Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Within minutes after losing to Cusick last year it started again.
Hands reached for phones, numbers were punched in and welcoming front-desk voices answered to cancel reservations: Red Lion Hotel at the Park, Super 8, Ramada, Hilton Garden Inn, even the preeminent concierge at the Davenport would have no balm for this pain. Rooms came available again, as calls were placed, through the dark night of another season ending with Garfield-Palouse fans reaching for a mint on a pillow only to see it pulled away.
The 2014-15 team would not get to the state tournament at Spokane Arena. The 2013-14 team would not either. Perhaps a few of the faithful made reservations for March 2013, when the core were sophomores.
Now they are freshmen, in college, except for one.
Changes
A time exists in the brick-walled gym at Gar-Pal High School that Tim Coles was not the head coach.
A time exists in the brick-walled gym in which Matt Holbrook was not starting at guard.
The last time that was, Gar-Pal freshmen were fifth-graders. The last time Coles was not there, half of the people in the gym were not yet born.
On the inside jacket of John Cougar Mellencamp's seminal “Scarecrow” album, it includes a statement from George M. Greene: “There is nothing more sad or glorious than generations changing hands.”
In the Gar-Pal gym this winter, the notion may apply.
Tim Coles retired this summer after 29 years and three state championships. His successor, Steve Swinney, is a former Gar-Pal assistant and girls' coach, who takes over coming out of retirement.
Holbrook has started for the Vikings since he was a freshman. He will finish without Coles. He will finish without anyone he ever started with in high school. Now it's the class of '16 and younger beginning anew.
“I wasn't even thinking about getting into coaching again,” said Swinney. “But some parents, some kids started to ask me about it and I decided to give it a shot again.”
He now institutes changes, on offense, on defense and otherwise.
“It has taken a little longer than I thought putting in a new system,” said Swinney. “We're gaining, though.”
Aside from Holbrook, the Vikings return four seniors; forward/post Wyatt Griner, forward Ian Niebergs and guards Mitch Dymkoski and Quentin Neumann. The four lead a stable of backups from last year who saw a lot of playing time in blowouts during the regular season.
“We have about 10 kids that are really comparable in talent and work ethic,” said Swinney. “Just no one really pulling away.”
One of last year's backups sure to be in on the action is junior Mason Bates, a noseguard in the low post.
The team will play in a league with no overt returning favorites.
“I really don't know a lot about the other teams,” Swinney said. “Just a little hearsay, that Colton should be tough, Pomeroy will be tough again.”
The Vikings open the season Friday at home against non-league Tekoa-Rosalia.
Swinney will be assisted by John Gehring, his son-in-law, as well as daughter Tasha Gehring.
“We'll continue to work on fundamentals,” said the coach. “Tweak our offenses and defenses. We're trying to break them on some new things. It has been ingrained in the kids, being part of a good program. We're just trying to teach them a little different stuff.”
Holbrook, for his part, will play point guard and wing at times.
“Our main goal is to improve each practice, each game,” said Swinney. “The other stuff will take care of itself.”
Back from being away from coaching since 2008 with the Gar-Pal girls, Swinney gets used to it more each night.
“Little things,” he said. “The speed of the game mainly, from the girls to the boys.”
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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