Marquez helps fuel Foothill to team title
By: ZACH EWING Californian staff writer zewing@bakersfield.com

Last year was a long time ago, as far as Foothill senior Nick Marquez is concerned, and he's wrestling like it.
Marquez, a qualifier for the CIF State Wrestling Championships as a sophomore but a tough-luck loser at the Yosemite Divisional last year, got back on the road to state with a dominant performance at 120 pounds in the Southeast Yosemite League championships.
 
"I have to give everything I've got; it's my last year now," Marquez said after pinning East's Issak Jacinto in the 120-pound final. "I have to leave everything on the mat and have no regrets."
Marquez said he's over last year, when he led a consolation match against Madera's Miguel Ruiz at the Yosemite Divisional when Ruiz caught him in a cradle and pinned him, ending his season two weeks before the state tournament.
"It doesn't bother me as much as before," Marquez said.
"My goal this year is to place at state, so I've got to keep going."
Marquez gets another shot at the Yosemite Divisional next weekend at Madera South, as do 11 other Trojans who finished in the top three of their weight class.
Foothill won its third straight SEYL team championship, scoring 233.5 points to second-place East's 178.
"It's good for the program, especially because we won with JV and varsity," Trojans coach Brad Hull said.
"It's become a tradition, and we kind of expect them to perform well. You don't want to be the team to lose it."
Hull figures several of his wrestlers have a chance to make it out of the Yosemite Divisional and into the Central Section Masters the following Saturday at Visalia-Mount Whitney, including Fern Perez (106), Marco Velasquez (113), Brandon Palafox (145) and Oscar Corona (152), all of whom won by either technical fall or pin in their league championship. Pedro Lora pulled off a five-point move in the final seconds to beat North's Rodney Horton in the 170-pound final, and Chris Guillen won at 220 to give the Trojans seven champions in the 14 weight classes.
They'll have to finish in the top eight next week to keep their seasons alive.
"Next week, that's the one that will drive me crazy," Hull said. "We're right there in so many weights, but it's a nerve-racking week. It's always in the back of your mind, that something could happen like it happened to Nick last year."
Marquez was the meet's outstanding lowerweight wrestler; Tehachapi 182-pounder Dillon Harroun won the award for the upperweights.
Three other Warriors won championships in their first year in the league: Klayton Duxbury (132), Jacob Gamble (138) and Zachary Allen (160).
Other individual champions were East's Adam Bracamonte at 126, North's Kevin Mello at 195 and North's Mark Guerrero at heavyweight.

 

The place where he spent the happiest moments of his life is now named after him. Foothill High's home field is now Ned Permenter Stadium.

At halftime of the Trojans' 34-20 Southeast Yosemite League victory over East on Saturday afternoon, the former long-time former Foothill coach was honored during a 30-plus minute ceremony in which the stadium's new name was unveiled.

Permenter stood at the 50-yard line with his wife and listened as several of his former players talked about how much of an impact he had on them both on the football field and in life.

Then Foothill principal Brenda Lewis made the formal announcement regarding the stadium being named for Permenter to the delight of a packed home side of the grandstands.

At the conclusion of her remarks, Permenter was given a replica of Foothill's new-look scoreboard, with "Ned Permenter Stadium" painted at the bottom.

"This is like a dream come true," Permenter said when asked about the honor. "It's something that you don't even dream about or think it's going to happen in your life. ... I'm just humbled and appreciative that I'm able to enjoy it today with family and friends and former players.'

Permenter racked up the third-most wins (220) in Central Section history as Foothill's football coach from 1965-2001.

"This is my home," Permenter said. "This is where I wanted to be."

Former Foothill player and long-time team physician Dr. William Baker, along with two of Permenter's other former players, Jim Wooster and Joey Porter, spoke prior to Permenter taking the microphone.

"They don't make coaches like (him) anymore," Porter said afterward. "These coaches today, they're at jobs for two or three years and then they're on to the next school. I had long talks with coach Permenter about why he (stayed here so long). He loved Foothill."

The game between East and Foothill was part of Foothill 's 50th anniversary celebration, which also featured several other events around the school’s campus prior to kickoff.

