Former Skyline football coach inducted into hall of fame

High school football teams in Sammamish are carried by strong, passionate players. However, the coach also plays a vital role in order to achieve wins during each season, leading and training their teams to work together for both offense and defense.

Former Skyline coach Steve Gervais led the Skyline Spartans football team through some of its most gloried years from 1998 to 2007, winning three state championships during his time with the team.

On July 25, he was recognized for his achievement by the State of Washington Sports organization, which inducted him into its Hall of Fame. 

Gervais, 68, obtained much success throughout his football coaching career. He represented teams on a high school and collegiate level. 

During an interview with the Sammamish Independent, Gervais said he had a fond interest in football at a young age, especially since his parents were also football coaches. The competitive environment and opportunity for success particularly stood out to him. This interest fueled Gervais to play football at Puyallup High School, and later on at Oregon State University.

Gervais began his first year of coaching in 1976 at Eatonville High School. After spending 17 years at Eatonville (1976-1992), he transitioned to his next coaching position at Skyline.

In his nine years with the Spartans, Gervais achieved a record of 94 wins and only 22 losses. The Spartans were selected to participate in four state championships, and won in 2000, 2005, and 2007.

Throughout his whole career, Gervais had 244 wins, with a 74% win record across the games he coached.

Gervais, who had no goal or prior thought about becoming a hall of fame inductee, was deeply honored by the recognition. 

“The true joy comes out of the relationships that you develop over the course of a career…of a lifetime,” Gervais said.