2015 Inductees
NORTH HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME: 2015 Induction Class
Curt DeRossett, Mark Drennan, Greg Fowler, Ben Hargis, Stan Ingram, Wendy Martell-Taylor, Keith Montgomery, Jack O’Brien, Jim Rice, Tara Ross-Young, Gene Smart, Bill Thomas, Jim Thomas, Larry Tolliver, Cathie Wilson Jones
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2015 Inductee Biographies
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Ben Hargis attended Edison Elementary, Bakersfield High School, Bakersfield College and UCLA. He attended BC when it was still on the campus of BHS. It was at BHS where he started his community service, being elected Boy’s Service Club President in his senior year.
In 1956, Ben met North High student Bonnie Burt. So from Blue and white, it was Red and Grey. They were married in the spring of 1959. After completing his education at UCLA, he and Bonnie moved back to Bakersfield and began an organic fertilizer business with his father, and 55 years later it still exists. They had three children, two girls and a boy, all of whom graduated from North High. The two girls were cheerleaders and volleyball players and the son a wrestler and football player.
It was in 1970 that Ben started helping Danny and Yvonne Thomas with Booster Club barbeques. He continued his association with the Booster Club for the next several years.
He is most proud of the Booster Club’s effort in building North High’s first athletic weight room. Though this monumental task was completed with the help of local businesses, coaches, boosters, Oildale citizens, teachers and district personnel, it could not have happened without Ben Hargis’ efforts. His family has always been proud to be 08ers and North High school supporters. Ben and Bonnie can still be seen at the school’s athletic events.
To help cement close bonds between athletic coaches, community members and especially Booster Club members, Ben has provided his cabin at Bass Lake for several years for retreats during the summer months. Those who attended have had several memorable moments. Not only did it bring people together, it created respect and appreciation for all the efforts of all the people who were most active in North High School athletics. Ben Hargis is what being a booster and contributor is all about. BHS should be so lucky.
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Bill Thomas was born and raised in Bakersfield, attending Highland Elementary and Standard Jr. High. In an indication of what was to come, he was elected 8th grade Student Body President at Standard. He was tutored in sports as a youngster by coaches Paul Henry and Jack Denison. They must have done something right.
Thomas became an outstanding scholar/athlete at North, excelling in football, basketball and baseball. He started all four years on the basketball team under coaches Joe Goode and Lloyd Williams and was named all-SYL in 1968 and 1969, leading the league in scoring as a senior. He also tied a single game scoring record in a game in the Kern County Invitational Tournament with 36 points and finished his career as North’s all-time leading scorer.
On the baseball diamond, Thomas played on the varsity team for two years under Coach Sam Barton, making all-league pitcher as a junior and senior. In one game as a senior, he smacked a game-winning walk-off homer, calling it one of his favorite moments from his career.
Thomas played just one year of football. As a senior, under the legendary coach Turk Eliades, he was the starting quarterback. The three-sport excellence earned him the prestigious Sam Lynn Award in 1969.
After graduation, he attended Bakersfield College and played baseball under Walt Johnson and Pete Lango, before moving on to UCLA. While a Bruin, he set the school’s ERA record (1.66) while playing for Coach Art Reichle. He had the honor of meeting the great basketball coach John Wooden while at UCLA. His greatest memory from UCLA was pitching a 5 to 2 complete game victory over the California Angels, in a Spring Training Exhibition game.
Bill returned to Bakersfield after graduating from UCLA with his Doctorate in Dental Science. He has been practicing for 37 years in his office not far from North High. In the early 1980’s, he was the clinical instructor for BC’s Dental Assisting Program. Because of his commitment to BC, he was honored as one of the recipients of the 100 Stars Award program during the school’s 100-year anniversary.
Bill and his wife Linda have three daughters Laura, Katherine and Julianne. All were North high graduates, and all former North High girls’ varsity basketball players.
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Cathie Wilson Jones is arguably one of the best all-around track athlete, male or female, in the history of North High. And you may not find many athletes that ever made the Principal’s Honor Roll all four years, either.
It probably will never happen again, but Cathie was part of a mile relay team that won three consecutive Area and Valley Championships, setting a record each year. As a senior, the distance now in meters, the North girls won Area and Valley again, this time in the 1600 meters.
