One photo posted here. See this story with more photos as it was posted Dec. 18, 2017, at The Suburban Times at this URL link:
Is there a page missing
in your life?
There was a page (specifically
page 7) missing in mine.
As a Lakes High School
student 1963-1966, I had an OK – probably from Gerry Austin, LHS athletic
director -- to create large framed sports boards. Behind glass with wood frames
were photos of each Lancer sport team from a respective school year. The frames
were to be displayed on a wall or in a trophy case.
(Did the sports board project
continue after I graduated in 1966?)
Lakes opened in 1962. I
made frames for the 1962-1963, 1963-1964, 1964-1965 and 1965-1966 school years.
For the 1963-1964 frame I sacrificed a page (actually
back-to-back pages 7 and 8) from my printed program from the 1964 boys’ state high
school basketball tournament. Page 7 showed team photo/roster/season scores of
Lakes. (Page 8 provided the same for Renton.) In early March 1964, Lakes beat
Renton, 47-46, in PSL championship game at Highline.
Since that fateful sacrifice in the 1966 I’ve sought page 7
(and 8) to make my printed program complete again.
In recent years I’ve perused ebay, contacted members of the
Lakes 1963-1964 team, people connected to 1964 state champion Hudson’s Bay High
School of Vancouver and others. Did they have a copy of the complete program?
Could they copy pages 7 (and 8) for me? No, they did not. So, they could not.
Recently I contacted the WIAA/Washington Interscholastic
Activities Association, the “governing body of athletics and activities for
secondary education schools in the state of Washington.” The WIAA answer: Yes! Now
I have page 7 (see it posted with this story). Finally. The search is over. I
have a copy of the page I sought.
If you have a missing page. Keep looking. You may find it.
POSTSCRIPT - LAKES 1964-1964 BOYS’ BASKETBALL
Tipoff for the Puget Sound League (PSL) boys’ basketball championship
game was 8 o’clock in the evening Friday, March 6, 1964, in the Highline High
School gym (neutral court) in Burien.
It was Lakes, winner of the PSL south division versus
Renton, PSL north division winner.
Victorious team would be PSL champ and get a berth in the
state high school basketball tournament. Losing team could go to state, too, if
it won two more games.
While it was Lakes, coached by Holly Gee, vs. Renton,
coached by Irv Leifer, it was also David vs. Goliath.
Lakes, opened in 1962, had 1,150 students. Student
enrollment for Renton, opened in 1911, was 3,397. At the time Renton was one of
the largest, if not the largest, high schools in the state.
Do the math, Renton had 2,247 more students than Lakes. Another
way to put it, Renton had almost three times as many students as Lakes. While there
can only be five players per team on the basketball court in a game, Renton had
more students to pick from for its team than Lakes.
According to the printed program, both teams had 10-player
rosters for state tourney. Lakes had two seniors and eight juniors. Renton had
four seniors, three juniors and three sophomores.
Despite the expectations, David (Lakes) beat Goliath
(Renton), 47-46.
Late in the Lakes vs. Renton game, the public address
announcer said fans of the winning team could sing its school alma mater at the
game’s conclusion. Lakes won. There was momentary silence, no alma mater. That
was followed by the Lancer team players, coaches and fans cheering. Lakes was
in its second school year, it did not have an alma mater or fight song. (Later
that school year student-written music and words for the alma mater and fight song
were composed/written and adopted.)
=In 1964, Renton coach Irv Leifer was already a heralded
coaching success. At that point, he had two (1953, 1960) Renton teams winning
state championships. After a 30-year coaching career at Renton his many successes
included two more state titles (1966, 1967).
=The 1963-1964 season was Holly Gee’s second as Lakes head
basketball coach. He coached that sport at Lakes through 1969. He came to Lakes
from Clover Park, where he was head baseball coach and an assistant boys’
basketball coach. During his time as at Lakes he served as p. e. department
chair, asst. baseball and asst. football coach, senior class adviser and administration
rep to Lakes student govt. Go to link for more about him:
http://lakes-1966-50-year-reunion.blogspot.com/1970/03/coach-holly-gee-clover-park-lakes-high.html
Lakes and Renton (because it won two other games after
losing to Lakes) made the 1964 state boys' 40th basketball tournament (then
called AA, now 4A). Unlike past seasons, not all the 16 teams making the 1964 tourney
played at Hec Ed (Hec Edmundson Pavilion) on the UW campus in Seattle.
A Seattle Times sports editor’s column explained:
“Educators … scuttled the show, blaming disruption of book-learning in the 16
schools whose teams are invited. Next year, according to plan, the disruption
will be diminished by a week-end regional playoffs leading to a four-way
shakedown back” to Hec Ed.
