2023 Inductees
NORTH HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME: 2023 Induction Class
Front Row (l to r): Damon Culbertson, Tony Napier, Darin Sundgren, family member of Bob Crume, Neil Neilson, Lewie McNabb, Jerry Dozier
Back Row (l to r): Two family members of Bob Crume, John Skiles, Judy Rexroth, Dan Lemon, Larry Cook.
LADY STARS 1988-1989 VALLEY CHAMPIONSHIP BASKETBALL TEAM
Front Row (l to r): Ann Cogley, Stacey (Lashley) Grisham, Dr. Lorraine Ash, Janel Vega, Alexis (Ash) Roy, Sharon DeRossett
Back Row (l to r): Joellen Jeffrey, Carey (Hurley) Rodriguez, Lori (Evans) Churchman, Amy Elkins, Heidi (Robertson) Johnson, Tanya (Ellis) Rush, Coach Curt DeRosset
Not Pictured: Lisa (Johns) Hewes
Scroll down ⬇️ for Inductee Biographies
2023 Inductee Biographies
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To say Bob Crume was an overachiever wouldn’t really give him his due. To overcome every roadblock to achieve what he did not only in sports but in life the word ove achiever would be an understatement.
Bob was born in Upland, California and his parents moved to Oildale when he was two months old. His dad Jack worked for Halliburton for many years and was moved around. His mother Betty worked for a doctor.
Bob entered Standard Jr. High in the 7th grade and then started at North High in 1961. As an 8th grader he was diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter disease which affects the knees. He was only 5’7” and was then restricted from playing sports for his freshman and sophomore years at North. That’s not the case now as doctors don’t limit sports activities. So, because he loved sports and was bored, he became the team manager for both football and baseball. He got a big break by being around North High Hall of Fame coaches Turk Eliades (football) and Sam Barton (baseball).
Finally, as a junior he had grown to 6’ 2” but still only 159 pounds. He played Jr. Varsity football part-time and Varsity par- time, playing defensive end. The Stars won the SYL Championship that year. He also played outfield on the Jr. Varsity baseball team as a junior. Then as a senior he started at defensive end on the football team that played BHS to a 20-20 tie and ended their 21-game winning streak. He also started again in the outfield on the baseball team.
Nothing special right? So, he heads to Bakersfield College and tries out for the football team under Ray Newman. He’s now a robust 169 pounds and the coaching staff is not impressed. But when he continued to excel in practice against much bigger people, the coaches quickly changed their tune. He went from 6th on the depth chart to first team kickoff unit, first team defensive end and was awarded the best tackler at the post season team banquet.
As a sophomore, Bob’s studies went sour, so he was ineligible but took up water skiing and speed and slalom skiing, winning numerous awards. He wasn’t going to get bored again.
But things got very interesting on August 29, 1967, as he was drafted into the US Army. This was the height of the Vietnam war. So, he spent January 1968 to January 1969 as part of the very dangerous Vietnam Tet offensive. Fortunately, he survived and was promoted to E-5. He was then discharged in 1969.
When he returned home, his love for football still there, he enrolled at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He redshirted that year then in 1970 he was first team left defensive end and in 1971 he was first team left outside linebacker. And as a senior was voted one of four team Captains. Not bad for a guy who was too small for everyone at one point.
After graduation he wasn’t about to sit around so he played rugby from 1972-1978 and fast pitch softball at the Open level from 1977 to 1984. Oh, by the way, he also had a job at Calcot LTD where he worked for 34 years. Eventually he was promoted to Vice President of the Warehouse. He also served as a delegate to the National Cotton Council and was the Secretary/Treasure of the Cotton Growers Warehouse Association for 10 years. As if he had more time, he also served on the Bob Elias Hall of Fame Board for four years.
Bob has a twin sister Susan who also attended North. He has a younger brother Rick, a 1975 North High grad, who sadly passed away in 2005 from brain cancer. He was an outstanding pitcher on the Stars baseball team. Bob’s father Jack passed away in 2001. Bob’s mom Betty passed away in 2022, one day before her 94th birthday.
Bob married Sharon, a West High girl. They’ve been mar- ried 44 years. He’s retired now and living in Morro Bay. They have one child, son Jeremy, who lives in New York and is VP for a clothing firm. Like Bob, Jeremy had to overcome some physical difficulties as a youngster.
Bob Crume is a typical “River Rat,” tough as nails in sports despite his size. He joins a long list of 08ers just like him, both male and female. Welcome to the club Bob. You earned it in more ways than one.
