By Nathan Joyce
MaxPreps.com
The Class 4A state basketball tournament begins Wednesday, and the Ferris Saxons are looking to remain perfect for another year.
Ferris, which hails from Spokane’s South Hill, is 25-0 this season. Last year, they won the state title at 29-0.
They open with an interesting first-round match at the Tacoma Dome. Ferris plays Garfield and the nation’s top-ranked freshman, 6-foot-5 Tony Wroten.
Lurking on the other side of the bracket is Franklin. The Saxons and Quakers (21-2) are both unbeaten against in-state competition.
Ferris crushed Franklin, 100-79, in a shockingly lopsided game in last year's semifinals.
Ferris brings an experienced team back to state with four starters and eight players returning. The Saxons are led by Montana-bound guard Shawn Stockton, nephew of NBA great John Stockton.
Franklin is led by highly-regarded junior guard Peyton Siva.
Ferris isn’t the only undefeated team from Spokane looking to defend its title. Lewis and Clark (25-0) is a two-time defending champ on the girls side. The Tigers landed in a tough half of the bracket, which includes No. 2 Prairie (18-3), No. 3 Lake Stevens (21-3) and three other ranked teams.
Lewis and Clark could become the first Class 4A team to win three-straight titles. Prairie has finished in the top six for 10 straight years.
Basketball: 38 From State Nominated by McDonald’s
Twenty six boys and 12 girls were among the 2,400 nominated nationally for the McDonald’s All-American team.
Top-ranked 3A power Rainier Beach had two on the list: Michael Ladd and Reggie Moore.
Auburn-Riverside’s Katie Grad leads the girls list.
Top-ranked Ferris has three nominees: Shawn Stockton, DeAnglo Casto and Jared Karstetter.
Basketball: Can Colfax Keep it Rolling?
The Colfax girls have won four-straight Class 1A state titles and its looking for its fifth as the tourney begins Wednesday at the Yakima SunDome.
Third-ranked Colfax (21-4) is making its 20th state appearance.
Colfax could end up facing top-ranked Lynden Christian in the quarterfinals.
On the boys side, No. 1 Bellevue Christian (21-2) won its fourth straight Emerald City League title, but the Vikings will be at a disadvantage as their leading scorer and another starter were kicked off the team last week for violating a team rule.
Basketball: Northwest Christian Looking for Three-Peat
Northwest Christian, from north Spokane, is looking for its third-straight state title as the Class 2B state tourney opens Wednesday in Spokane. The Crusaders won the Class B title two years ago and the first Class 2B title last year (the B classification was split before the 2006-07 season). Top-ranked Riverside Christian (21-0) could meet NWC in the finals.
LaSalle (20-0) is the favorite for the girls title. The Lightning won the state title two years ago and finished second last year.
State: Class 1B Kicks off State Tourneys
The state’s smallest schools, the 1B classification, played the first of the state’s six state basketball tourneys last week.
Sunnyside Christian (20-5) won its second-straight title as freshman Ryker Van Belle hit a 3-pointer with 29 seconds remaining in overtime as it handed Tekoa-Oakesdale (18-11) a 38-37 loss at the Yakima SunDome.
Tourney MVP Joel Koopmans led SC with 20 points.
Garfield-Palouse (24-4) won its first girls state title by beating Colton (23-4) in the title game 44-36. Katie Redman had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Gar-Pal. Colton earned its highest-ever finish at state.