As a freshman, Cathie was on the Lady Stars’ mile relay team that won the Area and Valley Championships, then placed third in the State meet. On that team were her older sister Lynnette, Barbara Cookson and North High’s legendary distance runner Linda Goen.
Individually, Cathie won the 440 yard race at the Area Meet as a soph with a record time of 58.0. As a senior she won the SYL Championship in the 200 meter dash and probably would have won the 100, had it not been for a false start. In each of her four years she was a contender in several of the running events.
Competing in the summer as a sophomore, she tried her hand at new events. In the California Regional Junior Olympics she raced in the 220 and 440 and placed first in both races. As a junior she came back to the same meet and won the 100, 200 and 440 low hurdles.
After graduation, she continued her career at Bakersfield College, placing second in the Metro Conference meet in the 200 and 400-meter races. Then she placed third in her newest event, the javelin. As a sophomore, she won the Conference Championship in the 400 and placed 2nd in the javelin. At the Southern California Championships that year, she placed third in the 400 and fourth in the javelin.
From there, it was on to Fresno State where she became leading scorer and MVP of the team. It was there that the javelin became her signature event. In 1987, she was ranked third in the US with a throw of 194’3,” nearly 60’ further than she had thrown at BC! That same year she competed for the US Team in the Pan Am Games and the World Championship in Rome.
She was involved in a near fatal car accident late in 1987, but she bounced back and nearly qualified for the US Olympic team at the 1992 trials, finishing fifth.
She goes by the name of Catherine on her job with the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office where she has worked for 26 years. She and her husband Kent have a son, Wilson and a daughter, Emma.
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Like many of the other inductees, Curt DeRossett was a true product of the streets of Oildale. He graduated from Beardsley Jr. High in 1970 and North High in 1974. From there, it was on to Bakersfield College and Cal State Bakersfield.
DeRossett started coaching at North High in 1976 at the age of 19, taking over the boys Class C basketball team. He may have been the youngest head coach in the history of California high school sports. Hired by North’s legendary basketball coach Lloyd Williams, Curt took his first team to a second place finished in the tough South Yosemite League. He was on his way.
He didn’t get a fulltime teaching job at North High until 1985. That year, he coached the Frosh/Soph football team under the tutelage of another North High legend, Turk Eliades. But basketball was his love.
He worked his way up to the boy’s varsity basketball level as an assistant under one of his coaching role models, Gary Sedam. In 1986, he was approached by Principal Warner Brooks and assistant Principal Bill Bimat to take over the girl’s varsity program. In his first five seasons, North High won the league title each year and become the first Kern County girls’ team to win a Valley Title. They did it three times.
He then stepped down from the coaching job to take over the Athletic Director position at the school. It didn’t take long (2 years) before he was itching to get back on the basketball court, returning for the 1993-94 season. The Lady Stars proceeded to win three more consecutive league and Valley titles.
During his 16 seasons as the coach of the Lady Stars, he won 352 games while losing just 112. His teams won 11 league titles, eight Valley titles and even made the final 8 in the State Championships. Five times he was selected Bakersfield Californian’s “Coach of the Year.” His teams were known for hustle and class, always handing the ball to the refs, never throwing it. The gym was always packed when the Lady Stars took the floor. The classroom was also an important part of Curt’s agenda, with his girls maintaining a 3.5 GPA.
In 2011, Coach DeRossett was the first ever girls basketball coach to be honored by the C.I.F. Central Section with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
He credits other former mentors such as Jack Denison, Terry Hill, John Hallmark, Pat Mellon, Jack O’Brien, Tony Silver and Stan Ingram for his success. Tom McQuinn and Jerry Lunsford were instrumental as coaches he played for.
Curt’s wife Sharon not only graduated from North High, but worked at the school for 14 years in the finance office and an additional 11 years as the School Secretary for the Administration. She was not only his best friend but also served as second “Mom” to the players.
He feels blessed that many of his former players moved on to become doctors, physical therapists, teachers, lawyers, CEO’s, coaches and successful parents. They remain part of his daily life as his extended family and occupy a special place in his heart. Congrats to a true North High Star, 35 years worth.