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It’s one thing to be a great athlete while at North High but it’s equally important to be great where your life goes after graduation. Damon Culbertson is a good example of not only being a terrific athlete but also being a great contributor to the community.
He was raised in Orange County by his father Don and mom Debbie. His father worked for Chevron and was transferred to Bakersfield before Damon’s freshman year in high school. His mother Debbie was a schoolteacher. He has two younger sisters, Nicole Culbertson and Rachael Konz. Since his father was moved around due to his job, the girls attended school in Walnut Creek.
Damon started playing youth sports at a very young age, baseball at 5 years old, tackle football and soccer later. When he entered North High in 1980, he immediately made his mark on the athletic field. He played football all four years, playing for the Stars’ legendary coach Turk Eliades. He played basketball for three years and was on the baseball team all four years, pitching for another North High Hall of Famer, Tony Silver.
He was named on the 1983 All-Area football first team as a senior, playing linebacker. He was a two-time first team All-Area pitcher in baseball.
After graduating from North, he attended Bakersfield College and played football for the Renegades for two years for coach Carl Bowser. He was named All-Conference linebacker both years. From there onto Cal State Fullerton where he played defensive end for both years and got his degree in business.
Upon returning to Bakersfield, he went to work for Wells Fargo Bank in 1990. In 1991 he met Joti Sanghera, daughter of prominent local Mercedes dealer Mehnga Sanghera. She was a Garces graduate and soon after they were married. In 1991, Mehnga Sangera offered Damon the opportunity to go to work for what’s now known as Sangera Auto Group and he accepted. In 2000, he took over running the car dealership and it’s continued to be a very successful dealership. He’s now been there over 30 years.
Damon and Joti have three beautiful daughters, Alexandria, Talia and Jasmine plus a son Maxwell who was a terrific athlete at Garces. Talia also does some of the TV commercials for Sangera Auto Group.
Not only was Damon a terrific athlete, plus now a father and businessman, but he continues to give back to the community in so many ways. He very generously helps sponsor fundraising events throughout the area, but never makes it about him.
Damon, we are proud to bring you into the North High Athletics Hall of Fame. Very deserving.
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Everyone knows the old saying “The apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree.” In this case the Lemon didn’t fall very far from the tree. Dan Lemon was born in 1962 and raised in Oildale. His father Don Lemon was a terrific baseball player at North when the school opened in 1953. He graduated in 1957 and was inducted into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021. His mother Shirley was a cheerleader at North, graduating in 1959, and she and Don have been married 65 years.
Dan attended Wingland, Highland and Standard Jr. High before entering North in 1977. He excelled in both football and baseball, playing for a couple of North High legendary coaches, Turk Eliades (football) and Tony Silver (baseball). He played two years of varsity football and two years of varsity baseball. He suffered a severe injury in football as a senior and it limited his position in baseball to first base. He was part of the school’s great 1981 team which won the CIF Valley Championship. On that team were future North High Athletic Hall of Famers Bruce Walton, Pat Hewes, Troy Hewes and Greg Williamson. Also on the team was Steve Burnes who happens to be the cousin of Milwaukee Brewers ace pitcher Corbin Burnes.
After graduating from North, Dan went on to Bakersfield College but didn’t play sports. Then later he attended Cal State Bakersfield where he received his Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. While in college Dan worked at the Jamison Children’s Center in addition to coaching. At that point he decided to pursue a career in education.
In 1986 he was hired by Standard Jr. High. He started coaching at the age of 20. He gained some valuable coaching experience working for eight years under North High Hall of Fame legends Turk Eliades, Tony Silver and Jack O’Brien as an assistant in football and baseball. In 1989 he was hired full time to teach and coach at North.
Then in 1991 he got a huge break when he was hired by Stockdale High in their first year of existence. He taught PE and was the school’s first varsity baseball coach. He would spend the next 30 years at Stockdale where he coached baseball for 21 years, assistant football for 6 years and girl’s golf coach for 2 years. The record he compiled in baseball is legendary. His team’s won 8 SYL Championships and two Central Section CIF Division I Championships. His 2008-2009 teams were the only ones ever from this area to win back-to-back Valley titles. His overall record at Stockdale was 380-152...!
Dan’s boy’s golf teams at Stockdale won 2 SWYL Championships. He was honored as All-Area baseball coach of the year 6 times and twice more for golf. He attributes any success to the great players and excellent coaches he was able to work with. Many of his former players are now baseball coaches and/or teachers helping high school kids. For all his efforts he was inducted into the Stockdale High Hall of Fame in 2020.
