously.
Just across the hall at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Center are the state gymnastics meets.
And down in Federal Way, the King County Aquatic Center will host the state swimming meets.
Throw in the high school basketball playoffs, and it’s onebusy weekend.
Boys Basketball: Franklin Leaves KingCo Impressively
The Franklin Quakers beat rival Garfield 79-55 in their final game in theKingCo 4A Conference.
The No. 2 Quakers end their stay in the KingCo on a 31-game league winning streak.
Franklin is dropping down to the 3A classification and into the Metro League in the fall.
Sterling Carter had 21 points, eight rebound and six blocks to lead Franklin. Tony Wroten, the nation’s top-ranked freshman, led Garfield with 17 points.
Basketball: Defending Champs Remain Unbeaten
Two state champions from Spokane; two perfect records.
The Ferris Saxons, the Class 4A state boys champs, wrapped up a 20-0 record in the Greater Spokane League, extending their league win streak to a record 49. Ferris is 59-1 in the GSL the last three seasons.
Lewis and Clark, the two-time defending Class 4A state girls champs, are also 20-0.