A6 BAKER CITY HERALD • THuRsDAY, FEBRuARY 24, 2022
Bulldogs
Continued from Page A1
“If you played for Gary
Hammond, you didn’t have
long hair,” said Mark Johnson,
a member of the 1972 team.
“And you knew that going in.”
“We looked kind of out of
place going to Portland in
1972 with crewcuts,” said Tim
Wood, another teammate.
The Bulldogs’ opponents
were the top-ranked Jefferson
Democrats from Portland,
a larger school in a vastly
larger city.
The city boys.
Some of their players
sported Afros, a more flam-
boyant look that matched
the Democrats’ fast-paced
style of basketball, so differ-
ent from the methodical, ball
control strategy that Ham-
mond had honed during his
19 years as the Bulldog coach.
This wasn’t a David vs. Go-
liath situation, to be sure.
Nor was it even necessarily
comparable to the fictional
(though based on a true
story) Indiana state champi-
onship game depicted in the
movie “Hoosiers.”
Baker was not a newcomer
to the state tournament, de-
spite being one of the smaller
schools in Oregon’s AAA divi-
sion, which included the state’s
biggest high schools.
(Today Baker competes at
the Class 4A level; the state’s
larger high schools are divided
into the Class 5A and Class 6A
divisions.)
The year before, in 1971, the
Bulldogs finished sixth, beating
South Salem 39-34 in the first
round, losing 39-37 to Grant in
the quarterfinals, and beating
Medford 58-37 in the consola-
tion round before losing 59-42
to Sunset in the fourth-place
game.
Baker finished fifth in 1969
and third in 1966.
“I think one of the things
that made Baker successful
was that they had been there
a few years prior, so they
weren’t as much in awe,” said
Greg Hammond, Gary’s son
and a 1970 BHS graduate
who lives near Baker City and
played for his dad.
Experience aside, Baker en-
tered the 1972 tournament
with a 16-6 record, including
two losses to Bend, a team that
didn’t even qualify for state.
Baker clinched its tour-
nament berth by routing
Mac-Hi 72-52 on March 4
— almost 3 weeks before the
tournament started.
Jefferson was 22-1.
The Democrats had three
players who went on to play
Division I college basketball.
Baker had one — 6-foot-7
post Daryl Ross, who played at
Montana State.
That Jefferson was in the
championship game was hardly
surprising.
But Baker’s appearance — its
first in the title game since 1943
— was not expected.
The Democrats had breezed
to the championship game by
beating Redmond by 31 points,
Jesuit by 13 and Klamath
Union by 20.
The Bulldogs, meanwhile,
started the tournament by fall-
ing behind Corvallis before ral-
lying for a 51-45 win propelled
by sophomore Rick Scriv-
ner’s 22 points, including nine
straight field goals.
After setting a tournament
record with 65% field goal
shooting in a 64-44 romp over
Newberg in the quarterfinals,
Baker needed a buzzer-beater
from Ross to get past Sunset,
50-49, in the semifinals.
And surely it was this litany
of contrasts — enrollments,
hairstyles, paths to the title
game — that lured some of
those 13,395 fans to the Coli-
seum on that March night.
As sometimes happens, all
those differences combined to
produce the kind of game that
people remember vividly 50
years later.
Baker led most of the con-
test.
Jefferson rallied late in the
fourth quarter to win, 59-52.
Yet even though that group
of Bulldogs didn’t match the
1938 or 2007 squads in bring-
ing home a state champion-
ship, the 1972 team — and
tournament — remain mile-
stones in local sports and
community history.
And it’s why some of those
players, and others associated
with that team, will gather
again, in the much more mod-
est confines of the Baker High
School gym, on Friday evening,
Feb. 25.
To be honored for their ac-
complishments.
And to remember those who
can’t join them.
Gary Hammond died on
BAKER COUNTY HISTORY
Besides the four memorable
games in the Coliseum, Greg
Hammond said he remem-
bers vividly how enthusiastic
the Baker fans were who had
driven 300 miles to watch
their team.
He recalls how there were
so many Baker fans staying in
the Holiday Inn in Portland
that they were able to spell out
the words “Baker Bulldogs”
with a single letter in each
room window.
Ann Ross reminisces about her late husband, Daryl
Editor’s Note: Jan Davis, whose
husband, Mike, also a key mem-
ber of the 1972 team, died in
2016, was not available for an
interview.
Ann Ross didn’t watch the
game that defined her husband’s
high school basketball career.
