1956-57 Warriors

Season Record: 16-4 Overall

The 1956-57 Warriors include, kneeling, left to right, Manager Bruce Eisenmen and coach Bernie Hill, back row, Rusty Snider,
Gerald Lusk, Gary Brockman, Lee Bassler, Jim Kelly, Bill Collins, Bill Blair, Freddie Mungia, and Bill White. Remaining players
Junior Brandon, Rudy Damian, Bill Gassaway, Joe Muro, Ruben Narez, and Tom Smart are not pictured.

Warriors Win School Record 16 Games in 1957
Ruben Narez Paces Warrior Offense

Bernie Hill had one very successful season as the head coach for the 1956-57 Warriors, leading the team
to an overal 16-4 season record.

Throughout the season, the Warriors were led by the experienced starting team of Junior Brandon, Rudy Damian, Bill Gassaway, Ruben Narez,
and Tom Smart. Joe Muro and Bill White also provided plenty of firepower off the bench.

The Warriors played as an "independent team" with no formal affiliation with any league. The Warriors were a transitional team in 1956-57
with plans to move into the CIF Southern Section and the Desert-Inyo League beginning in 1957-58.

As a result of the independent status, Tehachapi was told if they could defeat every opponent in the small schools Sierra Division
on their schedule, they would advance to the valley playoffs.

The Warriors responded in true championship form defeating Sierra League members Alpaugh, Maricopa, and McFarland twice each for a perfect 6-0 record.

The Warriors also had impressive wins over teams from the high country to the north, and the Mojave Desert to the east,
including Bishop, Lone Pine, Mojave, and Antelope Valley, defeating each team twice in home-and-away games.

Another impressive win took place on February 8, 1956, when the Warriors defeated the Bakersfield Junior College Frosh team, 45-42, behind the 12 point effort of Rudy Damian.
The game was the preliminary contest to the Bakersfield JC Varsity - Santa Monica City College game played at Bakersfield College (won by Bakersfield JC).

During the regular season, the Warriors lost once to Burroughs by 2 points in Ridgecrest, but defeated Burroughs on the mountain, 46-41.
Tehachapi lost twice to rival Garces, 57-54 in Bakersfield, and 55-45 in Tehachapi.
Garces would finish their season in second place (behind Exeter) in the five team South Sequoia League.

Tehachapi suffered a severe blow to their chances for a valley championship when five players, including four starters, were suspended from the team
for disciplinary reasons. The players were suspended following the February 16 contest against Garces.

In the valley playoffs, Tehachapi earned the right to face the actual South Sierra League champion --- Strathmore.
Strathmore came into the playoff game with a perfect 10-0 record in league play. Strathmore crushed the undermanned Warrior varsity team, 50-18.

Despite the suspensions, Tehachapi had a tremendous season earning a school record 16 wins and winning
11 straight games at one point during the season.

For the third consective season, senior guard Ruben Narez led the Warriors in scoring with 252 points in 18 games,
a 14.0 game average. In three years as a varsity starter, Narez scored approximately 854 career points, a school record at the time.

Click Here For LISTING OF SIERRA CHAMPS FROM 1930-1958

 

Game-by-Game Results

	OPPONENT	THS	OPP	L	GAME HIGHLIGHT
Dec 7	Bishop	45	37	H	Ruben Narez: 18 pts
Dec 8	Burroughs (Ridgecrest)	38	40	A	Rudy Damian: 20 pts
Dec 11	Mojave	32	28	H	Ruben Narez: 12 pts
Dec 14	Bishop	29	25	A	Ruben Narez: 13 pts
Dec 15	Lone Pine	57	43	A	Junior Brandon: 14 pts
Dec 17	Lone Pine	44	39	H	Ruben Narez: 20 pts
Jan 11	Antelope Valley JV's	69	30	A	Ruben Narez: 22 pts
Jan 12	McFarland *	51	26	H	Ruben Narez: 13 pts
Jan 18	Alpaugh *	71	24	A	Ruben Narez: 20 pts
Jan 19	Maricopa *	45	13	H	Ruben Narez: 14 pts
Jan 25	Antelope Valley JV's	55	32	H	Joe Muro: 18 pts
Jan 26	Burroughs (Ridgecrest)	46	41	H	Junior Brandon: 12 pts
Jan 29	Mojave	00	00	A	Game canceled - snow
Feb 1	Alpaugh *	86	27	H	Ruben Narez: 26 pts
Feb 2	Garces (Bakersfield)	54	57	A	Ruben Narez: 10 pts
Feb 8	Bakersfield College Frosh ##	45	42	A	Rudy Damian: 12 pts
Feb 9	McFarland *	52	39	A	Ruben Narez: 13 pts
Feb 15	Maricopa *	44	31	A	Rudy Damian: 14 pts
Feb 16	Garces (Bakersfield)	45	55	H	Rudy Damian: 16 pts
Feb 22	Kern Valley (Lake Isabella)	36	25	H	Tom Smart: 11 pts
Feb 23	Mojave	02	00	A

* Sierra League Members     ## Exhibition Game

San Joaquin Valley Small Schools Playoffs
Sierra Division

	OPPONENT	THS	OPP	L	GAME HIGHLIGHT
Feb 26	Strathmore	18	50	N	Rusty Snider: 10 pts