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All-League
The Washington County Grizzlies is well known as one of the classiest
teams of the era and ran as close to a professional organization as
possible. According to Bob Cole, the team sported a paid 5-man
coaching staff, equipment manager, trainer, and camp facility agreement
with Concordia College. The players were fully insured, a leased
team bus complete with AC, and meals paid for while traveling. In
1982 the home games were watched by a reported 3,500 fans per game.
Bob Cole and Charlier Ganter reunited once again after Cole, the former
part owner of the Portland Thunderbirds, brought in Ganter, the one-time
star QB of the Thunderbirds and assistant coach. Cole played
linebacker for Auburn University in the early 1960s.
Mike James caught 8 TD passes in the first 7 games of the 1982 season,
and finished with 10 receiving scores and a kick return for a TD on the
season. Geoff Steenson, former Oregon City Steelhead back-up QB
was the leading passer.
The team went on to upset the Oregon City Steelheads for the 1982
Championship and complete a cinderella story as the new team on the
block winning the title.
From first to worst explains the 1983 season as the wheels came off of
the organization that year. The Vikings moved from Burien, WA to
Astoria, OR and the Steelheads moved into Portland. The squeeze
moved players to those other teams and the Grizzlies could not keep
pace.
Following the death of Dr. Nash's wife in 1984, he lost interest in
minor league football and sold the team gear to a new team in Bellevue
called the Express which had former Grizzly player Dee Strong as it's
face.
The Clark County-based
Vancouver Grizzlies were a completely different team in 1984 and was
not associated with the Washington County club. |
