By Christopher Duclos

Both on and off the court, Beverly and Johnny Verduin are exceptional kids. They're both starters and standout athletes on Ballard varsity squads and they both maintain solid performances in the classroom.

Junior Guard Beverly Verduin shows up consistently for the lady beavers. Wearing the no. 1 jersey and having a nose for the hoop, she's been sinking in double digit points every game so far this season. She's easily the best scorer on her team, averaging 12.7 points per game for a total of 76 points, as of press time.

Former starting quarterback for the Beavers, Senior Forward Johnny Verduin also takes his athleticism to the court. He is one of the lead scorers on the team, netting an average of 12 per game for a total of 60, and is second only to UMass-recruited Senior Seth Berger (17.2 points per game and a total of 86), as of press time.

Within the family, both Johnny and Beverly were born with the sport of basketball. Their mother Sue Verduin, is a BHS grad and her basketball jersey is retired in the gym at BHS. The Verduin parents can be seen as a key cog in the successes of Beverly and Johnny by helping them improve their game on the court and being hard on them about their grades.

“Our family contribution to Ballard High is pretty cool. You know a lot more people in Ballard when your family is doing their thing, and you know a lot more people at the school,” Johnny said.

“It's also really fun, knowing your family plays a big role to BHS,” Beverly added.

When asked about how long they have been playing, Johnny gave a long pause to think about how long it's really been since he started playing. “It's a family sport,” Johnny offered. “Bev and I have great support for each other, we tend to offer each other advice before and after our games. Whether we win or lose we're always there to talk to each other about it. We usually give a lot of advice after the game.”

Both Johnny and Beverly's parents are active in the community, serving as PTSA Presidents at several schools. Their mother Sue has served at Loyal Heights Elementary and Whitman Middle School, while their father John has served at Ballard High School.

Sue is also a former BHS Athletic Booster Club President and current Vice President. Additionally, John involves himself in high school sports by acting as the “Director of Statistical Analysis” for the BHS football and basketball teams.

When asked about sibling rivalry, Johnny stated, “There's a little bit of that; it was fun and games when we were younger, but as we got older we began to get more and more competitive with each other.”

Beverly, however, saw it differently. “I'm a little more competitive. It kind of sucks to be known as 'Johnny's little sister.' It's like I'm in his shadow, but at the same time it's fun. We offer each other advice, too.”

Of course, by just looking at the statistics (and not minding the difference in their positions or levels of competition), Beverly currently has the upperhand in any sibling rivalry, having averaged more points and a larger overall score.

You can catch the Verduin duo in their next basketball game as both the girls and the boys face Issaquah on Friday, Dec. 21. Girls Varsity starts at 6:30 p.m. and Boys Varsity starts at 8 p.m. The next home game will be an exhibition game against Australia on Jan.

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