Father Don was a California Highway Patrolman for some 22 years before retiring to pursue other interests and is now officially retired. Mother Shirley worked for Contel Telephone for several years and is also now retired. They both spent many enjoyable hours along the 3rd base line at the Stockdale Mustangs baseball games while Dan was coaching there.
His older brother Tim was also an excellent athlete and has been a teacher and coach at North High for many years. He played football at North and later at Bakersfield College.
Prior to his hiring at Stockdale, Dan married his wife Kathy in 1988. She graduated from Tulare Union High School and then went to Cal State Bakersfield on a volleyball scholarship. They have been married for 35 years. They have two children, a son Matt and daughter Sydney. Both attended Stockdale and excelled in sports and academics. He’s most proud of the newest addition to the family, grandson Grayson.
“Lem” is retired now from teaching and coaching. He now enjoys spending time with his family, traveling with his wife Kathy and playing golf. He is one of those rare people that would be a success no matter what they chose in life. We are so fortunate to call him an ‘08er Hall of Famer. Congrats Dan, we need some more Lemon’s falling from that tree.
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A few years ago, a great movie came out called “McFarland USA”, starring Kevin Costner. It was a story about the McFarland boys’ cross-country team and their legendary coach. Disney could have easily made a movie about Darin Sundgren’s career.
Darin attended Riley County High School in Riley, Kansas, playing four sports. His parents Eldon and Beverly owned a farm and Beverly worked for the government for 30 years in addition to working on the farm. Darin’s sister Ann was an outstanding high school and college student athlete. She competed in three college sports, and is in her college’s hall of fame. It couldn’t have been easy to leave home, but the great work ethic they instilled in him would serve him well as a teacher and coach in California.
In 1990, Darin accepted a teaching position at Standard Middle School where he coached boys’ volleyball, basketball, and track & field for the NOR Recreation Department for 2 years. In 1993 he was hired by North High as an assistant track and field coach for head coach Steve Nickerson, and was a “walk-on” coach for thirteen of his fourteen years at North. During 2006-07, his only year as an on-campus coach and teacher, he was honored by the Parent Teacher club with the “Star Service Award”.
When Centennial High opened in 1994 he was asked to coach their distance squad during their inaugural track season while still coaching at North. That year he had multiple champions in both the SSL and SWYL. Darin became head cross country coach for both the boys’ and girls’ teams in 1995, and in 1996 both boys’ and girls’ teams won Valley Championships, the second for the girls and first for the boys in school history. In 1998 he was honored as the All-Area Coach of the Year for both boys’ and girls’ teams, the first coach in the area to do so. He remained at North until 2006. During that time several of his athletes excelled, setting school records and finishing high at Valley and qualifying to the State Track and Field Championships. In the 12 years as cross country coach at North, Darin’s boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams combined for SWYL Champs six times, Valley Champs three times and state qualifying Valley Runners-Up seven times!
In 2007 Darin moved to Shafter High where he coached cross country from 2008-2015. During his time there, his teams won multiple SSL Championships and finished as Valley Champions or Runners-Up several times. Coach Sundgren was twice voted as girls’ All-Area Coach of the Year, the only one to do so for different schools. Every year in his tenure as a head cross country coach in the Kern County High School District he either had a team or an individual qualify for State. His track and cross-country teams have combined for 32 League titles and 25 times have been Valley Champions or Runners-Up. Darin was honored by the Central Section CIF at the Valley Track & Field Championships in 2021.
One of his greatest rewards from coaching was seeing kids who did not have a lot of self-confidence, have some success from athletics, and carry that on to become productive adults. He was proud of the fact that his teams were like a family. He remembers when the cross country meets were held at North and Coach O’Brien would stop football practice, have his team line the finish area, and cheer for the North High runners as they finished.
Darin met his wife Lori, a 2017 Hall of Fame inductee, when she was hired as an assistant track and cross country coach at North. They have a son Devon who was an outstanding football and track athlete at Shafter High, and is a 100-meter sprinter competing for Fresno State. Darin’s father Eldon passed away a couple of years ago and his mom Beverly still lives and works on the farm back in Kansas.
Darin is still teaching at Shafter High School, but has retired from coaching. Congrats Darin, an unbelievable career that will be hard for anyone to match. We are so glad you found your way to Oildale. Welcome to the North High Athletics Hall of Fame.
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If you didn’t know better, you’d think Jerry Lee Dozier was born with a crib full of athletic equipment. This guy was meant to play sports, especially football, and he excelled in all of them. More than anything he had a great desire to achieve.
