Eagles Landing Petticrew Home Aerie For Lakeside Teams

They should hang a shingle outside the Petticrew’s house on Wylie Road that reads “Eagles Headquarters.”

“I walked in here Thursday after work and a couple of George’s teammates were in the bathroom shaving their heads,” said Angie Petticrew, mother of George and Nikki Petticrew of the State A-bound Lakeside High School basketball teams.

Clean-shaven skulls has become the standard look of the boys. It started before last year’s State A Tournament. Much to the horror of some of the parents, the entire team now has the bald Eagle thing going.

“When I look through the video camera, all I see is black, white and bald,” said Angie, who shares game-taping duties with husband George.

Congregating at the Petticrews has become another tradition of sorts.

But when you have a mom who serves warm brownies around the clock, and a dad hip enough to look as though he bought his North Carolina Tar Heels cap and sweatshirt at the Foot Locker, teenagers respond. (OK, so he doesn’t wear the cap backward).

Throw son George and daughter Nikki into the inviting mix and you’ve got, well, the Cleavers in Nikes.

“They’re well liked by all their peers,” Lakeside boys coach Kevin Mulligan said .

Added Lakeside girls coach Lisa Schultz: “They are so polite and extremely unselfish kids.”

And noticeably quiet.

“It’s taken her two years to have a conversation with the coaching staff,” Schultz said about her 5-foot-11 starting sophomore guard.

George, a virtual chatterbox compared to his only sibling, has had more time to open up. The 6-3 senior forward became a starter three seasons ago. He lists baseball as his favorite sport and is thinking about pursuing a college career, possibly as a pitcher. Washington State and Whitworth have expressed interest in his baseball abilities. He also said two-year schools Skagit Valley and Big Bend are possibilities.

But for the moment, George, one of the Eagles’ top scorers (14.0 points per game) and rebounders, is set to enjoy his second straight trip to state.

“There’s nothing like the high school state basketball tournament,” he said.

He and his teammates’ will get their first feel of the Tacoma Dome from the seats when they watch the girls open against Charles Wright Academy of Tacoma at 9 a.m. Wednesday.

About 12-1/2 hours later, the boys open against Cashmere.

The two teams will make the ride to Tacoma together on a school bus, scheduled to leave this morning at 8.

“We always watch each other play,” said George. “We go there and cheer. The girls never lose, so it’s not emotional. At state, it probably will be.”

Never, with the exception of an early-season, 53-51 overtime defeat to Post Falls. Since then, the Eagles have strung together 21 straight wins and earned the No. 2 ranking in the Associated Press poll.

“We should win, or at least make it to the championship game,” said Nikki, also a volleyball standout, who leads the team in rebounds (6.1 rpg) and is second in points (9.7 ppg) behind junior forward/center Brianne Jolley (19 ppg).

The boys, a team that includes five senior starters, suffered losses to Reardan, Post Falls, league-rival Colfax in OT and Bonners Ferry in OT.

“I don’t think we’ll be nervous,” said George “‘Cause this year is our shot to win it.”

And wouldn’t the Petticrews just love to hang a “State A champions” sign outside their house?

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo