During the month of February, in honor of Black History Month, the NCHSAA website will feature information about African-Americans who have made major contributions to the great tradition of high school sports in our state. We hope you find these both entertaining and informative. Our thanks to Rick Strunk, former NCHSAA Associate Commissioner, on his research into many of these articles and Championships.

RIDGEVIEW HIGH SCHOOL

One of the well-known schools which was a member of the old North Carolina High School Athletic Conference was Ridgeview High School of Hickory.

Ridgeview established a great athletic tradition. At one point, the program recorded 74 consecutive regular-season football victories in NCHSAC play, from 1957 through the '65 season, and over one two-season span recorded an incredible 14 consecutive shutouts. The Hickory school won NCHSAC state championships on the gridiron in 1962 and '64 to go with a 1950 title and was in the finals another three times.

Ridgeview also won four NCHSAC men's basketball championships in its classification from 1948 through '51, so the school certainly had a number of outstanding athletes and coaches.

Ridgeview High School– part of the tradition of high school sports in our state and the old NCHSAC.