But after being married to Daryl
for more than 30 years, she almost
felt as if she had been in Portland’s
Memorial Coliseum the night of
March 25, 1972.
Baker’s 59-52 loss to Jefferson
in the state championship game
“came up quite a bit” over the de-
cades, Ann Ross said.
But not from Daryl, whom she
married in 1979 after meeting him
at a rodeo in Burns, where Ann
grew up.
“He didn’t talk a whole lot
about it,” she said. “He was very
humble.”
But while the couple were liv-
ing in Baker in the 1980s, she said
she often talked with people who
had fond and vivid memories of
the 1972 team and its improbable
run at the state tournament.
And when the Rosses moved
to Burns in 1989 — where Ann
still lives, following Daryl’s death
in 2015 — she said she occasion-
ally ran into a Burns resident who
had also attended the classic 1972
championship game.
In Burns, Daryl worked for the
Bureau of Land Management
and coached both of the couple’s
daughters, Chelsea and Erin.
Both were accomplished ath-
letes at Burns High School. Chel-
sea was Class 3A player of the year.
“They definitely got that from
their dad,” Ann said with a laugh.
Randy Daugherty, who was a
junior teammate of Daryl’s on the
1972 Baker team, said Daryl, de-
spite being a tall and very strong
player, was also a “gentle giant.”
“No matter how much he
got roughed up, double or tri-
ple teamed, he never retaliated,”
Daugherty said. “He just took it
and kept playing.”
Erin Ross, who is an elementary
school teacher, shared her memo-
ries of her dad in an email:
“Dad always enjoyed sharing
his passion of basketball with us.
He spent countless hours teaching
us every post play in his arsenal.
And although many years have
passed since I played at (Burns
High School), when I close my
eyes, I can still see him stand-
ing in the balcony of the High
School gym. Camera on a tripod
in the northernmost corner, I
would glance at him periodically
throughout the game, looking for
him to advise me on a play.
“I looked forward to the mo-
ments when he would stop me
before I would go into the locker
room to give me some advice, and
the conversations that would en-
sue on the car ride home. I always
knew that Dad was seeing what
I needed to do and I trusted him
implicitly.
“When I was getting ready to
leave for a volleyball camp at BSU
my senior year, Dad snuck a let-
ter into my bag. I found it when I
arrived and have kept it all these
Photo courtesy of Ann Ross
Daryl Ross with his wife, Ann, and their daughters, Erin, (next to
Ann), and Chelsea, far right.
years. In the letter Dad outlined
what I should be remembering to
do while I was at camp to help me
get recruited. My favorite points
were: ‘Don’t come home saying,
“I didn’t play well at times.” That is
a decision you make at the time
you are there.’ The other was, ‘They
don’t care how good other people
say you are, they want to see it for
themselves.’
Chelsea Ross, who is a mental
health therapist and career coun-
selor, also wrote about her dad:
“He said that he always gauged
himself by his ‘competition and
working.’ And I can remember him
saying on many occasions that
‘Anything worth doing is worth
doing right.’ I truly believe that is
the way he lived his life. He fully
invested in everything that he
did, nothing was done halfway.
He worked hard not only at his
job, but at everything. Whether
that meant having to walk to bas-
ketball practice in high school,
analyzing team roping video for
improvement, or golfing 18 holes
after a long day of work, he did it.
He was willing to do what it took
to be successful and for that rea-
son most of his life he was.
“The one thing that I am still
in awe of is his never-ending op-
timism. How often have we all
complained about trivial things
like: “It’s too cold, my muscles
are sore, or I had a bad day.” It
sounds crazy, but in my entire life
I never heard him complain, not
once. Not when our roof blew off
our house, not when he was in
pain from breaking several ribs,
and not even when he was diag-
nosed with a terminal illness with
no cure.”
— Jayson Jacoby
“We had a good bunch of guys. All the guys
on the bench that didn’t play much, they
worked just as hard as the rest of us did.”
— Dick Sheehy, senior on the 1972 Baker boys basketball team
Photo from the March 27, 1972, issue of the Baker Democrat-Herald,
showing Baker Head Coach Gary Hammond, left, and point guard
Dick Sheehy.
Sheehy had similar feelings.
team, but also Hammond’s
“We had a good bunch of
coaching philosophy.
guys,” he said. “All the guys
Discipline.
on the bench that didn’t play
“I remember the team ca-
much, they worked
maraderie and what
just as hard as the rest
it’s like to play on a
of us did.”
disciplined ball team,”
In the opening
Scrivner said.
game against Corvallis
And discipline was
before 5,937 fans on
not limited to the
March 22, 1972, Baker
court.
rebounded from an
Hammond also re-
11-6 deficit after the
quired players to wear
Wood
first quarter to win
coats and ties on game
51-45.
days.
