North Carolina High School Athletic Association
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Legendary Hall of Famer Jack Groce Passes Away at Age 95

Jack William Groce, a beloved member of the High-Country community, passed away Friday, January 17, 2025, at the age of 95. For more than thirty years, Jack, or “Coach Groce,” was a coach, educator, and administrator.

Jack’s accomplishments as a player, coach, educator, and administrator are numerous. In recognition of those many accomplishments, he was inducted as a Charter Member of the Appalachian State University Athletic Hall of Fame, a Charter Member of the Watauga County Sports Hall of Fame, a member of the North Carolina Athletic Director’s Association Hall of Fame, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, and to the inaugural class of the Watauga High School Pioneer Athletics Hall of Fame. One of his most treasured moments was having the Watauga High School stadium named in his honor.

Click below to read the full obituary.