Bruce Miller Class of 1970

HOW WONDERFUL TO GO BACK AND SEE THE START OF GREAT TRADITION WE ALL HAD PART OF AND LOOK AT ALL THE STARS WE WERE. WOULD BE FUN TO GET ALL THOSE PLAYERS TOGETHER WITH COACH E. WHAT A MAN. I THANK HIM WITH ALL MY HEART AS WELL AS ALL THE COACHES OF EAST HIGH I SAY THANK YOU

BRUCE MILLER

Roy Busse - Class of 1960

Roy Busse
Horseshoe Bay Texas
Played 1957-1960

My very first flash of memory when I think of Coach Eathorne, Mr. or Les doesn’t sound right, is the slamming of the clip board on the gym floor with a piece of the masonite sliding half way across the court and the bench and the crowd getting quiet. My steel trap mind immediately told me he was unhappy. And the fact that I was sitting on the bench gave me hope that he wasn’t unhappy with me. What I grew to understand was that this wasn’t some random act of anger but a calculated action aimed at a referee, our team or both. It was meant to say we need to take it up a notch and Mr. Referee don’t get in our way. Eathorne was a genius at getting you to take it up a notch, particularly when you didn’t know you had another notch left. In fact I would submit that his most enduring legacy, to those with the privilege to play for him, was he was able to take 15-18 year old boys, raised mostly in a blue collar community with few parents who had college educations, and teach them that their biggest limitations were the ones they set for themselves. By demanding more and pushing us beyond our self imposed limits he made us realize that we could reach for and achieve goals well beyond our limited view of the world. Another high school coach named Sturdivant and a band leader named Francis did the same.

The team my senior year had some real talent if not much size. Anderson, Eno, Dolmseth, Leismann, Mackey, “Beans” Lee, Francalangia all had talent. I loved the game but had a body and an attitude that was more linebacker that power forward. As with a typical Eathorne team the strategy was pretty simple, full court press, fast break and beat them with conditioning and the transition game. His transition……….. our conditioning. Never before and never since, including a successful football career at Washington State, have I been in such good shape. It was a wonder they could even keep paint on the floor of the gym. We ran until our shoes, our feet or both were about to fall off. He forced you beyond that point of exhaustion where your mind and body said, “that’s it, I’m done, there ain’t no more to give.” Then you found there lurking in some unknown crevice of your brain that there was more, that the pain could be pushed to the back of your mind, that there was great joy and pride and satisfaction finding that you could do more than you thought you could. He already knew. I had to learn it, experience it, embrace it and fuse it with my will and determination.



Many years later in Chicago, at a senior management symposium on leadership, the moderator asks everyone to describe the person who had the greatest influence on their live. The responses included mothers, fathers, other family members, wives, ministers, grandparents, teachers, and mentors. My response was my coaches. From little league to college they pushed me beyond my self imposed limits. And theses coaches with their old sports/life cliché’s about preparation, hard work, practice, focus, and winning were actually instilling an attitude and discipline that would serve us the rest of our lives. But none had the enduring impact of Coach Eathorne. His enthusiasm became your enthusiasm. His hope became your hope. His will to win became your will to win. His willingness to pay the price became your willingness to pay the price. And once you have experienced the sheer joy of giving an endeavor all you can give, leaving nothing on the field, or the court, or at the office. It becomes the way you want to live your life.

I left Bremerton after graduation living all over the country in some 15 different cities. I would return to visit my parents and my 2nd mom, Jean McAboy, and only once did I find the time to seek the coach out and say thanks. If you get a chance to read this Coach, it is a very belated and expanded thank you. And what is truly amazing is that I am only one of hundreds or thousands you have touched in your life, both on and off the court. Few in this world leave such a wonderful and positive legacy.

The great work of coaches like Eathorne continues today and you can see it in many venues on and off the courts around the world. Masonite clipboards on the other hand are getting harder to find.

Dick Anderson - 1960

I think that what you are doing here to honor Coach Eathorne in documenting the history of East High School basketball is such a great idea and wonderful for the community.

My years of playing basketball at East High School and for Coach Eathorne were fantastic. We were trying to establish a new identity for East Bremerton as the school was only four years old when I graduated. I was part of the first freshman class when I was there. It was a very exciting time as far as lessons carried over to work life. I think it was the finest opportunity that anybody could have to develop lessons that are going to help them in business and in married life or whatever else.

As far as after graduation, I came back and coached at West High School from 1966-1971 and then another coach from Central Kitsap High School, Bob Moawad and I, started in the early 1970s a business called “Edge Learning Institute” that I still own and am the CEO of, to this day. We have had this company for the last 35 years. Bob Moawad passed away about a year and a half ago so I have the company by myself now, but Bob and I were business partners for 33 of those 35 years. We do training for corporations throughout the United States as well as some international enterprises as well.

Dick Anderson, CEO
Edge Learning Institute
Tacoma, WA

Rick Walker - 1974

I have to start when our family moved to East 29th Street. (Strange isn’t it, EAST 29th Street.) I was perhaps, 8 years old. Very quickly the neighbors behind us, on East 28th Street, realized the four Walker boys (Bob, Rick, Mike and Brian) were loud and entertaining.

The neighbor behind us was the Eathorne family.

The first impression we gave our neighbor was the day we locked Mike out of the house. It ended with a CRASH! Our house had two sliding glass doors. The downstairs sliding glass door was in little pieces on the ground. The Walker boys had arrived!

Les saw that I was the tall one and perhaps wanted to keep me out of trouble. He must of asked Mark to invite me over to see if I could play basketball. I remember the day Mark first asked me if I wanted to play basketball.

I said, “Sure.”

He threw me a round orange ball. (And I said to myself, what do I do with this? I really had not heard of the game of basketball.) They had a hoop nailed to the back of their garage. That was the day I was introduced to the game of basketball.

