Bumgarner, Williams, McDowell join Burke County Sports HOF

Three new members were inducted into the Burke County Sports Hall of Fame on Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Morganton Community House.

The 2025 class consisted of Dave Bumgarner, Danny Williams, and Raymond McDowell.

After brief comments from emcee Steve Fisher and Morganton Mayor Ronnie Thompson, Rev. Dr. Eddy Bunton provided the invocation. Then those in attendance enjoyed a meal prepared by the Community House staff before inductions got underway.

The evening’s first inductee was Bumgarner, a 1961 Valdese High School graduate who was also a member of the inaugural Valdese Sports HOF class that was inducted in May. Bumgarner was a four-sport star at VHS — including back-to-back all-conference football selections in 1959 and 1960 — before receiving a scholarship to play football at East Carolina University (then known as East Carolina College), where he was a starting wide receiver for three seasons and served as a co-captain during his senior year.

East Carolina’s leading receiver in both 1963 and 1964, Bumgarner helped the Pirates post a combined record of 18-2 during his junior and senior seasons, highlighted by bowl victories over Northeastern (1963 Eastern Bowl) and seventh-ranked UMass (1964 Tangerine Bowl). As a senior, he was also named an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American as well as a member of the Greensboro Daily News All-State Team.

Bumgarner then played professionally for the Toronto Rifles of the Continental Football League, catching two touchdown passes during his only year with the team before returning to the high school ranks as a head baseball coach and an assistant football coach at Edenton, with whom he won a regional title in baseball.

Following two years at Edenton, Bumgarner moved to Greenville Rose, where he was also the head baseball coach and an assistant football coach in addition to an assistant principal. Bumgarner later became the school’s head football coach, guiding the Rampants to a North Carolina High School Athletic Association 4A state title in 1975 and a runner-up finish in 1979.

Bumgarner also coached in the 1979 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas (N.C. assistant coach), the 1979 North-South All-Star Game (South head coach), and the 1980 East-West All-Star Game (East head coach). Furthermore, he was later the athletic director at Kinston from 1985-90 and at East Forsyth from 1990-2000 before being inducted into the inaugural class of the Rose High School HOF in 2007.

“Dave and I go back a long ways,” said Bill Cline, a 2004 Burke County Sports HOF inductee who played football with Bumgarner for a decade starting in the seventh grade through their time as teammates at East Carolina, where Cline excelled as both a quarterback and punt returner. “... I think back of all the times we played, in football some plays just don’t come off like they are on the board, they just don’t happen like that, so you have to make adjustments, and Dave probably was the best to take a busted play and make a success out of it. He was my go-to guy. He made my game a lot easier.”

One of Bumgarner’s childhood neighbors, Mike Kelly, also shared some thoughts, pointing out that the aforementioned Greensboro Daily News All-State Team didn’t only include Bumgarner and Cline, but also such players as 1965 Wake Forest graduate Brian Piccolo (a running back who was the subject of the 1971 TV movie “Brian’s Song” as well as the 2001 remake), 1965 North Carolina grads Chris Hanburger (a nine-time Pro Bowl linebacker who was later inducted into the Pro Football HOF after spending his entire 14-year NFL career with the Washington Redskins) and Ken Willard (a four-time Pro Bowl running back who spent most of his 10-year NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers), 1965 Duke grad Mike Curtis (a four-time Pro Bowl linebacker who played 14 NFL seasons and won two championships with the Baltimore Colts), and 1965 North Carolina State grad Lou DeAngelis (a standout center and co-captain for the Wolfpack).

“We had a pretty good football team in my junior year (at East Carolina), and we had a really, really good fullback, his name was Tom Michel,” said Bumgarner. “... We had one pass that the fullback threw, the only pass he had, a jump pass to the tight end. During spring practice, the fullback kept throwing the ball down around my knees, and the linebacker rattled my bones. He did that two or three times, and I finally said, ‘Tom, get the ball up.’ He said, ‘To hell with you.’ So, I hit him right between the eyes, knocked him out on the ground, and he took five stitches in his eyes. How I got my hand through his mouthguard I don’t know, but the coaches didn’t like that too much.”

The next inductee was Danny Williams, who was also a member of the inaugural Valdese Sports HOF class. Williams graduated from VHS in 1953 and was later East Burke High School’s first head football coach from 1974-83, compiling an overall record of 65-39-2.

