WHS 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees
1987 Boys Soccer Team West High’s 1987 Boys Soccer Team made history by becoming the school’s first soccer program to capture a valley title. The team accomplished the feat with a perfect, undefeated season, demonstrating a stingy defense that surrendered just nine goals throughout the entire campaign.
1982 Academic Decathlon Team The 1982 Academic Decathlon Team secured West High’s third consecutive Kern County championship, cementing the school’s dominance in regional academic competition. The team went on to earn a third-place finish at the California State competition, with four team members earning individual medals at both the county and state levels.
1983 Academic Decathlon Team In 1983, for the fourth year in a row, West High School’s academic decathlon team won the Kern County Academic Decathlon title, went on to the state tournament and took third place in the state out of a field of schools from 30 counties around California. While West High went on to win the first ten Kern County Academic Decathlon championships in a row, beginning in 1980 through 1989, the back-to-back third place finishes at the State championship in 1982 and 1983 were the pinnacle of West High’s results at State.
Jodie Seay Dames (Class of 1978) Jodie Seay Dames distinguished herself as a four-year track athlete at West, claiming back-to-back Valley Championships in the 400 meters, and still holds the record for West. In college she competed at Cal State Bakersfield in the 800 meter race and was anchor on the 4×400 team where the 1981 team was first nationally. Jodie still holds CSUB’s 4th fastest all-time 800 Meter record. After earning her college degree, Dames built a successful career in radio advertising and management.
Carlos Sardo’ Carlos Sardo’’s impact on West High School spans decades, both as a dedicated educator and a championship-winning coach. In the classroom, Mr. Sardo taught biology, general science, Spanish, and algebra, and served the school community as Assistant Dean of Students. Sardo’ coached softball, basketball, track & field, cross country, and soccer throughout his tenure. As the inaugural head coach of the West High boys soccer program, Mr. Sardo’ built a winning tradition from the ground up and led the team to an undefeated Valley Championship in 1987 and a second Valley title in 1990, while capturing numerous SYL championships along the way.
Charles Rosengard Charles Rosengard was one of West High’s most versatile, innovative and dedicated educators in the 70’s and 80’s. In addition to instructing all levels of English, including GATE and Advanced Placement, Mr Rosengard taught Humanities, Computer Programming and Computer Applications. His contributions to West extended well beyond the classroom, and his leadership as head coach of the Academic Decathlon program brought West to prominence both regionally and statewide. Few, if any, coaches match Rosengard’s teams’ decade of Kern County dominance. After WHS, Rosengard helped the Kern High School District roll out and support technology solutions, with a network focus, to students, teachers and administrators.
Ryan Mathews (Class of 2007) Ryan Mathews established himself as one of the most celebrated athletes in West High history, earning both All-State and All-American honors twice during his prep career. As a senior, he led the entire nation in rushing yards and earned a scholarship at Fresno State. A 2009 All-WAC winner and second team All American, Matthews was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Mathews went on to finish his professional career having scored 40 touchdowns and a Pro Bowl selection.
Vince Fong (Class of 1997) Vince Fong has built a distinguished career in public service since graduating from WHS, where he was a member of the speech and debate team whose policy debate squad placed seventh in the state in 1997. He later served as a California State Assembly member representing the 32nd District before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for California’s 20th Congressional District, a seat he has held since 2024.
Ray Burris (Class of 1986) Ray Burris was a standout multi-sport athlete at West High, earning All-League recognition in both football and basketball and capturing the SYL Basketball Player of the Year award in 1985. He carried that success into his collegiate career at Cal State Bakersfield, where he ranks among the program’s career leaders in several statistical categories and helped legendary coach Pat Douglass build a culture of excellence, leading to several National Championship titles.
Jennifer Henry (Class of 1989) During her time at West High, Jennifer Henry was an active participant in the West High Dance Company and Wings for Life, the school’s American Cancer Society club. She has since channeled that spirit of service into a distinguished nonprofit career, serving as Executive Director of Links for Life since 2005. In 2023, she was named Nonprofit Professional of the Year by the Kern Alliance of Nonprofits.
Bradley Dickens (Class of 1978) Bradley Dickens was a member of West High’s 1978 Physical Fitness Team, which claimed a national championship. Following his time at West High, Dickens went on to practice dentistry, specializing in Biosthetics, in the local community for 35 years. He and his wife, Sharalene Carroll-Dickens — affectionately known as “Viki Viking” — have remained connected to the West High community.