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Gene Smart was raised in Texas and moved to Oildale in 1955 to live with his Dad. One of the first North High kids he met was future NFL player Vern Burke. That started a long friendship throughout their time at North High.
An outstanding football player and wrestler, he became known for being one of the toughest of the tough in an era of tough guys.
He participated in baseball his first two years at North on the Frosh/Soph team, but made his mark on the football field and wrestling mats. He was a starting guard and linebacker on the varsity for three years and was a key player on North’s first SYL Championship team in 1957, as the Stars lost just one game. Smart was named first team All-SYL and first team All-Valley both as a junior and a senior. He was also named the team’s Most Inspirational Player as a senior. In addition, he capped his football career off by being named starter in the North-South All-Star game.
As a wrestler, Smart wrestled at 165 pounds and was winning his matches easily. He once pinned an opponent in the first 10 seconds of the match. North’s legendary wrestling coach, Win “Boot” Bootman, moved him up to the 190-pound weight class, though he still weighed less than 170 pounds.
A leader on the campus as well as the athletic fields, he was Vice President of the “BIG N” club as a senior. Gene is a quiet person who let his playing do the talking.
Gene credits Coaches Turk Eliades and “Boot” Bootman for much of his success. After his senior year, he joined the Army for two years, stationed in Texas. He then worked for Southern Pacific Railroad in San Antonio, Texas for 37 years before retiring. Gene and Elizabeth now live in Floresville, Texas.
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You might have to look a long time to find someone in Kern County who has not only done more for North High but others as well. Greg Fowler, blessed with a very successful business (Brown and Fowler Construction), originally got involved volunteering his time at North of the River baseball fields. His young son Matt was playing there and Greg was always ready to lend a helping hand.
Greg graduated from South High in 1967 where he played some basketball and four years of tennis. He got involved with North of the River Recreation and North High School athletics after moving to the Oildale area in 1987. There he met North High coaches Stan Moe and Tony Silver and began getting involved with projects at North.
Starting in 1991, all he did was assist Rolly Rhoades with the installation of lighting and seating for the tennis complex and handle the grading and laying of sod for Turk Eliades Field. And, oh yeah, for good measure, he also helped put up the scoreboard. In addition, he helped Duane Williams build the girls’ varsity softball complex, known to be the best in Kern County. And he wasn’t finished yet, not by a long shot. He still found time to donate his time and efforts to help Tony Silver with the leveling and sodding of the boys’ varsity baseball field, put up new dugouts and a scoreboard and add stadium type seating.
That’s a career for most people, but not Greg Fowler. He went to work with Stan Moe to remodel the North High Bingo Hall on Knudsen Drive. In 1990, he was named the Bakersfield College Light Brigade’s Man of the Year at their annual BC Baseball Hot Stove Dinner for his efforts in helping install lights at Gerry Collis Field.
He helped Stan Moe and Eldon Ross with the JV baseball team from 2003-2008. He was elected Booster Club President in the late 1990’s and has continued to be a huge supporter of NH Athletics. Never content to sit back and let others do the work, he was always ready to lend a hand (or backhoe) whenever needed.
It’s a testament to Greg’s kindness, generosity and easy-going personality that he made him available for so many projects. Thousands of student athletes and coaches have benefited from the prodigious work ethic, skill and bottomless compassion Greg brought to North High projects.
Greg’s company is still going strong, celebrating 30 years in business. He credits Marilyn, his wife of 44 years, and his children and North high graduates Meagan (Class of ’95) and Matt (Class of ’97), for supporting his efforts.
Congratulations to Greg. Thanks so much for moving to Oildale.
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In 1970, after five years of coaching and teaching in the Kern County High School District, Jack transferred to North High School. He was hired over a cup of coffee at a meeting with Turk Eliades at the Westchester Bowling Alley.
Jack retired in 2004, after coaching and teaching at North for 34 years. While at North, he taught biology, physical science and physical education. He also served as the PE Department Chairman. He coached four different sports, one year as the head softball coach, four years as the JV wrestling coach, more than a decade of freshman and JV baseball, seventeen years as a varsity assistant football coach, and seven years as the head football coach.
