On Sunday, December 22, 2024, Coach Albert Capps was honored with the N.C. Governor’s Laurel Wreath Award is a prestigious recognition bestowed upon individuals who have made exceptional contributions to athletics or sports in North Carolina. Representative Frank Sossamon nominated Coach Capps for this distinguished award.
Capps’ remarkable educational career began in 1965 at Henderson High School and concluded with his retirement from Stovall-Shaw Elementary School in 2012, spanning 47 years of dedicated service. Throughout his career, he served at several institutions, including Sun Valley High School in Union County, D.N. Hix, J.F. Webb High School, and the Oxford Orphanage (now known as the Masonic Home for Children), where he worked as Dean of Students and coach. His versatility as a coach was evident in his roles as both assistant and head coach across multiple sports, including basketball, football, soccer, track, and wrestling.
His coaching achievements were numerous and significant. Some significant examples include: In 1980, Capps led the J.F. Webb High School football team to a remarkable 5-5 season turnaround after a two-year winless streak. By 1983, the team had advanced to win their first-round state playoff game. His wrestling program produced both a third-place state finalist and a state runner-up. His track teams consistently excelled, winning multiple conference and regional championships. Most notably, his 1997 track team achieved the triple crown: conference, regional, and state championships. Capps holds the distinction of being the only coach in Granville County history to lead teams to both a state championship (1997) and a state runner-up finish (2000) in track.
At the award ceremony, Superintendent Dr. Stan Winborne welcomed guests and shared personal memories of Capps’ mentorship during his early teaching career. Former athletes attended to support their coach and share testimonials that had been included in Rep. Sossamon’s nomination.
Terri Lawson, a former student-athlete from Oxford Orphanage, reflected, “As our Coach, he taught us life lessons we would need on the field and off the field.” Jeff Gravely, quarterback of the 1980 football team, added, “Great coaches squeeze more out of you than you thought you had. Coach Capps certainly did that for me and thousands of others.” Mike Barker, the 1983 quarterback, emphasized Capps’ focus on “togetherness, being an encourager, and supporting others through adversities on both the athletic field and in life.”
Perhaps the most touching tribute came from former track and field athlete Zack Riesland, who expressed gratitude that his children could witness multiple people share the same message: “He invested in me. He loved me. He told me all the time how much God loves me. And I’ve been trying to make him proud my entire life.”