RAL to celebrate new Hall of Fame inductees
Wednesday, November 28, 2007 7:56 AM PST
By Rick McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articleSeven former standout athletes are among 10 individuals and two football teams ready to be inducted into the R.A. Long High School Hall of Fame this week.
This year's honorees, selected by a committee of former and current school administrators and alumni, are Don Andrews, Francis "Primo" Brusco, Bruce Greene, Jerry Karnofski, Terry Miller, LeRoy Nelson and Scott Witt in the individual category, and Wendy Adams, Tom Golden and Kent Weeks in the Lifetime Achievement category.
In addition, the 1930 and 1947 championship football teams will also be honored at the induction ceremony, scheduled for Friday in the RAL auditorium.
The R.A. Long Hall of Fame has three components:
n Individual: To recognize outstanding achievement by an individual at a varsity-level sport.
n Team: For outstanding achievement by a varsity-level team in a single season.
n Lifetime Achievement: For outstanding contribution to R.A. Long High School as a coach, pioneer, administrator, teacher, graduate or supporter.
The free event begins at 5:30 p.m., with remarks from RAL Alumni Association president Dr. Doug O'Connor and Longview Mayor Dennis Weber, followed by the induction ceremony and a social hour in the school's front foyer.
The inductees will also be introduced during halftime of the RAL-Terry Fox boys basketball game, which begins at 7:30.
All of this year's inductees, except for Andrews and Adams, will be in attendance for the ceremony. Andrews died in 2006 and Adams passed away in 2005. Both will be represented by family members.
Here's a look at this year's honorees:
CAN GO DELTA FROM HERE, EVEN MINI-ME IF NECESSARY
n Don Andrews (Class of 1940): A letterman in football, basketball and baseball, Andrews was named to the all-state basketball team as a junior, and received Southwest Washington all-conference honors as a junior and senior. He also garnered all-SWW honors in football as a junior and senior.
In the classroom, Andrews was a member of the student council, was elected senior class vice president, and was treasurer of the Hi-Y Club. After graduation, he played basketball as a freshman at Washington State College before accepting a scholarship to play at Eastern Oregon College.
Andrews enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He served as a pilot and later received an honorable discharge in 1945 after attaining the rank of captain. Andrews later returned to Washington State College to play basketball.
After college, he had a successful career as a stockbroker in Everett and Seattle. Andrews died on Jan. 10, 2006 in Everett.
n Francis "Primo" Brusco (Class of 1941): A three-year letterman in football and basketball, Brusco earned Southwest Washington all-conference as a senior in basketball, the same year he helped the Lumberjacks to an appearance in the state championships.
Brusco was a member of the school's Hi-Y and Lettermen's Clubs, and he had the opportunity to play the first basketball game in the school's new gymnasium in 1940. After graduation, he played football and basketball at Pacific University, where he earned a teaching degree.
He later taught and coached at Toledo, Douglas and Canby high schools before returning to the area to teach and coach at Kelso High School from 1956 to '65. In addition, Brusco served as a high school and college basketball referee for more than 30 years, officiating numerous district, regional and state tournaments.
n Bruce Greene (Class of 1975): A three-time state champion in cross country and track, Greene is one of the most decorated runners in school history.
Greene placed fourth at the state cross country meet as a junior, and went on to become RAL's first, and only, cross country state champion as a senior. He was also a three-time district track champion in the mile, and after placing second at the state championships as a sophomore, he won state titles as a junior and senior.
A former school record-holder in the mile and 2-mile runs, Greene still holds the sophomore record for the 800 and 1600, along with indoor marks in the 1000 and 1600.
Greene received the David Sari Scholarship when he graduated from RAL, and later attended Highline College where he was a member of the Thunderbirds' championship cross country and track teams. He later ran with the University of Oregon track team in the 1600 and with the 1600 relay squad.
Jerry Karnofski (Class of 1943): A letterman in football, basketball and baseball, Karnofski earned Southwest Washington all-conference in football and basketball as a junior and senior. He also started for three seasons on the RAL baseball team and had a career batting average of .412.
After graduation, Karnofski spent 3 1/2 years in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a gunner. He also played on the Army baseball team, which included 13 players with professional experience.
Karnofski later played football and baseball at Western Washington University, where he graduated with a teaching degree. He taught and coached at Edmonds High School for 13 years, followed by a 22-year stint as a school administrator.
Terry Miller (Class of 1966): The son of former R.A. Long coach Russell "Tiz" Miller, Terry Miller lettered in football and basketball during his prep career at RAL.
Miller was the Lumberjacks' starting point guard during his junior and senior basketball seasons, and earned Southwest Washington all-conference honors after leading the conference in scoring in both campaigns. In football, Miller was a safety and backup quarterback on the Southwest Washington Conference championship team in 1965.
After high school, Miller was a three-year basketball starter at Linfield College, where he led the team in assists. He also led the Wildcats into the national tournament during his junior and senior campaigns.
Miller was named the Cowlitz County Athlete of the Year in 1968. He worked in construction for 27 years until his recent retirement, and is currently an assistant boys basketball coach at RAL.
n LeRoy Nelson (Class of 1953): Nelson lettered in football, basketball and baseball, and was a two-year football standout who helped the Lumberjacks to the 1952 Southwest Washington Conference championship while earning all-conference honors.
