Les Eathorne Golf Classic

Dwayne Slate - Class of 1965

Wow! What a terrific thing for you guys to have done.

Ah, the memories. I have often tried to explain to my political colleagues how important East High b'ball was to me, but they just cannot believe that anything could be more important than winning an election or passing a bill. Wrong! There was simply nothing like giving all your heart and soul to your teammates and school for the sole purpose of winning a high school basketball game. Nothing.

And as for the comments made about me, well, you made me cry. (The last time that happened was 45 years ago when you couldn't quite understand what a great player I was!) Seriously, the all-for-one attitude you helped us to develop has carried thru life, and it has helped make life so much more enjoyable.

Anyway, thanks so much for bringing back so many "wonder year" memories.
Best wishes to all the Knights.

- Dwayne Slate

Jeff Hayford - Class of 1975

Not everyone has the opportunity in life to be impacted by someone that has a lasting positive impression for the rest of there life. And having that impression continue to carry on in your adult life, in your day-to-day work, your interaction with family and friends or as some refer to as the curse or the blessing of sports.

I have had two such mentors in my life, my father Dave Hayford and Les Eathorne both with strong work ethics and both teachers of the game.

Growing up in East Bremerton and playing peewee, little league, and Jr high sports the goal was to some day play East high basketball. For me the goal started out with just get ting in the gym on Sunday. Leonard Barnes and I would walk up to the school every Sunday when we were in Jr high, remembering this was the big time and how nervous we were. We had been to the games and felt the excitement and had older brother and sisters that went to East but never to open gym. For me the path to open gym was a battle of wits. Me, Les and my choice of hairstyles, remember this was the 70’s. Theirs no mystery as who won but as many of us did we had to try. Les would stand by the side door to the gym and say Hayford your hair is to long, as I stood there in great surprise Les in a very clear and direct way your not coming in my gym until your cut that hair. Well after the 3^rd attempt I made it inside. It proved to be a battle to get on the floor with the high school players and we were skinny nobody Jr high kids, at that point you could only hope there wasn’t enough players to put another team on the floor and they upper classmen had to choose you. We didn’t care we were in the big house and Les Eathorne was there. Today I’m still not sure if Les knows our first name as he always called us by our last name only.

As we got older and under stood our place within the walls of Les’s gym the nervousness went away and the excitement built, all we could think about was to play East high basketball and when the next game was. East High basketball is simply defined and to this day you mentioned you played at East High the first question ask is did you play for Les and yes I played with Rick Walker. Not many people in life touch your soul or symbolize an era as Les Eathorne did and East High Basketball.

To this day I still coach youth and high school sports and pull from my days of playing for Les and many times use the phrase remember the team that scores the most points wins.

Thank you coach Eathorne and thank you guys for your time, commitment and effort of putting this together.

Jeff Hayford

Class of 1975

President / NW Building Tech Inc.