Valdese Sports HOF inducts 10 new members

The Valdese Sports Hall of Fame continued to grow on Monday night, inducting 10 new members as part of its second annual class.

The latest class included David Brinkley, Janice Turner Cline, John Connor Lafferty, Billy Smith, Katie Gravel Stilwell, and Bill Viggers Jr., as well as posthumous inductees Joni Berry, Leo Brevard, Danny Bridges, and Bob Williams. Meanwhile, the inaugural recipients of Valdese Sports HOF Distinguished Service Awards were Chuck Moseley, Jon Ray, and posthumous honoree Jeff Joines.

Monday’s banquet and induction ceremony were held at the Old Rock School, with sponsors including Foothills Broadband, Mears Insurance, Brinkley Insurance, Heritage Funeral Services, The Venue at Turkey Ridge, and Bimbo Bakeries. Highlands Butchery provided a catered meal in the downstairs portion of the school before festivities moved upstairs into the main auditorium.

Rotary Club of Valdese President Rachael Palmer and Valdese Mayor Keith Huffman welcomed the audience to the induction ceremony.

“The Valdese Sports Hall of Fame preserves an important part of our local history and honors those who have inspired generations both on and off the field,” said Palmer. “It is a privilege for our club to partner with the Valdese Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of the outstanding athletes and contributors who have helped shape the legacy of sports in our area.”

“This class of 2026 represents the very best of us,” added Huffman. “They show what is possible when raw talent is backed by relentless hard work, sacrifice, and integrity. They did not just win games, they built a culture of excellence that still inspires our youth today.”

Former East Burke and Draughn high school coach and athletic director Jerry Murray Jr. served as the evening’s emcee for the second year in a row. After recognizing the aforementioned sponsors as well as other donors, he also called out the names of the Valdese Sports HOF’s executive committee and selection committee members before introducing Brinkley and 2025 inductee Joe Brown, who are founding members of the executive committee.

Brinkley acknowledged that the 2026 class included representatives from the 1960s, ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s, stating that “no matter if you’re a Tiger, a Cavalier, or a Wildcat, I’m hoping that you’ll be pleased when you leave here tonight.”

After Brinkley provided more comments regarding how the Hall of Fame selection process works, Brown took the stage for a tribute to Joines, who was also an integral part of the establishment of the Valdese Sports HOF. A 1967 Valdese High School graduate who became a longtime sportscaster and journalist and is a member of both the North Carolina American Legion Baseball HOF and the Caldwell County Sports HOF, Joines died in February at the age of 76.

“From the very beginning, he offered his insight and feedback and guidance as a member of the original organizing committee,” said Brown of Joines. “His influence is woven throughout this Hall of Fame and its creation.”

Another member of the executive committee, Rexanna Lowman, then shared the criteria for Distinguished Service Award recipients before Brown detailed the achievements of Joines, Moseley, and Ray. Brinkley presented the awards to Joines’ family members as well as Moseley and Ray.

The first inductee of the evening was Bridges, who was presented by 2025 inductee Bill Cline.

A 1956 VHS graduate who was inducted into the Burke County Sports HOF in 2024, Bridges played football, basketball, and baseball for the Tigers. An all-state selection in both football and basketball as a senior, the East-West All-Star Game participant went on to play quarterback at Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute (now known as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) before later signing a contract with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers.

Bridges later moved to Florida, where he coached the Paxon Senior High School boys basketball squad to a state championship in 1965. Then in the 1970s, he served as vice president of the Jacksonville Sharks of the World Football League and as general manager of the Jacksonville Firebirds of the American Football Association.

Brown presented the next three inductees: Brevard, Williams, and Smith.

Brevard was an offensive lineman for the Appalachian State University football team before later coaching football and basketball at VHS from 1949-50 and 1953-62. He notably guided the Tigers to their first-ever Gold Medal Tournament hoops title in 1953, and he also served as an assistant gridiron coach on their ’54 and ’55 Western North Carolina High School Activities Association Western Division championship squads.

Additionally, Brevard was the head coach for four conference championship teams in boys basketball at Valdese, and he also taught, coached, or assisted all but one male member of the inaugural Valdese Sports HOF class.

Williams starred on the football field at VHS, from where he graduated in 1952. An all-state performer as a senior who played in both the East-West All-Star Game and the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas, he went on to play collegiately at the University of Tennessee.

During his time with the Volunteers, Williams got to play in the first Cotton Bowl to air on national TV in 1953. Then he enjoyed a lengthy career as a football coach, winning three consecutive state coach of the year awards at Wolfson (Fla.) High School from 1965-67, coaching at both the college and professional levels before returning to the high school ranks, and being inducted into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association HOF in 2002.

Smith was a four-sport athlete (basketball, baseball, football, track and field) who graduated from VHS in 1961. He received all-county, all-conference, and all-conference tournament recognition during both his junior and senior seasons on the hardwood, and he earned 14 varsity letters across the four sports that he competed in.

The county’s boys hoops player of the year in 1961, Smith also landed on the all-state team and participated in the East-West All-Star Game before joining the basketball squad at Wake Forest University. Prior to attending Wake Forest, Smith also represented the Tigers’ 1961 track team in the high jump at the state championship meet, where he earned co-champion honors.

“When I was coming along and Billy was playing high school basketball, he was about the best there was in this part of the state, and all of us younger guys wanted to play like Billy Smith,” said Brown. “And then when he went to Wake Forest, he would always come back to the Community Center and get in the pickup games, and he was always eager to teach us things. He was our hero.”

Janice Turner Cline was the next inductee, and she was presented by fellow 2026 inductee Brinkley, who then remained on stage to be presented by 2025 inductee Jerry Murray Sr.

