Hall of Fame beckons

BREWSTER – Bears varsity high school basketball coach Tim Taylor is hanging up his whistle after nearly two decades as the helm of the program compiling a career record of 415 wins and 94 losses. Taylor will be inducted into the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association (WIBCA) Hall of Fame at its 44th annual banquet on Thursday, July 25, at the Wenatchee Convention Center.

Taylor grew up in South Bend, Wash, and played basketball there for Hall of Game coaches Don Koplitz (1991) at South Bend and later Don Zech at the University of Puget Sound where Taylor attended college.

Taylor said he had heard of Brewster basketball when the Bears were compiling their 82-game win streak at the same time he was playing high school ball in 1A South Bend.

“I made the All-State team when I was a senior,” said Taylor. “Dick Olson was the coach and Dale Smith was one of my teammates.” Another of Taylor’s teammates at UPS was John Pariseau from Brewster. After college Taylor accepted Pariseau’s invitation to help in the local apple harvest, “and I never left.” Taylor said. Soon after he met his wife Sonya (Gebbers) and began coaching Brewster C basketball in 1996. Taylor took over as head coach the following year. He coached from 1997 through 2008 when he took a break for four years and had the chance to watch his son Michael and daughter Martha play college ball.

The Bears had two undefeated seasons and went to the state basketball playoffs five consecutive years under Taylor. “We played five straight title games and won three of them,” Taylor said. “I don’t think anybody’s ever done that.”

In a bio prepared for the WIBCA ceremony,  Michael, who also served as the Bears assistant coach, notes that his father coached him and sons Stockton, Timbo and Joe during his Brewster tenure and “had many bus trips with his two daughters, Martha and Becky Mae who played for the Brewster girls varsity.”

Taylor also coached nine nephews and many family friends over the course of his 19-year career.

In his spare time now, Taylor said he likes to hit the links at Gamble Sands “several times a week.”

Along with Taylor, the WIBCA, founded in 1974, will induct Mike Carlquist who coached at Almira/Coulee-Hartline, Goldendale, Cashmere and Okanogan through his career. Chelan native Joe Harris, now playing for the Brooklyn Nets and reigning NBA three-point contest champion, will be presented with the Ed Pepple Service Award for his efforts to improve high school basketball.

In 2016 the WIBCA inducted Pateros coach Mike Hull into its Hall of Fame ranks.

The WIBCA banquet begins with a 5 p.m. social hour followed by buffet dinner and induction ceremony. The cost is $30 and RSVP a week prior to the event to Dave Dickson at david.dickson@bellinghamschools.org.