His greatest memories of coaching are of the interactions with the athletes and the coaches that he was able to “rub shoulders with.” Developing lifelong bonds is what coaching is all about. Coaching second-generation kids and having former players come back to coach with you are two of the things Jack considers true blessings, and Jack was very fortunate to have many.
From 2001 to 2015, he has continued coaching football at Bakersfield College. Here he’s been able to coach former player’s sons, coach with former players, and continue coaching with former North High School football coaches.
The hope of a coach is that they have as great as impact on their players’ lives as those players have on the coach’s life.
Family is truly the foundation that holds up a high school coach. Jack has a very solid one in his beautiful wife Susie (NHS class of 1966), daughter Annie (NHS class of 1986), daughter Michelle (NHS class of 1988), their spouse’s Keith, and Blake (NHS class of 1981), son Sean, his wife Jenna, grandsons Randall, Logan (NHS class of 2015), Rhett, Declcan, Reese, and granddaughters Keelie, and Romy.
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Born in Bakersfield and raised in Oildale, Jim Rice attended Beardsley Jr. High and entered North High in 1954, the school’s second year of existence. There, he and became one of the all-time “Stars,” a three-sport athlete, excelling in football, basketball and track and field.
Although just 5’10” and 155 pounds, Rice was a fierce competitor in football, playing running back and defensive back. In those days, you were placed on a team level according your height, weight and school year. So it wasn’t until his senior year that he was classified as a varsity player. But he quickly became known as one of the toughest guys on the team, attracting the attention of colleges.
He played two years of varsity basketball at guard, then was an all-around performer in track and field, shining in nearly every event he tried.
He received a scholarship offer from the University of California at Berkeley, but enrolled at Bakersfield College as a freshman. In those days, freshmen could not play varsity sports in four-year colleges, so he tried to play his freshman year at BC. But one day, after practice, he became paralyzed from the waist down.
His parents initially thought it was from football, but it turned out to be polio. He was in a coma for several weeks and the doctors later told him he would never walk again.
While in the hospital, BC’s football coach Homer Beatty paid him a visit and told him he could beat it because of his work ethic and determination. Miraculously, after extensive and painful treatments and rehabilitation, Jim was back on the football field.
Although Homer Beatty had left BC, Rice went on to have a great career at BC as a defensive back, special teams player and occasional running back. He played on the 1959 Renegade team that beat Tyler, Texas JC in the Junior Rose Bowl in Pasadena. In that game, he intercepted a pass and ran it back to the 7-yard line where his old North High teammate, Terry Hill, ran it in for a touchdown. That team included other former North High teammates Vern Burke, Bobby Ezell and Lloyd Mosley.
In 1960, Jim married his high school sweetheart, Carol Myers, and was out of football for two years. He received a call from Fresno State coach Cecil Coleman, who convinced him to come play for the Bulldogs. Jim started at cornerback for two years and had a team-leading nine interceptions during that time.
One of his favorite sports was water skiing and during the summer after graduation he won the National Jr. Boys Championship at La Port, Indiana. He repeated again in 1959 at San Diego. While a student at Fresno State, he came out of retirement and competed and won in all three events, slalom, tricks and jumping. During his skiing career, he won over 200 events, stacking up more than 50 trophies.
Jim and Carol now reside in Boise, Idaho, where he has built a very successful real estate business and is an avid fisherman and hunter.
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It’s hard to imagine any athlete has ever gone though North High and accomplished as much on the athletic fields as Jimmy Thomas. He entered North High in 1972 after attending Beardsley Jr. High. He played football (4 years), basketball (2 years) and baseball (4 years) and was a standout in all three sports.
In football, Thomas was a starter for three years under legendary Coach Turk Eliades, playing quarterback, running back, linebacker and defensive back. He was All-League at quarterback as a senior in 1976 and turned down six Division-1 scholarships for football after his senior season.
In basketball, he started on the JV team as a freshman then played on the varsity as a sophomore. Wanting to concentrate on baseball and football, he gave up basketball after his sophomore year.
