The late Buddy Luper was one of the state’s most respected coaches during his outstanding career, coaching football, basketball, track and golf. Luper won nine varsity letters at Rocky Mount Senior as an athlete and then had an excellent football career at Duke. After three years as football coach and athletic director at Hickory, Luper came to Fayetteville High School and worked at that school or in the school system for 33 years. From 1965 through ’83, he served as an assistant superintendent Fayetteville city system in charge of athletics. He posted an excellent 114-42-10 mark at Fayetteville as head football coach and was head coach of the North Carolina Shrine team in 1957. One of his former players at Fayetteville was current Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson. Luper was president of the North Carolina Coaches Association in 1962-63 and then served a term on the Board of Directors of the NCHSAA.