A three-sport athlete at VHS who was selected to play in the Optimist Bowl All-Star Football Game as a senior and was awarded a full scholarship to continue his playing career at North Carolina, Williams ended up transferring to Lenoir-Rhyne University (then known as Lenoir-Rhyne College), where he was a blocking back, linebacker, and extra-point kicker from 1955-57. The Bears were undefeated in two of his seasons, and they won conference titles all three years.

Williams also notably spent eight years as an assistant coach at L-R, helping the Bears win four conference championships from 1965-72 before becoming the head coach in 1973. However, he took the job at EBHS the following year and guided the Cavaliers to five Fat Friday victories over Freedom during his decade at the helm.

East Burke also posted three straight nine-win seasons from 1977-79, won conference titles in 1978 and 1979, and reached the third round of the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs in 1979. Additionally, Williams served as a head coach during both the Shrine Bowl and the East-West All-Star Game in 1983.

A former teacher, assistant principal, and principal for the Cavs as well, Williams is also a member of the EBHS and L-R sports halls of fame. The football field at EBHS was named in his honor in 2003, and he died in 2017.

“Danny Williams both as a coach and as a principal led by example,” said Rick Sherrill, who first met Williams when Williams approved him to do his apprenticeship as an assistant principal at East Burke. “He was respected by his players and teachers, and the teachers and community of East Burke knew that their kids were in a safe environment and getting a quality education.”

“It is an honor to stand before you tonight as we celebrate a man whose impact went far beyond the football field, the late, great coach Danny Williams,” added Joe Temple Jr., who accepted a HOF plaque on behalf of Williams’ family. Temple played football under Williams, and his father grew up with Williams.

“While he may no longer be with us in body, his spirit, his essence, and his love for the game live on in every player, every coach, and every person who had the privilege of knowing him,” stated Temple. “... Tonight’s induction to the Hall of Fame just isn’t about stats or championships, though there are plenty of those. It’s about a life that touched countless others. It’s about a man that gave everything he had to his players, his school, and his hometown.”

The final inductee was Raymond McDowell, who began officiating athletics in 1966 when he was only 15 years old. McDowell initially served as a youth baseball, football, and basketball official, although he would go on to fill many other roles during his 54-year career.

Also a baseball, basketball, and track participant himself before he graduated from Glen Alpine High School in 1970, McDowell — who was inducted into the Glen Alpine Sports HOF last year — later umpired high school baseball games as well, including state title contests in 1983 and 1987. McDowell also officiated numerous other high school state title games, including the 1996 and 2001 basketball championships, the 1999 and 2006 football championships, and the inaugural fastpitch softball championship in 1996.

Other officiating assignments during McDowell’s career included NCAA Division I and Division II college softball games, contests involving Olympic softball teams, American Legion baseball games, and two high school football all-star games in 1999 (Shrine Bowl, East-West All-Star Game).

McDowell’s longtime friend and fellow official, Garry Harding, who met McDowell about 60 years ago, pointed out that “everything Raymond did when it came to officiating was good decisions,” no matter what sport or age group he happened to be working at the time.

“Raymond made an impact on everyone he met,” said Harding. “He is respected by coaches, the players, and his fellow officials. He was a mentor to new officials and helped them succeed. It was an honor for me to work with Raymond McDowell, and an even bigger honor for me just to be his friend.”

“I just worked until I got tired of traveling,” added McDowell, who noted that he “wore out about five or six vehicles” over his more than five decades as an official.

“During my officiating years, I really had a lot of fun,” he said. “I enjoyed it, because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have worked for 54 years.”

After Morganton Parks and Recreation director Bryan Fish officially inducted Bumgarner, Williams, and McDowell into the Burke County Sports Hall of Fame — which is nearing 40 all-time members since being established in 1993 — Fisher made some closing remarks and then Bunton gave the benediction.

“Tonight, we have honored those who have taken well the race that was set before them,” said Bunton. “We are a part of a crowd of witnesses. You have been inducted into a prestigious, elite group of servant leaders. We honor you; we thank you for your sacrifice and your service, we thank your families for sharing this journey with you.

“Thank you for laying aside the things that don’t matter and picking up the things that matter most: people, relationships, excellence, being a bridge for people to be better. We honor you.”