Born in San Bernardino in 1963, he moved to Shafter as a 5-year-old and attended kindergarten there. His mother Gladys Isbell and stepfather Bobby Weaver then moved to Oildale where he attended Wingland, Standard and Standard Jr. High before entering North High in 1977. While in elementary school and junior high he played Jack Frost football, JBA baseball, played basketball and participated in track. He won numerous 1st place ribbons in shotput and discus.
He played Jack Frost football for North High Hall of Famer Bill Williamson and assistant Rick Falk but was too heavy under the rules. He was 180 pounds and 150 was the limit. So he had to find a way to shed 30 pounds. The only way to do it was to lift weights, wear a sauna suit and any other means to get it done. That desire paid off as he was named on the All-Star team.
Jerry wrestled in Jr. High, losing only one match to his friend Mark Park. He also won the Kern County Punt, Pass and Kick contest.
As a freshman at North, he played on the JV football team and was now 200 pounds. He was also on the JV wrestling team under another North High Hall of Famer, Gary Kuster. Then he also threw the shot put and the discus on the JV team for another Hall of Fame coach, Stan Ingram.
Now the fun began. Playing varsity football as an offensive lineman for North High legendary coach Turk Eliades Jerry was honorable mention All-City as a sophomore. Also on that coaching staff were two other North High Hall of Famers, Jack O’Brien and Tony Silver. Then in both his junior and senior seasons he started not only on the offensive line but on the defensive line as well. He was named first team All-League and All-City both years and won multiple “Hit of the Week” awards. O’Brien called Dozier the best offensive lineman he ever coached.
After graduation Jerry attended Porterville Junior College and played football there for one year. Then he went to work in the oilfields. He’s been there since 1983.
His mother Gladys passed away in 1991, his stepfather Bobby Weaver passed away in 1998. Jerry’s brother Ray Isbell and sister Sherry Isbell are both deceased. His brother Terry Isbell attended North High and his stepsister Kimra Weaver attended Shafter High. He has one daughter Whitney Dozier born in 1989. Jerry reconnected with his biological father Gerald Dozier in 1990, he passed away in 2011.
Jerry is currently the California Manager for Bellaire Oil Company. He’s been with them since 2000 and loves the job. He’s now engaged to Laurie Wilson whom he has known since they were together in the 4th grade at Standard. He actually used to walk her home from school every day until they entered North together.
Jerry may have missed his calling. He could have been a motivational speaker for people trying to achieve higher goals. So proud Jerry to bring you into the North High Hall of Fame.
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If you looked in the dictionary for the definition of the old saying, ”It’s not the size of the man, but the size of the heart in the man” you’d find a picture of John Skiles. He entered North High as a freshman in 1964 at 5’6” and 140 pounds. Before his athletic career was over he was the starting lineman for the nationally ranked USC Trojans in his senior year in 1971.
Raised in Oildale, he attended Highland Elementary and then Standard Jr. High. And like all the kids in the neighborhood, football, basketball and baseball were played in the streets and that’s where he developed his love of sports.
He went out for the Class C football team as a freshman and even though not the most imposing figure, started at defensive end. When basketball rolled around he was the starting point guard on the Class C team. Then made the “Twinks” baseball team as a pitcher, lettering in all 3 sports as a freshman.
As a sophomore, the Kern High School District imposed a budget cut and all JV teams were dropped. Due to his size, John didn’t feel he could make any of the varsity teams so he gave up sports. But Dave Vance, a high school classmate and teammate talked him into going to the gym and started a weight lifting program. Little did he know his life was about to change.
As a junior, he joined the football team now standing at 5’10” and 185 pounds. Playing for the legendary North High Athletics Hall of Fame coach Turk Eliades, John became a big part of the Stars team that won the 1966 SYL Championship. One day during practice, John picked up a football and punted it fooling around. Immediately, coach Eliades named him the punter. But he also served as the back-up defensive end.
As a senior, big things started to happen for John as he continued his hard work and dedication in the weight room. He was now 6’3” and weighed 215 pounds!!! He had increased his height by 9 inches and weight by 75 pounds!!!
Now he was the starting defensive end and punter. He was recognized by the Bakersfield Californian as “Player of the week” after one game. For all his efforts he was awarded as first team All-SYL, first team all-City and in addition named Top Scholar Athlete for North High.
Now the fun began. Schools from the entire Pac-8 were calling, offering a full ride. Under the advice of head coach Eliades and assistant coaches Aubrey Allen and Terry Hill, he chose USC.
