[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 5 (Thursday, January 9, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H79-H80]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   FOOTBALL SUCCESS IN NORTH CAROLINA'S TENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. McHenry) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. McHENRY. Mr. Speaker, last month was a big one for North Carolina 
football. You probably are well aware of the exploits of Cam Newton and 
the Carolina Panthers having clinched a playoff berth, but it was 
actually in my district, the Tenth District of North Carolina, in 
western North Carolina that was really the epicenter of football in 
North Carolina in the month of December.
  First, there was Crest High School in Cleveland County representing 
the Boiling Springs and Shelby area. Crest is a perennial powerhouse in 
North Carolina high school football. This year's Charger team was under 
the guidance of Coach Mark Barnes. They rode a 14-game winning streak 
on their way to winning the North Carolina High School Athletic 
Association 3AA West title. While they were upset in the State 
championship game, it was another very impressive season for Coach 
Barnes and his great team.
  While the Crest defeat was disappointing, all was not lost for 
Cleveland County, as another traditional power, Shelby High School, 
also played for a State championship. The Golden Lions went 12-4 this 
year, and capped the season with a 29-7 victory to win the North 
Carolina 2A State football championship. Coach Lance Ware and his team 
continued the proud tradition at Shelby as this marked the school's 
12th State championship--pretty incredible, considering my high school 
has had a hard time just getting one or two.
  Finally, the football success in North Carolina 10 continued in 
Catawba County, where Lenoir-Rhyne University, their football team 
enjoyed their best season in school history. The Bears, coached by Mike 
Houston, won a school record 13 games on their way to earning a spot in 
the NCAA Division II championship game in Florence, Alabama. While they 
lost the championship game, this year's Bears team finished the season 
ranked second in the Nation and provided a thrilling ride for the 
Lenoir-Rhyne campus and Hickory, as a whole. Both the faculty and 
alumni were very excited, and they had a great rally before that game. 
And it actually brought Lenoir-Rhyne onto the national stage for some 
attention as well. It is a great university.
  So I want to congratulate Crest, Shelby, and Lenoir-Rhyne on their 
great successes this last football season. Now it is up to Cam and Luke 
to keep it going for North Carolina football. And, hopefully, the 
Panthers will win.
  Go Panthers.

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