Walker Hits 40 To Erase Irish

By Bill Schey

     Les Eathorne has this problem. It’s one any number of coaches would gratefully take off his hands.

     It has to do with Rick Walker, East High School’s 6-foot-4 (or is it 6-5 or 6-6?) basketball man of means by all means, who etched his name in the record-books by scoring 40 points last night as East slapped a towering O’Dea team, 82-69, in Manette.

     “After the game, the college coaches aren’t going to let Walker alone. There was a fellow here tonight from Boise State who said he’s the best prospect he’s seen,” Eathorne fussed after watching his senior star collect a standing ovation for breaking Steve Boyce’s school-record total of 37 points, scoring in th 1970-71 season.

     “I may have to take my name off my mailbox at school and put Walker’s on it instead.”

     It was that kind of night for Walker, who really let loose offensively for one of the few times. He scored 19 points n the first half, 21 in the second, while hitting 18 of 31 field goal attempts, four of eight free throws. With a move for any occasion, Walker not only often led East’s fast-breaking offense, he drove, ad libbed, rebounded (13 of them), batter down shots (four by unofficial count) and stole passes on the press - - - all unselfishly.

     It took a lot of help from Rick Walker’s friends, naturally, but almost every time O’Dea advanced within striking distance – and the Irish closed within 59-53 with 6 ½ minutes remaining – the Knights wisely blocked the patch by isolating Walker on a frustrated Pat McKee.

     McKee, 6-10 O’Dea center, who tandems with 6-7 Tom Herring, portrayed his frustration by committing three fouls in the second half out of sheer desperation, his fifth coming with 3:49 to go. Each foul set up a Walker three-point try and to make maters worse, Walker also completely muzzled one McKee shot attempt.

     “He (Walker) had kids that he could move on exceedingly well. It was a mismatch, I thought,” Eathorne analyzed.

     Walker’s play overshadowed not only the 29-point production of O’Dea’s crack shooting guard, Clint Richardson, but also some excellent team play by the Knights.

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     Needing all their firepower to win over what Eathorne termed the “best O’Dea basketball team I’ve seen in 30 years,” the Knights got 13 point and eight rebounds form steady-playing Henri Campbell, 11 point and six rebounds from his opposite forward, Bryan Garinger, and 10 points and eight rebounds from Oza Langstron, who drew his first start at guard.

     Although seven first-period turnovers and Walker’s rapid start had O’Dea reeling, 25-12, after the first period, the Irish chose to run with the smaller Knights.

     Largely on the strength of a huge, 32-16 rebounding edge and Richardson’s uncanny outside shooting, O’Dea stayed within 40-29 at the half. And when the Knights hit a lull to open the third period, committing five consecutive turnovers, Richardson shot the Irish back into it.

     However, when the scare reached 59-53, Campbell responded with a rebound basket, then stole and pass and fed Langston for a short jumper. Finally, Larry Lindberg took a Walker outlet pass for a solo layin to end a seven-point East run and the suspense was over.

     Thus, with their first Olympic League class AA victim in the satchel and a 29-game victory string intact, the Knights began a 13-day layoff over the Christmas holidays today while Eathorne and his wife, Jackie, celebrate their wedding anniversary.

     All of ‘em realize realize Rick Walker isn’t a bad gift for starters.

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