West Forsyth announces inaugural Sports Hall of Fame class
Published 4:51 pm Monday, April 17, 2023
Marc Pruitt photo Jim Coghill poses for a photo in front of the mural painted in his honor in the West Forsyth training room, which bears his name. The mural was painted this year by current students Megan Macdonald and A.J. Mirafuente and was the brainchild of current athletic trainer Linsey Ciccocioppo
Titcus Pettigrew
In his 37-year teaching career, Durwood Pack missed only one day of school.
LaQuanda Barksdale Quick
West Forsyth coach Jeff Thompson
Fourteen Titans will be inducted in ceremony this fall; Chris Paul, LaQuanda Barksdale Quick, Durwood Pack, Norma Harbin among first members
West Forsyth’s tradition of athletic excellence that spans 60-plus years will now officially have a Sports Hall of Fame.
School administrators announced on Monday the first 14 members to be inducted later this year, with plenty of star power, former coaches and administrators.
NBA Superstar Chris Paul headlines the inaugural group. Paul graduated from West in 2003 and was previously announced on Sept. 1, 2022, as the first member during the ceremony to name the court in Simpson Gymnasium after him.
Paul will be joined by one of athletes he looked up to at West when he was younger, Titcus Pettigrew, a standout in football and basketball for the Titans.
LaQuanda Barksdale Quick, who starred on the hardwood for the Titans in basketball and volleyball and played at UNC and in the WNBA, will also be an inductee.
Jerry Peoples, a former West Forsyth principal and football stadium namesake, Norma Harbin, a former coach, principal and the first female athletics director in the state of North Carolina, and Durwood Pack, a longtime athletics director who retired in 2007, are among the coaches and administrators.
James “Jim” Coghill, a longtime trainer at West who the training room is named after, will also be recognized, as will Jeff Thompson, who coached track and field, cross country and swimming during his 29-year career.
Two Titans will be inducted posthumously — former baseball standout Erik Walker and wrestler Tab Thacker — are also in the first class.
Congratulations to everyone in this distinguished group.
Here is the complete list of the Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023 and their accomplishments:
Tyrone Anthony
• All conference in football at West Forsyth in 1977-1978
• 1979 Parade All American
• 1979 Shrine Bowl
• Football Scholarship to UNC Chapel Hill
• Rushed for over 1,000 yards at UNC in 1983
• Played with the Orleans Saints 1984-1986
• Inducted in the Winston Salem Forsyth County Hall of Fame in 1993
• Jersey is retired at West Forsyth
LaQuanda Barksdale Quick
• Played basketball and volleyball at West Forsyth from 1993-1997
• All State in basketball
• All American at UNC Chapel Hill
• 3 time all conference selection at UNC
• Drafted by Portland in first round of 2001 WNBA draft
• After her professional career she came back to West Forsyth as an assistant and later as a head coach from 2009-2015
• 2012 West Forsyth team was state runner-up
• Career record as the head women’s coach at West Forsyth is 108-52
James Coghill
• Athletic trainer at West Forsyth from 1987-2001
• First licensed trainer in WS/FCS
• West Forsyth training room was dedicated to him in 2011
• Continues to work at West Forsyth as a substitute teacher. Has been involved in some capacity at West Forsyth for almost 50 years
Norma Harbin
• Her teams won 14 conference championships during her 10 years as a head coach at West Forsyth in 4 different sports
• First female athletic director at a 4A school in NC in 1978 when she became AD at West Forsyth. Served in this capacity at West for seven years
• Later became an assistant principal and principal at West Forsyth
• Served as president of the NC Athletic Director’s Association
• Former member of the NCHSAA board of directors
• Member of the NCHSAA, NC Athletic Directors and Winston Salem Forsyth County Sports Hall of Fame
Mendy McKenzie Pack
• Led the state in wins (30), strikeouts (485) and innings pitched (245) in 2005 as a West Forsyth senior
• 734 innings pitched in her West career
• 76 strikeouts during state championship weekend 2005
• 37 strikeouts in the state championship game in 2005 (Went 19 innings, lost 1-0)
• 1,192 strikeouts in her West career (eighth in state)
• 87 career wins at West (seventh in state)
• 0.05 career ERA (sixth in state)
• Two-time all state in softball 04-05
• Four-time time all conference in softball
• 2005 Conference pitcher of the year
• Holds Western Carolina career record for 22 wins (22-7 record) 06-07
• 210 career strikeouts at Western (first at WCU)
• 2.28 career ERA, six career shutouts (Both WCU records)
• Western Carolina Female Athlete of the Year 06
• 2008-09 threw the first perfect game in NC State softball history
• 2009 team MVP at NC State University
• 2018 Inducted into Winston Salem Forsyth County Hall of Fame
Durwood Pack
• West Forsyth Athletic Director for 22 years from 1986-2007
• Assistant AD at West from 2008-2014
• West Forsyth won 107 conference championships, two state championships and four state runners-up while he was West AD
• Central Piedmont Conference President for three years
• Oversaw the construction of the softball and soccer fields at West Forsyth. The soccer field is named after Durwood
• All fields were fenced and irrigated while he was AD at West
• New scoreboards installed on all fields while Durwood was the West AD
Chris Paul
• 2003 Graduate of West Forsyth
• West Forsyth career scoring leader with 1,527 points
• 2003 McDonald’s All-American
• 2003 AP Basketball Player of the Year in N.C.