Foothill’s football team made sure to keep the all-day party going by downing the Blades on the strength of Brandon Fanning’s rushing ability and the all-around talent of Destin Penn.

Fanning had 32 carries for 222 yards and three touchdowns while Penn had three interceptions, one touchdown catch, and a blocked PAT attempt.

“Our kids played tough today,” Foothill coach Mike Gregg said. “It was a real special day for Ned Permenter and I’m glad we could atleast come away with a victory for him on this day that was all for him.”

Montel Littles added two interceptions for Foothill (3-4, 2-0 SEYL), which after watching East storm back from an early 13-0 deficit to tie the game, pulled ahead for good late in the first half on Penn’s 4-yard touchdown grab from Alfonso Orozco.

Fanning, who came into the game with 853 rushing yards, went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season with a spectacular 41-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. He added a 20-yard rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter that put Foothill up 34-13.

“Every down I was trying to get every yard I could,” Fanning said. “Just keep my feet moving. Like coach always tells me, keep them moving and don’t let anybody take (you) down.”

The win was the first at home for Foothill, which didn’t want to disappoint its supporters, including the game’s guest of honor.

“We’ve been talking about it all week,” Gregg said, regarding the importance of winning on the day the stadium was renamed for Permenter. “It was a real important deal for us this week. It really was. It’s a great thing they did for Ned. He’s a great person. I know him personally and I’m sure happy we were able do this for him today.”

East (0-7, 0-2 SEYL) had just 195 yards of total offense and was hurt badly by the five interceptions thrown by its two quarterbacks.

After thwarting the Blades first drive by picking off a pass by Blake Sherman, Penn snared his second interception of the game on East’s next possession, returning it 55 yards for a touchdown.

Penn intercepted Sherman a third time early in the fourth quarter. The senior wide receiver/defensive back also had three catches on offense for 51 yards.

“It was a team effort, but I saw a few ball come my way and I took advantage of it,” Penn said.
East’s most effective offensive weapon was wide receiver Tevin Beasley. He had four receptions for 63 yards, including a pair touchdowns.

“I tell you what, it’s real hard to play on Ned Permenter Day,” East coach Dave Thorp said. “This guy is a legend and these guys are jacked up and you got Joey (Porter) here. It’s tough.”

If you want to know the exact moment Foothill High School came of age, call the legendary coach Ned Permenter and ask him to run film of one of the greatest upsets in South Yosemite League history: The 1965 football classic that saw the Trojans beat the seemingly invincible BHS Drillers, 12-9.

Think I'm exaggerating? Consider the facts:

BHS had nearly three-quarters of a century of football under its belt, had won 27 in a row, was one of the top-ranked schools in the state and had there been national rankings, it probably would have cracked those, too. The Drillers had a glittering array of stars, topped by the great Pat Skrable, back of the year, and lineman of the year Pat Preston. They could pass, run, tackle and serve the popcorn, too.

Foothill?

They had just built the school three years earlier, in 1962. The cement wasn't even dry yet. This was east of all known civilization. Fine dining was the A&W, and a good time was playing hide and seek in the orange orchards.

"It was like the last frontier," said Teri Jones, class of '66. "Next stop was Breckenridge and Lake Isabella."

Sure, Foothill had a plucky new head coach in Ned Permenter and players like Jimmy Thompson,

John Ackerley, Charlie Harris, Frank Provensal, Joe Padilla and Tim Hartnett. But we're talking about the mighty Drillers here, not Jawbone Canyon High School.

BHS was Griffith Field and Paul Briggs. Foothill was Harvel Pollard, the first football coach, who delivered rusty old weight sets to Foothill neighborhoods so players could work out in the summer.

"Ned would pick up a load of used shoes from SC so that every player had something to wear," Pollard said.

"He had a shoe store in the back of his truck."

Foothill outplayed, outfought and outlasted the Drillers. The game ended when the Trojans' Steve Johnson intercepted a pass in the end zone after the Drillers had marched to the Trojans' 6-yard line.

Foothill, according to many, was born that evening.

That game -- and countless other examples of Foothill's excellence -- will be remembered among generations of Trojan alumni at a gala celebrating Foothill's 50th anniversary Oct. 13 at the school.

