HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2000-4777, by Representatives Quall, Doumit, Hatfield, Wensman and Carlson

       WHEREAS, Many of the greatest moments in human history are marked by perseverance in the face of daunting adversity, the display of boundless courage and unity in the quest for a common goal, the domination of sheer will and strength of character, and the triumph of the meek over the mighty; and

       WHEREAS, The glory of sport has long embodied this spirit of achievement, and the outstanding athletic performance of ordinary individuals in extraordinary circumstances has long captivated the hearts and minds of the American people; and

       WHEREAS, Among the teams invited to participate in the 1936 Washington State Championship Basketball Tournament was Willapa Valley High, a small "B" school from Menlo, Washington, with a total enrollment of 96 students and only 36 boys; and

       WHEREAS, In the first game of the tournament Valley faced the unbeaten squad from the much larger school, Lewis and Clark, and handed them a 43-39 defeat; and

       WHEREAS, On the second day of the tournament Valley High upset the powerful team from Walla Walla by a score of 34-33, creating much excitement and causing observers to frantically ask the question "Where is Valley?"; and

       WHEREAS, Following a 32-31 victory over Everett, the boys from Menlo had systematically defeated the three largest schools in the tournament, who had also been the pretournament favorites to win the championship; and

       WHEREAS, In the final championship game Valley battled Hoquiam on even terms until a last second basket tied the score at 26, forcing a gut-wrenching overtime period; and

       WHEREAS, In the final three minutes of overtime Valley scored six points to Hoquiam's two, thus winning the 1936 State Championship in what is considered by many to be the most thrilling tournament championship game of all time;

       NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State House of Representatives remember this monumental event, recognize the members of the team:  Bob Tisdale, 1st team All-State, Russell Eyer, Bud Alexander, 2nd team All-State, Ray Kraus, John Rosentangle, Carl Wiseman, Don Evavold, Al Belmont, Joe Drazil, Stanley Domin, coaches T. Armand Brim and Ed Tenoski, and manager Eddie Brigham, and honor their contribution to the annals of sports history in Washington State.

       I hereby certify this to be a true and correct copy of

       Resolution 4777 adopted by the House of Representatives

                           March 6, 2000.

________________________________       _____________________________

Timothy A. Martin, Co-Chief Clerk    Cynthia Zehnder, Co-Chief Clerk