Bob Shore was another great North High athlete born and raised in the streets of Oildale in the late 50’s and early 60’s. He attended Highland Elementary then later Standard Junior High where he was the Student Body President. He entered North in 1961 and would become one of the few athletes from the school to ever receive a football scholarship from Stanford University.
He was an outstanding football player obviously but also excelled in wrestling, track and field and even tried to play a little basketball as a freshman. He played Class B football as a freshman but a concussion limited his sophomore season on the JV’s. Then as a junior playing for legendary NH coach Turk Eliades, he began to blossom, playing offensive and defensive tackle. The 1963 team became co-Champs of the SYL by beating their old rival Taft High Wildcats. He was team captain of the 1964 team that played the BHS Drillers to a tie and ended their 18-game winning streak. For his efforts he was named All-City and All-SYL and the 1964 Harry Coffee Award as team MVP. At the end of the school year he was named to the 1965 California North-South Shrine All-Star game.
He was also a successful wrestler in Coach Win Bootman’s program, on the JV’s as a soph then 2 years on the varsity. He wrestled in both the 175 lb. and 191 lb. classes. He tried basketball as a freshman but switched to wrestling due to growing pains (6” that year!!). His big claim in basketball was that he made 9 of 10 free throws on the season. He threw the shot put and discus on the track team, as a soph on the JV’s and then 2 years on the varsity. He was a member of the record setting shot put team that won the EB Relays his senior year.
As a result, he was the 1965 winner of the Sam Lynn Award, symbolic of the best senior athlete in the school.
Then the good stuff began as he received a full ride scholarship to Stanford University. He played pulling guard and was a member of an undefeated freshman team coached by Hall of Famer Dick Vermeil. He then lettered the next three years on the varsity. He caught a tackle eligible touchdown pass from Stanford great Gene Washington and blocked for another Stanford legend Jim Plunkett. After graduation, he helped coach the freshman team in 1969 at Stanford before receiving a Bachelor’s of Science degree in petroleum engineering.
He began playing rugby as a sophomore and was a member of the Stanford team that won the Monterey National Rugby Tournament three years in a row. Then in 1971, he used his Rugby expertise to found and became a player/coach for the Kern County Rugby Club. He was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2012. He coached and refereed soccer for 12 years while his son Jason and daughter Brianna, played AYSO. He recently helped coach his grandson Christopher’s AYSO team.
In 1968 Bob married his high school sweetheart Tanis, a graduate of South High. He recently retired after a successful career in the Kern County oil and gas industry. But he’s still an active energy investment consultant along with working the family wine business in Paso Robles.
Congratulations to Bob, just another 08er making us proud.