Hidden gem

Almost every high school feels as if it's underestimated and underappreciated. With Foothill, that might actually be the case.

Part of its mystery is the location. Foothill is a destination resort without the resort. Unless you are planning to go there, it's unlikely you will drive by the school, bounded by Park Drive to the west, Morning Drive to the east, Mills Drive to the south and Pioneer Drive to the north.

Foothill, however, has never been a joke, nor a throwaway school. Then-teacher (and future principal) Joe Thompson remembers starting school in 1962. Foothill had air conditioning, tinted glass, hybrid grass and a futuristic feel. The wood shop and lecture center had yet to be built.

The student body (around 1,000 students, Thompson estimated) came from the Country Club area, the neighborhoods south of Panorama, east of Mount Vernon, south of Niles and east of Oswell, and consisted mostly of upper middle- class kids. The student population was reflective of Bakersfield then: a mix of rich and poor white kids and Hispanics from south of Edison.

By the time Kern County Supervisor Mike Maggard attended -- 1970-1974 -- the country had changed and so had Foothill. The world was rougher, louder and seemed to make less sense. Still, Maggard regards the Foothill experience fondly.

"The staff was extraordinary with teachers like Harry Love and Marilyn-Wertz Sullivan," Maggard said. "Integration threw people together and created a great atmosphere. It changed my perspective on how I saw the world."

Talented teachers

Before the school opened, soon-to-be superintendent John Eckhardt scoured the Midwest and East Coast armed with brochures featuring palm trees, blue skies and snow-capped mountains. He recruited an impressive crop of young teachers fresh out of college. They came from Cornell, Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Marquette, Iowa, Indiana University, Tufts, Drake, Purdue, Oregon State, Stanford and UCLA.

"The teachers were unbelievable," Jones said. "I'd put my high school teachers against the teachers I had in college."

Dr. Gerald Hedden, the first principal, insisted the staff wear coats and ties. Football coach Permenter, who taught PE, remembers having to change out of his PE uniform into a coat and tie four or five times a day in order to walk across campus.

Students counted themselves lucky -- or should have. Along with tip-top academics, Foothill had Peg Pauley, one of Bakersfield's finest directors and drama teachers. Earning a letter in fine arts rivaled one in sports.

Although many students were sure they were going to die during the Cuban Missile crisis in 1962 and mourned the death of John F. Kennedy in 1963, the early days at Foothill were peaceful.

"This was pre-Vietnam, pre-civil rights and pre-free love," Thompson said. "Everybody got along pretty well."

Sonny & Cher performed for the 1965 senior party at the Bakersfield Country Club. "I Got You Babe" had just been released. In 1966, the graduating seniors went to Disneyland.

Over the years, Foothill has graduated an impressive bunch of students, including Maggard, coach Tim Hartnett, future principals -- David Reese, Connie Sack, Lee Vasquez and Joe Thompson -- educator Jim Wooster, architect Chris Addington, former police chief Steve Brummer, Dr. Bill Baker, Dr. John Alexander, Drs. Stephen and Mark Newbrough, Judge Sharon Mettler, accountant Ted Pierce, attorney Pat Osborne, educator Cathie Thompson and radio personality Scott Cox.

Be true to your school

Foothill has engendered loyalty. Ned Permenter coached for 40 years, and his assistant, Bobby Ezell, hung in for 38 years.

Standout administrator Don St. Clair was there for close to 30 years. English teacher Elaine Conley spent her entire career at Foothill. Ted Oliver and Bill Moore were mainstays.

Rita Monclova, Lynda Pennington, Kathy Smith, Greg Smith, Jan Graves and Teresa Hutson have been part of the staff for more than 30 years.

Foothill has changed without sacrificing its family feeling, said Principal Brenda Lewis.

The school has around 2,000 students; 82 percent are Hispanic, 11.6 white and 4 percent black.

"New teachers and substitutes have expressed to me how polite our students are," Lewis said.

In honor of Foothill's 50th, Permenter has made a DVD of the big game in 1965 between BHS and Foothill.

It was no more just a football game than Foothill is just a high school. Inside

Scott Cox (class of 1982) recalls his Foothill High School daze. D6