Earl Clark, Jr.
High School Honors
4 basketball letters: 1st Team All-PIL as a senior, 2nd Team as a junior and Honorable Mention as a sophomore. On three PIL championship and state tournament teams, including a third-place state finisher senior year when he was named 2nd Team All-Tournament. Team MVP, defensive player of the year and Team Captain as Junior and Senior.
Post-High School Career
College of the Sequoias, 1996-97; 1st Team Conference All-Star as a freshman.
Attended Pacific University in Stockton, Calif, on a basketball scholarship, 998-99. On Big West Conference championship team, 1998.
Assistant basketball coach at Benson, 2001-04; head coach at LaSalle Prep, 2005-11.
Head basketball coach at Benson since 2013. Taught history three years and head of campus safety for 10-plus years.
Commentary
When you honor me with the Portland Interscholastic League Hall of Fame, you honor an entire village. An athletic legacy in Portland is never built in isolation, and I refuse to stand on this stage alone.
I am accepting this honor, but I am bringing my community with me.
I bring the community anchors that raised me. Long before the PIL varsity lights, there was SEI (Self Enhancement Inc.) and The SAL (Salvation Army Moore Street). Those gyms weren't just courts — they were sanctuaries. They taught me culture, accountability, and excellence, keeping me safe and focused when I needed it most.
I bring my coaches and mentors. The leaders who saw my potential before I did, kept me on track academically, and drew up blueprints for life, not just games.
I bring my teammates. My brothers and sisters in arms who sweat, sacrificed, and pushed me in empty gyms. Every victory we shared belongs to them.
And I bring my family. The ultimate foundation. The ones who worked extra shifts, sat in cold bleachers, and gave me unconditional love. Your sacrifice is the real achievement tonight.
This induction isn't about one athlete. It is a testament to Portland resilience and community love. We did this together. This belongs to all of us. Thank you.
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