2014 AHS Sports Hall of Fame
Posted Oct 9, 2014 at 9:14 AM
ASHEBORO — Every time a student-athlete or group of
student-athletes take to the field or court at the start of the season,
and every time a high school coach begins a season no matter what the
sport, the goal is to win a state championship.
That in itself is a
difficult goal to obtain. Throw in the very minute chance of going
undefeated while winning a state championship and it’s a scenario that
doesn’t happen all too much. However, one of the new inductees in the
Asheboro High School Hall of Fame accomplished just that.
The
members of the 1994 AHS volleyball team, which finished undefeated on
its way to a state title, will be enshrined into the AHS Hall of Fame
tonight as ceremonies will be held at halftime of the AHS-Ledford
varsity football game at Lee J. Stone Stadium.
Also honored will
be 1963 graduate Jimmy Grimsley, 1958 graduate Don Lineberry and 1975
graduate Chris McKinnon. Grimsley is being honored posthumously. He
passed away in 1977.
The varsity volleyball team, which qualified
for three straight state championships — also advancing in 1993 and 1995
— came away with its only state title in 1994 after finishing 26-0. The
Blue Comets defeated three-time state champion Smoky Mountain in the
finals 3-2 on the campus of UNC Greensboro. AHS rallied to win the final
two sets in that match for the championship.
“I told them I was
so excited because it is one of the most memorable, exciting, relived
event in my life,” said then-coach Kim Dickinson Black, who is now
teaching at Southwestern Randolph High School. “I think about it time
and time again. Especially at the end when we were all holding hands on
the bench. That group was totally selfless.”
This senior-dominated team during one stretch over a two-season span won 45 of 46 matches.
Members
of the team were: Lori Lemons, Susan Bristow, Carrie Farr, Jamie
McDowell, Wendy Potts, Anne Gilliam, LeAnn Robbins, Jessica Harper,
Chris Morgan, Codey Cross, Braden Walsh, Heather Woodruff, Ashlee Fisher
and, Joy Abbott. The assistant coach was Tracy Jarrett Dawes and the
team managers and statisticians included Jennifer Moore, Elizabeth Derr,
April Lemons, Jennifer Jester, Beth Sanders, Megan Causey and, Sarah
Rice.
In addition to being outstanding on the court, the 1994 volleyball team members were excellent students.
The team, celebrating the 20th anniversary of its magical season,
will forever be remembered as one of the most outstanding in the history
of Asheboro High School.
Jimmy Grimsley
A
member of the AHS graduating class of 1963, Grimsley is being honored
for being an outstanding student-athlete. As a basketball player, he was
a three-time varsity letterman, All-Conference performer and member of
the 1962 WNCHSAA championship team.
Also a three-time letterman in
baseball, he was honored as All-Conference and All-State in 1963. He
was a member of a second WNCHSAA championship team, as the AHS baseball
team brought home a championship.
Grimsley’s son, Allen, who now resides in Nags Head, said he was
searching through some old memorabilia and came across a box with some
very interesting items.
grandfather (Otis Grimsley) would go to every game and keep score on
one side of an index card, one card for every game,” Allan said. “My
grandfather didn’t know all the names, but he did know the first names
and he would have those on the card and on the other side he would have
the numbers.
“This is such a tremendous honor,” Allan added.
After
graduating from AHS, Grimsley attended Wake Forest University, where he
graduated with honors. In 1970, he graduated from the law school at the
University of North Carolina and three years later he returned to his
hometown of Asheboro to practice law and coach the youth of the
community. He will always be remembered by many for his unselfish
sacrifice and tremendous work ethic.
The AHS baseball team still hands out the Jimmy Grimsley award for the top offensive player.
Don Lineberry
Lineberry
is a 1958 graduate of AHS, where he excelled as a basketball player. He
played in two championship games of the WNCHSAA — in 1956 and again in
1958 as a senior. As a part of the 1958 WNCHSAA championship team,
Lineberry was co-captain and leading scorer at 16 points per game and
was recognized as an All-Conference performer.
After completing
his career at AHS, he accepted a scholarship to Guilford College, where
he continued to be an outstanding student-athlete.
While at
Guilford, he twice led the team in scoring and as a sophomore averaged
24.9 points per game, which ranked second in the North State Conference.
Twice he was named the team’s most valuable player. He led the league
in free throws and scored 41 points in a loss to East Carolina. He was
team captain and was named All-Conference. He was also recognized as a
member of the Who’s Who in Small College Basketball.
Lineberry is a graduate of the UNC Dental School and served his
country as a member of the United States Navy. He has practiced
dentistry in the Guilford College community for over 40 years and has
volunteered much time to youth sports there.
Chris McKinnon
A
seven-time varsity letterman, McKinnon participated in four sports at
Asheboro High — football, basketball, baseball, and track. He is a 1975
graduate who was named All-County in football and then won several
recognitions as a baseball player, including team most valuable player
honor two years running, Randolph County Player of the Year and South
Piedmont Conference Player of the Year his senior season.
“I was
thrilled to death,” McKinnon said about hearing of his induction. “I
certainly didn’t expect it. I’m happy to be going in. It’s an exclusive
group and club.”
He was named All-State in 1975 as the Blue Comets
baseball team captured the WNCHSAA championship. In recognition of his
excellence in multiple sports, he was named co-winner of Mr. Blue Comet
in 1975 and was awarded the Lee J. Stone Scholarship.
“Without a
doubt, how many people can say the last game they played, they won a
state championship?” McKinnon said of the baseball title the Blue Comets
won his senior year. “That is something I’ll never forget.”
McKinnon
attended Mars Hill College on an athletic scholarship and played both
football and baseball there. Upon graduation with a degree in Business
Administration, he relocated to the Raleigh area where he has enjoyed a
successful career in sales.