Prep Beat -- Franklin And Hale Poised To Add To Lacrosse History

Franklin and Nathan Hale have faced each other in a lot of sports over the years, but never in lacrosse.

The fledgling Franklin team gets a visit from Hale at 4 p.m. tomorrow.

Web Hutchins, who started the Hale program in 1992 and now teaches at Franklin - where he has started a team - said this will be the first lacrosse game between Seattle public schools.

Hutchins has 23 players out for lacrosse at Franklin. Tony Olney and Mac Johnston, who assisted Hutchins at Hale, have taken over the Raider program.

"The Franklin team has incredible potential," Hutchins said. "There are a lot of guys out from football and we've attracted some kids who are good athletes but haven't played an organized sport before."

Hutchins played lacrosse at the University of Wisconsin.

Lacrosse is a club sport at Hale and Franklin. Neither team gets funding from its school or the Seattle School District. Hutchins said the first-year Franklin program is making a special appeal for donations for money and equipment. One donor has been NFL rookie of the year Corey Dillon, a Franklin alum who has donated $1,000, Hutchins said.

Hale and Franklin are the only two public schools in the city with lacrosse teams.

Seattle Prep tough again

Any doubt about which school has the best coed tennis team in the city was answered last Friday when Seattle Prep beat Lakeside 11-0.

Chris Clausen of Prep appears to be the top player in the city. He teamed with fellow junior Jourdon Radloff to win the AA doubles title last year.

Two other top-tier Metro singles players are Matt Lattier of O'Dea and Louis Plough of Lakeside.

Felice Lam, a Ballard freshman, may be the best girl in the city. Other top girls are Jane Bleeg and Brittany Binet of Prep and Erica Tacheuchi of Lakeside.

Record broken

One girls state track record has been broken already. Mandy Borschowa of Mount Si threw the discus 168-6, breaking the 1994 mark of 165-9 set by Renton's Aretha Hill. Hill, a Washington Husky, competed in the 1996 Olympics.

Borschowa, who set a national high-school indoor mark of 143-6 this winter, has committed to Washington State University on a track scholarship.

Borschowa has her sights on the national high-school mark of 188-4.

Notes

-- Ed Neff has resigned as head coach of the Issaquah girls basketball team after guiding the Indians to their first KingCo Conference championship and first state-tournament appearance.

He said he wanted to spend more time with his wife, Heidi, who is expecting the couple's first child Oct. 1.

"I'll miss it, but other responsibilities take precedence," Neff said. "I'm excited about the fact that this new thing is coming up and a new challenge. It doesn't mean I won't get back into coaching at some point. But . . . it's time to find out what being a dad is all about."

Neff had a 38-31 record in three years as head coach. He will remain a special-education teacher at the school.

-- Woodinville middle-distance runner Brandon Roche, who finished third in the Class AAA 800 at state last year, has committed to Georgetown University in Washington.

-- Woodinville soccer goalie Sarah Peters has signed a letter of intent with Oregon. Teammate Tracey Smith signed with the Ducks during the winter.