As the years went by, Mark would invite me to go with him and his dad to the East High gym. The basketball team had practice. We would watch them run around for a while, then, we would go play on the wrestling mats, swing on the climbing rope, hide under the bleachers and basically stay out of trouble.

I was invited to go to some of the games. It was awesome for a young kid to see the drama of East basketball before the game even began. The players running through the banner, the Knight and squire with the sword coming into the gym, the lights going out and the spotlight coming on, people cheering and going crazy, the introduction of the players, the pep band. All was designed to create the atmosphere for East High Basketball.

The most fun was sitting behind the East High bench. We would look like we were watching the game, but secretly we played our own little game. We would dare each other to trace with our finger, very lightly, over the name stitched on the back of the warm up jackets. If the player felt our touch, by usually turning around to see what we were doing, we would lose. I remember the toughest name to get all the way through, without him feeling it, was Gundlefinger.

Then came the day I was to attend East High School. As a freshman I feared, Mr. Eathorne even though I grew up in his neighborhood. At school, he had a way to instill fear in freshmen.

I started going to open gyms to play. The East High gym was the place to be on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sunday afternoons. I remember the day he told me to guard Steve Boyce. THE Steve Boyce? He was a senior, I was a freshman. “Boy”, I thought, “Eathorne did not like me.”

That’s the way Les coached. He challenged you to compete beyond your comfort zone in an attempt to help you realize your full potential.
I remember him saying to me after one open gym, “Good job, Walker.”
Man, that was a great feeling. I also discovered that playing with the “big boys” wasn’t all that difficult. The coach just wanted to see your hustle your butt off. You did not need a lot of talent.

He did not have to say much. After awhile, one could tell whether he approved of your play by the way he looked at you.

When I became a junior, something changed. He talked to me more as a person, not just a player. I found out that he purposely instilled fear in the heart and minds of little freshmen to see if they really wanted to play East High Basketball.

Coach taught his players how to represent their family and community; how to take pride in their school; how to conduct themselves in public; what it meant to work hard and pursue excellence. He had high expectations and he expected you to fulfill them. He taught us to be quality young men and contributing citizens.

It was Les that introduced me to coaching. Les called me up the day before practice was to begin in 1984 and said he did not have a JV coach for this season. He asked me to come down to the gym and apply. If I liked it, I could have a job. Like it! It was great!

As I went on in my coaching career, East High basketball was the standard I used to evaluate any other program. It was the example I followed to build my programs.

From watching the drama as a kid, to being part of the drama was an experience I cannot fully articulate. The website explains more of the traditions that impacted the young men who played for him and the community. I have seen and experienced Coach Eathorne’s commitment to his players from an early age. I thank him for his influence. I was unusually blessed having a coach and mentor who was a neighbor and is a friend.

Rick Walker
King’s West School
Sports Beyond

Richard Torseth - 1974

I grew up on East 28th Street, the residence of East basketball. It was not a coincidence that Les Eathorne lived on a street with East in its name. I feel like I was born into East Basketball, I did not choose it. It was chosen for me when my family moved on to East 28th Street and three houses away from coach and his two soon-to-be Knights: John and Mark Eathorne.

At the time my dad was the sports editor for the Bremerton Sun. That meant that he had to keep his distance and his allegiances to himself when it came to the local teams. I was not burdened by such nonsense. There is not a memory in my life that does not have East basketball as either background music or at center stage. I knew who Lyle Bakken was before I knew most of my relatives. But that was due to John and Mark. You just had to know certain things about East basketball if you were to be part of the neighborhood.

My first coaching lesson with Les came when I was about eight or nine. Les hauled Mark, Robbie Sawyers, Darrell Nelson and I up to the gym on a Sunday afternoon. This was always the golden moment of the week for us. As soon as we were in the building we were off to the small gym to swing on the ropes, mess around on the wrestling mats and throw the basketballs from one end of the gym to the other. There was no real basketball being played.

Les had organized the Sunday teams in the main gym and suddenly burst through the door to find us hanging from ropes and laying on the mats. He looked us all over and said “You have until 4:45 to learn how to dribble a basketball or this is your last trip to the gym.” With that, he walked out. We looked at each other and somehow got it into our small brains that the golden moment was about to go away unless we got down to business. Somehow we learned to dribble and preserve our gym pass.

Friday nights were sacred. Watching the Knights play to a packed gym while flying up and down the floor was a cherished experience. I am tattooed with memories of Wayne Gibson throwing bounce passes under defender legs, Alan Martin putting on shooting clinics with his beautiful jump shot as he challenged Port Angeles’ Bernie Fryer and Dave Pyles playing with endless energy.

While I was blessed to be part of the two teams that won back-to-back state championships, my Knight memories are always first about my teammates who have become my life long friends. Thirty four years after we played, I am again on a team with Walker, Olson, Eathorne and Garinger and the work together on this project has been seamless and a joy.

This is probably the touchstone lesson I learned from Les. While he taught us to play the game fast, he really was teaching us that if you want to go far, you will need to go together. You will need to pick each other up from time to time and be willing to rely on a teammate as well.

In both my work as a consultant and as a youth coach to basketball and soccer teams, every teaching moment has been underwritten by Les. Work hard, share the ball, play together, play smart and have fun. He always asked that we players give something back to the game of basketball. It has been both my privilege and my intention to do that in my work. They do not know it, but there are many kids and clients walking around with the Les Eathorne gene in them. I’m proud to be just another Knight who’s passing around this great bug.

Rick Torseth
Class of 1974
Human Securities, Inc.

