Greg Lee

Waitsburg-Prescott’s football season has been ended the past two years by the Colfax Bulldogs. Last year’s setback was the most disappointing since it came exactly a year ago in the State 2B semifinals.

Many communities seem to have a person who has had a lifelong dedication to youth sports. Perhaps none was as dedicated or had as big an impact as Robert Marzulli.

Prep football: semifinal pairings

SAMMAMISH, Wash. – Sometimes it’s the little things a defense does and the little things an offense executes that spell the difference in a football game. Central Valley coach Rick Giampietri emphasized his team can defend the screen pass. It just didn’t look like it Saturday afternoon when Central Valley bumbled around on defense and didn’t have much consistency on offense as the Skyline Spartans stung the Bears 52-17 in a State 4A quarterfinal game.

Coeur d'Alene repeats

Chad Chalich will get his right foot fitted for a cast today and miss the first month of the basketball season.

He just completed his fourth decade in coaching, so Bill Diedrick ought to know when it’s time to retire. The University High football coach told his team following its 31-27 loss to Southridge in a 3A play-in game that it would be his last as the Titans’ coach. Come the end of the first semester in late January, Diedrick and his wife plan to relocate to San Diego where they own a condominium and home.

This week in preps

Skyline swats Mead, fly

Mistakes – two coming on basic kickoff return coverage – were pivotal in the Mead Panthers’ undoing Saturday afternoon. The Skyline Spartans, regular playoff qualifiers, played like they had been there before as they knocked off Mead 27-17 in a State 4A football first-round playoff game at Joe Albi Stadium.

About five weeks ago, somebody flipped a switch for the Central Valley Bears.

Prep football playoffs

A big reason why Mead, Ferris and Central Valley are in the first round of the State 4A playoffs is because of two-way players. Perhaps more than any recent season, two-way players have been vital to those three teams. The teams had plenty of talent going into the year; they just didn’t have as much depth as some seasons.

Washington First-round matchups

This week in preps

State football playoffs

4A state football games set