Throughout the course of the 2008-2009 academic year, we will seek to recognize some of the great names of the past to highlight the heritage of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association in honor of the Association’s 95th anniversary. In this edition we are pleased to recognize Charles England of Lexington.

The late Charles England spent almost 40 years in education, amassing an outstanding record as a football coach.

Born in Newton, he was captain of the baseball team and an excellent pitcher in college at Shaw University. He went on to become head football coach at Pattillo High School in Tarboro from 1949 through ’58 and then at Dunbar High in Lexington from 1958 to ’67, both schools in the old North Carolina High School Athletic Conference for black schools. His teams won five NCHSAC state championships and he compiled an outstanding 134-34 mark during that stretch.

When Dunbar closed in ’67, England became an assistant coach at Lexington and was instrumental in that school’s outstanding gridiron success, with teams winning 178 games during his time on the staff. He also was well known for his knowledge of the passing game and worked for many years at the prestigious Gus Purcell Quarterback School in Charlotte.

He was tremendously active in Lexington in many church and civic activities. The Central Carolina Conference awards the Charlie England Cup to its top overall athletic program and an intermediate school in Lexington is named in his honor.

Charles was inducted into the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2000.