In baseball, he was a big part of one of North High’s greatest eras under another legendary coach Sam Barton. North High won the SYL Championship in 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1976. The big prize was the Valley Championship for the Stars in 1976, the first ever in the history of the school. Thomas was the team’s catcher, earning All-City honors in both 1975 and 1976. In his senior year, he was also awarded the prestigious Harry Coffee and Sam Lynn Awards, as well as being named to All-State state team.
After his career at North High, Thomas accepted a full-ride scholarship to UCLA and was part of back to back Pac-8 and Pac-10 Championship teams for the Bruins. Then in June of 1980, he was drafted by the San Diego Padres and spent 6 years in their minor league system, making it as high as AAA in Las Vegas. In 1983, he was named MVP of Reno, the Padres Class A team in the California League. That year he hit .272 with 15 HR’s and 83 RBI’s while catching 132 of the 140 games. Was called up to AAA Las Vegas at the end of the season. Jim had another shot at AAA Las Vegas in 1985 before retiring.
Jim also had a cup of coffee with the Padres during the strike season in 1983, playing alongside Steve Garvey and current Giants manager Bruce Bochy. Terry Kennedy, another future major league manager, was on that team, along with Hall of Famers Tony Gwynn and Goose Gossage.
After leaving professional baseball, Thomas came home to Bakersfield, teaching and coaching the sport. He was part of the Frontier High coaching staff for teams that won back-to-back Valley Championships in 2010 and 2011. He was also an assistant coach at North High for several years.
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A 1959 North High graduate, Keith was a three-sport athlete –football, wrestling and swimming. He played football all four years, but the wrestling program did not begin until his sophomore year and swimming began during his junior year. He lettered seven times in the three sports.
In football, Keith was a lineman who played all of the line positions except center during his four years at North and was selected as SYL first team guard his senior year. He received the Sam Lynn Trophy, and was a member of the Kern County Fire Department’s Senior Bowl along with classmates Vern Burke, Larry Martin, Gene Smart and Dave Stout.
Keith was the SYL champion in the 165-pound category in wrestling, and in swimming was a freestyler in the 100 yard and 200 yard events.
The dedicated teams of coaches are deserving of respect and recognition: Football — Max Evans and Bob Russell for “C” class; Dick Westbay and Ken Keifer for “B” class; and Turk Eliades, Aubrey Allen and Sam Barton for varsity. Wrestling coaches were Dick Westbay and Boot Bootman, and swimming coaches were Bill Finch and Dick Brown.
Upon graduation Keith attended Bakersfield College then Fresno State where he majored in marketing. He began his career with Standard Oil Company, but returned to Bakersfield to begin a teaching career. Also during that time he was a member of the Coast Guard Reserve.
Keith began teaching at Horace Mann School where he had as students the kids of NHS graduates/Hall of Famers Ken Barnes and Bob Ezell. He took the opportunity to transfer to the Standard School District where he taught physiology, first aid and science, retiring after 33 years. During that time he enjoyed having as students a number of children of NHS classmates.
Along with Rick Falk, Bill Williamson and Dan Eliades, Keith assisted in coaching Jack Frost football teams from North of the River in the mid-1970’s.
Besides teaching in the Standard School District, Keith was a student there himself, as was his mother and his two daughters. His wife of 47 years, Lynn, is a North High graduate (1963) and also his two daughters, Carrie (1990) and Molly (1994). Keith and Lynn have two granddaughters ages 10 and 7, both of whom love sports.
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Larry Tolliver moved to Oildale when he was in the sixth grade, after being raised in the Rosedale area. He entered North High in 1958 as a rather chubby 13-year-old, not knowing a soul. He went out for freshman baseball and never got to play in a game, although he practiced with the team every day.
Discouraged, he didn’t even try out as a sophomore, but instead offered to be the student manager for the C-Class basketball and track teams. As a junior, he watched the JV basketball team and was convinced he could help the team that was, in his words, “lousy.” Coach Lloyd Williams advised him to try out as a senior as it was already too late in the season. So again, he went out for JV baseball, convinced he was as good as some of the other players, and made the team. At the start of his junior year he was 5’9” with huge feet and hands. By the time baseball rolled around he had sprouted to 6’0” and Coach Sam Barton liked what he saw in him. Before the season was over, he was the team’s #1 starting pitcher, surprising everyone.
