1959-60 Warriors
League Record: 10-3 (16-7 Overall)
The 1959-60 Warriors were led by center Jim Waters (far left), flashy guard Thurn Thompson (center), and Gerald Killingsworth (far right).
Other Warrior on the 1959-60 team include Stanley Beckham, Doug Bingham, Eugene Hayes, Mike Killingsworth, Butch McIntosh, Don Snider, and Jim Wallace.
In its third year since joining the Desert-Inyo League, Tehachapi had an outstanding season finishing in 2nd place, Warriors Finish 2nd In DIL
Gerald Killingsworth Selected To The All-DIL 1st Team
and advancing to the third round of the post-season playoffs. Third year coach Chuck Ferrari
led the Warriors to a 10-3 league record and an overall 16-7 season record.
Throughout the season, the Warriors were led by the starting team of guards Thurn Thompson and Don "Rusty" Snider,
forwards Tom and Gerald Killingsworth, and lanky center Jim Waters (6'3").
Prior to league play, the Warriors participated in two tournaments winning 3 and losing 2. At Trona, the Warriors defeated Lone Pine
but lost to Trona in the championship game. In the annual Kern County Tournament in Bakersfield, Tehachapi lost the opener to Wasco,
then defeated both Corcoran and McFarland to win the consolation championship. Waters was selected to the All-Tournament team
scoring 31 points in the tournament.
In league play, the Warriors went 9-3 losing twice to league champion Trona, and splitting the two games with Bishop (9-3).
This set up a league playoff game on February 23 in Trona (a neutral site). In a close, tense game,
the Warriors prevailed by a 42-38 score. Gerald Killingsworth and Waters led the Warriors in scoring with 8 and 7 points, respectfully.
The victory gave Tehachapi sole possession of 2nd place and the opportunity to participate in the post-season playoffs.
The Warriors hosted Big Pine in the opening round and easily won the game, 50-31. Waters led Tehachapi with 18 points,
while Gerald Killingsworth added 10 points.
In round two, Tehachapi traveled to San Bernadino to play Eisenhower High School. The Warriors won a close game, 46-43,
with Waters scoring 13, Rusty Snider 12, and Gerald Killingsworth 11.
In round three, the Warriors were on the road again traveling to Port Hueneme to play Santa Clara of Oxnard. Santa Clara, a private Catholic high school,
soundly defeated the Warriors, 59-25. Rusty Snider scored 8 points while Waters connected for 7 points. Santa Clara would go on to win the
CIF 1A championship defeating Valencia in the finals, 63-46. The Saints, a perennial basketball power,
won five of six CIF 1A championships between 1959 and 1964 under legendary coach Lou Cvijanovich.
The 16 wins by the Warriors tied a school record for the most wins in one season. The other team with 16 wins was the 1956-57 Warriors.
The two playoff victories would also stand as a record for 14 years until the 1973-74 Warriors won three straight post-season playoff wins.Waters, a sophomore, led the team in scoring with just over 230 points for a 10.0 points per game average.
Gerald Killingsworth was also selected to the All-DIL 1st team.
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LISTING OF DIL CHAMPS
FROM 1958-1992
Game-by-Game Results
Pre-Season Play
OPPONENT THS OPP L GAME HIGHLIGHT Dec 11 Lone Pine ## 52 28 A Thurn Thompson: 12 pts Dec 12 Trona ## 47 61 A Jim Waters: 23 pts Dec 19 Wasco ## 29 34 A Gerald Killingsworth: 9 pts Dec 20 Corcoran ## 32 22 A Thurn Thompson: 9 pts Dec 21 McFarland ## 45 36 A Jim Waters: 20 pts Desert-Inyo League Play
OPPONENT THS OPP L GAME HIGHLIGHT Jan 8 Mojave * 28 24 H Gerald Killingsworth: 16 pts Jan 9 Bishop * 27 34 A Jim Waters: 9 pts Jan 15 Lone Pine * 30 24 H Jim Waters: 11 pts Jan 16 Trona * 20 24 A Gerald Killingsworth: 9 pts Jan 22 Kern Valley * 45 30 A Gerald Killingsworth: 14 pts Jan 23 Desert (Edwards AFB) * 41 33 H Gerald Killingsworth: 12 pts Jan 26 Palmdale 32 45 A Jim Waters & Rusty Snider: 7 pts Jan 30 Mojave * 50 37 A Jim Waters: 17 pts Feb 5 Bishop * 40 37 H Rusty Snider: 10 pts Feb 6 Lone Pine * 41 31 A Rusty Snider: 12 pts Feb 12 Trona * 36 39 A Gerald Killingsworth: 17 pts Feb 13 Kern Valley * 53 32 H Jim Waters: 11 pts Feb 19 Desert (Edwards AFB) * 50 41 A Gerald Killingsworth: 15 pts Feb 20 Maricopa 41 27 H Jim Waters & Rusty Snider: 12 pts Feb 23 Bishop * 42 38 A Gerald Killingsworth: 8 pts ## Trona Tournament ## Kern County Tournament * Denotes League Game
CIF Southern Section 1A Playoffs
OPPONENT THS OPP L GAME HIGHLIGHT Feb 26 Big Pine 50 31 H Jim Waters: 18 pts Mar 2 Eisenhower (San Bernadino) 46 43 A Jim Waters: 13 pts Mar 4 Santa Clara (Port Hueneme) 28 55 A Rusty Snider: 8 pts
Warrior Mike Killingsworth (50) goes up for a shot against a Bishop defender as Jim Waters (54) looks to gather a rebound.
The Warriors won the game, 40-37, on February 5, 1960, in Tehachapi behind the 10 point effort of Rusty Snider.
