Inductees

At Downey’s Warren High School, Charles was a 3-year team captain, league champion, and voted Most Valuable Wrestler. He was also a football running back on Helm’s All-CIF 2nd Team.(1962-64). In his senior year at Judson HS, in Scottsdale, Arizona, (1965) he was MVP in wrestling and football, on the All-State Football Team, and a 4-sport letterman in soccer and track and field too.

Bishop paced 4th as a freshman in the State Championships at Cerritos College and earned 4 letters as a two-sport letterman in 1966-67. In football, he was the Most Valuable Back his sophomore year. At Long Beach State College from 1967-69, Charles was a CCAA Champion and CCAA Football All-Conference 1st Team Running Back. In the CCAA Wrestling Championships at Cal Poly Bishop, he placed 2nd in the heavyweight class and advanced to the NCAA Division I Championships in Provo Utah, scoring wins in 2 matches and leading LBSC in points. Charles earned for athletic letters in two years at LBSC, receiving Athlete of the Year Award for Two-Sport Athlete. He followed with graduation and marriage to Susan with coaching the LBSC Wrestling team (1969-70) which finished 3rd in the CCAA Conference Championships. He competed in many AAU tournaments and Regional Wrestling competition. He was 38 years old at the Senior Olympic’s Wrestling Championships at El Camino College.

In 1970 he started his coaching career of 32 years as a head coach, with many more in supporting roles, at Downey, Warren, Cerritos College, El Dorado and Esperanza. His first year was helping Myron Miller at Downey HS in wrestling, and Allen Layne in football. As head coach at Downey for 10 years, Bishop’s teams went three years (1976-77-78) undefeated in the San Gabriel Valley League, and competitive in CIF Divisiona, Masters, and State Finals competition. From 1971-75, he was Secretary then President for Southern California Coaches Association. In 1991-92, Bishop was President of Orange County Wrestling Coaches Association, then serving as Treasurer from 1992-95.

Bishop was at Warren HS (1980-84), enjoyed 3 League Championships at Downey HS, 2 League Championships at El Dorado HS (1984-86), and 2 League Championships at Esperanza HS (1987-03) where he finished his career in 2003. Charles led an undefeated 13-0 season in 1978. His overall record was 150-95 as a head coach, and 220-118 counting his career as an assistant coach at Downey (1970) and El Dorado (1985-86). Charles has helped contribute to 10 league championship teams and 20 State Finals place finishing teams, with 30 individual League Champions, 25 CIF Placers, 8 Southern Section Champions, 3 State Champions, and 1 National Finals 2nd Place Finisher, Rob Langenwalter. Instrumental in his success have been Ruben Amercanian, Leonard Sexton, Hal Simonek, Dale Deffner, Tim Agopian, John Dahlem, and Steve Stewart. Charles has had the support now for 50 years of Susan Bishop and his four daughters and sons-in-laws and his seven grandchildren.