Swannanoa Valley stars shine bright on Friday night

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 24, 2022

It is nearly impossible not to be impressed by the names displayed on the large wooden plaque prominently displayed in the cafeteria at Owen High School. Buncombe County’s smallest high school has a long-standing reputation for producing big talent, and that tradition was celebrated, Oct. 21, as the Swannanoa, Black Mountain and C.D. Owen High Schools Hall of Fame enshrined a trio of Swannanoa Valley athletic legends.

Jager Gardner, David Weaver and Joe Hyder returned to their alma mater Friday night, hours before the Warhorses fell to Avery, 45-35. in their final home game of the season. Each member of the newest class of inductees brought an illustrious athletic career to the storied institution, which now recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of 42 individuals and two teams.

Established in 1993, the hall of fame preserves the legacies of the top athletes and coaches to compete for Owen and its predecessors, Black Mountain and Swannanoa High Schools. Operated by a four-person committee of members, the organization recognizes names like three-time NCAA champion head coach Roy Williams, former top overall NBA draft selection Brad Daugherty and Super Bowl winning quarterback Brad Johnson. Other honorees include standouts like basketball coach Bill Rucker, who led the Warlassies to 87 straight victories from 1964-1969; former Black Mountain High School football star, educator and Owen head coach Jim LeVine and numerous record-breaking athletes.

The 2022 induction ceremony, which was held in the media center and followed by a halftime presentation at midfield, was hosted by hall of fame committee member and current Owen golf head coach John Knight. Owen principal, Dr. Samantha Sircey, called it an “honor” to welcome the inductees, their family members and presenters to the campus.

Jager Gardner

To observers in the stands, it seemed as though Gardner’s relationship with Owen football coach Kenny Ford, who himself was inducted into the Owen Hall of Fame in 2018 and the WNC Hall of Fame in September, was forged on the gridiron. But, as the charismatic Ford unfolded one of his signature paper plates, turned notepad, on Friday, it became clear that the bond extended well beyond the field.

The 29-year head coach of the Warhorses, who retired following Gardner’s 2015 senior year, recalled making a promise to his former player’s mother after his breakout sophomore season.

“Toward the end of that year, his mother had already filled out the paperwork to take him to another school,” Ford said. “I literally laid behind the car so she wouldn’t leave, and I told her I would take care of him if she would let him stay.”

Not only did Gardner remain in his hometown, he rewrote the record books in the mountains while wearing maroon and white.

“He finished with a total of 6,953 yards, which was the record in WNC at the time, 81 touchdowns and a WNC record for rushing yards in a game, with 459,” Ford said. “He was a two-time all-state selection, three-time all-conference, two-time conference player of the year and a WNC Player of the Year.”

Gardner’s athletic talents extended to the basketball court, where he played four seasons on the varsity team, and holds a school record in the long jump. His performance on the football field earned Gardner a scholarship to Temple University, where his 94-yard touchdown run as a freshman set a new record for the Owls.

“He graduated from Temple in 2019, with a 3.0 GPA,” Ford said. “The most impressive thing wasn’t his athletic achievement, it’s how he turned his academics around.”

Gardner credited Ford for getting him on the path to academic success.

“He saved a lot of kids in this valley,” Gardner said of Ford after stepping to the podium. “I didn’t want to go to school, or do the right things and I was disobeying my mom. Coach Ford was somehow the only person who I could look to for help.

“I remember one day I didn’t go to school, and even though my mom was telling me I had to, I was just laying in bed,” he continued. “I fell back asleep, and I heard coach’s voice, but I thought it was just a bad dream. I opened my eyes and Coach Ford and my momma were standing over top of me. He told me to get my ass out of bed and go to school.”

Gardner chuckles at the memory now, but he credits that moment with altering the course of his life.

“I could’ve went a whole different way and never gone to college or continued doing all the wrong things,” he said. “But, I realized having people like Coach Ford and my mother in my life could really make a difference. He gave a lot of himself to get so many of us where we needed to be, and seeing people like that changes you.”

That support system grew as Gardner committed himself to school and football.

“I really give so much credit to my teachers, guidance counselors and all the people who helped me get through those days, because I couldn’t see the bigger picture when I was young,” he said. “I don’t know where I’d be without them.”

Gardner and Ford shared an emotional embrace as the crowd erupted in applause, and later returned to the Warhorse locker room to deliver passionate pregame speeches to the team.

Joe Hyder

There is no shortage of well-respected coaches who have roamed the fields and courts of Owen, but not many had the longevity and impact of Hyder, a Black Mountain native who was the valedictorian of the school’s 1969 class.