Not only would he be a member of the Trojans football squad for four years but he would make a big contribution. As a junior and playing against undefeated 10-0 Notre Dame in the Coliseum, John started at defensive tackle and the Trojans upset the Irish 38-28. He maintained his starting position for both his junior and senior seasons.
He graduated from USC in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in business administration. John currently resides in Gilbert, Arizona with his wife Lisa. They have 3 children, John, Jack and Sydney.
Congrats John on being a great example of where heart and determination can take anyone. Outstanding career, thanks for your contribution to the history of the North High Athletics Hall of Fame.
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Judy Rexroth was born in Bakersfield in 1976 to John Rexroth and Mary Dyer Rexroth. Judy was brought up in an athletic household as her father volunteered as a coach her entire life. Judy has an older sister Jill who attended North High and a younger brother Michael who attended Centennial, both outstanding athletes as well.
Judy’s father was a farmer, and her mom was a teacher at West High until her older sister Jill was born.
Judy entered high school in 1990 where she was a starter on volleyball on varsity all four years. She earned varsity letters in volleyball, two years varsity track and one year varsity swimming. She was named to the All-League team three straight years and twice to the All-Area volleyball team. Plus, she was a two-time Volleyball co-league MVP. While at North she won 4 Valley titles in Volleyball, something that may never be matched again in school history.
After her time at North, she continued playing volleyball at Colorado State University. She was a contributing freshman leading the team in hitting percentage. She was a starter her last three years at CSU playing as a 6-rotation middle. She was honored as WAC player of the week numerous times; she earned multiple all Tournament teams and MVP of tournaments. Judy earned 1st and 2nd team all-conference awards, 1st team All Region. She is still ranked in the top ten at CSU for Aces, aces per set, total blocks, block assists, and solo blocks. Judy graduated from Colorado State with a Social Science degree minoring in an emphasis in psychology.
After graduating her intention was to teach history. Coaching was not something she thought she would ever do. Coaching fell into her lap, and she enjoyed the competition and life changing experiences she encountered. Judy began assistant coaching volleyball in 1999 at Bakersfield Junior College. She coached at South High school for one year then entered the club scene, and her career took off. She was the head coach at Bakersfield Christian for 6 years where her teams won the League Championship five times. The Lady Eagles won three Valley titles under her leadership then won a State Title in 2006. For her efforts she was named All-Area Coach of the Year several times. During her time at BCHS she started her own club team, the Bakersfield Volleyball Club which was established in 2003.
After BCHS Judy was the inaugural coach at Independence High School where she won three Valley Championships and was named All-Area Coach of the Year every year during her 6 years at IHS.
Judy has won 2 National Championships as a coach with the Bakersfield Volleyball Club. In addition, her club team has won numerous tournaments, qualifiers, and National tournaments. Throughout her career the most important thing she has done is her work with young athletes. She hopes to share her love of the game with the youth of Bakersfield. She has sent 100s of players to colleges. She believes sports for girls are empowering and positive, keeping girls busy while developing a sense of identity.
Judy was quoted as saying she wasn’t sure if the wins were all that important or the experience she had at North High. She loved her time in high school and the competition and friends she created through sports. As a person she said she’s prouder of the lives she has changed through her career choice as a coach rather than her time as an athlete.
She’s married to Darrell Ballard whom she met at Colorado State University. They have a son, Bishop who was born in 2017. Darrell has a daughter Jordyn, who’s 26. She and Darrell have a bonus daughter Mahalia Swink who was a former player of Judy’s. Mahalia continued her volleyball career at Alabama then Dayton.
It will be hard for anyone to match what Judy did not only as a player but as a coach as well. And it all started when she stepped on that campus at North High in 1990 and became an official 08er. Congrats Judy, well deserving of a very humble young lady.
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Larry Cook was born and raised to be a true 08er. His parents Tom and Joyce Cook came here from Oklahoma in 1956 to work and raise a family. Larry was born two years later in Oildale in 1958.
Tom worked at Golden Bear Refinery for 39 years before retirement. Joyce worked at North High for 32 years and actually coached the Lady Stars basketball team in its first two years of existence. Larry has one older brother Tom, Jr. who married Dawn Cook, also a North High grad.
Larry was always undersized as a youngster but that didn’t stop him from competing in several sports. He played nine years of NOR recreation youth baseball and threw over 15 no-hitters as a left-handed pitcher. As a wrestler he never lost an NOR match and won the Most Outstanding Wrestler Award at the 1968 NOR Championships. He won many other awards in other youth sports including football, swimming, volleyball, track, gymnastics, basketball and cross country. His heart was bigger than his size.
