Whitworth University

SPOKANE, Wash. -- On October 14th Whitworth College will induct the 1960 Pirate football team and former basketball great Marv Adams into the Whitworth Heritage Gallery Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place at Whitworth’s Hixon Union Building, beginning at 8:30 am.

1960 Football Results
W	Alberta	28-0
W	Lewis & Clark	28-19
W	Eastern Wash.	40-13
W	Western Wash.	35-13
W	Central Wash.	10-0
W	Pacific Lutheran	40-0
W	Puget Sound	7-0
W	Eastern Wash.	33-14
W	Western Wash.	30-0
L	Humboldt State*	6-13
* = NAIA Semifinal

Until 2001, the 1960 Whitworth football team was the only Pirate squad to qualify for post season play in that sport. The Pirates finished the regular season 9-0, earning a spot in the NAIA semifinals opposite Humboldt State. Though Whitworth was defeated on a muddy field in Arcata, California that night, the Pirates still finished the year with a final ranking of 4th in the nation. In addition, the squad was named the Team of the Year by the Inland Empire Sports Writers and Broadcasters (SWABS). Under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Sam Adams, quarterback Dennis Spurlock led the nation in passing, completing 135 passes in 257 attempts for 1,897 yards with 14 touchdowns. He was named Second Team AP All-American. Despite missing the final three games of the regular season with an ankle injury, John Murio finished third in the NAIA in receiving yards, catching 31 passes for 744 yards with six touchdowns. He was named Second Team NAIA All-American. Offensive tackle Tom Black, who was also the Pirate place kicker, was a First Team NAIA All-American. Six players (Black, Murio, Spurlock, Jim Breymeyer, Leo Hutchins and Norm Harding) were named First Team All-Evergreen Conference. The Pirates led the nation in passing offense and were 10th in total defense. Including Coach Adams, seven members of this team have already been enshrined individually in the Whitworth Heritage Gallery. The other six are Black, Harding, Murio, Spurlock, Fred Shaffer and Ken Sugerman.

Adams scores a basket at WSU

Marv Adams, who came to Whitworth from Rogers High School in Spokane, is the fifth leading scorer in Pirate men’s basketball history. Over the course of three varsity seasons Adams scored 1,457 points and averaged 17.8 points per contest. He was named First Team All-Evergreen Conference three years in a row. During his career he led the Pirates to a three year mark of 56-26, including a 33-8 record in the EVCO. He was the conference’s leading scorer as a junior, averaging 19.0 points per game, and improved on that his senior season by averaging 23.3 points per contest, the third highest single season average in Whitworth history. After his senior season he was a finalist for the Athlete of the Year, awarded by the Inland Empire Sports Writers and Broadcasters (SWABS). His Pirate teams never finished lower than second place in the EVCO and the 1954-55 squad won the league and advanced to the NAIA national tournament in Kansas City. After graduation, Adams played for Seattle’s Buchan Bakers, finishing fourth in the AAU national tournament in Denver. He continued to play AAU basketball in the Seattle/Tacoma area for the next decade. Upon graduation, Adams taught and coached at the junior high and senior high level, eventually earning an M. Ed. from Oregon State. He served as a superintendent in Mount Vernon, Washington and Santa Rosa, California until retiring in 1995. He and his wife Patsy (Walsh) have three grown children - Amy, Brad and Barry.

The class of 2006 will join a group of 57 individuals and five teams already enshrined in the Heritage Gallery. The 1960 team and Adams, along with all current Heritage Gallery members attending the induction, will be recognized at halftime of the Whitworth - Lewis & Clark football game.

The Whitworth Heritage Gallery Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Crimson Club and the first class was inducted in 1990. Reservations for the induction ceremony and breakfast can still be made by calling 777-3224.