CHAPEL HILL—An event that has become a highlight of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association year is scheduled for Saturday.

            The annual NCHSAA Hall of Fame banquet and induction ceremonies are set for the Friday Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, with dinner starting at 6 p.m.

            Ticket sales have closed for the event. Honorees this year will include:

            •Bobby Guthrie—An outstanding teacher and coach as well as an administrator, Bobby coached Scotland to an NCHSAA state baseball title, coached college baseball, and later became the senior administrator for athletics at Wake County. He’s earned national recognition for his involvement in coaches’ education.

            • Jack Huss—Jack was a standout athlete at R-S Central High School and then Lenoir-Rhyne College before starting an impressive career as a coach as well as a game official.  He was a head football coach and golf coach at several stops and has enjoyed 40 years as an outstanding basketball official.

            • Lindsey Linker— One of the great tennis coaches in state history, Lindsey was a standout athlete at Myers Park High School and graduated from UNC before embarking on a teaching and coaching career. Her teams at Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill won 16 NCHSAA dual team tennis crowns, both men and women.

            • Shelly Marsh— an outstanding head basketball coach at several stops as well as a well-respected administrator, Shelly recorded 533 career victories in basketball in stints that included W.H. Robinson, D.H. Conley, Havelock and South Johnston. He also served a term on the NCHSAA Board of Directors.

            • Cindi Simmons— an outstanding high school athlete at Hayesville, Cindi played basketball at Western Carolina and then became one of the state’s top coaches. She led teams at Smoky Mountain to NCHSAA state titles in both volleyball and basketball, and her teams won 512 games in basketball.

            • Sam Story—a graduate of Burlington Williams, where he was a star athlete, Sam later returned to lead the football program there after a successful run at Southern Alamance and a time as an assistant at Duke University. He led his teams to a pair of NCHSAA football state crowns.

            • Ronald Vincent— this Hall of Famer grew up in Pitt County and has gone on to coaching excellence there. He has established Greenville Rose as an NCHSAA baseball power during his 40-year career, with six state championships and the most victories ever by a high school baseball coach in the state.

            GlaxoSmithKline provided an initial gift to help underwrite the NCHSAA Hall of Fame, enabling it to honor individuals who have spent a lifetime in education. It is one of the Association’s most prestigious accolades.

            The NCHSAA Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to high school athletics in North Carolina. This marks the 27th induction class for the NCHSAA Hall of Fame, which now numbers 155. Each new inductee will be introduced by a special video presentation and will receive a commemorative NCHSAA Hall of Fame ring in honor of the induction.

             "We hope that the communities represented by these outstanding individuals will be present to support those who have meant so much to so many people," said Davis Whitfield, NCHSAA commissioner. "The Hall of Fame ceremonies have evolved into a first-class event and it is a great opportunity for former players and other supporters of these honorees to gather together."