Bill Berentsen - 1965

A View from the Players’ Bench, 1965

Academics and sports—lots of sports—were what I did at East High School in the early ‘60s; but I was mostly a varsity basketball spectator—many years from the bleachers and one year from the bench (’65). I had an outside shot, but I couldn’t jump or get up and down the court with much speed. (As my gruff Dad used to say: molasses ran faster than me. Coach Sampson wrapped an ankle for me in fall ’62, took a look at my flat feet, and cut me after practice. Later, football coaches Berney and Enslow told me that I had set the county record for a fully suited-up hundred yard dash—slowest ever.) But I compensated a bit, and coaches McCarty and Barich let me play with the Bombers and coaches Eathorne and Sampson let me stay down as the only junior on the ’64 JV team, a bunch of very good guys who as seniors had a great season (’66). In ‘65 I got all the coaching that the starters got, and playing four days a week on our beautiful court was more fun than another season slipping and sliding at Sheridan Park in city league games. (One rumor was that I was on the East team so there was another footballer to practice against Cal Pharr, who was really good at knocking you around, and he worked on the concussion I had from the football.) So, from the bench that year I watched talented basketballers show me how to play. As Coach indicates, the team started slow and then reeled off quite a few wins. Coach notes examples of some talented (like Pharr, Huguenin), gutsy (Winderl, Slate) and hustling players (Johnston, Fisher) on the team, but he might have also noted the load of fun-loving comics (Berteaux, Fisher, Strachan, Slate). After all that fun at East I played in every imaginable sort of city and university basketball league until I was forty—and then came out of “retirement” a few years ago to help coach grade schoolers. The “trouble” was that the East High coaches taught us Olympics rules basketball. As Coach Eathorne said in his interview on this site, we were taught: no foot dragging, palming, grabbing, push-offs, etc. So, my last city league game was the night I took on a fast break at the foul line and got a full footprint on my thigh and a half print on my chest. Now, who drilled it into us to “take the dribbler”? And, the parents who saw me order the kids around and mutter on the sidelines in recent years called me a throwback to the days when coaches were in charge. Guess who they were, and why I figured a coach ran a team (or a university classroom)? Coaches, thanks for the lessons in basketball, and life. We’ll never forget.
Sincerely, Bill Berentsen ‘65

Lyle Bakken - 1958

I first met Les Eathorne at the Men's "Golden Ball Championship" that we won as high school Sophmores. Les saw the rag-tag "bums" which he was to inherit the next year and stated "Oh My God!". The next season, (1957). he added plays 1 and 2 (remember), had any rebounder step out with one foot & fire the ball at the downcourt net and heaven help Mahugh, Stautz or myself if we weren't there to catch it. Defensively, he "organized" it to always double-team the ball, play the passing lanes and run like hell. (we were conditioned to play three games back to back and not break into a sweat. How John Wooden got wind of it (UCLA press, HA!) I don't know but he made a fortune with it. Sorry Les.


What many people don't remember was that Les was an outstanding track coach. I remember him on the bus to P.A. reading "Track Coaching for Dummies" and saying we need points in hurdles to win this thing, so Bakken you're it!". I said " I never jumped a hurdle coach" and Les said "We have one-half hour before the meet, when we get there so go practice". The hurdles came up to my armpits, I jumped landed on my butt, Les looked down and said "Jump higher and run faster. Form does not matter". (see picture) I knocked every hurdle down, split my knees open, and won.
No one every having had contact with Coach E on the track, maples, or in class will ever forget him. God bless you, Les & Pat
Love Lyle

Clark Blaisdell- 1971

I appreciate the lessons learned from Coach Eathorne. I respect and honor the man. He taught me that I was a student first and an athlete second. My senior year I skipped a class because I did not have an assignment completed. The teacher who taught the class happened to run into Coach Eathorne and mentioned that the upcoming game might be a tough one. Coach agreed, but the teacher continued that the game might be more of a challenge because three of his key players had missed his class that day. We were warming up for practice, and Coach Eathorne called the three of us into the locker room. When confronted with our missing class that day, we confessed our transgression. He immediately informed us that we were suspended from the team for this one game. We could not practice with the team suit up for the game, nor attend the game. This was a league game and important in the standings for our making the playoffs. To this day I appreciate that attending class and being a good student and person were more important to Coach Eathorne than a game. I also appreciate that he was very fair to us and allowed us to continue as members of the team and did not punish us further. We were allowed to maintain our position as starters. I will always remember the lesson taught by a good coach and a great man.

I also remember the pregame rituals. The most exciting moment for me (besides the opening tip) was the introduction of the starters at the free throw line. The house lights were turned off and the spotlight was focused on the players at the free throw line as they were introduced. I still feel the excitement and adrenaline as I think about it.

It was a privilege to be a member of the Knight basketball team. Those are memories I cherish and revere. I am grateful for the opportunity I had to be a Knight, but most importantly I am grateful for the lessons taught to me. I thought so highly of Coach Eathorne that I asked him to write a letter of recommendation for me when I graduated from college and sought employment. I am one of many whom Coach Eathorne impacted and influenced. Thank you, Coach.

Clark Blaisdell, Class of 1971
Clark Blaisdell
Cornerstone Technologies, LLC
824 N 1430 W
Orem, UT 84057
M: 801-471-5428
T: 801-221-0099
F: 801-221-4804
cblaisdell@cornerstoneav.com

Ian Gilyeat - 1977

The most vivid memories for me with Mr. Eathorne and East High basketball are lessons that have been burned in my conscience. They come out in various places at home with my family, at church and when watching sporting events – even when watching professionals and the Olympics. They are frequently top of mind and have never drifted far away. Two such lessons are:

“the best defense is a great offense” and “never, ever – give up the baseline!”