For icing on the cake, he also won the Kern County Championship in Mathematics while attending Standard Jr. High.
He entered North High in 1972 at 5’ tall and 95 pounds. He graduated at 5’11” and a bruising 140 pounds. So, although he played several sports as a youngster, his real talent would come out in golf as a junior. Working under North High Hall of Fame coach Gary Kuster, he lettered in wrestling on the varsity as a freshman and sophomore and then took up golf as a junior and lettered both years. North High’s legendary football coach “Turk” Eliades was Larry’s golf coach.
After graduation he headed for Bakersfield College and started to blossom under coach Bill Nelson. As a sophomore he was part of the 1979 BC golf team that won the State Championship. Now the fun began. He won the Southern Cal Golf Association Presidents Flight in 1980 at the Oakmont Country Club in Glendale. Then he qualified for two California State Amateur Championships held at Pebble Beach and at Cypress Point, two iconic California golf courses.
He finally turned professional in 1983 and played on many professional tours over the next eight years. He was exempt for a national tour, The Tournament Players Tour, for four years. It was the equivalent to today’s Korn Ferry Tour.
Larry married Cherie Jamieson in 1989 and became a father to their only child, daughter Lauren, in 1990. No longer married but he’s a grandfather to identical twin girls Jamieson and Remington born in 2022.
Pro golf eventually took a back seat, and he started working in the oil industry and then enrolled back in college and earned a Bachelor’s degree and completed graduate school in mathematics. In 2000 he was hired to coach the Bakersfield College men’s golf team. In 2004 he was hired at Taft Junior College as a math professor and worked there for 17 years. In 2006, the Bakersfield College golf team qualified for the State Championship. In 2008 he was named Coach of the Year as his team won the Western States Conference Championship. In 2009 the Bakersfield College women’s team won the Conference Championship and he was again named Coach of the Year. That team went on to finish 2nd in the So Cal Championships and 2nd in the State Championships.
As if he had extra time, he joined up with a famous local softball team “the Doggers.” That team included some long- time North High buddies, Hall of Famers Joe Eribarne, Terry Denesha and Jimmy Thomas. Also, on that team were 08ers Bill Alexander, Pat Evans, Tony Arvizu and Wes Knapp.
In 2016, he bought a drag racer and he and daughter Lauren both raced. In 2019 he won a national drag race event hosted by the National Hotrod Association in Sacramento. For that he won the “Wally” trophy, drag racing's most prestigious award.
Currently Larry is battling some very serious health issues, but you can still see him nearly every day at the Bakersfield Country Club practicing and playing with his buddies. He’s still a very good player and he still likes to give instruction to anyone interested.
He is retired now but spends a lot of time babysitting his twin identical granddaughters. Not only a terrific athlete, teacher and coach, he’s one special human being. Congrats on your induction into North’s Hall of Fame as the first member of the golfing teams.
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Lewie McNabb was born in Bakersfield and spent his entire youth years in the Rosedale area. His dad Leonard was a truck driver and his mom Jeannie was a housewife until Lewie entered North High. She then went to work for Smith Bakeries. He had two older siblings, sister Janice (1973 North High grad) and brother Glenn (1974 North High grad).
Lewie was involved in football and wrestling as a young- ster and developed a love for both sports.
Lewie must have a “Man Cave” bigger than his house. He would need it to display an amazing collection of trophies, ribbons and medals. He entered North High in 1974 and immediately started gathering honors in football, wrestling and track.
In wrestling as a freshman on the JV squad he was SYL Champion and team MVP. In track he ran the 400 meters, sprint medley relay, 800 meters and distance medley relay. He was the SYL Champion in the 400 meters and again team MVP. You think the coaches at North knew they had something special?
As a sophomore he played JV football and was named team captain and MVP. In wrestling he had high finishes in several big tournaments, including runner up in the SYL tournament. In track he ran for the varsity and ran the 400 meters, winning all seven of his races.
As a junior he played varsity football and started on both sides of the ball. Wrestling at 178 pounds he had high finishes in several tournaments, finishing 3rd in the CIF Valley Championships and won two matches in the State tournament.
As a senior, great things really started to happen. He again started both ways on varsity, named team captain, defensive MVP and 2nd team all-SYL offensive guard. In wrestling he was the NYL/SYL Rotational Champ, Kern County Invitational Champion, SYL Champion and runner up in the CIF Valley Championships among other honors. He qualified for the CIF State Wrestling Championships in San Diego, placing 4th to become North’s first ever State place finisher. He was also awarded the Jack M. Hill Award and was the team’s MVP.