For 1964, there were four regional (cover of printed
program calls them “district” games, story inside printed program calls them “regional”
games) sites: Region 1, UW Hec Ed, Seattle, for Seattle Metro, Northwest
Leagues; Region 2, Puyallup High School and UPS Fieldhouse, Tacoma, for Puget
Sound, Seattle Metro Leagues; Region 3, Chehalis High School and Mark Morris
High School, Longview, for Southwest, King County, Olympic-Seamount Leagues,
and Region 4, Spokane Coliseum for Spokane City, Southeast, North Central and
Yakima Valley Leagues.
Thus, Lakes and Renton played regional games on Friday,
March 13, 1964, Lakes versus Cleveland of Seattle in the Puyallup gym and
Renton against Lincoln of Tacoma in the UPS Fieldhouse, Tacoma.
Lakes lost by 41 points to Cleveland before 2,300 fans. Although
it would play a consolation game in Puyallup and win (over Lincoln of Tacoma) the
next night, the loss to Cleveland meant Lakes would not advance to the tourney
finals at UW Hec Ed, Seattle.
The Lakes vs. Cleveland game was broadcast on Tacoma’s KTNT
radio thanks to sponsors Lakewood Lumber & Hardware, Paulson's Appliance,
Lakewood Insurance Agency, Veterans' Cleaners, Lake City Drug, Lakewood Refuse,
Veterans' Garage, Lakewood Ice Arena, Ed Selden Floor Covering, Binyon
Optometrists, Walbert Spraying, Leaning Tower of Pizza and Geno's Imported Cars.
The 1963-1964 season ended in disappointment for Lakes and
its fans. But, the season was a major accomplishment. The season before, 1962-1963,
in Lakes first year of existence, the sophomore dominated Lancer team had a
2-18 (or 2-16 according to the Seattle Times) win-loss record, according to a
Lakes Legend yearbook. One of its losses was 64-37 to Renton.
HOW A 1963-1964 PUGET SOUND LEAGUE (PSL) BOYS’ BASKETBALL TEAM GOT TO 1964
STATE TOURNAMENT
LAKES, PSL Southern Division champ: 12-2 in PSL and 3-1
non-league for 15-3 season record prior to win over Renton at Highline. (Lakes
went to tourney with 16-3 record.)
RENTON, PSL Northern Division champ: 13-2 in PSL and 1-2
non-league for 14-4 season record prior loss to Lakes at Highline. (Renton went
to tourney with 15-5 record.)
=FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 1964
::: Highline High School gym (neutral court), Burien
-Lakes beat Renton, 47-46. Lakes to state as #1 PSL team.
Renton plays winner of Auburn vs. Kent-Meridian game.
::: Enumclaw High School gym (neutral court)
-Auburn (PSL Southern Div. runner-up) beat K-M (PSL
Northern Div. runner-up), 55-49. Auburn advances, K-M goes home.
=SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 1964
::: Highline High School gym (neutral court), Burien
Renton beat Auburn, 58-39. Renton to state as #2 PSL team.
Auburn goes home.
::: Puyallup High School gym (neutral court) in Regional (West Central
District?) playoff.
Lakes lost to Cleveland of Seattle, 89-48. At Puyallup, Lakes
plays Lincoln of Tacoma in consolation.
=FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1964
::: UPS Fieldhouse (neutral court), Tacoma in Regional playoff.
Renton beat Lincoln of Tacoma, 33-32. At UPS, Renton plays
Cleveland of Seattle in championship.
::: Puyallup High School gym (neutral court)
Lakes beat Lincoln of Tacoma, 49-39. Lakes and Lincoln go
home.
=Saturday, March 14, 1964
::: UPS Fieldhouse (neutral court), Tacoma (West Central District?)
playoff championship.
Renton beat Cleveland of Seattle, 65-54. Renton to state
tourney finals at UW Hec Ed, Seattle. Cleveland goes home.
In 1964 State tourney finals at UW Hec Ed (neutral court),
Renton won game, 47-44, over Richland on March 20, 1964. On March 21, 1964, it
lost, 50-42, in championship game to Hudson’s Bay of Vancouver.
Corrections,
comments, additional information? Contact writer Tim Marsh at
wildcatville@gmail.com
Also, you might be interested in these:
--Lakes boys basketball team won 1964 PSL championship
http://lakes-1966-50-year-reunion.blogspot.com/2015/03/lakes-boys-basketball-team-won-1964-psl.html
--Coach Holly Gee – Clover Park, Lakes High Schools
http://lakes-1966-50-year-reunion.blogspot.com/1970/03/coach-holly-gee-clover-park-lakes-high.html
Also see ...
1963-1964 LAKES BOYS' BASKETBALL: Won 1964 Puget Sound League title, beat favored Renton at Highline High. Post-season (in Puyallup): Lost to Cleveland of Seattle. Beat Lincoln of Tacoma.
https://lakes-1966-50-year-reunion.blogspot.com/2015/03/lakes-boys-basketball-team-won-1964-psl.html