These lessons have been invaluable to me over the years. Perhaps another, although a little more personal, but just as useful, and deeply engrained in my character is the long path to breaking into the starting line-up. I didn’t play any school ball until my Junior year and by some miracle Coach Eathorne put me on the team. I practiced for hours and hours and finally made the team. I rode the bench a lot but remember vividly one game when he gave me a chance to start. It was a game at O’dea and I lasted about sixty seconds as I recall. My mind went blank and I didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing. Coach Eathorne pulled me and put me back on the bench. It’s very possible that no one else will remember this event – but it taught me a great lesson about paying attention to the details and to make sure I know exactly what I’m doing before I get up on a public stage. This has been exceptionally useful over the years as I have been called on to speak in public often and have given many presentations in boardrooms across the country.

Another lesson for which I am indebted to Mr. Eathorne - I was thrilled to be on the team and it was more important to be on the best team possible and ride the bench than it was to be a big shot on a much lesser team and play all the time. I rode the bench a lot and loved running lines in practice because I knew I could make the team better by doing my best to run everybody else into the ground. Not that I could, but I could at least try. We were a small team and we had to run if we were going to win. At least that was the message that I got so I just worked at it…

The last that I’ll mention is that he taught me how to compete. He taught me that if I wanted something bad enough, I was gonna have to work for it – and it didn’t matter if I thought I was good enough or not – I had to make him think I was better than the next guy. He knew that I had no natural gifts that were suddenly going to make me into a great ball player. If I wanted to play then I had to work at it and to work hard.

Mr. Eathorne was a great coach and I had tremendous fun and learned many life changing lessons from my experiences with him. High School was a great experience and in many ways it was due to the privilege I had to play basketball and the lessons he taught.

Ian Gilyeat
I.R. Gilyeat & Company

Bryan Garinger - 1974

It is still a pretty vivid memory in my ever aging mind where I can recall wanting to be an East High Knight basketball player. It was when Coach Eathorne brought either the 1967 or 1968 team over for a talk to the Olympic View elementary school. I saw those players in their uniforms and warm ups and decided then and there that is what I wanted to be when I got to the high school. I would practice my skills on the Albro court (aka bomb shelter/wine cellar) against the likes of Dave (Spiderman) and Dan (Tenacious D) Hegland just down the alley from my house. I don’t remember why, but I did not play pee-wee ball at North Perry. My basketball career started at the Junior High (Dewey) when Rick Walker was just as tall and just as good as the rest of us. Our coach, Jerry Willson, started our indoctrination into East Basketball and it continued when we were freshman with Dick Danubio and JV with Dave (On the line – AGAIN!) Holmer.

Making the team and then winning two back to back state championships definitely ranks right up there as one of the greatest highlights of my life. (I haven’t been in another parade into town since.) And it was not just the basketball skills we were learning along the way. The original Knight, Lyle Bakken, had sent us all letters after the 1973 title games and it had a quote from Gen. MacArthur in a speech he gave to a graduating class at West Point. The quote was “On the fields of athletic strife are sewn the seeds that on other days and other fields will bear the fruits of victory”. I didn’t really fully appreciate the meaning back then, but there is no doubt in my mind that everything I put in practice today at work is something I learned back then. Today we are being asked to lead with attributes such as “Charting the Course, Setting High Expectations, Inspiring Others, Find a Way, Delivering Results and Living the Values”. All of those things can clearly be demonstrated by what we learned on the court with a big E in the middle. It’s not hard to see why I frequently find my mind wandering back to those days practicing and playing on the hardwood at East High School.

There were many great memories along the way on the varsity team. I didn’t play much being the back up to Richard Arena. I looked on in awe as he lived a very charmed life. Then in my senior year there were many games to remember. I was not a prolific scorer like some of my teammates. My role was more rebounding and assists. I do remember scoring well at CK, but I also remember just as well the only defeat at NK with their fan-shaped glass backboards. The final two games against Cleveland and Foster are also very memorable for two different reasons. (Man those Cleveland guys were tall!)

None of this would have been possible without the leadership, mentoring and sometimes substitute fathering of our coach, Les Eathorne. There is probably no single man more responsible for the leadership skills I use today in my professional life and he continues today to have an impact on my personal life. I will be forever in his debt and have dedicated my effort in documenting the history of EHS Basketball to him.

Bryan Garinger
Senior Engineering Manager
The Boeing Company

Kevin Olson - 1974

When we first started working on this project I wasn’t sure what direction we would go or what our final product would look like. What I did know was that the best part of the project would be working with The Coach. Meeting with him and getting his commentary on each year; the players, the stories and the traditions has been priceless. Coach Eathorne lives and breathes basketball; East High Knight Basketball! From the first years with Lyle Bakken to the last year in 78, Coach remembers every player that ever put on the Black and White uniform.

Gathering all this information and putting it together has made me realize that the history of East Basketball is not just about the young men that played but it is about Coach Eathorne. Les Eathorne is East High Knight Basketball. The “E” in the middle of the basketball court never stood for East but was always meant to stand for Eathorne!

- Les coached for 41 years: 22 of those years at East and 10 more at Bremerton after the schools merged in 78.
- His 502 wins ranks 8th all time in Washington State HS Basketball history
- Les took 8 teams to the state tournament in his 22 years as coach at East. He had a 3 year run from 1972-1974 in which East finished 2nd and then 2 consecutive state championships. The 73 and 74 teams finished a combined 51-2.
- In 1993 Les was inducted into the Washington State HS Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.
-In 2005 he was inducted into the KC BAR Sports Hall of Fame as a coach and as a player. Rick Walker and the 73 and 74 teams were also inducted.

More than the statistics, though, is the influence Coach Eathorne had on all the players he coached. Growing up on the East side, if you played basketball, you wanted to play for East and Coach Eathorne. The gym was always open: Tuesday night, Thursday night, Sunday afternoon. You didn’t have to come to open gym, but then you didn’t have to play for East either. On game night, you had to get to the gym early to get a seat. I remember the parents had their “reserved” seats. My father sat in the top row, end seat above the middle locker room, every game. Everyone wanted to watch East High play basketball; full court pressure from the opening tip. We never played a team in better shape; running those damn lines after practice did pay dividends. I am positive that East High had more lines on the basketball court than any other in the state. The Wednesday night intrasquad “College” games were usually more physical than the opponent we were going to play that week.