Cline is a 1964 VHS graduate who during a standout prep basketball career earned three all-conference selections, was also named to the all-county team on three occasions and was twice named to the all-conference tournament squad. She also previously won a state title in rec ball under head coach Wayne Owens — a 2025 Valdese Sports HOF inductee — at the Valdese Community Center in 1959.

Other noteworthy accomplishments for Cline included leading the county in points per game twice, finishing second in points per game during her other prep season, winning a conference title as a senior, and serving as president of the Valdese High School Women’s Athletic Association after her playing days ended.

Brinkley graduated from VHS in 1972 after also previously winning a state title under Owens as a member of the Valdese Community Center’s 1966 Biddy Basketball team. Brinkley played football, basketball, and baseball at the prep level, earning multiple selections to all-conference squads along the way.

Later a member of the football team at Western Carolina University, Brinkley helped the Catamounts qualify for a bowl game in 1974 after ascending as high as ninth in the national rankings. He then went on to coach football, girls basketball, and softball at Kings Mountain High School, and he was also a driving force behind getting the Valdese Community Center’s gymnasium named after Owens a few years ago.

Murray Sr. noted that he coached Brinkley in two sports at VHS, describing him as “one of the best competitors I’ve ever seen in high school sports.”

“Never once did I have to say, David, move it up a little bit, put it out there harder, get out there and show ‘em how to play,” added Murray Sr. “... He was always doing that.”

Berry was inducted next, with Valdese Sports HOF executive committee member Karen Linkous doing the honors.

A 1979 East Burke High School graduate, Berry’s efforts on the basketball court during her time with the Lady Cavaliers drew the attention of college scouts as she ultimately received a scholarship to play at the University of North Carolina. Berry graduated from EBHS as its all-time leading scorer with over 1,400 points (in just three seasons), averaging 19.8 points per game as a senior and at least 17.6 all three years.

Berry helped the Lady Cavaliers — who were then coached by 2025 Valdese Sports HOF inductee Judy Keever — reach at least the quarterfinals of the state playoffs both as a sophomore and a senior. Also a member of the EBHS Athletics HOF, Berry was chosen as her team’s MVP each year, was a three-time all-conference selection who was named conference player of the year as a senior, was conference tournament MVP twice, was a two-time All-Western N.C. honoree, and was a starter in the 1979 East-West All-Star Game.

Bill Viggers Jr. was the eighth inductee, with 2025 inductee Dave Bumgarner serving as his presenter.

Viggers is a 1982 EBHS graduate who is also in the school’s athletics HOF, primarily due to his exploits as an offensive and defensive lineman on the football field. Also a member of the Cavaliers’ wrestling and track squads, Viggers went on to play football at both UNC and Catawba College, earning an all-conference nod at the latter university.

The county’s athlete of the year as a senior at EBHS, Viggers was also a two-time all-state performer, a two-time All-Western N.C. honoree, a two-time all-region selection, and a two-time all-conference performer. His final year with the Cavs also saw him receive Parade First Team All-American honors as well as Southern Football National Elite 11 recognition, and he played in both the East-West All-Star Game and the Shrine Bowl.

Brown returned to the stage next to present John Connor Lafferty, who was joined by his father, Dr. John Lafferty, in a special moment.

John Connor Lafferty played five sports at EBHS, from where he graduated in 1999. He earned 17 total varsity letters and 16 all-conference selections while starring in football, soccer, swimming, track, and tennis.

But it was the gridiron where Lafferty made his biggest mark, as he kicked and punted for the Cavaliers prior to his time as a punter at UNC, where he started 35 games and helped the Tar Heels defeat Auburn in the 2001 Peach Bowl. Some of his notable accomplishments at the prep level included tying the state record with 17 field goals made in a season, making the winning kick in a Fat Friday game against Freedom, earning all-state and All-Southeast U.S. recognition, and appearing in the Shrine Bowl.

“We almost didn’t get everything on the plaque for John,” said Brown, who gave a sport-by-sport rundown of Lafferty’s high school career. “There’s a lot there.”

The final inductee was Stilwell, who was presented by Linkous.

Stilwell graduated from EBHS in 2001 following a decorated prep career that saw her find success in basketball, soccer, and tennis. A four-time all-conference performance in both basketball and soccer, she averaged at least 13.9 points per game all four years on the hardwood, played in the East-West All-Game in 2001, and earned conference player of the year honors as a junior as she helped the Lady Cavaliers secure their first of back-to-back league titles during her time there.

A four-year member of Gardner-Webb University’s hoops team as well, Stilwell also continues to hold EBHS’ career records for soccer goals and assists. She was a three-time all-region selection in soccer, led the Lady Cavs to a conference title as a junior, and also won a conference title and was named to an all-conference squad in tennis.

Linkous also pointed out that Stilwell, who later coached EBHS’ girls basketball squad to more than 100 wins from 2008-15, “excelled in powderpuff football.” Linkous joked that the team’s two basic plays were “Katie sweep left” and “Katie sweep right.”

After Murray Jr. gave some closing remarks, the evening’s benediction was provided by Valdese Sports HOF executive committee member Tamika Garrison.

“Tonight’s a special night for me because I went to high school with two of these inductees,” said Garrison, who graduated from EBHS in 2001. “... But a legacy is not a monument to be stared at, it’s a torch to be carried forward. So, to all of you tonight, I charge you with this: carry the Waldensian spirit of endurance, faith, and resilience out of this room and into your daily lives.

“Remember that the youth are our hope for the future. … Be the ultimate teammates in your neighborhoods, your churches, your schools, and your workplaces, lifting up those who are struggling and celebrating the successes of others. Coach the next generation, not just in how to win games, but in how to live with integrity, humility, and passion.”