1954 Chelan Goats Football players return for reunion

CHELAN  – Saturday, Sept. 9, the 1954 Chelan Goats Football team were recognized and attributed for their hard work and dedication in receiving the Mythical State Championship, at Sargeant Field during the Goats game versus Ephrata. This championship was voted on by Washington State Sport Writers and the title then given to a team based on season record and league standings. Recipients of the championship were typically voted on by coach polls and media ballots, as there was no Bowl Championship Series to assign status at that time in High School sports. 

The 1954 Goats ended the season with a record of 8-0 with three shut outs. They began that season taking on the previous state champions, Tonasket. With a little over half the players that Tonasket had, the Goats defeated them with a final score of 26-7. They went on to compete and win games against other teams in the Independent B Division, including Grand Coulee, Manson, Quincy, and Leavenworth, as well as three A league teams, ending the season undefeated with 271 total points scored and allowing only 46 points scored against them. 

“We had a good offense and a good defense,” explained Jack Holmes, a member of the ’54 Goats, “we had some good athletes to be able to run the type of formation that had been changed from my Sophmore to Junior year.” Holmes explained that in previous years, the team had run a single-wing formation, where the Quarterback would be in the backfield, and the T-formation that is most frequently seen now was transitioned to during Holmes’ Junior year. 

The 1954 Chelan Goats Football team was selected for honoring as part of current Coach Travis Domser’s efforts to make the players aware of “the idea that there were players and teas before them … to understand and appreciate the legacy that they are inheriting,” according to a letter sent out to the players of 1954. 

Twelve members of the Goats of 1954 returned for a team dinner hosted at Lakeside Resort, Thursday, Sept. 7, where they shared stories, successes and struggles with this season’s team. “We told funny stories, and we tried to inspire them,” he explained, “we told him stories of why we were a championship team.” The following day, Friday, Sept. 8, the Mythical Champions did a brief interview, and toured the Chelan High School and Community Gym. Due to smoke levels in the air, the night’s game had been rescheduled for the following evening, Saturday, Sept. 9. During halftime of the Goats versus Ephrata Tigers game, six members of the championship team took the field, as their achievements were announced and applauded throughout the fan-filled bleachers.