We learned how to be winners from the Coach. Hard work, discipline, respecting your opponent, team work and a never give up attitude does pay off He taught us what it took to be successful. He made us great players and great young men.

I feel fortunate to have played basketball for Coach Les Eathorne and East High School and I want to thank the Coach, for giving me, and all the other young men before and after, the opportunity to be part of the East High Knights Basketball tradition!
Thanks Coach!

Kevin Olson, Class of 1974
Physical Therapy Clinical Specialist
Harborview Medical Center

John Eathorne - 1966

I guess, somewhere along the line, I know or know of most of you players who will be reading this stuff. A complete history of East High Basketball will never be complete. It is continually growing. Each of us that experienced it has something to pass on to our children and grandchildren. For most of us it was a magical time.

I can remember getting to go to the first state championships in 1958. I remember, as a child sitting at the end of the bench for the Anacortes game and being sick that the season was going to end that way... with a loss. And then the first basketball miracle I can remember happened as Mahugh, Olson, Stautz, Fouch, McLean and others helped create the legend that would be East basketball and Lyle Bakken. The comeback was heroic, traditions were set and good things came from that night. A few years ago I worked for one of the players on that Anacortes team - he remembered each of the East "devils" who stole his 5th place at state. Most of all I appreciate Mike Beard. Mike did not get to play much and he got saddled with the coach's grade school kid as a roommate on the trip. They were not just great basketball players, they were great people.

The two platoon system when Dick Anderson was captain was the next magic. No matter how they were divided up in scrimmages they were always great battles in the standard mid-week college game. Never did a clear starting group that deserved the majority of playing time come forth.

John Tracy was the most gifted small athlete of the 60's. Ambidextrous and at only 6' he posted up at the foul line. I remember him shooting off balance shots just to get rid of it and running to the opposite side of the basket to rebound his deliberate miss and put it back in. Foul shots not working right, go left. And Wayne Gibson - the fireplug who was quick but not nearly big enough. He also epitomized East Basketball as he would chew off a leg before giving up.

In 1966 I got to sit on the bench as one of the most talented teams played to just two losses - both to Port Angeles who took second in the state. Cal Pharr, Eric Steinman, Larry Love, Alan Stautz, Keith Gundlefinger, Morrie Miller, Al Kravitz, Alan Albertson, Joe Mount, Al Miller and the other one of you who temporarily skips my feeble mind were as competitive as they come.

The later 60s were a bit of a blurr for me with college but teams that should have been nothing when it came to talent figured out a way to win - watching Steve Boyce shoot a fluid jump shot or Davey Pyles dribble through presses kept fans in the stands.

In the 70s with my brother playing and the legendary Rick Walker and teaching in Bremerton I came back into focus. Rick took an inexperienced team to state second as a sophmore. As a junior he lead a senior dominated team to state again for a championship and his senior year he took his own class to another state title. His supporting class each year was outstanding. Hegland (2), McKenzie, Walthall, Barnes, Langston, Campbell, Gibler, Olson, Lindberg, Hackett and Rich Arena's impossible shot that sunk Timberline and more and more players continued the legend.

So many individuals to forget because each time East put out a team. While other schools look back and remember who dominated play for each year, with the exceptions of the nationally noted Bakken and Walker, East was a team more than anything else. The notoriety of one player lasted only a few months beyond his graduation.

While I coached in Washington I dreamt about coaching against my father. To this day I think we could be in agreement - I could have possibly out-thought him but never could my kids have outplayed his. I learned from the best and from that I could create new, but that ability to get kids to play like East - that is a gift that is tough to pass down.

My father gets a lot of credit. Some may say it was practice, some may say it was games, some may say it was his luck with personnel or how his assistant coaches followed the East High Philosophy as started by the 57 and 58 teams. They all have their points but there was something else I would like to leave you with as a legacy...

Think about Sunday afternoons in the gym, think about times Les took just a few minutes to rebound for you alone, think about the hours of practice that helped mold a team, think about the times East would be up by 20 and the reserves who did not get to play much got into the game and felt they had contributed more than just practice. Think about the hours given at the gym to kids who would never make the program but were not cut out on Sunday afternoons. Make it a point to spend that type and amount of time with your kids or with your grandkids, or with someone else's grandkids. Build the respect in them you had that, no matter how tired you were, got you up and ready when you heard those immortal words, "On the line..."

Most of us did not get into too much trouble because we had a sense of belonging to that group, and we had someplace to go - give that back - and the legend of East Basketball and Les Eathorne will really mean something after that leaky, drafty building we called home is a strip mall. There is a legacy.

What I do now is insignificant in comparision to all the memories we have from that time were were an East Knight. After 30 years of teaching in Washington I now direct all adult sports activities for Parks & Recreation in Henderson , NV - second largest city in Nevada .

