The Current
sports
january 2013 • 29
2012 a memorable year in Valley prep sports Rehkow’s 67-yard field goal among highlights
Current events Reflections on stories I wrote for The Current in 2012.
By Mike Vlahovich Current Contributor
No one involved in Valley high school sports in 2012 had quite the Gulliver-like experience of Austin Rehkow. His Brobdingnagian year began last winter helping Central Valley to the finals of the Washington State 4A basketball tournament. This fall, Rehkow became a national sensation following a monstrous 67-yard field goal that led to interviews on national television, mention in the same breath in a Sports Illustrated story with four National Football League record setting kickers, and a trip to Los Angeles as a finalist for the Herbalife24 Chris Sailor Award for the nation’s top high school placekicker, where he finished second.. “As far as it goes for my high school career, this has been a dream year,” Rehkow said. “I’m extra blessed, I know that for sure. It was just an opportunity I’ve been given, and I can’t be happier to have had it.” Rehkow’s turns in the spotlight were the bookends during a year of accomplishment by Spokane Valley athletes. It began in the winter, when a bunch of football players who had reached the state quarterfinals earlier showed the will in basketball to place second in state. “Definitely finishing second was a great experience,” said Rehkow, who took his turn in games as the scoring leader and was named All-Greater Spokane League. “It hurt to lose — as most anyone would say — in the championship game. We were super close, always hanging out, always joking around and having fun. We didn’t care who scored as long as (the team) scored. That was our reason for success.” The effort was memorable at the same time when his dad Freddie was guiding the Bears girls on a neighboring court in the Tacoma Dome to the state finals and another second-place finish. His was a team with great guards, foremost the Greater Spokane League’s MVP, Brooke Gallaway. GSL boys MVP University’s Brett Bailey led the Titan boys, absent from state for 27 years, to third place in 3A basketball, which tied the best finish in school history. The Titan girls finished fifth. Valley Christian had a dream season as well, reaching the State 1B finals and taking second for the second time in school history, the last coming 14 years earlier. There were numerous individual state
• Jud Heathcote: My first story in The Current was about the basketball coach who got his start at West Valley before moving on to college, first at Washington State University, then Montana and Michigan State where he won a national championship with Magic Johnson. Since then a group of us ex-Eagles and Cougars have gathered twice with their old coach for food and jocularity at South Hill restaurants. Jud continues to entertain. • Hank Frame: The University High and WSU golfer was told by his Cougar coach that he had the talent to go as far in the sport as he wanted. His victory in the Lilac City Invitational becoming just the third amateur in 49 tournaments to do so was ample proof. Now a senior Cougar, Frame led into the fourth round, triple bogeyed to fall behind with seven holes remaining. He rallied from three strokes down to force a playoff, finishing a 14-under 274.
Submitted photo
Central Valley High School’s Austin Rehkow, shown here in the 2012 Stinky Sneaker matchup against rival University, enjoyed quite a ride in 2012. wrestling placers, among them seven Central Valley qualifiers who all placed among the top eight. In the spring, three Valley teams reached respective softball state tournaments, and West Valley had one of the best seasons in school history. Unbeaten during the Great Northern League season, the Eagles were upset 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2A tournament, but bounced back to win four straight games and finished third with a 27-2 overall record. CV’s boys soccer team reached the state semifinals, finishing fourth after losing to eventual champion Skyview. University’s Eddie Gonzales won the state track high jump and Tanisha Whitsett was second in the shot put, as was East Valley’s Darbi Dotson in 2A. Freeman’s boys finished fourth in 1A, Quinn Robinson winning the 400 and Cody Unfred the triple jump.
Valley Christian completed its standout year by winning State 1B boys track. Grant Marchant finished first twice and second once — to teammate Richard Nyambura — in three distance races. Between them they accounted for 51 of the team’s 85 points. Which led to the fall. Central Valley’s cross country team won the school’s first state team title, joining the girls who had done so 30 years earlier. University’s football team won not only an unprecedented one state playoff game, but another finishing among the top four 3A teams in state. And Rehkow’s travels ended with the kick heard round the country. Did you have to ask if it was special? “Oh yeah, definitely. It was awesome to do that and kind of have all the TV time and national exposure that came with it,” he said. “Last year was beyond every-
• U-Hi-CV softball: After I wrote in April about how the two district rivals have set a standard for softball in the Greater Spokane League, the Titans went on to compile a 17-1 record, winning the GSL. The Bears finished second, and both qualified for state. U-Hi won twice to reach the 3A semifinals, lost twice and finished a win away from a top-four trophy. CV lost its 4A tournament opener to Jefferson, then won three straight before losing to Jefferson again and finishing one win away from the trophy round. In slowpitch during the fall, the Titans were again champions at the Bears’ expense. • University football: The beat went on for the Titans after my story on Central Valley’s state cross-country championship and U-Hi’s surprising run in the State 3A playoffs was published. They won again to reach the semifinals and finished among the top four in state, by far its highest finish in school history. — Mike Vlahovich thing I could imagine. To make a run to state, I couldn’t have had a better group of guys to do it with. As far as the 67-yarder, I never imagined I’d do that in a million years.”