3A Boys Notebook | Ex-roommates Mike Bethea, Jo Jo Rodriguez face off in tonight's final

They were friends from rival Seattle high schools who decided to go to college and live together. "Falcon Eddie" and "Elwood," they were called. At Yakima Valley Community College, they proved that a Franklin Quaker and a Garfield Bulldog could live together in harmony.

Tonight, Rainier Beach coach Mike "Falcon Eddie" Bethea and Lakes coach JoJo "Elwood" Rodriguez will face off in the Class 3A championship game. But 30 years ago, Bethea and Rodriguez were roommates, a pair of neat freaks and good friends on the YVCC basketball team.

Rodriguez, a member of the undefeated 1974 state-championship team at Garfield, played point guard. Bethea, who went to Franklin, played shooting guard and small forward. But before they were rivals, they were friends growing up in Seattle. After high school, they wanted to play in college together.

"It was a 'I'll go if you go, you go if I go' type of situation," Bethea said.

They lived together for a year and a half, Bethea said, until they got their own places.

"Mike was a good roommate," Rodriguez said. "He was quiet, he was good."

They have coached against each other many times, including when Rodriguez coached at Ingraham, one of Rainier Beach's Metro League opponents. They last coached against each other in the first round of last year's state tournament. Bethea and Rainier Beach beat Lakes 71-54.

It has been a long time since Bethea and Rodriguez shared a place, but two of their assistants — Lakes' Brent Merritt and Rainier Beach's Ed Haskins — are now roommates.

Auburn's No. 1 hero

Auburn's manager is Bobby Vogel, 64, a developmentally disabled man who has been crowned the town's "No. 1 hero" at the town's past two annual "Good Ol' Days" festivals.

"Everybody in town knows him," said coach Ryan Hansen. "Our players love having him around."

"It's definitely a feel-good story," said Hansen, who made Vogel the team manager when he was named coach six years ago. Vogel had earned the reputation of "No. 1 fan" for his attendance at so many Trojans athletic events.

Hansen said Vogel has missed only three practices over the years.

Vogel's self-description: "I'm a nice guy." He bags groceries part time at Safeway and also volunteers at the high school. He proudly wears a letterman's jacket that Auburn students bought for him.

Renton rooter buses

After beating Meadowdale 55-43, guaranteeing a trophy, Renton players rushed into the stands to exchange hugs with fellow students.

New principal at Renton, Paul Apostle, was instrumental in arranging rooter buses for about 250 student fans.

Two years ago, Renton allowed only students with 3.3 grade averages to attend. Attendance was sparse and Renton was bounced in two games.

"This just bonds the students," coach Rick Comer said. "It's about the spirit of Renton High School coming through."

Notes

• Ex-Seattle University standout Gary Ladd has three grandsons at the tournament — Michael Ladd of Rainier Beach, Keenan Allen of West Seattle and Najee Ali of Renton. Ladd, who played at SU from 1968 to 1972, is the pastor at Walk of Faith Church, where his grandsons attend church.

• The Eastmont pep band included a bassoon, played by sophomore Augie Sheets. "We're probably the only pep band in the state with a bassoon," said Eastmont director Ray Dietz.

• Washington assistant Jim Shaw was at KeyArena on Friday to see Columbia River of Vancouver play Mount Rainier. The Huskies have been talking with Columbia River junior Steven Bjornstad, a 6-foot-9 forward. Bjornstad finished with 12 points and nine rebounds in a loss.

• When the Squalicum dance team went out for its halftime performance, the audio at Edmundson Pavilion malfunctioned. The dance team began its routine anyway, and by the end, most of the crowd was clapping along. The girls left to a standing ovation.

• The three-point line at KeyArena was changed from blue to neon green between Wednesday and Thursday after the blue tape wore out.

• Auburn junior guard Jeff Gouveia is known in basketball as the Trojans' defensive stopper. In football, he's a bruising runner and hard-hitting linebacker. Gouveia rushed for 1,033 yards and 19 touchdowns for Auburn, which made the state tournament in both sports.

Seattle Times staff reporter Craig Smith

contributed to this notebook.