Trophies and tears

Owen celebrates athletic excellence as Coach Lee delivers emotional farewell

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
June 3, 2021

Owen High School Athletic Director Anthony Lee hosts his final athletic awards ceremony, June 2. Lee has been a physical education teacher and coach at the school for 25 years, Photo by Fred McCormick

There was a bittersweet atmosphere in the gym at Owen High School, June 2, as the school held a ceremony recognizing the accomplishments of student-athletes who persevered through a school year unlike any before. 

The culmination of the evening was a celebration of athletic excellence, while the tears at the end came while saying goodbye to a man who had come to embody it during his career at the school. 

Athletic director, head baseball coach and offensive coordinator Anthony Lee, a physical education teacher at the school for 25 years who announced his retirement in April, hosted the annual Owen High School Athletic Awards for the final time. Known by peers and students as “Coach Lee,” the Point Pleasant, West Virginia native who joined the faculty in 1996 and helped lead the Warhorse football to multiple conference championships, delivered an emotional farewell. 

“I want to say thank you to the Black Mountain and Swannanoa communities,” Lee said, pausing as he held back tears. 

“Take your time, coach,” a voice said from the bleachers, resulting in a standing ovation for Lee. 

“I’ll get through this, I promise,” he continued. 

Lee reflected on the memories he made during his time at the school, and expressed his respect for the generations of student-athletes he coached and taught at Owen. He credited the work of the coaches and support of the parents for helping children achieve their goals. 

“There are around 400-something schools in N.C., and I’ve competed against at least 67 of them,” Lee said. “I’ve had over 600 bus trips, and I have driven a bus over 60,000 miles. I have spent more than 1,200 hours riding on a bus, which equals about 50 days. 

“I’ve probably heard more stories on an activity bus than you could ever imagine,” he continued. “I’ve heard every cuss word, and I’ve heard every tear hit the ground, because not every game was a win. I’ve hugged them, given them sympathy, comfort or a high-five, and I’m going to miss that. But what I’ll miss the most is you.”

The crowd stood again as Lee waved a final goodbye, closing out an evening in which the school recognized athletes from each of its 15 sports programs. The culmination of the ceremony came as senior Hannah Larios was named Owen High School Athlete of the Year. 

Owen senior Hannah Larios receives the Athlete of the Year award in a June 2 ceremony in the school’s gymnasium. Larios, who helped lead the Warlassies cross country team to four straight conference championships, will continue her running career at Montreat College. Photo by Fred McCormick

Larios, who will continue her cross country career at Montreat College, was a multi-sport athlete for the Warlassies. The Western Highlands Conference Runner of the Year helped lead the Owen girls cross country team to four straight conference championships in her career, and was an all-conference guard for the basketball team. The daughter of Montreat College Athletic Director Jose Larios, Hannah will compete for the Owen track and field team in the Thursday, June 3 conference championship at Polk. 

In addition to the trophy she was given, Hannah’s name was added to the SunTrust Trophy, which displays the names of every Owen athlete to win the award since 1971. The trophy is awarded to the winner, who returns it to the Black Mountain branch where it can be viewed by the public. The trophies received by the school’s top three athletes are also sponsored by Black Mountain Savings Bank. 

Hannah Larios carries two trophies after being named Owen High School Athlete of the Year for the 2020-21 school year. The SunTrust Trophy (left) features the names of past winners dating back to 1971, and is displayed in the Black Mountain branch of the bank from which it takes its name. Photo by Fred McCormick

Senior Caleb Scott was named Male Athlete of the Year for Owen, following a senior football season in which he threw for 1,225 yards and 13 touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, where he played defensive end, Scott recorded 45 tackles, 9 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks in 2020-21. He will continue his football career at Western Carolina University, and leaves the Warhorse football program with 2,592 career passing yards, 30 touchdown passes, 989 career rushing yards and 6 career rushing touchdowns. 

The Female Athlete of the Year was another key contributor to the recent dominance of the Warlassies cross country team: Laila Burk. The senior, who will join the UNC-Greensboro track and field program next school year, was a three-sport athlete in her career at Owen. 

Burk played four seasons on the Warlassies volleyball team, and was one of four all-conference selections from the conference champion cross country team in 2020-21. Before her junior season of track and field was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, Burk finished eighth in the 800 meter run in the 2019 NCHSAA 2A State Championship. 

Hannah Larios (middle)is the 2020-21 Athlete of the Year for Owen High School in a June 2 ceremony in the school’s gymnasium. Senior Laila Burk (left) was recognized as the school’s Female Athlete of the Year and Caleb Scott was awarded the trophy for Male Athlete of the Year. Photo by Fred McCormick

The Warhorse cross country team was presented with its third consecutive WHC championship, while the boys soccer team collected its third conference championship trophy in four seasons. 

Coaches representing all of the school’s athletic teams recognized players who earned all-conference honors. Team awards for multiple categories, including most valuable player, most improved player and leadership, were announced during the ceremony. 

Anthony Lee presents Owen senior Laila Burk with a trophy for Female Athlete of the Year. Photo by Fred McCormick

In addition to Lee, three Owen coaches were attending their final end-of-the year awards presentation. Tim Raines, who retired as a teacher and coach in 2017 and returned to coach junior varsity football and varsity girls basketball last year, announced earlier this month that he was stepping down from his seat on the Black Mountain Town Council and moving out of the area. Volleyball coach Kim Clark, who returned to the role in 2017, announced on Wednesday that she would not be returning to the sidelines next season. Clint McElrath, head coach of the Warhorse basketball team and the school’s track and field team, will leave his alma mater for an assistant principal position at North Buncombe High School. 

Clint McElrath, a graduate of Owen High School who coaches boys basketball and track and field, announced June 2 that he was leaving the school for an assistant principal position at North Buncombe. Photo by Fred McCormick

“This is a bittersweet moment,” McElrath said. “I grew up here, I’ve always been here, and I love this place.”

Tim Raines announced earlier this month that he would step down from the Black Mountain Town Council later this month when he moves out of the area. Raines was an assistant coach for the Warlassies basketball team and junior varsity football coach in 2020-21. The Black Mountain native was the head coach of his alma mater’s girls basketball team for 25 years before retiring in 2017. Photo by Fred McCormick

McElrath will continue coaching track and field through the season, which ends later this month. Lee will coach his final baseball game for the Warhorses at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 8, when Owen hosts Madison.