Missoula Man Been Here, Watched Them All

The years have taken Joe and Jolane Bussard from Metaline Falls to Billings to Missoula, but there’s only one place for them in the first week of March.

Bussard has attended every State B Tournament since the event was established in the Spokane Coliseum in 1958.

He’s missed some days over the tournament’s 37-year run here, but precious few.

“It’s the greatest show of the year,” Bussard said Wednesday. “I’d like to think that if I wasn’t here, they wouldn’t start without me.”

When a cement plant in Metaline Falls closed, and Bussard took a job in Billings, he and his wife flew to Spokane for the 1990 tournament.

Offered a transfer to Missoula, he snapped it up.

“It was 350 miles closer to my grandkids,” he said, “and 350 miles closer to the B tournament.

“Teams come in here with everybody in town. It’s an atmosphere you don’t get anywhere else. I never made it as a player. I guess that’s part of the attraction. Now I get to the tournament every year.”

His favorite state champ?

“The team from Harrington that won it (in ‘65),” he said. “They shot a poor percentage but they shot 150 times a game. They played a defense that was like second skin.”

Best player? “Not because he played pro, but the kid from Kittitas, Byron Beck (1960-63). I watched him for four years in here. He played every second as hard as he could.”

Bussard’s all-time all-tournament team: Beck, Billy Suter of Morton (61-62), Dale Smith of Brewster (‘74-77), either one of the Boesels of Brewster (Roger, 74-77 or Mike 82-85) and Gordy Harris of Tenino (61-63).

“You could name the whole starting five of some of those (championship) Brewster teams,” he said.

“I liked Harris because he got hammered hard in here and took it. When he was a freshman, he’d trip over the lines on the floor he was so awkward, but he developed into a real player.”

Favorite coach: “You’ve got to love Lyle Patterson (of Naselle). He’s got more hardware and never first place. I like the way he handles himself. I’ve always pulled for Naselle.”

The difference in this show, going back to ‘58?

“Contact,” Bussard said. “It’s indoor football now. Back then it was no contact, like it’s supposed to be. You played with finesse. Your ability to control your body through the mess out there was a key part of the game.”

Bussard will take a long look around the Coliseum this week, knowing that the building is a month away from demolition. The site of next year’s tournament - Veterans Memorial Arena - is going up adjacent to the Coliseum.

“I’ll take a lot of memories of the old barn with me to my grave,” he said. “In a way, I’m going to hate not coming to the Coliseum. But we’ve got to move on. It’s time for something different.”

Tennis, anyone?

Kittitas Coyotes 6-1 junior Kelly Smith prepared for Adna’s 7-foot Jeff Ellis by shooting over a tennis racquet held aloft by assistant coach Scott Wilson.

“We wanted to give Kelly an idea of what it would be like,” said the Coyotes’ 24-year-old head coach, Tim Ravet.

So how was practice different than the game?

“Well,” Smith said, “it was the exact same thing. I got swatted each time.”

Good line, but it wasn’t quite that bad. Smith connected on 4 of 15 shots, including one rainbow over Ellis with 1:26 to go to help Kittitas hang close at 54-50.

The arc on that shot?

“A ton,” Smith said.

Talk the talk …

Tacoma-Baptist coach Bill Lemke had promised to walk home if his Crusaders won the tournament.

After a 57-55 loss to Almira/Coulee-Hartline, he won’t have to. “To tell you the truth, I’d rather walk,” Lemke said.