Nelson played varsity basketball for two years, and established conference scoring records while earning all-state honors in 1953 and helping RAL to a sixth-place finish at the state tournament. He also played three years of baseball, where he also earned all-SWW Conference honors.
After graduation, Nelson played basketball for one season at Lower Columbia College, where he led the league in scoring, earned all-conference honors and helped the school to its first-ever Washington State Junior College Athletic Conference men's basketball title.
Nelson later played basketball at the University of Oregon and at Western Washington University, where he also earned all-conference honors.
He later coached and taught at Battle Ground, La Center and Naselle high schools, before leaving the education field to open Columbia River Floor Covering in 1966.
n Scott Witt (Class of 1940): An accomplished high jumper, Witt won two state titles and set the school record with a jump of 6-feet-4 in 1939, which stood until 2001.
Witt also lettered in football, basketball and baseball, earning all-state honors in football as a senior. In basketball, he was a two-time all-state selection, and helped the Lumberjacks to a third-place finish in at state in 1939.
In addition to athletics, he was a member of the National Honor Society, served on the student council and was active in the Hi-Y, Boys and Lettermen's clubs.
After high school, he played basketball and was on the track team at Washington State College, and served in the U.S. Army where he received the Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars.
Following his military duty, Witt spent four years as the assistant athletic director at Washington State University, and later worked for 30 years as vice president of personnel with Weyerhaeuser before his retirement in 1979.
n 1930 football team: The 1930 Lumberjacks were the first great team in school history, finishing the season undefeated, untied and allowing only seven points in its quest for the state championship.
Coach Ted Rohwer was only two years out of Washington State College, and quarterback Cecil Fugitt made up for his diminutive size (154 pounds) with excellent play-calling.
Other members of the team were Corp Alldredge, Bob Beach, Alvin Coates, Ray East, Chuck Eslick, Gene Eversole, John Fugitt, Bob Goodrich, Bob Hart, Harvey Hawkins, Everett Hess, Ted Kitchen, Joe Krivanek, Jim Lawrence, Ralph Lindsay, Wilson McCullouch, Allan McIvor, Jay Miller, Stan Monge, Mike Nelson, Marvin Palmer, Dan Phillips, Emary Piper, Walt Piper, Tom Potts, Gene Rice, Sammy Simpson, Marvin Stewart and Chet Tannehill.
n 1947 football team: The 1947 team went undefeated and was considered by some to be the state champion, although no team was officially given the title.
The Lumberjacks culminated their perfect campaign with a 7-0 victory over Kelso in the Thanksgiving game. Bernard Donahue corralled a pass from Leo Gilnett while lying on his back in the end zone to give RAL the Southwest Washington Conference title.
Pete Ballode, LeRoy Hart, John Adams, Darold Talley, Gilnett, Ray Karnofski and Donahue earned all-SWW Conference honors, with Gilnett and Adams receiving all-state. In addition, RAL coach Buck Hammer was selected the head coach of the all-state team.
Other team members were Harold Benton, Fred Bovce, Bob Dunbar, Jim Evans, Jim Fahlstrom, Elmer Glasser, Bob Hadley, Johnny Hammer, Jack Larson, Ted Lindsey, Leland Loren, Fred Lowe, Ray Lowery, Bill Millett, Jim Milne, Arlen Moore, Dick Price, Chuck Ruth, Waunie St. Germain, Jim Schweitzer, Dick Scott, Dick Shern, Carl Simpson, Bob Strom, Bill Sudar and Jerry Whiton.
n Wendy Adams (Class of 1951): A top-10 percent graduate in her class, Adams parlayed degrees in music and history at the University of Washington, and history at Stanford University into positions with the President's Office of the Asia Foundation in San Francisco and at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Geneva, Switzerland.
During her years at RAL, Adams was a member of the National Honor Society, Pep Club, Tri-HiY Club, Glee Club, Library Club, Latin Club, Quill and Scroll, and served as a class officer. She was also an accomplished pianist, and played in and sponsored many classical performances at the Columbia Theater of Performing Arts.
Adams died in July 2005.
n Kent Weeks (Class of 1959): In 1978, Weeks launched the Theban Mapping Project, a plan to photograph and map every tomb in the Theban Necropolis in Egypt.
During his project, the KV5, the tomb of the sons of Ramesses II, was discovered in the Valley of the Kings. It became the most publicized archaeological find since the discovery of Tutankamen’s tomb.
Kent has written several publications about the project and its findings; "Altas of the Valley of the Kings: The Theban Mapping Project," "The Lost Tomb," "The Illustrated Guide to Luxor" and "The Valley of the Kings."
During his years at RAL, Weeks was a member of the Thespians, Masque and Dagger, and Campus Clippings staff. After high school, Kent received his bachelor's and master's degrees in anthropology from the University of Washington, and in 1970 received his doctorate in Egyptology from Yale.
He has worked for the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, Chicago Oriental Institute, and the University of California. Weeks has been a professor of Egyptology at America University in Cairo since 1988.
n Tom Golden (Class of 1951): Golden was instrumental in the air and space programs at Boeing, along with working on the Apollo space program and the Hubble space telescope.
Past Month's Most Commented Stories