CLAYTON– The old Cooper High School here will celebrate a great milestone in the history of that school this weekend.

Cooper Heritage Alumni are celebrating Black History Month with a Heritage Celebration Luncheon on Saturday at the American Legion building in Clayton. The event will honor Cooper’s North Carolina High School Athletic Conference (NCHSAC) state championship men’s basketball team and is sponsored by the Cooper Heritage Alumni and Friends Association.

Cooper won the 1963 state 2-A title in the NCHSAC, its only state championship, when it nipped Elm City’s Douglass High School 69-68 in the title game. The game was played at Darden High School in Wilson.

Harvey Heartley was the head coach who guided Cooper to the NCHSAC state championship.

Cooper had its last graduating class in 1969 and then its students went to Clayton High School.

We are very appreciative of John W. Smith, Jr., a 1967 graduate of Cooper, for providing this information.