When the 1961 school year rolled around, there’s this tall dude walking on campus. It’s Larry Tolliver who had he grown an unbelievable seven inches in a nine-month period and now stood 6 ft. 4 inches tall!
Varsity basketball coach Tom Bailey wisely named Tolliver his starting center, though he had almost no basketball experience under his belt. He was surrounded by one of the best teams in North High history, playing with a lineup that included juniors Ray Ermigarat, Larry Hudson, Roger Palmer and Paul Crissman. The basketball story would not end with that season.
He was a key starting pitcher on the varsity baseball team that year under Coach Bob Russell. They had a very good team, but failed to win the league championship. And the baseball story doesn’t end there either.After graduating, Tolliver, who had grown to 6 ft. 6 inches and 200 pounds and moved on to Bakersfield College. He did not play baseball or basketball as a freshman but made up for lost time as a sophomore. As a basketball player at BC he:
• Was 1963-64, Most Improved Player, averaging 15 points a game.
• Was 1964-65, MVP of the basketball team.
• Was the leading scorer (20 ppt) and rebounder (15 per game).
• Scored 37 points in a game against Pasadena, 2 points shy of the BC school record that had stood since the early 50’s.
• Made second-team All-Metropolitan Conference and was selected for the Conference All-Star Game.
Not bad for only three years of organized basketball.Tolliver went out for baseball at BC and, in his second season under Gerry Collis, he was brought into a game for a save against Santa Monica. After securing the win for BC, the San Francisco Giants’ scout George Genovese came up and asked Larry if he was interested in playing professional baseball. Major league baseball held its first amateur draft in 1965 and Tolliver was picked by the Giants on June 8, 1965.
He would pitch for five seasons in the Giants organization, making it as high as AA before an elbow injury sidelined him in 1970. During his pro career, he pitched two no-hitters. The first came in 1966 in which he struck out 13 and walked four, yet lost the game 3-2. Then, in 1967, playing for AA Waterbury, Conn., he cranked up another no-hitter against York, Pa., but this time winning 6-0. Only a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh inning kept him from a perfect game.
His best memories of North High were getting a chance to play for great coaches like Lloyd Williams and Sam Barton, who saw something special in him as a young man. They were right on.
In 1967, Tolliver married Tommie McMahon and they had two sons (Mike and Mark) that also graduated from North High. Both played baseball for Tony Silver.
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Mark Drennan was one talented athlete and the youngest from a talented family of seven boys, all raised on Castaic Avenue in Oildale. The Drennan name was synonymous with athletic excellence at North High during the 50’s and 60’s. Oldest brother George was an excellent two-year varsity starter in three sports (football, basketball and baseball) and each of the other siblings, John (deceased 12/1/12), Jim, Dave, Bill, Mike and of course Mark, made the Drennan name famous on the North High athletic fields and in the classroom.
Their father, William, was a decorated Navy Veteran and a local contractor until his untimely death in 1965. Mother Evelyn (Hadlock) Drennan was a school teacher. It was an amazing family.
Mark graduated in 1971 after excelling in football, basketball and track. He played two years of varsity football and quarterbacked the SYL Championship team in 1970. On that team was future NFL player Randy Rich. Mark was named First-Team All-SYL at free safety in 1970.
In basketball, he was a two-year varsity starter and was a standout on the track team as well. He set the school record in the long jump at 19’11½” as a freshman! He was named the winner of the prestigious Sam Lynn Award for 1971 and still found time to serve as North High’s senior class President.
His track exploits started as an 11-year-old when he set a national record in the Long Jump and anchored the 220 relay team to another National Record at the Jr. Olympics.
After graduating from North High, Mark received a football scholarship to the University of Washington and started on the “Scout Squad” as a freshman. In those days, freshmen were not allowed to play with the varsity. He played wide receiver, free safety, kick and punt returner and back-up punter. He scored all 20 points in 21-20 loss to Oregon that year. The school has named an award in his honor: The “Mark Drennan Defensive Scout Squad MVP.”