“Joe was so committed to academic success that he went on to the University of Tennessee, and the next thing you know he graduates in 1973 as the valedictorian there,” said former Owen coach and athletic director Anthony Lee, as he presented the inductee. “That is an amazing accomplishment right there.”

Hyder began competing in distance running events shortly after returning home from college, and ran the Boston Marathon from 1985-89. He returned to his alma mater in 1987 to coach the girls and boys Owen cross country programs.

“In 1998, his Warlassies won the state championship, and it was the first team from Owen High School to win a state championship,” Lee said. “In 2006, his boys team won a state championship.”

Hyder became the Warlassies track and field coach in 1990, and was recognized as the Western Highlands Conference Coach of the Year 25 times throughout his career, which was cut short in 2017 when he was diagnosed with a respiratory illness that kept him confined to his home for nearly two years.

“To this day, Joe is still battling, but he’s made tremendous strides,” Lee said. “Four years ago, he wouldn’t have been able to be here for this ceremony. With that being said, it’s my honor and privilege to welcome my friend and coaching colleague into the Owen High School Hall of Fame.”

An emotional Hyder thanked the committee and his fellow coaches while addressing the crowd, and praised his fellow inductees.

“I’m just thankful to be here, folks,” he said. "That’s all I’ve got to say. Thank you all very much.”

David Weaver

Cody Frady typically visits Owen every year during the basketball season when his Avery Vikings take on the Warhorses in their WHC matchup, but he made a special trip to his alma mater to present his close friends and former high school teammate David Weaver as an inductee into the hall of fame.

“I played basketball here in the early 2000s and I was fortunate to be a teammate of David’s,” said Frady, who was named the head coach of the Avery program in 2018. “Practicing in that gym, when we came out to get water, you couldn’t help but notice that (hall of fame) plaque. I can’t think of anyone more deserving of being up there than David, who has done so many incredible things.”

Weaver, who graduated in 2005, was a force for the Warhorses on the court, where he scored over 1,300 points and collected more than 900 rebounds. He was named to the All-WNC and All-WHC teams in 2003, 2004 and 2005 and led Owen to a conference championship while being named conference tournament MVP as a sophomore.

“He was a Nike All-American, NBPA top 100 selection, AAU national champion and AAU state champion, three times,” Frady said. “He made the Commonwealth Class Senior All Star Game, the N.C./S.C. All Star Game and he won the dunk contest there.”

Weaver’s talent and dedication to the sport earned him a scholarship to Wake Forest University, where he ranks 18th all-time with 121 career games played. He was named the Demon Deacons defensive player of the year in 2007-08, while earning recognition as an ACC Scholar Athlete.

He began his professional basketball career in Lithuania in 2010 with BC Šiauliai, and won multiple league championships while playing for teams in Portugal, Israel and Japan.

“The most impressive thing about David can’t be measured by statistics,” Frady said. “He’s incredibly hard-working and detail oriented, but most importantly he’s loyal. There were many times when he could’ve moved on to what some might perceive as greener pastures, but he always remained dedicated to his teammates and program, no matter where he was.”

Weaver expressed appreciation for the Owen teachers and coaches who have helped shape the lives of generations of local students.

“You guys have impacted so many people here in this valley, and on behalf of them I want to say thank you,” he said. “This school is truly a special place. It’s small, but we stick together, and that really represents the Swannanoa Valley. I’ve been to many countries and had experiences I’ll cherish for a lifetime, but growing up here is something that will always be special to me, and that’s because of the people.”

The rich athletic history of the school inspired Weaver when was given his first Owen basketball jersey as a freshman on the varsity squad.

“I really wanted 23, because I loved Michael Jordan, but I got the biggest one and it was 44,” he said, while showing a medallion with the number that he wears nearly two decades later. “I had no attachment to that number, but I looked up in the rafters and we had two Brads: Johnson and Daugherty. They wore numbers 42 and 43, and I didn’t care what I had to do, I wanted my jersey to be up there one day and I wanted my name on that plaque by the water fountain.”

It was his parents, teachers, coaches and friends who helped him realize that goal, according to Weaver.

“As a 14-year-old kid I didn’t know how to do that, but you guys kept us motivated and disciplined and held us accountable,” he said. “That is the foundation not just for great student-athletes, but also for great men and women.”

Photos of the 2022 Swannanoa, Black Mountain and C.D. Owen High Schools Hall of Fame induction ceremony and football game between the Warhorses and Avery can viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.

Legendary class enters Owen Hall of Fame

Swannanoa Valley stars shine bright on Friday night

Jager Gardner

Joe Hyder

David Weaver