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2003 Inductees
BILL BOST earned
his recognition as a girls and boys basketball coach at the old Hiddenite High
School and later at Bandys High School where his teams won a remarkable 654
games and lost only 214, spanning over 25 years. A Catawba County native,
he coached teams that won 34 conference tournament, district, regional and state
titles. Twenty-six of those titles were won in his 18 years at Bandys. Born
April 3, 1932, Bost is considered the architect of a Bandys basketball program
that, since his arrival at the school in 1971, has won 1,222 games and lost 529.
Bost died February 8, 1995 as one of the winningest high school basketball
coaches in North Carolina history.
NORMAN "PINKIE" JAMES was
born in Asheville, N.C. on February 21, 1910. He later became an
accomplished athlete in five sports at Hickory High School from 1925-1929, where
he excelled as an all-state quarterback. James later starred at Duke University
where he played end for legendary football coach Wallace Wade. He later played
football and basketball at Lenoir-Rhyne, followed by a three-year stint as a
professional baseball player for Charlotte, Birmingham and Atlanta between
1934-937. After leaving pro baseball, James took up golf where he made
himself into a low handicap golfer and later became a co-founder and president
of the National Association of Left-handed Golfers. Aside from his playing
exploits, James helped found the Hickory Rebels pro baseball team; installed the
first lights at the Lenoir Rhyne College football field and selected the land
that became the Hickory Foundation Center. He later became a successful
businessman where he founded the James Wholesale Company and was an initial
investor in International Food House (IFH). James died in November of
1981, but not before making his mark on the sports heritage of Catawba County.
BOBBY ROWE was
born in Hickory, N.C. on October 10, 1937 and established himself as a standout
athlete and coach in football and basketball from 1954 until 1994. Rowe
starred at Winston-Salem University in football and basketball, becoming an
All-American quarterback. He set records in passing for the Rams and was later
inducted in the WSSU Sports Hall of Fame. Rowe gained recognition as a
coach, guiding Newton-Conover High School's basketball program to success. He
also was a successful football coach for the Red Devils assisting the legendary
Don Patrick. Rowe finished his coaching career as an assistant coach with the
Lenoir-Rhyne College women's basketball team in the late 1990's.
DON L. STAFFORD was
born in Alexander County on July 30, 1922, but gained recognition as a stellar
three-sport athlete at Lenoir-Rhyne College where he graduated in 1948 as a
three-sport letterman. Stafford gained notoriety as a minor league
baseball player in North Carolina from 1948-1955. Stafford was chosen as the
Minor League Rookie of the Year in 1948 and in 1952 led the minors in hitting
with a .402 average. During his 7-year pro career, he averaged .347 with 16
homers and 90 RBI's a season. He later served as a teacher-coach in the
public school system in Catawba County and Hickory, before entering the world of
business where he retired with Henley Paper Company in 1996.
2003
High School Athletes of the Year
2002
Inductees
2001
Inductees
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