Boys Basketball / Wesco 4A -- Brother Act A Hit At Everett -- Limars Among Four Returning Seagull Starters

EVERETT - They may be brothers, but Steven and Reggie Limar are in different worlds on the basketball court.

Steven Limar, a 6-foot-1 senior forward for Everett High School, is the emotional leader of the Seagulls. As he puts it, the older Limar fills a "big brother role" for Everett.

His voice, which often rings out as the Seagulls fly up and down the court, is a big part of Steven's life, as he uses it away from basketball as an up-and-coming rap musician.

"I'm the talker," Steven said with a laugh. "Reggie's the serious one who leads by example."

Reggie Limar, a junior center, is his brother's opposite. At 6-4, he is the taller of the two and anchors the low post for the Seagulls. He speaks softly yet packs quite a bang on the court.

"I bring my intensity level," Reggie said. "When I'm out there, I'll do my best to pump them (my teammates) up. I step up as a leader by my actions."

Reggie is the guy who breaks off the monster jam in transition. Steven works his way inside and out, daring taller forwards to come out and challenge him beyond the three-point arc. Reggie runs up the court after a basket with a scowl on his face. Steven brightens up with a smile and a high-five after swishing a jump shot.

To put it simply, first-year coach Darrell Olson couldn't be happier to have the pair on his team. Together with two other starters back from last season's Class 3A state-tournament team, Everett is the popular choice to repeat as WesCo 3A champion.

"We know how good this league is," said Olson, whose Seagulls are 3-2 in nonleague games. "You live with it (the expectations), and we'll certainly try to represent ourselves well."

Olson acknowledges the strength of the league, with Stanwood and Arlington the biggest challengers to his Seagulls. In recognition of a conference loaded with parity, Olson had his team play a strong nonleague schedule.

Everett emerged with wins over 4A Marysville-Pilchuck and Evergreen of White Center. The Seagulls also lost a heartbreaker to taller Burlington-Edison team and fell to WesCo 4A powerhouse Mountlake Terrace.

Tonight, Everett faces Stanwood at home in the marquee boys matchup of the evening.

"Last year we were a Cinderella team," Steven Limar said. "No one thought Everett would ever be that good. This year, our expectations are higher."

The Limar brothers are different in stature and playing styles but united by their faith and the admiration they share for their mother, Cynthia Andrews.

Andrews, who lives in Alabama while Steven and Reggie live with their grandparents in Everett, is the driving force behind the confidence exuded by her sons.

She even paid for the tattoos on their right arms: Reggie's, a set of praying hands; Steven's, a crucifix wrapped in a ribbon with the initials of his rap groups inscribed on the cross.

"The album drops in January," Steven said.

Olson, who nicknamed Steven "The Rev" because of his penchant for prayer and inspirational words before games, watched the brothers mature and improve when he was their junior-varsity coach.

"You could tell as freshmen and sophomores that they were going to develop into good ballplayers and good people," Olson said. "They're wonderful kids, and they have hearts of gold. Their mom has done a great job raising them."

The Limar brothers are among the tallest Seagulls, but Everett is still relatively undersized. So Reggie and Steven, under Olson's tutelage, have learned to play "bigger."

"We actually play to the height of a 6-7 or 6-8 guy by our vertical leaps and aggressiveness," Reggie said. "We don't change much. We try to play a lot of help defenses and keep the ball out of the middle."

Steven gives credit to Olson for helping Everett maintain an advantage on defensive.

"He knows how to beat big men," Steven said. "We practice so we can jump over those guys and box them out."

Rest assured, the Limar brothers will be hard to box out when it comes to leading the flock of Seagulls.