We are honoring an R.A. Long basketball team that made their way to another winning season (8-2) under the coaching of Joe Moses, and also made themselves known in the state tournament. Pre-season predictions slightly favored our Lumberjacks, and a great beginning to the season made believers out of the fans. As the season progressed, the Jacks made it through the standings to earn the right to appear in the state tournament at the University of Washington. In the first game of the tourney, R.A. Long upset a highly favored Walla Walla team. In the next two days, the Jacks dropped close games to their opponents and settled for a seventh place finish. Three Lumberjacks made all- conference that year: Gary Burns, Phil Brown, and Warren Morris. Brown and Burns earned recognition for their ball-handling and shooting abilities, while Morris and Eddie Stewart earned credit for their rebounding ability. With only three people barely over six feet tall, the Lumberjacks played with tenacity, hard work, and hustle. The team played every game in front of packed gymnasiums, no matter where it was, as the people came out to watch and support this hard working group of young men representing our school and community. Warren Morris was in possession of a wonderful framed team picture and planned to share that with the school Archive Room. Team members in the picture were the ones who went to the state tourney. The sad thing we need to mention is that out of the ten who went to the state playoffs, three are in bad health, six are deceased, and Warren is the only member of the starting team who is able to be here with us and Bill Hill’s son will represent his father as part of the team to receive the Hall of Fame award for the rest of the team.
Roster:
- Gary Burns
- Phil Brown
- Bill Hill
- Dick Selberg
- Eddie Stewart
- Warren Morris
- Bill Millett
- Ray Westrick
- Stuart Randall
- Chuck Byers
- Jack Luoto
- Joe Russell
- Jerry Marsh
- Boyd Wickwire
- John Laufman
- Lyle Burke
- Joe Moses (Head Coach)
- Buck Hammer (Assistant Coach)