STEVE SHIFFERT MORNING CALL FOOTBAL COACH OF THE YEAR

Steve Shiffert is a retired teacher, who has no plans of retiring soon as Easton's football coach.

He still enjoys teaching and building, and of course, winning.

Easton went 13-2 this season, twice beating Nazareth and Parkland.

A share of the Lehigh Valley Conference title and District 11 title were earned. Neither was easy but Shiffert and his staff were masterful in preparation and getting Easton players to excel.

Three wins in eight days for the second time in school history was huge.

Something for Shiffert, The Morning Call's coach of the year, to cherish as he reflected back this past week on one of his most successful seasons.

Shiffert has coached Easton to three wins now twice in his 17 seasons. He previously did it in 2004.

''It's probably not as difficult as most people think because first of all the kids enjoy not having to practice for eight days,'' Shiffert said. ''If you stop and think about it -- that's a players dream, 'Let's just play the game' and not practice.

''But you get to play three in eight because of what you did the seven, eight weeks before and that's why we follow routine teaching the game the way that we do, so that when we get into a situation like that we don't have to spend as much time on the practice field.''

Routine is a big key.

''We are creatures of habit here,'' Shiffert said. ''Our kids know what to expect everyday on the practice field. There is a certain formula that we follow.''

The results cannot be argued. Shiffert is 144-66-1 in 17 seasons, the most wins in school history.

His players admire him.

''He just follows the tradition of the Easton coach and he just keeps it going each year,'' said senior Patrick Murphy, a Morning Call all-area first team linebacker. ''He doesn't change up his style. He just raises hard-nosed kids and he is just going to keep winning.''

Passion for the game still runs wild his Shiffert's aging bones.

''Even though I am not teaching I look forward to the afternoon of coming down here for football,'' Shiffert, 58, said. ''The game is changing. It's challenging to keep up with the changes in the game. Obviously we threw the ball a little bit more at the end of the year, which was out of character for us.

''It's a a challenge to learn that new aspect of it.''

But Shiffert and his staff, which includes longtime defensive coordinator Doug Powell, were successful this season because they pulled out all the stops in a season.

Central Catholic coach Harold Fairclough, the runner-up coach of the year, also got his players to excel to a high level and has Vikings football back in the limelight.

Easton and Central Catholic did not play this season but it might have been an interesting chess match. The two teams aren't scheduled to meet next season, either.

Perhaps in two years because Shiffert plans to still be coaching.

''I still enjoy the game quite a bit,'' he said. ''I like being around the kids, being with the coaches. When I don't I'll know when to step aside.''

Until then, Shiffert will rely on the great outdoors, in particularly fishing, to help keep his mind at ease when he's not coaching.

''That's another season why I have probably stayed in the game so long because I have a release,'' he said. ''I can go elsewhere and have other interests and it not be about football 365 days out of a year.''

andre.williams@mcall.com