Warriors yearn to finish perfect year
Washington Coach Paul James was in a playful mood after the Warriors topped Bettendorf in the semifinals of the Class 4A football playoffs Friday night in the UNI-Dome.
James will never boast or brag, especially about himself, but he momentarily stumped a couple of reporters when he mentioned this will be his second trip to the state finals with the Warriors in five years.
James led Washington to the championship game in 2003 during his first stint as head coach and is returning again in 2014, which makes two trips to the finals in 12 seasons.
Two trips in five years did not make sense, until James slyly explained: He coached Washington in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and coached again in 2013 and 2014, so that's two trips in five years. He conveniently left out the seven-year span from 2006 through 2012 when he was Washington's athletic director but not the coach.
