Dick Pavlat

When Dick Pavlat laced up his football cleats, Astoria fans were usually in for a treat. Although Pavlat lettered in four different sports while at Astoria High School, it was his exploits on the gridiron that Astorians still refer to today.Early in Pavlat's athletic career it looked as if he would be Astoria's next great hoop legend. As a seventh and eighth grader at Captain Robert Gray School, he was named all-tournament at the prestigious Hill Military Academy Grade School Tournament in Portland. His Explorer teammates registered back-to-back 17-1 and 17-2 season records.

In Pavlat's first game as a sophomore, a 13-0 win over Scappoose, he carried the ball 15 times, for 102 yards and a pair of scores. His eight touchdowns and 60 points led the 7-2 Fishermen in 1949. On the hardwood he poured in 144 points in 20 games, second among varsity players. His individual high game was a 14 point effort against the Oregon State Rooks.

He would letter four times as a sophomore. Sprint marks of 10.7 and 24.0 over 100 and 220 yards in track served him well when he was chasing down fly balls for the Astoria High School baseball team.

As a junior for the 8-2 Fishermen, Pavlat put across 10 touchdowns and six conversions for a team leading 66 points. His season stats read similarly: 694 yards in 108 totes (6.4 average) and 10-of-16 passes for 201 yards. His nine receptions covered 130 yards. In a 49-6 rout of Seaside, Pavlat scored three touchdowns on jaunts of 30,60 and 71 yards. Listed at 6-foot and 177 pounds, Pavlat earned 2nd team All-State honors by the United Press. Pavlat registered a career high 24 points against Tigard High School, enroute to a team high 218 points in 23 outings.

Ray Segale's 1951 Astoria High School gridders exploded on the prep scene, winning their first eleven games with Pavlat as the catalyst behind the Fishermen's statistical smorgasbord. Pavlat's 1,500 yards, 21 touchdowns, 33 PAT's and 159 points all rank near the top of the all-time AHS record board. In Astoria's 1951 opener against Longview, Pavlat darted into the endzone four times. The Hood River game saw him scoot for 174 yards in an unbelievable four carries (43.5 yards per carry). Three of those runs went the distance. A 90 yard kickoff return in a 51-0 win over Seaside capped his season.

Honors came in bunches for Pavlat. He was 1st team All-Coast Valley League. The United Press named him to its first team All-State.

Numerous organizations listed him for All-America mention, which was followed by a spot on the Shrine All-Star squad.

Back on the basketball court for his final season, his 171 points as a senior upped Pavlat's career scoring total to 553 points in 67 games. Against the University of Portland Frosh he led the Fishermen with 18 scores.