Billygoats Walk A Fine Line Pateros Lost Its Unbeaten Season In The District 6-B Tournament, But Not Its Drive For Its Second State Title Of The School Year

A mighty funny thing happened as this article went through its genesis.

The Pateros boys lost to Manson at the District 6-B Tournament.

Ha, ha! What a belly laugh for a deadline-stressed author!

The untimely defeat happened as the following quote from Pateros senior Patrick Hunter was working its way into the story: “When someone asks us our record we say we’re 34-0, not 22-0.”

Hunter was referring to Pateros’ perfect season - at that time - in football and basketball.

That certainly sounded like a worthy story from this neck of the woods.

With Hunter as record-shattering quarterback, Pateros won the B-8 championship last December at the first Gridiron Classic in the Tacoma Dome. The Billygoats capped a 12-0 season by beating Touchet, the team that in 1994 handed Pateros its third championship game loss in four years.

Pateros’ winning didn’t cease after football season, as the team roared though its league and non-league basketball schedules. Most impressive, the Billygoats beat neighbor Okanogan, which has otherwise gone unbeaten and is ranked No. 3 among Class A teams.

Pateros, boasting four players in double figures (senior Garrett Zwar, 22.5; Hunter, 13; senior Adam James, 12.5; junior Parker Barth, 15.5), appeared on top of its game.

The Billygoats entered the District 6-B Tournament with a 20-0 record and the top seed among eight teams. Eighth-seeded Soap Lake, their district-opening assignment, was an easy mark in a loser-out game, then fourth-seeded Oroville fell to the Billygoats by 14.

Some in attendance thought Pateros played sluggishly against Oroville, but, ho-hum, Manson was next with its eight losses - including two inflicted by the Billygoats.

Stop the presses!

Manson, which had lost one regular-season game to Pateros by 30 points, pulled a 56-51 upset special by getting Zwar in foul trouble.

Suddenly, Pateros’ perfect year was history and Manson was one win away from securing the district’s lone berth to state.

Our tribute to Pateros could have gone the way of the LP, but the gruff Billygoats showed some pre-tournament mettle. In order, they eliminated Oroville 51-45 on Wednesday; beat Manson 57-44 in a rematch on Friday; then sent a message on Saturday by humbling Manson 71-36.

Pefect? No, but efficient still.

Of course, the Billygoats have made a habit of winning since Hunter’s second-grade year, when his family moved from Goldendale to a golf course 3 miles outside of Pateros.

Zwar was already in Pateros, or at least close. The 6-foot-5 post grew up and still lives on a cattle ranch about 20 minutes outside of town.

“We played so many games, traveled so many places, and rarely lost,” Hunter said.

“It’s true,” said Pateros coach Mike Hull. “These kids have taken a shot at being the best since they were little.”

Zwar recalls watching Pateros lose its first Kingbowl when he was in eighth grade. The following school year circumstances split up the group, as Hunter made varsity and the rest learned their trade on junior varsity.

“The team I had played with my entire life was without me,” Hunter said. “I think that helped them because they learned to do without me.”

District 6 was no place for the timid during Hunter and Zwar’s sophomore year. Manson - this year’s nemesis - won the district title and placed third at state. For the second berth to state, Pateros lost to Waterville by eight points after leading at halftime. All Waterville did at state was lose the title game to Northwest Christian in overtime.

“I think we had played three games in five years to decide a state berth,” Hull said. “We had been knocking on the door for quite a time.”

The door opened last season. Hunter’s separated left shoulder limited him to just two games before state, but the Billygoats edged Waterville 52-49 at district to qualify for their first state tournament. Once at state, Hunter’s doctor cleared him to play. His leadership led the team to seventh place.

Hunter first injured his shoulder during his freshman football season, while attempting a diving tackle in practice. Two surgeries haven’t corrected the problem. Hunter’s delicate shoulder even pops out while he’s sleeping.

“Earlier in the year it came out six games in a row,” Hunter said. “The reason I can stand (the pain) is I went through last year not playing, which hurt worse.”

Hunter speculates that the end of basketball season may also bring to a halt his serious athletic career. He faces a third surgery and fears that colleges will consider him damaged goods for either sport.

Zwar has a different dilemma. Given a choice, the 200-pound Zwar would play basketball - his first love - in college. The best offers, however, are coming from football programs.

“I started playing football in high school because I was expected to as a big guy,” Zwar said. “But I’ve always taken to basketball more. I’m afraid I’d get beat up in football because I don’t have the ‘aspects’ needed.”

One intriguing football offer, from Division III Pomona-Pitzer College near Los Angeles, could mean the chance to play both sports.

At Pateros, like most small B schools, the football stars are also the basketball stars. James, Barth and senior John Neuneker, the first man off the bench in basketball, joined Hunter and Zwar during the championship football season.

One player who wasn’t part of Billygoats football success, sophomore Jason Crawley, transferred from nearby Entiat around Christmas. Crawley, who led Entiat in scoring, serves as Zwar’s backup at Pateros.

“What I told (Crawley) when he came in was that he could do nothing but help, but this is a senior-dominated outfit,” Hull said. “The word we’re getting is that the family was disgruntled with the school atmosphere in Entiat. We had just played Entiat six days (before the transfer), so I was kind of shocked.”

Athletes at other B schools generally move to baseball or track and field in the spring. Pateros athletes tend to play AAU basketball.

“Playing baseball would just interfere,” Zwar said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: BOUNCING BACK After its 56-51 upset loss to Manson sent Pateros into the losers’ bracket at district, the Billygoats salvaged a State B bid by eliminating first Oroville (51-45), and then Manson (57-44 and 71-36) from the double-elimination tournament.