Mercer Island High School - ISLA Yearbook (Mercer Island, WA)

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Some of the outstanding varsity players were: Bert Harris, wingback lupper leftl, Dick Eldridge, fullback lupper rightj, Dave Hostvedt, all league halfback and co-captain lcenter leftl, Bob Nygren, center lcenterj, John McCormack, tackle fcenter rightj, Harry Leavitt, all league guard and most in- spirational player. llower rightl. V ' raee . se.. J. A J rlell J is J M-We ,..f My f . :9':is.i.'ewI3w'f? ' 2, W all Q H. -' J ' Je 'I K .R ,. 'Q .. f individuals expressed themselves through The spirited varsity included, Froni Row: R. l Knepper, B, Acomb, J. Rodgers, B, Harris, C. Kusak, S, Fellows, D. Hostvedt, M. Anderson, H. Leavitt, D. Swanson, R. Sprinkle. Second Row: J. Hazen, K. O'Neil, L. Marklund, J. Morris, B. Wiseman, D. Eldridge, B. Nygren, J, McCormack, T. Boyle, G. Rock, H. Towler, K. Randall. Third Row: M. Drotning, E, Kil- gren, R. Robinson, B. Koch, B. Gardener, J. l Hoadley, M. Verginia, P. Arnold, S. Mclntyre, D. Palmer, J. Knepper. 44

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fought against all foes for a league second Bothell's defense closed in on Brad Kelleran as he sprinted around end for a first down, one play that brought Mercer a 7-0 homecoming victory. Kicking-off the I964 football season, the Islanders traveled over the Cascades and faced Davis of Yakima, one of the perennial powerhouses of the state. The Pirates proved their eventual fifth place state ranking in planking Ml 28-6. In the next pre-league encounter, the Panthers of Laughbon were determined to spoil Mercer's first home game and only a brilliant second-half offensive explosion gave the Islanders an I8-0 decision. Mercer started KingCo action on the road with successive encounters with Issaquah and Federal Way. The Maroon 81 White came away from the Indians nearly scalped, but sal- vaged the suspense-filled game with a fourth quarter come- back on October 2. FederalfWay followed suit, feeling the wrathful revenge of the Savages from the Isle, a reparation for last year's finale when the Eagles dropped the Ml eleven from second to sixth. The Island was now on the rampage, rolling over Mount Si 26-0, but this momentum was halted by an inspired Wolver- ine team, as Bellevue held long enough for a 0-O disappoint- ment. Mercer rebounded from this set-back, running and passing at will, and smashed Bothell 7-O for a well earned homecoming triumph on October 23. The Islanders were now second only to the mythical titans from Kirkland, the Lake Washington Kangaroos. Only the up- starts from the Isle blocked their path to another champion- ship. The Kangs came into the game confident of a win, but the Islanders were playing their best game of the year and surprised the Kangs with a I4-7 halftime deficit. Repeatedly the MI defense threw Lake Washington back for big losses. Finally, the Kangs reached into their pouches for some tricky plays that brought them victory in the closing seconds over a dogged and inspired Maroon and White. The monsoon season finally set in and on November 6 an unimpressed Totem team added to the previous agony by fumbling into the end zone to clinch a 6-6 draw with Mercer. It was a game typified by fumbles, torrential rain and mud. But most of all, the Sammamish game typified the undying fighting spirit of the Islanders displayed throughout the tough 1964 season.

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K. K. ts' tl 1 J - ' ' as - ' I , i- fx, ,. .. ,is 1 -ww 4' v , rr, MA ,. ' U :.:-:: '-', , Managers Doug McTavish, John Bisbee and Jim Higgins assisted in taping the ankle of one ofthe varsity players before a practice scrimmage. .av team participation John Rodgers, tackle iupper leftj, Bill Acomb, guard iupper centerj, and Rich Sprinkle, all league linebacker flower rightj, were the backbone of the tough Mercer lsland line. Excellence was displayed by the following players on the gridirom Brad Kelleran, half- back lupper leftj, Chuck Kusak, linebacker iupper centerj, Mike Anderson, quarter- back and co-captain, fupper rightj, Dick Swanson, halfback flower lefty, Steve Fel- lows, guard and most improved player flower rightj. 45