On Aug. 11, 1972, following his freshman year at Washington, this talented young man’s life came to a tragic end in an automobile accident here in Bakersfield. It was just days before his return to school. He was going to be a 2-way starter in 1972 for the Huskies.
His brother, Dr. Mike Drennan, believes some of Mark’s fondest memories would have been playing drummer in a four-man garage band “Mother’s Mess.” They played at the Friday night school dances his freshman year. The band practiced endlessly in the father’s old general contractor’s office, their garage. The neighbors probably loved that.
Congratulations to Mark and the entire Drennan family. They are a very special piece of North High history and we are proud to honor one of the greatest of that family, Mark Drennan.
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Stan Ingram came to North High School in 1964 by way of the University of Colorado in Boulder where he earned his Master’s degree. Born and raised in Kansas, Stan attended the University of Kansas on a partial athletic scholarship. In 1959, Stan was a member of the NCAA Championship Track and Field Team along with BC’s Bob Covey, and, Olympian, Bill Mills.
North High was Stan’s one and only teaching/coaching job. He taught PE and mentored many accomplished athletes in track and cross country for 31 years. Stan considers Linda Goen Hatcher, also a member of the Hall of Fame, as his most outstanding and talented runner. He got to know a more personal side of his athletes by sponsoring the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for many of his 31 years.
Stan and his wife, Judy, moved to Kansas upon his retirement to be closer to family, but many of his students continue to stay in touch with them. One in particular is Ron Jones who is a health and fitness professional in Valencia, California, and, who was a student/athlete at North High graduating in 1978.
Ron shares this about Coach Ingram: “To talk about ‘Coach’ Ingram, I must first talk about Stan as a person. Decades later, after North High, Stan still remains as one of the most honorable men I have ever known. His kindness, support, demeanor, quiet humor, and humility remain as fresh today in my soul as in 1978. I remember looking up to him because he continued to exercise daily and stay in shape-I never forgot it…..my roots to lead by example go back to Stan Ingram at North High School.”
He goes on to say, “Stan taught us to go the proverbial distance. We loved his confident leadership and strove to be our best while also enjoying our teammates. I remember his calm Midwestern sayings from Kansas. During challenging workouts or meets, he would remind us to ‘bow our necks’. We leaned into the fray and kept going. I must have reflected thousands of times in my life about very difficult and challenging circumstances -so many times I flashed back to North High and Stan Ingram. He taught me about that extra gear required, not just for distance running, but, for running my life and career.”
“I have met other former Stan Ingram runners from North High….regardless of the era or year, they all have the same positive reflections of their experience there under Coach Ingram. We all loved him beyond running because of the person he was and the example he provided to be a good, honest, hard working citizen-and then to run our best too. Last year, I began teaching movement classes on running and went right back to the ‘vintage drills’ Stan Ingram taught us…they still work today.”
“Thank you Coach Ingram..they were truly some of the best times of my life. Your guidance, your passionate desire to coach, your leading by example as a healthy and fit coach has never left me. I am a better person because of your running program and friendship. Your Stars shine bright.”Another former student/athlete, Rob Bray, a principal in the Rosedale School District, remembers Stan as “an absolutely outstanding coach who cared deeply for every athlete…regardless of their abilities. People like Stan Ingram don’t come around often in one’s lifetime, and, typically, it’s not until much later in life that you realize their influence on you. It was his strength of character that made him someone worthy to emulate, look up to, and, remember. Integrity pretty much defines what Coach Ingram has always been about, and, to this day, I know of no one who demonstrates that exceptional quality to the extent that he does. I feel so very blessed to have had those four years with him at North High, and, certainly, there can be no one more deserving of this recognition.”
Stan is so thankful for his 31 years at North High; a most positive experience with administration, teachers, and students.
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This 1983 graduate of North High, Tara was one of three children born to Billy and Annie Ross. Tara and her two brothers, Bailey and Wyatt, come from a long line of Kern County athletes. Her father was a standout athlete at Arvin High School, Bakersfield College and Cal Poly. He returned to Bakersfield and to both coach and teach until his retirement.
As an athlete at North High School, Tara competed in three sports, softball, volleyball and basketball. In softball, she was a varsity starter as a junior and as a senior.
