SPENCER — Gary Atwell grew up so close to North Rowan High he could hear the band’s drums beating. So close he could watch Cavalier football games from his bedroom window.
Atwell fell in love with what he heard and saw. His blood had turned that peculiar shade of Cavalier green before he could ride a bike.
Years later, when Atwell and his buddies headed off to college, some couldn’t wait to put Spencer in their rearview mirror. Atwell couldn’t wait to get back to it.
Atwell earned his degree from Appalachian State, taught at an elementary school for a year, then fulfilled a dream when he was hired to teach and coach at North in 1984.
Atwell, simply “At” to his pals, stayed, then stayed some more. He coached four varsity sports, including a 16-year stint as the school’s head girls basketball coach. It was a dream job, one in which he got to work each day with his best friends on the planet — people like Bill Kesler and Kelly Everhart and Trish Hester—and until this past year, Bob Hundley.
All that changed a couple of days ago.
On July 4, Atwell gripped a pen and made a personal declaration of independence. He turned in his resignation at North, then signed and returned a new contract with the Kannapolis City Schools. Come fall, Atwell, 41, will be working with exceptional children at Kannapolis Middle School.
A factor in Atwell’s decision is his friendship with KMS principal Dr. Chip
Buckwell. They go back to when both were in the athletic trainers program at Appalachian.
“I’m going to work for a good friend and I’m going to a good place,” said Atwell. “It’s the challenge mostly. It’s something new — a chance for me to get re-energized.”
“I’m not only losing a great coach, but I’ve lost one of my best friends,” said Everhart, North Rowan’s co-athletics director. “We know this is an emotional decision for Gary, because he’s been part of North his whole life.
“We hate to lose him, but he felt it was time to go. We certainly wish him the best.”
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Atwell’s been a huge cog in North’s athletic program.
He coached the girls softball team for 16 years. He logged a dozen years as a football assistant and even took on cross country for two years.
“Didn’t know much about cross country,” he laughs. “Just told them to hurry up and get back.”
Atwell’s legacy, though, will be his efforts in girls basketball. North had little girls hoops tradition — one winning season in 26 years — when Atwell took charge prior to the 1985-86 season.
That first year, Atwell’s troops staggered home an ulcer-inducing 4-19, but he hung in long enough to coach in 402 games. He won 198, lost 204. His win total places him second to East’s Jesse Watson in Rowan County history.
Most of Atwell’s wins came recently. He leaves with North on top of the county heap. In his last four seasons, Atwell’s rolled up two Christmas tourney titles and a sturdy 28-9 mark against county foes. North’s won 10 straight against Salisbury; four in a row against South and East; its last two against West. That means Atwell won his final battle against each of his county rivals. Overall, North’s an impressive 86-47 over the last five years.
“It’s been a lot of fun being a head coach,” said Atwell. “I can remember being 24 years old and getting waxed. I coached (Salisbury coach) Jennifer Shoaf and then I coached against her. I was around long enough to become one of the old guys.”
It’s hard to select just a few special games from 16 seasons and Atwell declines to even try.
“More than the games or teams, I remember individual kids,” he said. “A lot of them went on to do really well after basketball.”
Atwell’s 1990-91 team holds the school mark for wins, posting a 22-5 record, but his greatest success story — certainly his most heartwarming one — occurred with kids he coached from 1994-97. Atwell’s 1994-95 team had to be one of the worst in county history.
“They ran like deer and played good defense, but couldn’t shoot a lick,” he said. “That team broke some backboards.”
That team went 0-23, got laughed at. But two years later the sophomores on that 0-23 team had been reinforced (by youngsters Erin Bailey, Megan Honeycutt and Jackie Wood). As seniors, they chuckled all the way to Hickory and the 2A
regionals.
“Just shows if you don’t quit, good things happen for you,” said Atwell.
Regrets? Too few to mention. Well, maybe the measles epidemic that hit in 1988-89 and halted a 15-7 team Atwell calls the most talented he ever coached.
Someone might complain that North’s still never won a regular-season title in its history, but it did win conference tournament crowns in 1991 and ‘97 — against pretty fierce competition.
“I think seven teams from the conferences we played in won state championships,” sighs Atwell.
Atwell and Everhart are confident more good things are in store for North, once Atwell’s longtime assistant, Hester, assumes the reins. Hester’s currently on a trip to Ohio, but has already agreed to replace her mentor.
“Trish knows the kids, knows the program and she’s got head coaching experience from volleyball,” said Everhart. “She’s got energy.”
Finally, it should be noted that Atwell’s not giving up coaching entirely. While he won’t be a head man this season, he will be on the sidelines with
A.L. Brown High’s girls, working as Doug Wilson’s assistant. Wilson and Atwell have been fast friends since they first met head to head three years ago.
“Doug works hard for his girls,” said Atwell. “I just hope I can help him out.”
Atwell knows his heart’s going to skip a few beats this winter when A.L. Brown and North meet in an endowment game. Hopefully, Atwell will head to the correct bench after the national anthem.
“I’m just thankful North and Kannapolis only play once,” said Atwell. “The good thing about helping out with Kannapolis is that they’re green. Psychologically, that’s important.
“Cut me open and I’ll always bleed green.”
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Contact Mike London at 704-797-4259 or mlondon@salisburypost.com
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