Pete Bryant
Coach from 1961-69
When Pete Bryant left Astoria after graduation in 1943, he never envisioned that he would return to his alma mater and guide basketball teams to statewide acclaim during the 1960’s.
Bryant first made his way back to Astoria in 1954 as a teacher and coach at Lewis and Clark Consolidated school, he quickly transformed that rural school’s athletic program into the envy of the entire county.
His 1955 (14-0), 1956 (13-0), and 1957 (12-2) Consolidated cagers won county titles and amassed 31 consecutive wins during that three year span.
Bryant patiently waited for the basketball coaching position to open at the high school, serving as the school’s football coach in the three year period that Jerry Mosby was concluding his five year stint as the Astoria hoop leader.
His first year (1958) was his most successful. He inherited a stable full of fine athletes, including Brian Paaso and Jerry Olson, who starred for Bryant at Consolidated. Astoria rolled to a 7-2-1 record and won the Metropolitan League title.
Once Bryant was given the reins of the Fishermen hoop machine, he became the most watched man in Astoria. Over an eight year duration, his team won 131 games, while dropping just 59 outings. His troops delighted the local community by winning 71 of 89 on the home maple. Twice the Fishermen won Metropolitan League titles.
Bryant’s Hoop Coaching Career At Astoria
1961-1962 19-7 10-3 15-3
1962-1963 20-6 9-1 15-3
1963-1964 14-8 8-2 11-7
1964-1965 10-12 5-6 8-12
1965-1966 19-6 11-0 17-3
1966-1967 16-8 10-1 14-6
1967-1968 17-6 9-3 16-4
1968-1969 16-6 9-2 16-6
During his prep days, Bryant played both football and basketball as a Fishermen. He was a member of the hard luck Astoria High School hoop team of 1943, which entered the state tournament with an 18-0 record, and a heavy favorite to annex another title, only to have their coach (Wally Palmberg) called into military duty hours after the team arrived in Salem. Without their mentor at the helm, Bryant and his teammates lost two straight and were eliminated from the tournament.
The popularity of former mentor was best shown in the early 1990s when 81 of 86 players who were tutored by Bryant, attended a night honoring their favorite coach. Even today, Bryant’s presence can be felt at Astoria High School athletic events. Locals claim that the rain gear clad caricature figure of the Astoria mascot “Stomper”, was modeled after the likeness of Bryant.