This was my first full length book and it became so well received, I was spurred on to write two more. Gray Thunder, Scarlet Knights is the story of a newly opened high school in a rapidly growing suburb on the eastern outskirts of Portland, Oregon in the late fifties. The name chosen was David Douglas High School, after the renowned Scotch botanist who visited the area and named the towering fir trees, the Douglas Fir. Appropriately, the team's name was the Scotsmen or more commonly, the Scots. Their football team became the talk of not only the Portland community but the entire state in an unprecedented rush to dominance. In 1959 they won their initial Metro League championship before subsequent playoff elimination by the reigning state champion Jefferson. In 1960, they returned in full force to claim the state’s top prize with an 11-1 record. In 1965, another state title was secured with a perfect 12-0 mark. Their most dominant team, 1968 was marred by an egregious official’s error that was subsequently overturned on appeal. However, the playoff game stood as their first and only loss 16-14. That team outscored opponents by an incredible 323-50 points including 6 shutouts. This dominant 1960’s decade also produced an amazing 29 straight games without a loss from 1964-67.

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The coach throughout this period was an intensely focused and soft spoken former wrestling coach by the name of Marvin Hiebert. His concentration and attention to detail were legendary. As one sportswriter put it, “Marv left nothing to chance. He’s the kind of guy, you ask what time it is, and he tells you how to make a watch. Thorough, meticulous, in everything.” One of Hiebert’s most celebrated players was Claxton Welch. At one point he was ready to give up football and concentrate on basketball and track. But Hiebert showed him the light at the end of the tunnel. Eventually he became a dominant athlete in all three sports and went on to a starring running back role at the University of Oregon. And later played professionally winning a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys following the 1971 season. Hiebert left David Douglas after the 1968 season to take over the newly formed Mt. Hood Community College. His overall record at David Douglas was 75-19 and 6 ties in 10 seasons.   (120 pages, $14.95)