BHS to welcome 1st class to inaugural wrestling hall of fame
To commemorate the 65th year of wrestling in the city, Bakersfield High is set to celebrate its inaugural wrestling hall of fame class.
An induction ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, May 21, at Hodels at 5 p.m. in the Liberty Hall. The event will be hosted by the BHS PTSO Boosters, with coach Darryl Pope of Cal State Bakersfield fame serving as master of ceremonies.
Event organizers are inviting all former wrestlers, regardless of school affiliation, to come and socialize with the Kern County wrestling community and recognize some of legendary Driller wrestlers from the past.
The inaugural inductees are posthumously Paul Briggs, Olan Polite and Warren “Chuck” Fenton. Also being inducted are Jack Serros, Richard Alvarez, Tony Serros, David East, Mel East, Randy Graham, Bryce Hammond, Nate Morgan, Darrell Vasquez and Jessie Reyes.
Here’s a look at the inductees: Paul Briggs: The renowned Driller football coach was the first wrestling coach at Bakersfield High, coaching 1957-59.
Olan Polite: Took over for Briggs after starting the wrestling program at Arvin. Prior to the CIF State Championships, his squads in 1968 and 1972 were recognized as the CalHiSports teams of the year.
Warren “Chuck” Fenton:
Class of 1962, became the Drillers first two-time section Masters champion. He was a state runner-up at Bakersfield College, and later owned multiple businesses.
Jack Serros: 1966 graduate was the BHS captain and won back-toback individual titles on 1965 and 1966 section runner-up teams. He also wrestled at BC and Air Force.
Richard Alvarez: Class of 1969, won three straight section Masters championships from 1967-69.
Tony Serros: Class of 1970, became the Drillers’ first twotime undefeated section Masters champion and the school’s first four-time Masters medalist.
A 1972 graduate,
he was undefeated as a senior, which helped that team to a second CalHiSports wrestling team of the year. He returned to coach the Drillers to their first CIF State Championship, breaking several state records on the way. Also was named National High School Coach of the Year.
Mel East: A 1982 graduate, he was the Drillers’ first state champion, becoming only the second sophomore to win the title at that time. He also was the first BHS wrestler to make four consecutive Masters finals, winning three times.
Randy Graham: A 1984 graduate, he was undefeated in winning the state title his senior year.
Bryce Hammond: Class of 2011, became the Drillers’ first National High School champion. He also was a two-time undefeated state champion before attending CSUB, where he became NCAA Division I All-American and three-time Pac-12 champion.
Nathan Morgan: A 2004 graduate, he has the distinction of being the first Driller to wrestle varsity four straight years and make the finals of every tournament he competed in high school, never wrestling in a consolation bracket. He was a three-time state champion and later became a threetime Division-I All-American and Big 12 champion.
Darrell Vasquez: The 2002 graduate was the first wrestler in California history to win four state titles. He went up a weight class his junior up a weight to challenge another three-time state champ, defeating him and winning the first of two MVP awards.
Jessie Reyes: Class of 1979, was captain and face of the Drillers his senior year, going 32-0 before a season ending injury. That year Jessie had defeated the eventual state champion at the weight below and the weight above him. He was considered by many as the best wrestler in California prior to his injury. He attended CSUB, where he became a two-time Division II National Champion and MVP of the 1983 tournament. He then became the first to become an NCAA Division I National title. He later went on to a stellar coaching career (19922007), finishing at Purdue University.