Bob Counts – Athlete  (Class of 1949)
Bob Counts, a 1949 graduate of Wasco High, earned varsity letters in four sports while competing for the Tigers.  Counts competed on the football squad during his freshman year, but in his final three years, he played four sports, football, basketball, baseball, and also competed on the track team.  It was on the track squad where Counts excelled in the field events, throwing the discus and shot put.  While at Wasco High, Counts also showed that he was well-rounded as his scholastic achievements led to him being selected as Wasco High’s representative to California Boys’ State in 1948, and a very active member of the Future Farmers of America.  In 1973, Bob was chosen as one of Wasco High FFA’s Honorary Members.  After graduating from Wasco High, Bob went on to compete in the discus and shot put for the Bakersfield College Renegades and the Fresno State track teams, setting a shot put record for the Fresno State Bulldogs that held for many years.  Bob returned to Wasco to live and work and contribute to the Wasco community in many ways, serving as the Wasco Recreation and Parks President from 1970 through 1974, and as member of the Wasco 20-30 Club and Wasco Exchange Club for many years before passing away in 2004. 

Gordon Brown – Athlete  (Class of 1970)
Gordon Brown graduated from Wasco High in 1970 and competed in football, basketball, track, and golf for the Tigers.  Gordon led the Tiger football team as quarterback during his junior and senior seasons and was selected Captain in his senior year when he threw for over 1,000 yards passing.  On Jim Parker’s basketball squad, Brown earned the team Captain and Most Valuable Player awards his senior year, as well as chosen by league coaches as the South Sequoia League Most Valuable Player when he helped lead the Tigers to a share of the League Championship and on to Valley Playoffs.  The MVP team award was again earned on the track team as Gordy was the South Sequoia League and Central Valley high jump champion, before going on to place 8th in the high jump at the State Track Meet during his senior year.  When time allowed during the track season, Brown also found time to compete for the Tiger golf team.  After graduation, Brown went on to play basketball at Fresno Pacific College, averaging 22.8 points per game during his freshman year to earn the Freshman Athlete of the Year award.  He also competed in the decathlon on their track team, placing 2nd in the NAIA District 3 championships.  After competing, Brown went on to become an assistant basketball coach at Porterville College, assistant track coach at Taft College, Athletic Director and coach at Alpaugh High School, and also a teaching professional at Wasco Valley Rose Golf Course. 

Harold “Hoot” Gibson – Athlete  (Class of 1966)
Harold “Hoot” Gibson graduated from Wasco High in 1966, and while competing for the Tigers, lettered in football and track.  As a member of the Tigers’ varsity football team, Gibson was an integral part of the Tigers’ success and was selected as an All-South Sequoia League lineman during his senior year.  On the track team, Gibson threw the shot put and discus, and during his senior year he set the Wasco High shot put record of 55’ 7 ½”, a record which still stands today, forty-six years later.  Gibson also set the school record for the 16 pound shot put at 44’ 8 ½”, a weight not normally thrown on the high school level.  After graduation, Hoot went on to Bakersfield College and competed on the Renegade football squad and continued his success by making the All-Metro team, again from his lineman position.  Gibson’s success on the Renegade football team earned him a scholarship to play football at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas in 1968, which was the first year of their program, and where his team tied for the league championship during one of his two seasons there.   

Lindsey West – Athlete  (Class of 2002)
Lindsey West, one of the most accomplished girl athletes to compete at Wasco High, graduated in 2002 after earning varsity letters in tennis, basketball, and softball.  On the tennis team for four seasons, West earned the team’s Most Valuable Player award all four seasons, as well as being the South Sequoia Singles Champion all four years.  During the Valley individual singles competition, Lindsey was the Central Section Runner-up as a sophomore in 1999 and placed third as a junior in 2000.  West played three years for the Lady Tigers’ softball squad, earning Most Valuable Player awards during her sophomore and senior seasons, while playing on the 1999 SSL Championship team that went on to place 2nd in the Valley.  On the basketball court, West was a four-year starter and played an important role on three straight Valley Championship teams, from her freshman through junior years.  On the Lady Tigers’ basketball team, she earned MVP honors during her junior and senior years, as well as the Most Scholastic Award during her final two seasons.  Besides excelling on the court, West demonstrated outstanding academic achievement as she was a 2002 Central Section CIF Academic Finalist nominee.  After graduating, Lindsey went on to play basketball for Azusa Pacific University, where she was named Most Valuable Player during her sophomore, junior and senior seasons.  During her basketball career at Azusa Pacific, West set school records for points with 1,939, Most Free Throws Made in one game, and Most Blocked Shots in one game.  She also led her team to the NAIA Playoff Round of 16 in 2005 and 2006.  Lindsey also competed one year on the Azusa Pacific tennis team and was 8-3 in singles and 10-4 in doubles play, while helping the team to the Finals and a runner-up place in the NAIA Championships in 2004.

