A Clift family tradition

Every year at this time, Tom and Marsha Clift schedule a week of vacation. It just happens to correspond with a Ferris trip to State 4A basketball.

“We usually pencil it in for the rites of spring,” Tom Clift said.

Since 2000, the year their oldest son Marcus made the first of three tourney appearances, it’s had a decided family flair.

In 2002, Marcus played on his second straight state finalist and younger sister Angie competed for the Saxons girls, who were third.

This week the Clifts will be there to watch youngest son Jon, the Saxons’ floor leader and leading scorer, complete his career with a second straight state appearance.

Like his children, former University of Montana defensive back Tom was a point guard at East Valley, though quick to point out, “I wasn’t as good as I thought I was. I made myself the first option.”

Marcus just completed his red-shirt junior year as a 10.2 scorer, but also the assist and steals leader at Division II Northwest Nazarene. Angie finished up at University of Great Falls ranked 30th nationally among NAIA guards in assist to turnover ratio.

Jon passes, too, but inherited the shooting part, outside and in, from his dad. This year he averaged nearly 16.5 points per game for the Greater Spokane League co-champions and last weekend’s regional winner.

They open state Wednesday in the Tacoma Dome against Evergreen of Vancouver, which returns its two leading scorers, both guards, from last year’s state qualifier.

Central Valley, which tied for fifth in the GSL then won district and finished second in the region, plays Bellarmine Prep in a half-bracket with four returning state placers.

All told, eight state veteran teams, five that won trophies, are in this year’s tournament.

Much of Ferris’ offense comes from its guards. Clift, outside shooter Jace Mattinson and sophomore penetrator Shawn Stockton produced 64 percent of Ferris’ offense during last weekend’s three-game regional sweep.

Still, coach Don Van Lierop is quick to point out, Ferris posts Brian Hallett and Caleb Rath were the difference during an imperative regional road win at Eisenhower in Yakima.

Rath, Hallett and Mattinson all suited up on varsity as sophomores, while Clift remained on the junior varsity. The slight, he admitted, bugged him.

“Jon was hurt,” said his dad, “but I told him he was getting 32 minutes a game.”

“I had higher expectations,” Jon said. “But it all worked out nice and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Clift started last year. By the postseason he began to display a shooting touch that enabled him to triple his scoring average this season.

“Last year I kind of had a role,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting to score at point because we had Jeremy Templeton.”

But he always knew he could shoot and a summer of hard work led to major improvement. He becomes, said Van Lierop, the third Saxons point guard, following his brother and Templeton, to be named to the Washington Coaches Association all-state series team.

“How many times,” Van Lierop said, “has a player gone from nothing to one who gets league MVP votes? That’s quite a rise.”

Van Lierop credits it to Clift’s understanding of the game that made him the biggest piece on this year’s team.

“He knows who should get the ball, mismatches, time and score situations,” Van Lierop said. “He’s just a heady guy.”

Clift may be the best offensive player of Tom and Marsha’s three basketball players. But they have the state team trophies he wants.

“We don’t want to go over and drop two like last year,” he said. “We’ll try not to let that happen.”

Besides, what kind of vacation would it be?