Prep notebook: Puyallup football coach Gary Jeffers out indefinitely because of ‘family emergency’

Puyallup High School football coach Gary Jeffers is expected to miss his third consecutive game because of a family emergency.

Offensive coordinator Ray Brassard has taken over as interim coach while Jeffers has missed each of Puyallup’s past two games – coming against school-district rivals Emerald Ridge and Rogers – due to the undisclosed emergency. Puyallup travels to South Kitsap on Friday.

Puyallup athletic director Jim Meyerhoff did not want to release details of Jeffers’ situation in order to respect his privacy.

But Meyerhoff did say they expect Jeffers to return this season, but he did not know when.

“My understanding is that he will be back,” Meyerhoff said.

Jeffers entered his seventh year as Puyallup’s coach. The team has won two of its first three games.

“I know he will be back,” Brassard said. “I just don’t know when.”

Puyallup assistant principal Tim Harris released a brief letter to players and parents earlier this month.

“Due to a family emergency, Gary Jeffers will temporarily step away from his head coach position at Puyallup High School,” Harris wrote. “Our thoughts and best wishes go out to him and his family during this time.

“Current offensive coordinator, Ray Brassard, will serve as the interim head football coach during Mr. Jeffers’ absence. We are confident that coach Brassard will continue the good work that has been set in motion by our coaching staff.”

VOLLEYBALL RANKINGS

There’s a lot of respect for South Sound high school volleyball teams.

Seven of the 10 schools in the the Washington State Volleyball Coaches Association’s first rankings of the season were from the 4A North Puget Sound League or 4A South Puget Sound League.

Tahoma was ranked third, though it lost to Auburn Riverside in straight sets, 3-0, on Tuesday. Auburn Riverside was ranked fifth.

Curtis was ranked fourth, Kennedy Catholic was ranked sixth, Auburn Mountainview seventh, Bellarmine Prep eighth and Emerald Ridge ninth.

Tumwater, which beat Emerald Ridge, Curtis and Bellarmine, is ranked No. 2 in the 2A poll behind Archbishop Murphy.

Most of these schools will be competing at the Kent Classic – an all-day volleyball tournament taking place Saturday at Kentwood High School.

WEEK TO WATCH

Ten South Sound girls soccer programs are still unbeaten.

The schools: Kentridge (3-0-1), Kentwood (3-0-1), Jefferson (3-0-0), Puyallup (5-0-1), Bethel (3-0-1), Stadium (4-0-0), Gig Harbor (5-0-0), Fife (5-0-0), White River (4-0-2) and Cascade Christian (6-0-0).

And most all will be playing each other in the next week.

On Thursday: Gig Harbor plays Central Kitsap for the top spot in the 3A South Sound Conference; Fife plays White River for No. 1 in the 2A SPSL Mountain, Steilacoom plays Orting for No. 1 in the 2A SPSL Sound.

On Tuesday: The top two teams in the 4A SPSL, Puyallup and Olympia, play. Stadium faces Wilson to retain its top spot in the 3A PCL before facing Bethel on Wednesday.

This story was originally published September 21, 2016 at 4:37 PM with the headline "Prep notebook: Puyallup football coach Gary Jeffers out indefinitely because of ‘family emergency’."