MARSHVILLE—Veteran coach John Lowery has announced his retirement, according to various media reports including the Charlotte Observer.

       Lowery has been at Forest Hills High School since 1978 and has coached several sports, although he is probably best known as the head football coach at the school, taking over the program in 1986 after seven years as an assistant coach.

       His teams won 266 games and 16 conference championships under Lowery in football.  He also served 20 years as head baseball coach, winning 250 games in that sport and the 1997 North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A championships.

       Lowery also led the golf program at Forest Hills from 1998 through 2003 and his teams won three conference championships in that sport as well.