Colton girls get started on another winning streak

The Colton girls basketball team did what it knows best in response to the program’s first loss in three years.

The Wildcats won Tuesday, stopping Grangeville 59-50 after their 79-game winning streak – the longest for any girls team in Washington – was snapped by defending 2B state power Okanogan during the holidays.

It was Colton’s first loss since Dec. 28, 2012.

“You’re only as good as your last game so I’ll probably get fired now,” Colton coach Clark Vining said Tuesday afternoon, joking of course. “Everyone knew it (the streak) was there. It was sort of like the iCloud. You’re not sure where it’s at but it’s floating around somewhere.”

Colton didn’t lose to the sisters of the poor. Okanogan, ranked No. 1, is heavily favored to cruise to another state title. The Bulldogs returned all but one player from a year ago and their top player, 6-foot Jill Townsend, is being recruited by Gonzaga University among others. In fact, GU coaches were at the game, Vining said.

Vining didn’t consider the winning streak weighty. He’s not relieved it’s over.

“Don’t get me wrong – we’d like to keep it going on forever,” Vining said.

Colton doesn’t schedule cupcakes on its nonleague schedule.

“I told the team after the game we could have kept the streak going if that was our main goal,” Vining said. “We didn’t have to be in the tournament with Okanogan, but that’s how we built our program. We schedule the best teams we can schedule.”

And that’s why Colton has won seven straight State 1B championships and counting.

Vining likes the makings of his team.

“We’re pretty good,” he said. “It’s a little different than years past. Our bench is a little younger. It’s a team that’s going to get better as the year goes along.”

And that’s bad news for the rest of the 1B teams statewide.

CdA, LC hire coaches

Paul Manzardo is overjoyed to be back as a head coach. Same could be said for Darren Taylor.

Manzardo takes over as Lake City’s baseball coach while Taylor has been named Coeur d’Alene’s softball coach, replacing the legendary Larry Bieber.

It’s the first head coaching job for Manzardo since he spent five years at North Idaho College. The baseball program was eliminated after the 2002 season.

Manzardo, 46, replaces Travis Georgius, who resigned after three seasons because he’s studying to become a firefighter.

“We’re pretty fortunate,” LC athletic director Jim Winger said. “Paul has accomplished quite a bit at multiple levels including NIC.”

Most recently, Manzardo took a Little League team that included his oldest son, Kyle, to the Little League regionals in San Bernardino, California, in 2013.

“It’ll be a lot of fun,” Manzardo said. “To get back in it and coach older kids at different maturity levels, some I coached previously in Little League, is exciting.”

Three of the four 5A Inland Empire League schools will have new baseball coaches this spring.

For Taylor, 54, the softball job is his fifth head coaching position in the CdA School District.

He was the head softball, girls basketball, baseball and boys golf coach at Lake City.

He replaces Bieber, who had a 482-159 record in 22 seasons. CdA won five state titles under Bieber.

Taylor coached LC to state titles in softball and girls basketball.

“I’ve kind of circled back to where I started as a coach,” said Taylor, a 1980 CdA graduate.

Bieber will continue coaching, assisting Taylor along with former CdA pitching standout Jenna (DeLong) Fore.

“He’s got a wealth of experience,” CdA athletic director Bryan Duncan said of Taylor. “We’re fortunate to have him.”

Taylor is looking forward to Bieber assisting.

“We’re great friends and he’s the best that’s ever done it,” Taylor said.