Local report: East Valley football coach steps down

MOXEE — Barry Reifel, whose East Valley football teams have reached the state semifinals five times and the championship game twice, has coached the Red Devils for the last time.

His resignation after 21 years as the team’s coach became official Monday night at the East Valley School District board meeting, ending Reifel’s 31-year coaching career.

“I really enjoy the community and the kids,” said Reifel, who serves as shop teacher for the school and this year is also teaching weight training. “I think I’m just kind of wearing out. I just need a break.”

In 21 years under Reifel, the Red Devils have been hugely successful, winning 144 games against 81 losses. His East Valley teams lost in the state semifinals in 1993, 1994 and 2003, and reached the title game in 1994 and 2004, losing those championship contests to Meridian and Othello, respectively.

Prior to becoming the Red Devils’ head coach, Reifel had spent two years as an assistant coach at East Valley; three years as an assistant at Washington State University at the same time he was coaching at Garfield High School, now Garfield-Palouse; and four years at Stanfield High in Oregon, the last three of those as head coach.

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College football

Wildcats ranked 3rd in final D-II poll

WACO, Texas — The Central Washington University football team, which finished with a school-record 12 wins and qualified for the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs for the third consecutive season, was ranked third in the final AFCA poll of the season.

Central’s No. 3 ranking marks the highest final ranking in the program’s 11 seasons as a member of the NCAA Division II. The 12-1 Wildcats were ranked behind the two teams that played for the championship this Saturday — national champion Northwest Missouri State (14-1) and runner-up Grand Valley State (13-2). CWU lost to Northwest Missouri, 21-20, in the national quarterfinals on Nov. 28.

Overall, Central has been ranked in the AFCA poll in each of the past 33 rankings dating back to Oct. 9, 2007, which is the sixth-longest active streak in Division II. CWU was listed among the top 10 in each of the final 12 polls of the 2009 season and earned its first-ever number one ranking at the Division II level in the final regular-season poll on Nov. 9.

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Bowling

EISENHOWER 2, SELAH 2

At Minda Lanes

Team scores: Selah 697, Eisenhower 681; Eisenhower 751, Selah 749; Selah 141, Eisenhower 137; Eisenhower 179, Selah 132.

Selah highlights: Liz Baze 203, 379.

Eisenhower highlights: Jessica Curtain 169; Brittany Pennant 161.

Record: Selah 3-2 league, 4-4 overall.