Max Knupper – Athlete  (Class of 1968)
Max Knupper graduated from Wasco High in 1968, lettering in football, wrestling, and track.  Knupper was an important part of Pat Mills’ Tiger football squad, and during his senior year came away with many honors, including 1stTeam All-South Sequoia League as a defensive lineman, the Jay Wedel Award, the Tigers Outstanding Lineman award, as well as selected as Team Captain. His senior season on the wrestling team also earned Max the Team Captain award for his outstanding leadership.  After the wrestling season, Knupper went on to compete on the track squad, throwing the shot put and discus.  After graduating from Wasco High, it was then on to play for the Bakersfield College Renegade football program, earning All-Metro League, Most Improved Player, and Honorable Mention J.C. All-American awards in 1969 during his sophomore year as a defensive end.  Because of his success at Bakersfield College, Knupper was widely recruited by the highly touted football programs at Oregon, Nebraska, Alabama, Arizona, and many others, but Max selected to play for the UCLA Bruins in 1970 and ‘71, where he was a two-year letterman from his outside linebacker position.  

Smithie Callahan – Athlete  (Class of 1955)
Smithie Callahan, a 1955 graduate of Wasco High, participated in football, basketball, and track for the Tigers.  Smithie played important roles on two league championship basketball teams in 1954 and 1955, as well as on the 1953 Valley Co-Champion Football team.  However, it was on the track team where Callahan excelled as a sprinter and long jumper. There were few 100 yard races that Callahan failed to win, and during his senior year ran an outstanding 9.8 seconds in the 100 yard dash.  Although Callahan was injured in football during his junior year and couldn’t run track that season, he came back to have an outstanding senior year for Coach Andy Darby’s track team.  Besides setting his fastest time in the 100 yard dash, Smithie made it to the State track meet during his senior year, with a chance to show his outstanding ability in both the 100 yard dash and the long jump, but missing his high school graduation ceremony held at the same time. The decision, though bittersweet, showed his dedication to his love of track, as Smithie went on to place 4th in the 100 yard dash, and 3rd in the long jump with a leap of 23’ 6”.  The decision he made makes Callahan, who passed away in 1988, the only Wasco athlete to have ever placed in two events at the California State Track meet. 

Ted Hammack – Coach  (1965-1988)
Ted Hammack, who attended Clovis High School and went on to Fresno State where he competed for the Bulldogs’ baseball team in 1957 and 1958,  and began his teaching and coaching career at Wasco High in 1965 after two years at Los Banos High School and one year at Delano High.  Hammack’s coaching career at Wasco High lasted twenty-three years, during which he coached football, wrestling, and baseball.  Ted coached “B” football for two years after he was first hired in 1965, and then he went on to coach frosh-soph football for another thirteen.  While coaching at the frosh-soph football level, his teams won two South Sequoia League Championships.  Hammack also devoted five years to coaching Varsity and JV wrestling, winning one SSL Championship at each of those levels.  However, it was on the baseball field that Hammack had his most successful seasons, coaching in the program for twenty-three years.  Beginning as a frosh-soph coach where he was instrumental in developing the younger players, Ted won four SSL Championships during the seven years he coached at that level, and then moved up to the JV squad, coaching the Cubs for six years.  After long-time Varsity Coach Jack Burtner’s retirement, Hammack took over the Tigers’ program for ten years, winning one SSL Championship, and during three of those seasons he took the Tigers on to the Valley Championship Playoffs.  During his combined coaching career in the three sports, Hammack’s record was 402 wins and 200 losses, winning sixteen championships, all at Wasco High.  Besides his love of coaching baseball, Hammack also devoted over twenty years as an umpire in both the Little League and Babe Ruth League in Wasco.

Terry Clement – Athlete  (Class of 1974)
Terry Clement, a 1974 graduate of Wasco High, earned ten varsity letters during his four years as a Tiger, three in football and baseball and four in wrestling.  On the Tigers’ football squad, Clement was voted the team’s Most Valuable Player twice, during his junior and senior seasons, while starting offensively at fullback, as well as a linebacker on defense.  Terry also was selected for All-South Sequoia League honors as a junior and senior.  Besides earning four varsity letters in wrestling, Clement was dominate as he went undefeated in league three straight years, from his sophomore year through his senior year.  As a senior, he became Wasco’s first Kern County Champion, competing for a squad that went 14-0 in dual matches.  In Valley competition, Clement placed 6th in his sophomore year and 3rd in both his junior and senior seasons, which earned him a chance to compete at the State Meet both years.  On the baseball team, Terry continued his success as a catcher, being selected 1st Team All-League as a senior.  After graduation, Clement continued his athletic career, first at Bakersfield College, where during his sophomore year he was the Renegades’ starting fullback, and also received the “Most Inspirational Back” and “Outstanding Blocking Back” awards.  After playing at Bakersfield College, Terry went on to play fullback for the San Diego State University football team, where his teams finished with 10-1 records in both of his seasons as an Aztec.  After his playing career, Clement spent eight years helping to coach the Wasco Packers Youth Football program, as well as leading the program for five.