John Eathorne

Henderson , NV

Kevin Backlund - 1977

I will try to keep this clear and consise, but I have many wonderful memories of Knight Basketball and Coach Eathorne. I hope some of these memories are useful.
*I was introduced to East basketball in the first grade while at Olympic View when my dad took me to the home and away games on Tuesdays and Friday nights. The energy in the gym, the band, the crowd and the full court press and Coach Eathorne getting T's. I could not wait for Tuesday and Friday nights.
*Getting serious about basketball in the 7th grade, preparing to be an EHS Knight and to be one of Les Eathornes kids.
*My role models where the players off the 72',73' and 74' teams. I wanted to be like them. So many leaders, Rich Walker, Rich Arena, Kevin Olson,(playing at CK with his knee wrapped and moving with agony, yet, grabbing rebounds and shooting the bank-shot), Mike Wathall, Rick Torseth waving the towel.
*THE PACT. In 1975 the JV team was all sophmores and Fred Walker. Tom Deichert, Joe Wathall, Scott Brittain and I made a pact that we would dedicate ourselves to win, to go to state and to play in college. We were the last East team to play in the State Tournament. To play and win at St. Martins and to play at UPS at that time was a dream come true for me. We did not win state, but we represented East proudly.
*Christmas Eve at the EHS gym 1975-1977. Since my sophmore year I could not wait for Christmas Eve for watching or participating in Varsity practice then play in open game when many of the graduated players would come back and play. Dave Hegland, Cliff McKenzie, Johnny Golden and so many others.
*Christmas Eve 1978. I was playing for Peninsula College and came home for the alum game. There were only 10 of us. Coach Eathorne came to the center of the court to toss the ball and it was quiet. He then said, "This may be the last time we see this "E" at half court. We all went silent, then the ball was tossed. That was one of the most fun games I have ever participated in and the 3rd most emotional game ever. The two prior were, the last home game my senior year and the last game in the State Tournament at UPS.
*Lessons. You learn about life, commitment, overcoming adversity and how to push when there is nothing left to be pushed from. Coach Eathorne was the only coach EHS had and we all served under him. That is a connection and the one thing in common we all have as ex-players. He prepared us for life which in some cases is much tougher that any 3-press or 1-3-1 zone we ever played. And to be one of his "kids" or to be called "ding-dong or ding bat," you knew you had made it in his good graces.
I will never forget, November 1976, the day prior to the annual Black and White intra-squad game. Tom Deichert and myself were walking out of the gym, basketballs in our hands and our practice gear from Champion. Johnny Golden, who was playing for OC, came out of the teachers lounge along with Coach Eathorne. We all met in front of the Knight, and Coach Eathorne says to Johnny Golden, "I am not sure about this year, look what I have to work with, "ding-dong and ding-bat." As Coach Eathorne left, Johnny smiled and said, "You know he likes ya and he is expecting to win with ya." Deichert and I replied, "You can count on that. We will win."
*The lessons and skills from East basketball are used on a constant basis in my and I assume most of our lives on a daily basis. EHS basketball is just one ingredient for success. But in my opinion it was an ingredient I could not go without.
Thanks for this opportunity to express some wonderful memories and emotions I have for the players and tradition of East High Knight Basketball.
Sincerely,
Kevin R. Backlund

Greg Farrar - 1976

Playing basketball for Coach Eathorne at East High School was truly an honor and well as a privilege. As I get older, I now recognize what a special environment we had a chance to be part of while playing at East. The tradition of East Basketball is something that I will always be very appreciative for having the opportunity to participate in.

Every part of the program was fun; beginning with open gym as junior high kid to running out under the spotlight as a senior starter was a blast. I could hardly wait for open gym to start every October; going to practice every day during the season was a joy while playing in the games was just exciting. Thirty plus years later, I still love the game of basketball, and I can not remember a single time when playing basketball in the gym at East was not fun.

I particularly remember that after every game, win or lose, Coach Eathorne would always thank us for and compliment us on our effort. The “pat on the head” and “good hustle kid” was all I ever needed and still remember it as the greatest compliment possible.

Coach Eathorne taught us to be accountable for our actions. His rules were very fair and were the same for everyone and every team. Coach was always consistent with the consequences when someone did not following the rules, thus it was very easy to follow the rules because we all wanted to play basketball.

Accountability and consistency are two of the lessons learned from East basketball that have helped me the most in life, both in the workplace and more importantly, while being a parent.

After graduation from East in 1976, I attended the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma and graduated in 1980 with degree in Business Administration. I have worked in the commercial construction sector since college. I have now been self employed since 1990, first owning an asbestos & lead paint abatement company and now a very small construction management company.

I married my wife Doreen (Beany) in 1986 and we moved to Bainbridge Island in 1987. We have two daughters (Emily born in 1989 & Mallory born in 1992) who both played on this year’s Bainbridge High School girl’s basketball team that made it to the State Tournament. I am very proud to say that both of them had the instincts and ability to “Play like East”.

Clif McKenzie - 1973

Let me start with what I didn’t learn.

I didn’t learn how to play man-to-man defense…or if I did, I sure as hell didn’t learn to play it very well.

But then why would I need to know how to play man-to man defense…or for that matter any kind of defense? After all, Coach Eathorne assured us that if we scored more points than the other team; we would likely win the game. Now, there are those that might claim that our press was the best defensive press they had ever seen. But if they’d actually played East basketball, they would understand that what they saw was not part of a defensive strategy. An East press was an integral part of an offensive strategy that was grounded in the belief that we could only score when we had the ball. So go get the damn ball!

I never saw Coach play basketball. But I’m fairly certain that what he called “East” basketball was simply “Eathorne” basketball. We played the game the way that he played it or that he wanted to play it. And to Coach, scoring was fun. So he built a program that had its roots in every Peewee basketball team in East Bremerton. That’s where we learned to play zone defenses. Why zone…I suspect it was simply because it made finding an outlet pass easier. Which made fast breaking easier. Which made scoring easier. And…scoring was fun.

So what did I learn? I learned that basketball was fun. What I actually learned was that East basketball was fun. They didn’t have as much fun over on the west side of bridges (note the “w” in west is not capitalized…guys that played East basketball developed a healthy disregard for those bastards). They spent their time trying to figure out how to stop us (which they never did...). What the heck kind of fun was that?

That might have been it as far as basketball was concerned. It was pretty simple really. Scoring was fun.

But if it had all been about basketball, I doubt I’d be having this conversation now.