In volleyball she was a three-year varsity starter. As a sophomore she won second team All-league honors and first team All-league honors as a junior and a senior.
Playing basketball, Tara started on the varsity team all four years. She was also a four-time All-league first team player. She ended her career as North high’s all-time assist leader. As a junior she led the team to the Valley Championship game and an appearance in the CIF State Tournament. As a senior, she led the Lady Stars to another Valley Championship final.
After graduation she attended Bakersfield College and concentrated on volleyball. There, she was a two-year starter and two-time first-team All-Metropolitan conference player.
Then it was on to the University Nebraska, Omaha, where she received both a Bachelor’s degree and a Masters degree.
Her teaching career started at Mira Costa Junior College Oceanside, California. After one year there, she went on to teach at Delgato Community College in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In 1999, she was hired at Notre Dame High School of Acadia Parish, Crowley, Louisiana. Tara has been the head volleyball coach there since 1999, compiling an amazing record of 498 wins and 149 losses. Her teams have been to 15 straight Louisiana state tournaments and have been to the finals six times, winning in 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2012. She was also honored as the Louisiana Coach of the Year in 2007, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Her teams have also been District champions 16 straight years.
Tara’s 19-year-old son, Waylon Young, was the starting quarterback in both his junior and senior years at Notre Dame High School. He was also selected as the first-team all- District quarterback for both of those years. In his junior year he led his team to the state semi-finals. Currently, on an academic scholarship, he is a junior at Louisiana Lafayette University majoring in psychology. Upon graduation, he would like to get into the field of sports psychology.
Congratulations to Tara, an all-time great Lady Star. The Ross bloodlines have created some outstanding athletes and people.
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A 1983 graduate of North High School, Wendy Martell-Taylor may never have been known as one of the most prolific female athletes in North High and Fresno State history had it not been for the landmark legislation of Title IX allowing her to play and compete in high school and college. The late 70’s were groundbreaking years for female athletes when Title IX was just being implemented in high school and colleges around the country. Wendy, without realizing it, blazed a trail of competitive excellence not only for women but men as well.
If you followed the high school sports scene in Kern County in the early 1980s, you often heard of a basketball phenom by the name of Wendy Martell. Also, if you happened to be in the vicinity of Fruitvale-Norris Park during those years, you would often see Wendy practicing and honing her skills, endlessly and tirelessly, on the basketball courts there.
With a work ethic that is unparalleled, Wendy was never content to get by on her God-given talent. A self-confessed gym rat, she knew that champions came from hours and hours of practice when no one was watching to cheer you on and your desire to make the most of what God has blessed you with was your only companion.
Wendy’s efforts were rewarded, being named to the All Northern California High School Basketball Team twice. Also, as a high school senior, she was named South Yosemite League Most Valuable Player and she was the recipient of the Jim Tyack Award, which annually recognizes the outstanding male and female athlete in the Kern High School District.
Wendy took her prodigious talent to Fresno State where she quickly made an impact, being an Honorable Mention All-American as a freshman. Enjoying a stellar career at Fresno State, she was a two-time First-Team All-Conference player and was also named to the All-American team in both her junior and senior years. She was also named PCAA Conference Player of the Year as a senior.
Wendy excelled in the classroom as well, being named Fresno State Female Scholar Athlete of the Year as a senior. Her faith was also acknowledged and recognized by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, who named her their Fresno State FCA Athlete of the Year twice. Furthermore, her basketball playing days didn’t end at Fresno State. In 1987, she played professionally in the Europe Cup with Stade Francais Versailles.
Wendy’s induction into the North High School Hall of Fame was preceded by her induction to the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame. She was the first Fresno State Women’s Basketball player to have her jersey retired and she was named to the top 25 greatest athletes at Fresno State for the 20th Century chosen from all sports.
Wendy has used her love for basketball and God as a springboard to travel the world sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Basketball continues to be a huge part of her and her family’s lives. She has been married to her husband, Lance Taylor for 25 years. Lance played collegiate basketball for Belmont University in Tennessee. She resides in Hendersonville, Tennessee with Lance and their five children: Bailey, McKenna, Sawyer, Reese, and Zac, who all enjoy playing basketball.
