Gridiron Notebook: Title has nice ring for Connell assistant

TACOMA — Clint Didier wants another ring.

The former Washington Redskins tight end already has three impressive ones, two signifying the Super Bowl championships the Redskins won in 1982 and '88 and the other an NFC championship ring from 1983, when they lost to the Raiders in Super Bowl.

Didier is an assistant coach for Connell, which plays defending-champion Elma for the Class 1A football championship today at 1 p.m. at the Tacoma Dome.

His two sons play for the Eagles. Traditionally, players and coaches on the championship team order commemorative rings.

Didier said he has plenty of fingers left.

"I told these young men that it would be an honor to put a championship ring right next to the ones I have," he said.

Didier never played in a state championship game during his days at Connell. The Eagles reached the title game in 1973, his freshman year, but he didn't play in the 35-6 loss to Raymond.

Didier graduated in 1977, then went on to Columbia Basin College — he played for the Hawks' junior-college national-champion team in 1978 — then Portland State, where Neil Lomax was the quarterback. When Washington Coach Joe Gibbs came to watch Lomax work out, Didier volunteered to catch balls.

"Gibbs said, 'Who is that guy?' and I was drafted (by Washington) in the 12th round," Didier said.

Didier played for the Redskins from 1981 through 1988 and caught a touchdown pass in the '88 Super Bowl win over Denver. He was released during the offseason and finished his career after two more seasons with the Green Bay Packers.

Didier, who was raised on a wheat farm near Pasco, returned to his roots and now farms 900 acres with his wife. He didn't join the Connell coaching staff until four years ago, when his oldest son, Travis, was a freshman.

"I needed to get away from football for a while," said Didier, the offensive coordinator. "Now, the fire is flaming. I love it with a passion."

Travis, a senior, is a two-way starter for the Eagles, at H-back and defensive end, and also punts. Justin, a junior, is a backup at wide receiver.

Cousins want 4A bragging rights

Before the school year started, Kentwood senior Adrian Chandler had a piece of advice for one of his cousins, Ryan Rainwater.

"I told him if he wanted to be on a state-championship team, he'd better come to Kentwood," said Chandler, who mostly played on special teams when Kentwood won the Class 4A title last season.

But Rainwater stayed at Capital and, lo and behold, he still has a chance to win a title — if his Cougars can beat Chandler's Conquerors in tonight's 4A final.

Actually, in this large, extended family, it's two Conquerors against one Cougar. Kentwood senior Greg Otis is another cousin. So, imagine the turkey talk when they all got together on Thanksgiving.

"We spent a lot more time talking than eating," said Rainwater, a defensive lineman who is considered one of Capital's top players.

According to Rainwater, family members originally debated about taking end-zone seats rather than choosing sides, but are now leaning toward getting together and watching in on television. The cousins love to give each other a bad time, so bragging rights in this one are big.

"Whoever loses is going to hear about it for a long time, because we like to talk trash," Rainwater said.

Title games stay in Tacoma

The Tacoma Dome will continue to host the state championship football games through at least 2005, said Washington Interscholastic Activities Executive Director Mike Colbrese.

There are no immediate plans, however, to replace the Dome's artificial turf, which was purchased used from the Seattle Seahawks in the early 1990s.

"We've talked about it," said Tacoma Dome building director Mike Combs. "I think at some point, long-term, we'll probably have to look at that. There has been a group out there that has come forward that would like to work with us and partner with us to help raise some dollars (to do that)."

Combs said the cost of purchasing a new artificial surface would be about $1 million.

He said the current turf should be good for five or six more years.

Combs said he'd also consider buying newer artificial turf used.

One of the few changes to the field this year, Combs said, involved the center logo, which was painted with a different kind of paint that didn't cause the turf under it to become too firm.

Dome officials also are looking to buy new goal posts for next year, Combs said.

Notes

• To get live, play-by-play Webcast of today's Gridiron Classic games, go to wiaa.com. Yesterday's action was also carried online. Tim Stevens, technology coordinator for the WIAA, is providing the play-by-play descriptions.

• Ben Finch is the referee for today's B-8 game between Touchet and Lacrosse-Washtucna. It's been awhile since Finch drew an eight-man assignment for the championship game — 27 years, to be exact. He officiated the 1975 final, when Prescott powdered Pe Ell, 58-0.

• Lind-Ritzville Coach Mike Lynch had T-shirts made up to commemorate the merger of the two schools' fall sports programs this fall. The shirts were seen in abundance yesterday at the Tacoma Dome and read, "Now it's twice as tough to play us."

• Reardan Coach Dan Graham, whose team beat Lind-Ritzville 17-14 to win the Class B-11 state title yesterday, said it takes a little time to adjust to the bright lights of the Tacoma Dome. "We're country boys," he said. "We come over here and our kids see MTV, and they think it's a four-wheel drive."