What I really learned from Les were some Eathorne fundamentals that guide me to this day. A few of takeaways are:

Assholes and Elbows - We heard this from Coach a hundred times. Assholes and elbows…that’s all he wanted to see when the ball hit the floor. Sure there were more appropriate ways to communicate that he’d like to see us hustle after loose balls. But “hustle” is what other teams did. And “hustling” just wasn’t done with the same intensity as “assholes and elbows”. So “assholes and elbows” always came up with the ball. And to this day…I don’t hustle. I go after what I want with “assholes and elbows”.

Do the Right Thing…No Matter How Uncomfortable the Conversation – Whenever I have some difficult news to deliver and begin to rationalize another path that might enable me to maybe not have to deliver the news…I think of Les. He cut two young men. The cuts were absolutely the right thing to do. But no one would have faulted him for not making either cut. The first cut involved a player that had made the varsity as a junior and then was cut as a senior. The guy was a good guy. He’d done all he was asked to do. But he simply wasn’t the right fit for a team that would be lead by juniors (and one remarkable sophomore). In the end, the decision was probably easy…but implementation meant a heart wrenching conversation with a quality individual. He had the conversation. The second involved a fine basketball player and more importantly, a close neighbor. A young man he had known for years and a young man who had paid his dues on the junior varsity. But this was another case of simply not being the right fit. Les had that conversation as well. No one would have faulted him for rationalizing another path. The takeaway for me was that he didn’t.

Superstition – Superstitions are just that…superstitions. Stuff and nonsense. Stopping the bus at the bottom of the hill at Central Kitsap didn’t give us any divine assistance or didn’t place a pox on the Cougars…we all knew that. And the ritual handing out of Juicy Fruit gum didn’t make us run faster or jump higher….we all knew that. But here’s what his goofy superstitions did for us and for every team before us and for every team after us. They crazy glued every team from every year together. We were united by these superstitions and rituals and made better by being a part of something greater than us individuals or us as a team. Those superstitions were our tribal story. And with those tribal stories we went into battle with the assistance of all those who came before us and all those who would come after us. That was a pretty cool feeling…

Those are a few…there were many more.

In the end…let me be clear about one thing. We don’t win a state championship without Les Eathorne. Period. We were good. He made us great. I was so fortunate to be a part of East basketball.

Clif McKenzie
President
Watson Furniture Group

Dan Hegland - 1973

As a 1973 graduate of East High School, I clearly remember the excitement of playing basketball before energetic crowds. Before that as a young boy I remember watching in awe those players that built on the tradition of playing fast-paced, crowd pleasing basketball. I was honored to take my place as one of many Knights to play under Coach Eathorne. We were blessed with supporting parents, sacrificing coaches, and a school and community that was 100% behind us.

The homes games were absolutely electric. Nearing the game starting time, the combination of the pep band with drums, the dark gym with spotlight, the entrance of the Knight in shining armor, the singing of The Star Spangled Banner and The Fight Song, the cheers lead by the cheerleaders, the last instructions by Coach in the huddle before tip off, it all fostered a major goose bump that I'll never forget.

On the court we had much success. We had the right combination of student-athletes that worked hard, valued teamwork, were coachable, understood our roles and respected each other. One of the many things I learned that still applies to me is the importance of "diving for loose balls." Expending that extra effort at opportune times, can create favorable situations.

Thanks for the memories.
Respectfully,
Dan Hegland

Dave Hegland - 1971

David Hegland East High Varsity 1970-1971 season

My East High Basketball experience started when I was in Grade school. My father took me to several games. Most of them East/West games. I remember running up and down the stands at the old West High upper deck area and walking into the East High Gym with the strong smell of popcorn. The games were always close, the fans and music were always loud and the COACH was always on his feet. Dick Winderel, John Tracy, Larry Gallagher, Gene Kennedy, Larry Love, Steve Steinkraus, Wayne Gibson, Brad Albro, Bill Berentsen, John Berteaux, Morrison, Morrie Miller--all heroes that I wanted to be like. There is still a mystical quality about my memories of the practices, big games, the dimming lights, diving into the stands to save a ball, putting on the uniform, the last game. We beat West two times that year and were the only team in the Olympic League to beat South Kitsap with Gordy Brockman. We were 11 and 10 going into our District Finals game with Curtis High(eventual winners of the State Title that year) and Coach Eathorne said “well, at least we can’t finish below 500!” I fouled out in the third quarter of that game and cried like a baby, you know--like Boyce(just kidding Beaver!).

What did I learn? Dreams can get you to wonderful places. Being recognized and acknowledged for your hard work and gaining the respect from THE COACH and playing for the EAST HIGH KNIGHTS made the dream that I had come to life. Playing Varsity Basketball at East High was the greatest athletic experience of my life. I went on to play basketball at Olympic College with Larry Sampson and Wayne Gibson as the coaches. Learned that there was such a thing as man-to-man defense. I also continued in Track and Field at O.C. and then at Central Washington where I was co-captain, set the school record in the High Jump(6’ 9-1/8”) and went on to place 5th at the NAIA National Meet in Arkadelphia, Arkansas(1975)--just thought I would bring that up.

Best wishes to you few fortunate men who got to experience East High School Basketball.

David Hegland, Forward, 1970-1971 season, #41

Steve Boyce - 1971

Wow, all 4 years playing basketball at East from 1968-1971 were very memorable. Our freshman year we had all victories except for one loss to West. My sophomore year I played varsity and it helped me prepare for my final 2 years. My senior year I broke the single game scoring record with 37 points against North Kitsap. We went to regional playoffs only to lose to the eventual state champions Curtis High. I remember teamwork, hard practices and lifetime friendships with my senior classmates. Hopefully I have carried these lessons learned at the hands of Coach Eathorne to my family and career!

Steven Boyce
Northwest University

Terry Welling - 1969

Bryan and associates working on the history of East High Basketball…I congratulate each of you on your dedication for the memory of our old school.

