Evergreen football remains a special place, despite its recent struggles.
Terry Hyde remembers the glory years. He knows what the program has meant to him, how important the school was to his family.
That is why Hyde, who has been the head coach the past nine seasons at Prairie High School, jumped at the chance to return to Evergreen.
Hyde told his players at Prairie on Friday that he had accepted the head coaching job with the Plainsmen.
“It’s an opportunity to go back to where my high school coaching career started and give back to the community that has meant so much to me,” said Hyde, noting that his three children graduated from Evergreen. “A lot of history for me and my family. When it presented itself, I just could not say no.”
Hyde was an assistant at Evergreen beginning in 1996 under head coach Jon Eagle. Hyde remained at Evergreen when Cale Piland took over the program in 2001. In 2004, Hyde was on Piland’s staff when Evergreen won the Class 4A state championship — still the only big school from Clark County to win a state football title.
Of course, Eagle is now at Camas and Piland is the athletic director for Evergreen Public Schools.
Hyde also is well known throughout the region as the president of Clark County Youth Football. Hyde was one of the founders of the youth league.
“Terry has a history of being passionate about kids,” Piland said. “He’s passionate about the Evergreen community. He’s lived in the community for years. He has a real strong passion for seeing Evergreen football play at the highest level.”
Evergreen is 10-35 over the past five seasons.
“The goal at Evergreen … is to get the kids to take the field and believe they can win,” Hyde said. “There is no limit, if they prepare as a team, to what they can accomplish.”
Hyde had a 29-53 mark in his nine years at Prairie. The Falcons went 6-4 in 2011, making the postseason and earning the program’s first winning season since 1997. While the record might not be awe-inspiring, it was nine more wins than the program had in the previous nine seasons.
“I love a challenge,” Hyde said. “I got one when I came out here (to Prairie), and I’m getting another one over (at Evergreen).”
Piland said: “There’s some work that needs to be done at Evergreen. Without a doubt, I know Terry is going to work really hard and give that job everything he’s got. The school and the community are going to reap the benefits of that.”
Hyde also noted there is more to high school athletics than the win-loss record.
“When you like to work with young people, many things you’re helping them to do has nothing to do with the sport you’re coaching,” Hyde said. “You want to help kids be successful in life.”
Hyde said it was tough to say goodbye to the Falcons.
“I am proud of the work we did,” he said. “We did a lot of good things for the Prairie community and the Prairie program.”
Andy Schoonover, Prairie’s athletic director, wished Hyde the best with a message on Twitter on Friday afternoon.
Schoonover said he completed to paperwork Friday in order to post the position.
“We’re going to open it up to everybody to apply and find the best coach we can,” Schoonover said.
