Topic: Athletic News

Bill F. Hensley , a member of Asheville's Lee Edwards High School Class of 1943, will be inducted into the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame on May 15, 2008.

Hensley received his bachelor's degree in English from Wake Forest University in 1950. He has spent more than four decades writing and speaking about North Carolina and its people.

After college, he was a sports writer for the Asheville Citizen and then an FBI agent. In 1953, he was named the first full-time sports information director at Wake Forest University and then went to N. C. State in a similar position.

In 1960-65, he was director of public relations for R. S. Dickson Investment Co. and Wachovia Bank in Charlotte. Then Gov. Dan Moore named him to head the state's Travel and Tourism Division, a post he held from 1965-71.

He formed his own public relations firm in 1977. Specializing in travel, he landed such clients as Pebble Beach, Pinehurst Resort, Boca Raton Hotel and Club and Grove Park Inn. The American Travel Writers named him to Marco Polo membership in 1990, the group's highest honor.

Hensley is past president of the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame, the Charlotte Sportsmans Club, Charlotte Public Relations Society and the Travel Council of North Carolina. He was a two-term secretary-treasurer of the Society of American Travel Writers and a two-term director of the Travel Industry Association of America.

The other 2008 inductees who will be enshrined in Raleigh on May 15, include UNC basketball coach Roy Williams (also an Asheville native), former Duke athletic director Tom Butters, NASCAR team owner Richard Childress, former Duke quarterback Leo Hart, ex-North Carolina football player Ken Huff, Guilford golf coach Jack Jensen and former Johnson C. Smith and Harlem Globetrotters basketball player Curly Neal.

Hensley joins fellow Lee Edwards alums Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice (also Lee Edwards Class of 1943 and the Hall's first inductee in 1963) and Claude "Hoot" Gibson (Lee Edwards Class of 1957) who was inducted in 2007.    Henry Logan of Asheville's Stephens-Lee High was honored as an inductee in 2000.

Gibson was a state champion in the high hurdles at Lee Edwards, then starred in football at at N.C. State University.  He played in the Americal Football League with San Diego and led the league in interceptions in 1962.  With Oakland, he led the AFL in punt returns in 1963 and 1964.  His college coaching career started with N.C. State in 1967 as defensive backs coach; three years as head coach at Tulsa; and 10 years as head coach at Mars Hill College.

Former Asheville football coach (1939-1940) Lee J. Stone was inducted in 1977.  Coach Stone was one of state's leading high school football coaches for three decades, producing one championship team at Raleigh Broughton and three at Asheboro.  He was one of Charlie Justice's high school coaches at Asheville.  He never had a losing season.  

Congratulations to several Asheville High players and coaches who received All-Conference or Coach of the Year for their respective Fall 2007 sports.

Read full article: 'Several Cougars Make All-Conference for Fall 2007 Sports; Two Coaches Also Honored'

Refinishing and painting work on the court floor has recently been completed at the W.P. Griffin Arena at Asheville High.

Click Here to see a photo gallery of the new design.

The Cougars wrapped up the 2006-2007 year of athletics with a third place finish statewide in the 3A NCHSAA Wachovia Cup, and second place in the Mountain Athletic Conference.

T.C. Roberson finished first in the conference and first statewide.

Wachovia Cup points are awarded based on a school's performance in the state playoffs.

In statewide playoffs, #1 Roberson finished with 550 points, trailed by #3 Asheville with 335 points.

In the MAC, #1 Roberson finished with 239 points, and #2 Asheville finished with 180 points.  T.C. Roberson grabbed the conference crown by earning league titles in men’s and women’s track, tennis and baseball. Asheville recorded a title in soccer and finished second overall. Complete Conference standings: T. C. Roberson 239, Asheville 180, North Buncombe 144, Enka 139, Franklin 136, Tuscola 134 and Erwin 76.

(Information provided by the NCHSAA)

After several seasons of heavy use including leading the Lady Cougars Basketball team to three consecutive state championships, the court floor in the W.P. Griffin Arena is slated for a new look. Refinishing and painting will begin in the coming weeks o­n the court which will feature a simpler design. The new design is pictured below, replacing the current pawprint design with the official school logo and colors to match the football field.

You can also download a high-quality PDF version (1.2 mb) of the new design.

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