What do you remember from your experience playing at East High?
The lessons started well before High School. Les Eathorne started molding each player while they were in grade school and Junior High, mostly in Junior High. The opening of the Gym on Sundays was where the coach(s) were able to look at you and mold you into the player and person they thought you could be.

While I was a Freshman, I made the team. My sophomore year 1977 I set out to make the JV team, and would have made the team, if not the School Levy failing. This left me dejected, but continued and played Boys City League, which turns out was a blessing. As I was able to play the entire game, and not have to sit the bench of the JV team. Allowing me more playing time and developing my game.
(Coach Eathorne has reminded me several times that I would have made it if not for the levy failure)

I made the team in 1968 and 1969 and the obvious run and gun style of Les Eathorne was embedded into our lives. Playing as a team, defense, and by god you better make your free throws. And there was nobody who knew each color of lines on the gymnasium floor better than each player who played for Coach Eathorne…..Not even the painters! As Coach Eathorne related……People come to watch East High Basketball, to see us run…run…and run some more.

The lessons we gained by playing for Coach Eathorne were many: Giving 110% no matter what the odds were; Giving back to the community after graduation; Dedicating yourself in anything you would attempt.

After Graduation, I began giving back to the community and officiated Basketball for over 10 years; and Football for 31 years. I went into PSNS and graduated from the Apprenticeship School as a Shipwright.
I then embarked in my Career as a Policeman in the City of Bremerton, achieving the rank of Lieutenant, before retiring. I continued with sports throughout my life…Basketball and mostly Softball with the latter having accomplishing ten state titles, and in Fast Pitch softball the team finished 3rd and 9th an the national level.

Gene Kennedy - 1964

As a former player for Les Eathorne and an East High Knight, I learned many valuable lessons that I would incorporate in my future business endeavors. We learned the true benefit of “team work’ that translates into success not only on the basketball floor, but also in running a company of 85 employees with a net worth of over 10 million dollars. In addition, I developed a strong sense of self that comes from hard work and knowing that you would be rewarded for your efforts, which even went as far back as making the freshman team. I remember to this day, running (never walked anywhere did we) on to the floor before each game, and the realization that we had become part of a storied program with a great amount of pride and personal satisfaction, that I felt each and every time. I was able to continue with basketball at Linfield College where I graduated in 1968. Then I was able to play point guard with a team in Germany that won its division two years in a row. The self confidence and work ethic I gained as East High Knight has carried over in being a business leader which enabled me to be the youngest Bremerton area chamber of commerce president and a CEO of a local title company that has a reputation for customer service and has given back to this community.

Gene Kennedy

Gene Jarstad - 1970

It is great that you trying to preserve a little history. I never thought that Basketball was even a fun sport until I was a Sophomore, but once I started playing it carried on into college intramurals for hours each day. What a great game! I also grew taller a couple of inches after high school that helped.

The memory that I will always appreciate was the dedication of Coach Eathorne to opening the gym for "open play" each weekend. I spent countless weekends there and Eathorne was always around. His focus on this sport was inspiring. I always loved a sport that did not entail running around and around the track for 4-8 laps; and also one that fans actually came to watch. (as compared to track and cross country.)

About Me: Graduated from W.S.U. with a B.S. and an M.S. in Science and Wildlife biology. Returned one more time to get certified to teach. I worked for the WAshington Legislature for a Senator for a time, substitute taught, sold goeducks, worked for the Bureau of Land Management and the Dept. of Natural Resources, and then entered the career in Sales for a pharmaceutical company that I have enjoyed for over the last 20 years.

I live in Seattle, got married only 2 years ago for the first time, and still try to compete in Triathlons when I can. Good luck with the project. Since I was kind of a late bloomer in the basketball world, I do not have quite the contribution that I otherwise might. I think that I was the Secretary of the bench warmers association the one year that I did play, although I sure loved the game.

Regards, Gene Jarstad

Larry Sampson - 1966

I have always been thankful for the opportunity given me to be a part of East High basketball. We had a fantastic group of wonderful kids/players with which to work. We worked hard, had a lot of fun and can be proud of our efforts. It probably took me longer than anyone else to graduate from East--9 years.

Thanks to Les Eathorne for hiring me to coach the JV's. He made me feel welcome, accepted and important from day one. I learned a great deal from him on how to run a first class program and how to motivate and treat people. Les is East High Basketball and has been a great influence on many peoples lives. East players are fortunate to have had the experience of playing for him.

Thanks for making the effort to put his document together. The book will be appreciated by many.

Larry Sampson
EHS JV Coach 1957 to 1966
OC Coach 1966 to 1975

Dave Holmer - 1973

I was a first year coach when I came to East High in 1967. I thought that I understood the game, had some plays that would work, and I even felt that I could get more accomplished with a man-to-man press and defense than any zone. I quickly learned that the Knights play a jug zone. This point was driven home when I saw youth teams at the rec. center playing a 1-2-2 zone. As a history teacher, I decided to name my plays after cities in Washington State (Anacortes, Issaquah, and Auburn). I’m not sure my teams ever understood how yelling Issaquah could intimidate an opponent. I also have vivid memories of watching Coach Eathorne and being amazed at half-time as he kicked a garbage can or broke a clipboard to make his point. My memories of East High Basketball always include some great JV teams I coached and the young men that I enjoyed coaching and knowing. Throughout my coaching career I always compared my teams to the first JV squads that I was privileged to coach at East High from 1967-1973. In addition, I always believed that a team had to be in the best possible condition to play hard the whole game. Some of my teams felt that I overused 30 second line sprints. “Line up again” does have a familiar ring. Finally, the images I will never forget are associated with the 1973 state championship. The ride back to Bremerton and the escort into town, the energy in the gym filled with Knight fans in an after midnight pep rally and standing in the shower with Coach Eathorne and the team will never be forgotten.


Dave Holmer
EHS JV Coach 1966 to 1973
Principal Darrington Middle/High School