Flashback: Walker continues to champion cause

Athlete: Rick Walker, East Bremerton, Class of 1974

Sport: Basketball

High-school rewind: As a 6-foot-5 junior shooting guard, Walker led East Bremerton, coached by Les Eathorne, to the 1973 Class 3A (then AA) title with a 54-52 win over Timberline of Lacey. As a senior, Walker averaged 26 points and 15 rebounds as the Knights repeated as state champions with a 77-52 victory over Foster. Walker had 29 points and 21 rebounds in the Knights' 79-73 semifinal win over Cleveland.

After high school: Walker played at Puget Sound from 1975 to '78. His sophomore season, the Loggers were 27-7 and won the NCAA Division II championship over Tennessee-Chattanooga in the final. He graduated from UPS in 1978, then got into coaching. After assisting at Bremerton (1984-88) and Olympic (1989-92), he was hired as boys basketball coach in 1993 at King's West High School in Bremerton. He also teaches their computer technology courses, which he developed.

Personal: Walker lives in Bremerton with his wife Bev. They have two grown children, Erik and Rebekah.

Walker has coached at King's West for 12 years.

Fast forward: A devout Christian, Walker just completed his 12th year as coach at King's West, where the Warriors made their first appearance in the Class B state tournament in Spokane, finishing sixth. He is also the founder of Sports Beyond, a Christian ministry that reaches out to area youth through various sports camps.

Walker said coaching basketball has given him a unique perspective. "I stay focused on the athlete and developing them as players and individuals," he said. "I'm able to contribute values that are eternal, and that carry over on the players' careers and life, and it's going to be meaningful."

George Edgar

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