Lanford to be inducted Saturday

Fred Lanford gets to make a trip to Chapel Hill over the weekend, and it's not to watch a baseball game. It's to be honored and recognized for his involvement in nearly 700 of them.

Lanford will be inducted into the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame Saturday in a ceremony that starts at 6 p.m. at the George Watts Hill Alumni Center on the University of North Carolina campus. He was recognized at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill last October as one of eight members of the 2008 Hall of Fame class, and his official induction takes place Saturday.

He will be one of eight people to join the Hall of Fame in its 22nd year and is the first from Caldwell County among the 110 members. Other inductees include Stuart Allen (Charlotte), Daryl Barnes (Richmond County), Bob Brooks (Elizabeth City), Bill Carver (Fayetteville), Elton Hawley (Charlotte), Bill Rucker (Buncombe County) and Ronald Scott (Chatham County).

During the ceremony, there will be video presentations recognizing each inductee, followed by the presentation of NCHSAA Hall of Fame rings to each person.

Candidates for the NCHSAA Hall of Fame are judged on their long-term contributions to high school athletics in the state of North Carolina, governed by the NCHSAA or other organizations which are a part of the Association, such as the North Carolina High School Athletic Conference or the Western North Carolina High School Activities Association.

Lanford's induction caps a stretch of three months that has seen the former South Caldwell High School baseball and boys' basketball coach inducted into two different Halls of Fame.

He was selected as a member of the inaugural Baseball Coaches Association of North Carolina Hall of Fame during a February ceremony in Boone.

Lanford also is a member of the Caldwell County Sports Hall of Fame, the George Whitfield Sports Hall of Fame and the Woodruff (S.C.) High School Hall of Fame.

Lanford served as a teacher and coach at old Hudson High School and South Caldwell High School for 35 years. That included 30 years as the head baseball coach at both schools.

And Lanford achieved his fair share of success on the diamond, leading the Hornets and the Spartans. During his tenure as the head baseball coach for the two schools, Lanford posted a career record of 538-151 (a .781 winning percentage).

In a 22-year run as South's baseball coach, Lanford guided the Spartans to 15 conference championships, seven 20-win seasons and 19 playoff appearances, including 16 in a row from 1985-2000, a string that has been extended to 23 straight.

South never had a losing record under Lanford and advanced to the quarterfinals of the playoffs or beyond on six occasions, including the memorable 1982 season that saw the Spartans claim the first state title in school history. South defeated Eastern Wayne 2-1 in the best-of-3 series that season for the 4-A state crown. Twenty-five years later, in 2007, South Caldwell won its second state title with a sweep of Wilmington Ashley.

Lanford also was a winner on the basketball court, directing his Hudson and South Caldwell squads to a 327-220 record in 22 seasons patrolling the sidelines.

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