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About The Coquille Valley sentinel. (Coquille, Coos County, Or.) 1921-2003 | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2006)
COQUILLE VALLEY MUSEUM SPECTACULAR I A SENTINEL PUBLICATION- page 8 BY JAKE WILHELM HEAV^Hitters Coquille’s Boxing Club rules the roost during the 1970’s k JACKET OF MEMORIES - John Frazier admits the memories flooded back as he held the jacket he wore when he coached the Coquille Valley KOs, a youth boxing club that enjoyed much success and earned even more respect in the 1970s. PHOTO-Jake Wilhelm Pete’s will Amaze you with... Pete’s Superior Collision Facility, Inc. in Myrtle Point provides a full service auto body repair shop with the newest frame straightening equipment and measuring system available. Using PPG’s Nexa Autocolor Paint one of the finest paints on the market, a computer ized paint mixing system and a state- of-the- art Ameri-Cure Downdraft Spray/Bake Painting booth there is no guess work involved with match ing or creating the perfect paint shade for your vehicle. Pete’s will repair vehicles of all makes and models, whether its a minor nick or scratch, a small fend er bender, a complete paint job or major collision damages. Plus you can rely on the price you are quoted as Pete’s uses a computerized esti mating system for accurate total beforehand. Owners Pete and Donna Gill have 27 years of experience in auto body repair. The couple, as well as their, friendly staff, live locally and are proud of the service they provide to the community. Pete is l-Car and ASE Certified and the shop is approved by all insurance companies. Pete’s Superior Collision Facility Inc. is proud of their personalized service, along with their written life time warranty on all they perform. Customers deal directly with Pete throughout the repair process, pro viding a one-on-one relationship with his customers. Feel free to give Pete and Donna a call at 572-5793 or drop by for an estimate. Pete’s Superior Collision Facility, Inc. is located in the heart of Coffee Cup Corner’ in Myrtle Point and looks forward to your business! “Located in the Heart of Coffee Cup Corner” 541-572-5793 1541 Roseburg Road Myrtle Point, OR 97458 “Everyone kneiv if they came to Coquille, you better come ¡¡ready to box!” That’s how John Frazier of Coquille sums up the reputation earned by the Coquille Valley KOs in the 197O’s.The youth boxing club was a key part of Coquille life from 1972 to 1977, bringing yet another way for local youngsters to learn how to be the best they could be. Youth boxing clubs were a big thing in the 1970s, says Frazier, who coached the KOs for much of this club’s five years in the ring. Clubs across America kept young fists fly ing - in a good way, that is. As long as youngsters between the age of six and 16 had the desire, these clubs were there to serve. Coquille’s KOs had plenty of competition from as close as the Bay Area, Roseburg and as far away as Eugene, Grants Pass, Portland, ! * Albany and Crescent City; the boys even traveled to Southern California, Nevada and Missoula, Montana. Belonging to this group was the “in” thing; at any one time, 20 to 25 boys belonged to the KOs and one season saw 52 youngsters on the roster. Matches were well attended, too. Frazier remembers an average crowd of 300 to 400 people at the matches the club held in the big auditorium at the Coquille Community Building. That’s because the kids were passionate, the fans were passionate. Youth boxing was such a big deal in Coquille, the KOs sponsored the Junior Olympics Boxing Competition in 1976. Take their reputation as great fighters, throw in the fact bouts were televised once in a while and always written up in the newspaper, the boys had a lot to be proud of. That pride started with them, Frazier said. “We had great boys. They had discipline, they had desire, it’s as simple as that,” he said. It was easy to see that desire and talent play out in the ring as youngsters made the right hits, the right moves that helped the KOs amass individual and team awards (See, Hitters, page 11) Providing Coos County with Peace of Mind Since 1935... A long history of service at 3 convenient locations: ESTABLISHED IN 1976 CLAY DAVIS P.O. Box 100.21 N. Adams Coquille . 396-5507 •AUTOMOBILE «COMMERCIAL •HOME OWNERS •LIFE & HEALTH ESTABLISHED IN 1935 1865 McPherson Ave., North Bend. 756-4121 ESTABLISHED IN 2000 Bandon Shopping Center 22 Michigan Ave. NE, Bandon • 347-5435