Scrivner, mak-
In this photo from the March 23, 1972, issue of the Baker Democrat-
“It was expected of
ing his state tourna-
Herald, Baker’s Daryl Ross shoots against Corvallis on March 22, 1972. you,” Scrivner said.
ment debut, wasn’t
Greg Hammond
Teammate Craig Erickson (No. 14) looks on.
intimidated. He led
said his dad taught
the Bulldogs with 22
April 26, 2008, at Pendleton.
people from the team still live him and all his other
points. Davis had 10,
He was 88.
players that discipline
here,” Daugherty said. “We
Scrivner
Ross 8, Sheehy 7 and
Two starters on the 1972
was “not one thing,
should have a big representa-
Erickson 4 points.
team — Ross and Mike Davis, tion (at the ceremony).”
but it’s about many
The next day,
the top two scorers — have also
things you do that
Daugherty said it has been
March 23, 1972, in a
passed away.
have a cumulative ef-
“very rewarding” to compile
quarterfinal against
Ross died Jan. 7, 2015, at age a history of the 1972 team, an
fect — hair, clothes,
Newberg, Baker set
60 from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s dis- exercise that has revived happy how you act. A whole
the tournament re-
ease).
bunch of little things.”
memories of the camaraderie
cord for field goal
Davis died Jan. 4, 2016, at
Greg was attending
and victories that he shared
percentage, making
age 61.
Oregon State Univer-
with his teammates.
Sheehy
26 of 40 shots —
“I’m glad we can do this for
sity in 1972.
“It was a special year in the
65%.
Daryl and Mike,” said Dick
When it looked late
history of Baker High School
And this time the team’s
Sheehy, who was a starter on
in the season as though Baker
sports,” he said.
the 1972 team and lives in Bea-
would probably play Corvallis star, Ross, more than lived up
to his reputation as one of the
verton.
The team
in the first round of the state
Several of the other play-
Scrivner was just a sopho-
tournament, Greg said his dad state’s top players.
Ross, who was Baker’s lead-
ers still live in Baker City, said more in 1972, and he never ex- asked him to scout the team,
ing scorer with an average of
Randy Daugherty, who has
pected to finish the season in
which he did.
been working to organize
front of nearly as many people
Although the level of excite- 21.4 points per game entering
the tournament, had 28 points
the reunion and celebration,
as lived then in Baker County. ment in Baker rose with each
on 11 of 15 shooting from the
which will take place around
But after playing three games successive tournament win,
field. Davis and Scrivner had
the town was hardly uninter-
6:15 p.m., following the Baker in the Coliseum, including a
ested even before the Bulldogs 13 points each, Sheehy had 8
girls game against Pendleton,
crowd of slightly more than
and Erickson 2.
headed for Portland.
which tips off at 5 p.m.
10,000 in the semifinal win
In a semifinal game against
A lunch banquet on March
Daugherty was a junior
over Sunset, he was much less
Sunset on March 24, 1972, be-
starter on the 1972 team. But
intimidated by the sea of faces. 16, 1972, drew 167 people.
fore 10,080 fans, Ross again
he broke his leg against Bend
“It was eye-opening at the
The tournament
led Baker with 31 points. Da-
with four games left in the reg- beginning, but by the fourth
Playing four games in as
vis had 13 points, Scrivner 4
ular season and had to watch
game I was more comfortable,”
Baker’s four tournament games said Scrivner, a longtime Baker many days is a grueling sched- and Sheehy 2.
ule for any team.
Gary Hammond told a re-
from the bench. He was re-
City resident who is living in
But it was especially so for
porter that Ross was the best
placed in the backcourt by
Utah while recovering from
Baker.
player he had coached.
Scrivner.
cancer. His son, Drew, will
The starting five — Ross, Da-
Heriza said Ross was a tra-
“It was frustrating,” Daugh- drive him to Baker City for Fri-
vis, Scrivner, Sheehy and Craig ditional “back to the basket”
erty said. “You don’t get those
day’s ceremony.
opportunities very often.”
