High School Feature: Haugen steps down at Gonzaga Prep

Gonzaga Prep boy's basketball head coach Mike Haugen is stepping down after leading the Bullpups to a 26-4 record and a fourth-place finish at state this year. There's no scandal or shifting of power, or retirement.

Haugen just wants to focus on academics as the history department head and Advanced Placement World History instructor. Glad to see in the world of sports where high school juniors are going to play pro basketball in Europe, we still have some people that have their priorities straight.

Give this man a round of applause.

He had a 255-173 career record and five Greater Spokane League coach of the year awards, and he stepped away because he valued academics more than athletics. It's guys like Haugen that I wish were holding the whistle a lot more often than the ones that care only about Ws and Ls.

Congrats on a great career on court and here's to many great years to come in the classroom.

A special thanks to the Spokesman's Mike Vlahovich for reporting on this story. Simply put, he's the GSL je-sus.

High School Feature: Gonzaga Prep and Lewis & Clark off to state

Congrats to the Gonzaga Prep Bullpups, who will be sole team from the Greater Spokane League to go to state on the 4A level. Let's hope they have the same luck as their college older brothers.

With Ferris not making it after winning the past two state championships, the league narrowly missed not sending anyone to state. Phew! Embarrassment avoided.

Meanwhile on the girls side of things, Lewis and Clark did it the tough way, after a loss in districts that put their tournament hopes in doubt, they were able to come back and win two straight games and make their seventh straight appearance at state.

The Tigers have won three straight 4A state championships.