As a senior, he compiled a record of 45 wins, 5 losses. His four-year record was an amazing 116-24-2.
After North High he went on to Bakersfield College and again had an impressive wrestling record, including qualifying for the State tournament both years.
After that he went to work for Frito Lay for 31 years before retiring. He married Andrea, a Shafter girl, who tragically passed away 23 years ago. They have two sons, Dylan and Jacob., both Frontier High grads.
In 1986 he became as assistant wrestling coach at North under Craig Schone and again in 1989 under Rick McKinney.
He started officiating high school wrestling in 2000 and is now in his 24th year. In 2022 he started officiating high school volleyball and plans to continue.
His greatest memory of North was standing on the podium at the State Wrestling Tournament knowing that he was the first in the history of the school to do so. He loved the school and the experience.
Congratulations to Lewie, a great addition to the North High Athletics Hall of Fame.
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If you looked in the dictionary for the definition of an all-around athlete, you would probably see Neil Nelson’s name on that roster. Born in Bakersfield in 1944, the 2nd of three brothers, he would go on to become one of the top 3-sport athletes in North High’s history.
His father Rex worked for Standard Oil for 38 years. He passed away in 1994. His mother Thelma worked in the North High cafeteria for several years. She passed away in 1997. His oldest brother Rex, Jr. attended BHS. His younger brother Brian attended North and was an outstanding baseball player. He was named all-SYL centerfielder as a senior and led the SYL in batting average.
Neil attended Highland Elementary then Standard Jr. High before entering North High in 1959. He was active in several sports as a youngster, excelling in flag football, baseball, basketball and track. He went to the Junior Olympics in track. Upon graduation from the 8th grade, he was voted most likely to go to the Olympics by his classmates. He won numerous ribbons in track, competing in the dashes, relays, high jump and long jump.
Baseball was his first love and he started pitching right away. He was well known in the NOR and JBA for his blazing fastball. His approach was to rare back and throw as hard
as he could. Because of this, he experienced constant arm soreness during the baseball season. His favorite professional team was the Dodgers.Moving on to the high school level Neil played football, basketball and baseball as a freshman, sophomore, and junior, lettering in all three sports. Because baseball and track were played at the same time, Neil gave up track when he entered high school. As a junior he moved to the varsity level in football, starting at defensive back and running back. Again, lettering in all three sports. He was a pitcher on the 1961 North High baseball team that lost in the Valley semifinals.
As a senior and playing for North High’s legendary football coach Turk Eliades, he was shifted to end, and he caught 10 touchdown passes even though the Stars were primarily a running offense. He also starred as a defensive end. That year North defeated both East High and BHS in the same season for the first time in the school’s history. At the end of the season, he was voted first team All-City both on offense and defense, the only player in the city to be so honored. He was also voted first team All-SYL.
When baseball season rolled around Neil was a starting pitcher on the varsity team coached by Bob Russell. Although his won-loss record wasn’t great his earned run average was under 3.00. On that team was future NH Hall of Famer Larry Tolliver. At the end of the season, he was voted 1st team all-City as an outfielder and 2nd team all-City as a pitcher. He was also voted team MVP.
At the end of the year Neil received the prestigious Sam Lynn award as the school’s best scholar/athlete in 1961-62. Both UCLA and USC had some interest in Neil as a football player but at 6’ 170 lbs. he was a little small for their programs.
After graduating from North in 1962, Neil headed for Bakersfield College but did not play any sports. From there he went on to Fresno State and received a degree in Environmental Science. He was involved in that business with several different companies before his retirement.
Neil married his high school sweetheart Pat Roderick and they had 3 children. They had two daughters, Lynn and Teri, and a son Chris. Teri died at a very young age in a car accident. Chris was an all-SYL shortstop playing for North High Hall of Fame coach Tony Silver. He has another son Zack from a 2nd marriage who attended school in Sacramento. He is blessed with 4 grandkids.
Neil comes from a long line of outstanding athletes from the early days of North High. He is a well deserving member of this year’s Hall of Fame class. Welcome Neil Nelson.
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If you knew the background of the Napier family, then you knew when Tony Napier entered North High in 1980 and that he was a pretty good candidate to end up in the Stars’ Athletics Hall of Fame someday.
Tony was born in Bakersfield and raised in Oildale. He attended Highland Elementary and Standard Jr. High before entering North High. His father Walt was a tremendous all-around athlete from Wasco High. He played both football and baseball at Bakersfield College then Fresno State. He signed with the Boston Red Sox and played five years in their organization. Walt and Tony’s mom Imogene were married 65 before his passing in 2020. They had moved to Bakersfield from Fresno for Walt to take a teaching and coaching position at East High. Imogene went to work at North High and is now retired.
