Class 4A boys tournament: Quakers get breakfast opener

RENTON — The quest for a state title will begin bright and early for the top-ranked Franklin boys basketball team, which yesterday suffered the unenviable fate of drawing a spot in the opening game of the Class 4A state tournament.

The Quakers (21-2) will face No. 9 Bethel (21-4) at 9 a.m. when action gets under way Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome.

"The Egg McMuffin game," said Franklin assistant Craig Jackson, shaking his head as he gathered some papers from a table at the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association headquarters in Renton, site of the annual state-tournament draw.

Coaches typically dread the Day 1 early game, if only because it breaks most drastically from the evening routine of the regular season. But Jackson, who played on Roosevelt's 1982 state-title team, said he thinks it's better to go first than last.

"I think it's a myth about early morning," he said. "I think it's more detrimental to play that (8:30 p.m.) game — the last game of the day — and be anticipating, waiting. Right now, we get there, go to sleep, wake up in the morning and it's time to play. I think it's a good draw for us."

Bethel, making its fifth consecutive state appearance, beat Franklin 64-49 in the state semifinals in 2000. The two teams' morning matchup should be one of the more interesting first-round games, as it features two University of Oregon-bound seniors — Franklin point guard Aaron Brooks and Bethel forward Johnny DuRocher, a future college quarterback.

Unbeaten Mead (25-0) resides in the other half of the bracket and will open against Federal Way (17-9) at 5 p.m. The second-ranked Panthers from Spokane won the East Regional over Central Valley Saturday night and Coach Glenn Williams hopped a plane at 8 a.m. yesterday to arrive in Seattle in time for the draw.

Also in Mead's half-bracket are: No. 5 Snohomish (20-2), No. 8 Prairie (20-6) and Walla Walla (18-8), the 1999 big-school state champ. All things considered, however, Williams said he liked the outcome.

"We wanted to stay away from Franklin and that was achieved," said Williams, whose team was eliminated by South Kitsap on Day 2 last year. "Nothing is easy now, but I felt the draw went well for us."

While most of the attention yesterday swirled about Franklin and Mead, Lincoln Coach Tim Kelly quietly observed the scene. His Abes (17-10) have won the past two 4A state titles and are working on a stretch of 10 straight state-tournament victories. Given the loss of state player of the year Justin Holt to graduation, and the strength of some of the other teams in the field, however, few pundits are predicting a three-peat for Lincoln.

"It's definitely different (this year). We're not the favorite," said Kelly, whose team plays Eastlake (17-7) in the first round, starting at 3:30 p.m.

"Being the favorite, everybody is looking at you like they don't want to get you (in the draw). There's nothing really you can do about it. You've got to get ready to play and I think the thing a lot of people have to understand is, it's a four-day test — mentally, as well as physically. The good teams will survive the four days of things outside of just the basketball floor."

Back in the tournament for the third straight year is No. 3-ranked South Kitsap (23-2). The reigning Narrows League-champion Wolves finished eighth at state last year, winning the school's first boys basketball trophy since 1950. They will play No. 6 Central Valley (19-6) of Spokane at noon in the first round — a matchup that has the potential to be one of the best of the first day.

The Wolves from Port Orchard had to win three straight games to qualify after dropping their opener to Kent-Meridian in the West Central District Tournament.