Everson, Ressa, Patchin honored with awards

Sometimes a 25-Year Award winner packs enough on his résumé to be worth two awards. Joe Everson is that person. Indeed, behind the scenes, he’s had an impact on this community for just about that long.

Everson, along with longtime University baseball coach Don Ressa and KXLY broadcaster Dennis Patchin, were honored by the Inland Northwest Sportswriters and Broadcasters on Wednesday at the 34th Junior Sports Awards Luncheon at the Convention Center with plaques for their more than 25 years of contributions in their fields.

The list of Everson’s accomplishments is mind-boggling:

• Forty-one seasons of baseball coaching, beginning in 1969, that includes Spokane Valley Baseball, Junior National, Babe Ruth, Pony, Colt, American Legion, Parochial League, as a Greater Spokane League assistant and in the college summer league. He was co-coordinator of the Spokane Area Fall High School Instruction League and served as an officer in Pony and American Legion leagues.

“I have a 2-1 record in GSL games filling in for head coaches at North Central and Ferris,” he wrote.

• Thirteen seasons of Spokane Youth Sports, Parochial League and GSL assistant in football.

• Three seasons of basketball, four with Spokane Youth Soccer, four in GSL softball and three seasons as a high school football official.

Besides that he wrote for the Gonzaga University Bulletin and was GU sports information director; is education adviser for the Spokane Chiefs; and has written six decades of bylines, mostly in sports, in The Spokesman-Review.

“Mainly,” he said, “I just kept showing up.”

Ressa began his high school coaching career in 1978. He was head coach for 30 years, winning several GSL titles and in the postseason playoffs for most of that time, earning a spot in the Washington Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. He still assists in baseball and as line coach in football, which he’s done at U-Hi for 25 years. Ressa played on Spokane’s last state American Legion baseball champion at Gonzaga Prep and later at Whitworth.

Ressa gave credit to the three athletic directors – Joe Trembly, Bill Ames and currently Ken VanSickle – who allowed him to do what he loved.

Patchin also credited those around him during his 28 years in sports with KXLY, particularly Bud Nameck and Rick Lukens.

He’s served as a sports anchor on TV, radio talk show host and play-by-play announcer, while being involved in SWABS and the Inland Northwest Hall of Fame. He said he’d planned to be here five years, but figures he’ll stay forever.

“I interviewed for a job at KREM, didn’t get it and was hired by KXLY,” he said during the luncheon. “Thank you, KREM.”