Tony’s uncle Jim Napier was also a great athlete from Wasco and played professional baseball in the Chicago White Sox organization. Jim played as high as AAA before managing in the White Sox organization for several years. He passed away in 2016.
Sports were a very big part of Tony’s life as a youngster then even bigger when he started playing tackle football in the 8th grade in the Jack Frost League. He credits coaches Rick Holloway and Curt DeRossett for instilling not just the love of sports but a love for competing and striving to be the best.
As a freshman Tony played JV football under coaches Rick Harvick and Rod Stanley. Then he played JV baseball for Harvick again and that became a huge part of his high school experience.
He played three years of varsity football at quarterback under North High legend Turk Eliades. Then three years varsity basketball under Alfa Nesbitt and two years varsity baseball under another North High Hall of Famer, Tony Silver. The Stars won the SYL football championship in Tony’s senior year. For his efforts he was named 1st team All-SYL, and 1st team All-Area QB. More honors in baseball were coming as he was named MVP of the prestigious Fresno Easter Tourney which the Stars won.
From North High it was on to Point Loma College where he red shirted one season and played for four others as the starting center fielder. He graduated with a degree in History and earned his teaching credential. He’s been teaching History at North High now going on 31 years.
Tony met his bride to be Jill on a blind date. She was from Los Angeles, and they have now been married 24 years. They have two sons, Jackson who attended Liberty and Stockdale, and Brody who just graduated from North after an outstanding athletic career. Jackson is into music and is attending school at New York University. Brody will be attending the University of Oregon but will not be playing sports.
Tony has two older siblings who attended North High, sister Debbie and brother Steve who was an excellent all around athlete.
So, the name Napier is synonymous with sports in this area and Tony has carried the banner to a very high level, but also as a teacher. Congratulations on an incredible career and an equally incredible family. Welcome to the North High Athletics Hall of Fame, we knew you were coming a long time ago.
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A few years ago, the United States put together a basketball team for the Olympics and it was called the “Dream Team.” The team included some of the greatest NBA stars of all time, including Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan among others. In 1988-1989 North High put together their own version of the “Dream Team,” the Lady Stars basketball team.
Coached by legendary North High Hall of Famer Curt Derossett, the Lady Stars accomplished something that had never been done before in Kern County. They became the first girls’ basketball team to win the Valley Championship. The 1988-89 season began with high hopes and the Lady Stars didn’t disappoint. The team went 26-2, the only pre season loss was to Lompoc in a Christmas tournament. They breezed through the South Yosemite League schedule undefeated. Then defeated Mt. Whitney, 51-46, for the Valley Championship in a game played in East High’s new gym.
But that’s only part of the story. Several of these young ladies went on to become very successful after graduation. Five of them are now North High Hall of Famers. Joellen Jeffrey, Janel Vega, Lisa Johns, Heidi Robertson and Dr. Lorraine Ash. Jeffrey graduated from the University of Houston where she excelled in volleyball. She still lives there and owns the largest sports complex in Texas. Vega, nicknamed “Super Girl,” played volleyball, basketball and softball at BC and Cal State Northridge. She’s had a long career with the LA Sheriff’s department and has been seen on the TV show “Cops” several times. Lisa Johns played volleyball at University of Pacific and is currently a college professor at the University of Northern Arizona. Heidi graduated from Cal State Fullerton where she excelled in softball. She spent several years as the strength and conditioning coach at the University of Kentucky. She currently lives in Houston, Texas. Dr. Ash played basketball at West Point then graduated from UCLA to become a doctor. You can see her name on the door at Quest Imaging on Stockdale Highway.
Every other girl on the team has a post school resume that would make anyone take notice. Of the 15 girls on the team, 14 of them graduated from college! So, it would not be surprising that coach Derossett would probably tell you he’s more proud of what the ladies accomplished after school than on the basketball court.
Coach Derossett was inducted into the North High Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015 after an incredible coaching career. He took over the program in 1986 and 16 years later had compiled a record of 352-112, including 8 SYL titles and 6 Valley Championships. What an amazing career.
This was a once in a lifetime collection of girls who came together at the right time, with the right coach and accomplished something both on and off the court for memory lane at North High.
Congratulations to a well deserving group of classy and talented ladies and Coach Derossett and his staff. What an honor to include them into this years’ North High Athletics Hall of Fame.
