1967-02-16-sc-p26-reardan-basketball-winning-streak

February 16, 1967 Spokane Daily Chronicle Page 26:

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Coach and 2 of Stars

Reardan basketball coach Frank Teverbaugh goes over plans with two of his top performers, Jack Soliday (center) and Garry Anyan. Reardan’s win streak has reached 49, longest in state history.

Reardan's Hoop Formula Simple: Win

by BURL OSBORNE

REARDAN, Wash. (AP)—Most everyone around this Eastern Washington town of 474 grows wheat — but not Frank Teverbaugh. He grows winning basketball teams.

If Coach Teverbaugh’s Indians win Friday night’s game against Grand Coulee, Reardan High School teams will have won 50 consecutive games, dating back to the 1965 State Class B Tournament.

His formula for success in coaching is simple:

Win.

“I don’t know what else you’re working for, really. You do the best you can and I guess that includes winning as many as you can,”’ he said,

Few Chances Missed

He has missed few chances to win during his five years as basketball coach.

The current victory string started after a 46 - 42 loss to Palouse in the opening round of the 1965 tournament. There were three tournament victories after that, followed by 26 straight triumphs — and the State Class B championship — in 1966, and a 20-0 record so far this season.

His teams before that were not exactly disappointments. The 1963 Indians finished with a 22-7 mark, followed by a 25-4 record in 1964 and a 23-7 slate in 1965. That adds up to 116 victories and 18 losses to date.

With the long string in jeopardy every time his team takes the floor, there must be pressure. “But I don’t think they’re tense,’’ Teverbaugh said. “It tears me up, but it doesn’t seem to bother them.”

Neither are the players lackadaisical, Teverbaugh said, even when they have a big lead — which has been much of the time.

This year’s team uses what amounts to a three-guard offense, and almost exclusively a zone defense. If there is a weakness, it’s lack of depth. There are eight boys on the varsity— but then, there are only 58 boys in the entire high school.

“We seem to have had awfully good ball players since I’ve been here,” he said. ‘All of them are coachable. They’ve got a good attitude and they work hard.”

Rated as perhaps the top performers this season are 5-11 senior Garry Anyan and juniors Jack Soliday, at 5-feet-9 and 6-4 Fred Fleming, who weighs in at 230 pounds.

Teverbaugh also virtually grows his own players. He teaches math and physical education in the elementary school, and has had some of his players since the fifth grade. That way, “we get them shooting the way we want them to... moving the way we want them. It’s a pretty healthy situation," he said.

He Was Grid End

Teverbaugh, 33 and 6-foot-4, began his coaching career after graduation in 1955 from the University of Idaho, where he was an end on the football team, He coached at Hailey and Valley high schools in Southern Idaho, then spent three years in construction work before coming to Reardan.

He also coaches football rather successfully. His record at Reardan is 37-11 and one tie, including an 8-0 record in 1963, when his team was rated No. 1 in the Associated Press poll.

But basketball is tougher to coach, he said. ‘“‘You can see the mistakes.’’ Few though they may be.