Scrivner had watched games Erickson — played almost the center, meaning he established
entirety of the first three games. position near the hoop, took
Another starter, Dave Mark, before at the Coliseum. As a
And in the championship
a pass from a teammate and
was lost for disciplinary rea-
freshman — ineligible to play
game, Gary Hammond didn’t
then looked for a good shot.
sons early in March of 1972.
on the varsity — Scrivner saw
Heriza said Ross was a
Heriza, the assistant coach,
Baker play in the 1971 tourna- substitute once.
Scrivner, the lone sophomore highly skilled player who had
ment.
also lives in Baker City.
So do the team’s statistician,
He imagined himself on the playing with four seniors, said an array of head fakes, spins
it was difficult for him, at times, and other moves that often
Gerry Steele, and manager,
court.
led to easy baskets.
Verl Cote, along with some of
“As a freshman I yearned to to be on the floor while his
older teammates spent most or
Heriza, who remains a
the five cheerleaders — Be-
be on that team,” he said.
all of the game on the bench.
dedicated basketball fan,
linda Gutridge, Debbie Colton,
Scrivner, in common with
“That bothered me more as compared Ross with Drew
Teri Guymon, Toni Justus and his 1972 teammates, uses one
the years went by, all the work Timme, the All-American
Cindy Curtis.
word more than any other
they put in,” he said.
player at Gonzaga University.
“It’s surprising how many
to describe not only that
The championship game
Coach Hammond’s method-
ical offense would never be so
vital to execute as against the
swift Jefferson squad.
“If we tried to run with
somebody like Jefferson we
probably would have lost by
30,” Sheehy said.
Scrivner agreed.
“We had some big guys,
with Daryl and Mike, but we
couldn’t run like Jefferson,” he
said. “We couldn’t have won by
running with them.”
“They wanted to run and we
wouldn’t give them the ball,”
said Tim Wood, a member of
the team.
Sheehy remembers that Jef-
ferson showed off its athletic
abilities early in the game.
“They were by far the best
team we had seen, talent wise,”
Sheehy said.
Davis went up for a jumper,
Baker’s first shot, and Jeffer-
son’s Charles Channel, who led
all scorers in the championship
game with 19 points, swatted
the ball into the crowd.
Not that the ball had to travel
far to reach the spectators.
Sheehy said fans lined the
court, so close that play-
ers “couldn’t hardly get out
of bounds without hitting
somebody.”
In 1972 the state tourna-
ment took place during spring
break, so Greg Hammond,
who was a student at Oregon
State University, was able to
watch all of Baker’s games at
the Coliseum.
He remembers that when
his dad came out of the locker
room and walked toward the
bench before the start of the
championship game, three
Jefferson fans were sitting on
Baker’s bench.
Whether this was a small bit
of gamesmanship or not, Gary
Hammond simply walked up
and greeted the fans, saying
“I’m glad to see at least three of
you are going to root for Baker
High School.”
Greg tells the story with a
laugh.
“They got up and left,” he
said. “There was no animosity.”
As important as controlling
the ball on offense was, Her-
iza believes Baker’s defensive
prowess was at least as im-
portant, both in getting the
Bulldogs to the championship
game and in their chance to
stun the Democrats.
“We took them out of their
ballgame,” he said. “We didn’t
give them a fast break.”
The game started the way
many people in the Coliseum
probably expected.
Jefferson scored the first 6
points.
But Baker didn’t panic.
The Bulldogs rallied, took
the lead early in the second
quarter and maintained it for
most of the game. Baker led
28-24 at halftime and twice in
the third quarter pushed the
advantage to 7 points, the last
time at 40-33.
Jefferson regained the lead
at 47-46 with 5 minutes left,
but Scrivner scored 4 straight
points to give Baker its final
lead, 50-49 with about 3:40 left.
But the Democrats scored
10 of the final 12 points.
Heriza said fatigue was a
factor.
With the starting five play-
ing the entire game, that was
perhaps inevitable.
“When you play defense that
way, you’re going to get tired,”
he said.
Johnson, who was a senior,
said the Bulldogs couldn’t quite
maintain the defensive inten-
sity for the entire 32 minutes.
“When Jefferson went into
another gear, we ran out of
gas,” he said.
Multiple players also cited
as a key factor Jefferson coach
Jack Bertell’s decision to switch
from a zone defene to man-to-
man in the fourth quarter.
Even Baker’s stifling defense
wasn’t capable of preventing
Jefferson from taking a lot
of shots, and the Democrats’
quantity turned out to be more
important than the Bulldogs’
quality.
Baker made 21 of 37 field
goals, 56.8%.
The Democrats missed
more shots — 48 — than
Baker attempted.
See, Bulldogs/Page A7