ASHEBORO — Six individual athletes representing an array of sports and a football team that laid the groundwork for years of success have been inducted into the Asheboro High School Hall of Fame, according to the Asheboro Courier-Tribune.
Named to the 2015 Hall of Fame class, the 12th in school history, are Tina Lineberry Brannon (1995), Keione Covington (1997), David Couch (1980), Jimmy Dollyhigh (1967), David White (1985), Darrell Rich (1965) and the 1950 football team. The seven inductees brings the total number to 82 members.
Tina Lineberry Brannon (1995) — She earned a total of eight varsity letters in basketball, softball and cross county. An all-conference and all-tournament performer in both basketball and softball, she excelled in the classroom as well where she was all-academic. During the 1993-94 basketball season, her team was one of the most successful in school history, advancing to the Eastern Regional semifinals.
After graduating from Asehboro, she continued her academic and athletic career at Greensboro College. While there, she earned all-league status, was named all-region, was her team’s most valuable player and she left as the school’s all-time rebounding leader and fourth-leading scorer in school history.
She now lives in Winston-Salem where she works in banking.
Keione Covington (1997) — She is perhaps the most successful and decorated athlete in Asheboro chool history. She was a six-time North Carolina High School Athletic Association state champion in track and was awarded eight varsity letters — four in track, three in basketball and one in volleyball.
Her list of awards includes all-conference recognition four times in track and once in basketball. As a track performer, she earned all-state honors all four years of high school. She captured state titles in the long jump four times and twice in the triple jump. Twenty years later, she stills shares the state record in the long jump.
She continued her athletic career on a track scholarship to N.C. State, where she participated in the heptathlon and the long jump. She left N.C. State with the second-longest javelin throw and the third-longest long jump.
A resident of Asheboro, she now serves as a tutor and coaches the Mid-Piedmont Express Track Club.
David Couch (1980) — He lettered in football, basketball, and baseball. David was named all-conference three times in football and three times in baseball and was selected to play in the North-South All-Star football game in 1980.
In addition to leading the Asheboro baseball team, he was a valued member of the American Legion Post 45 team that won a state championship in 1979. Named conference player of the year in baseball as a senior, he was later drafted by the Oakland A’s.
He accepted an athletic scholarship to play baseball at Wake Forest University, where he was the starting catcher for four years. Since leaving WFU, he has enjoyed a successful business career as CEO of Blue Ridge Companies, allowing him to give back to his university’s athletic program. For eight years, he has coached baseball at Westchester Country Day School.
Jimmy Dollyhigh (1967) — He was a two-sport star in football and baseball. As a running back, he was recognized as an all-conference performer, then in his senior year, was honored with all-conference and all-state recognition in baseball. A left-handed pitcher with extraordinary ability, he was 14-1 his final year. After finishing as state runner-up during his junior year, his team finished the following year as the Western North Carolina High School Activities Association (WNCHSAA) champions.
He was named Randolph County Athlete of the Year in 1967. In addition, he was an outstanding pitcher on the 1966 American Legion state championship team.
After graduation, he attended Brevard College before moving to Ohio, where he has spent most of his adult life in automobile sales.
David White (1985) — He was a four-year letterman in track and cross country, and he was named all-conference and conference runner of the year in cross country for three consecutive years.
In track, he was undefeated in the mile and 2-mile events throughout high school, earning all-conference honors multiple times. He capped off a great career by finishing seventh in the NCHSAA cross country championships in 1984, defeating all opponents in the 3-A classification.
With White leading the way, the Asheboro cross country teams won the conference championship four times — part of an amazing run of 18 consecutive conference championships.
He remains a resident of Asheboro where he is self-employed as a general contractor.
Darrell Rich (1965) — Rich was inducted as both an athlete and as a coach, A three-sport student-athlete, he lettered in football, basketball and baseball. He excelled in baseball, where he played second base on the 1963 WNCHSAA championship team.
After graduating from High Point College, he returned to Asheboro to coach. Twelve years after playing on a state championship team, he coached the Blue Comets baseball team to the same WNCHSAA championship. He is the only coach in school history to earn state championships as a player and as a coach.
He won multiple Coach of the Year Awards and in 1975 was named North Carolina Coach of the Year by the Professional Baseball Association. In addition to coaching at AHS, he led the Post 45 American Legion baseball team to a runner-up finish in 1975 and the state championship in 1976.
Continuing to impact Asheboro and its young athletes, Rich served as Parks and Recreation Director and later retired as Assistant City Manager.
1950 football team — The excellence of the Asheboro football program under the leadership of coach Lee Stone in the 1950’s and 60’s is well-documented. Stone is a member of the NCHSAA Hall of Fame. The 1950 football team helped establish Asheboro as one tough opponent on the gridiron.
Stone instilled a positive, winning mentality and challenged the team to be dedicated, to work hard and to be disciplined. This proved to be the recipe for an outstanding season as the team, after losing its opening games to powerful 4-A opponents, won its final eight games in impressive fashion to win the conference championship.
Team members include: Bobby Morgan, Charles Wentz, Max Connell, David Jordan, Charles Crotts, Charles Needham, Rudolph “Bo” Baker, Bill Sanders, Don Funderburke, Bruce Holmburg, Chuck Holmburg, Glenn “Red” Hurley, Bill Ward, Marvin York, Freddie Bell, Norman Nance, Junior Morgan, Charles Loggins, Clifford Richardson, Alton “Nubby” Hix, Lynn Priest, Russell Priest, Wade Poole, David Jarrell, Paul Davis, James York, Charles Burkhead, Harry Anderson, Frank Renigar, Clarence Evans, Earl Lewis, Elswick Smith, Buddy Stanley, Richard McKellar and Allen Kivett. The managers were Henry Allred and Johnny Campbell. The coaches were Stone and Warren “Buddy” Hawkins.
