1976-05-14-sc-p5-reardan-athletics

May 14, 1976 Spokane Daily Chronicle Page 5:

Reardan Indians

Climb to Top Difficult

REARDAN, Wash.— Although success on the basketball court now seems automatic for Reardan High School, the thrill of victory was a long time in coming.

Since 1966, when Reardan won its first state B crown, the Indians have won five championships in 10 years. The tournament was in existence, however, for 32 years before Reardan ever appeared.

That debut was in 1963 when Frank Teverbaugh coached the Indians to a 71-59 win over fourth-ranked Kittitas. Reardan, however, failed to place that year.

The Tribe took sixth in 1964 and captured fifth in 1965 before winning back-to-back titles in 1966 and 1967. A 57-game win streak initiated in the 1965 tournament, climaxed with the 1967 championship. The consecutive victory mark still stands today, but is strongly threatened by Brewster.

Reardan took it all again in 1970, 1971 and most recently appeared in the winner’s circle in 1974.

The key to Reardan’s basketball and general athletic success, believes coach Gene Smith, is a combination of tradition, dedication, pride and community support.

“Once you get anything going in a community, pride begins to play a role,” Smith noted. "The kids go out on the floor and they take pride in where they are from. The kids feel a commitment to the program and this branches out to the community.” Smith was Teverbaugh’s assistant from 1964 to 1969, when Teverbaugh resigned.