• Holds single game scoring record (50 points) in Frank Spencer Holiday Classic
• Scored career-high 61 points against Parkland in 2002
• First team All-American at Wake Forest
• No. 4 overall selection in 2005 NBA Draft
• NBA Rookie of the Year 2006
• 12-time NBA All-Star
• 11-time All-NBA selection
• 9-time NBA All-Defensive Team
• MVP of NBA All-Star game 2013
• Two-time Olympics Gold Medalist
• Named president of NBA Players Association 2013
• Selected as one of the top 75 players in NBA history
• Established CP3 Basketball Academy in Winston-Salem in July 2015
• Advisory Board for HBCUs
• 2019-2022 NBA Cares Community Assist Award
• Established Chris Paul Family Foundation
• Club 61 Leadership Alliance
Jerry Peoples
• West Forsyth principal from 1979-1996, assistant principal 1966-1968
• President of NC Principals and Assistant Principals Association
• Served on state committee of Southern Association of Schools and Colleges
• Was responsible as an assistant principal with the AD for the present location of the baseball field
• Worked with parents to create a strong support group called O.K. West that financially supported all sports at West
• Responsible for irrigation of the football, baseball and soccer fields
• Responsible for the creations of a separate soccer field by locating the field and grading the field at its present location
• Although academics were first, Peoples emphasized a strong athletics program including facilities, coaches, students and parents
• Prior to Peoples becoming principal, West Forsyth had very few winning seasons in football. Peoples instilled a winning attitude in the WF community. Football stadium is named after Peoples.
Titcus Pettigrew
• CPC Player of the year in football in 1995
• Reebok, Shutt and Parade American in football at West Forsyth in 1995
• 1995 Gatorade Player of the Year
• Shrine Bowl 1995
• 1995-1996 NC Male Athlete of the Year
• Outstanding basketball player at West Forsyth
• Played football and basketball at Penn State
• Signed with the San Diego Chargers
• Current head football coach at Bolingbrook HS in Illinois
• His jersey is retired at West Forsyth
Jerry Smith
• All conference in football, baseball and basketball, 1992-1966
• All state in football and baseball
• 1966 Voted MVP of the Eastern 4A conference in football
• 1966 Football MVP for WS/FCS
• West Forsyth athlete of the year
• 1988 inducted in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County High School Sports Hall of Fame
• All conference basketball player 1966
• Baseball — all conference 1964-1966
• All state baseball 1966
• West Forsyth baseball MVP 1963-1966
• ERA less than 1.00 his senior year, struck out an average of 15 batters per game with a high of 18. Pitched several no hitters.
• Football and baseball scholarship to Northeast A&M College in Oklahoma. Transferred to Elon College.
• Had a very successful business career including the founding of Le Bleu Bottled Water.
Julie Smith Dover
• All conference all four years at West Forsyth in cross country, swimming and track
• Four-time all state in cross country at West
• Four-time state qualifier in swimming at West
• All-region swimming 1995-1996
• West Forsyth female athlete of the year 1993, 1994, 1996 (first freshmen and only 3 time winner of the award)
• Ran cross country, track and played soccer at UNC Chapel Hill
• Member of ACC championship teams at UNC in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and soccer
• All ACC three years
• Competed in four sports at UNC (cross country, indoor and outdoor track and soccer)
• Played on the conference championship women’s soccer team at UNC 2000
• Carried the Olympic torch in 1996
Tab Thacker
• Played football, basketball, track and wrestling at West Forsyth
• 1980 won the Junior National Greco-Roman Championship
• 1984 Won the NCAA Championship at NC State
• 1983 sixth place finish in NCAA
• 1982 eighth place finish in NCAA making him a three-time All American
• Won four ACC titles
• College record was 92-11-1 ranking second in NC State History
• Acted in films: City Heat, Identity Crisis and two Police Academy films, Assignment: Miami Beach and Wildcats
• Passed away in 2007
Jeff Thompson
• Teacher and coach at West Forsyth from 1989-2017
• Both his cross country and track teams won multiple conference championships
• CPC coach of the year 18 times while at West Forsyth
• Coached at West Forsyth for 29 years
• Highest aggregate winningest coach in school history
• Coached two state championship teams in cross country and Men’s track. Tied for the most by a West coach.
Erik Walker
• All conference in baseball at West Forsyth 2000, 2001, 2002
• All city county in baseball 2000, 2001, 2002
• First team all state baseball 2002
• 0.87 ERA with 132 strikeouts in 2002
• CPC Player of the Year in 2002
• West Forsyth career record 26-5, 190 innings pitched with 266 strikeouts
• Two-time all conference at UNCC with school record 25 saves; second in appearances in UNCC school history
• Selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in 20th round in 2006
• Rookie league stats: ERA 0.46, averaged two strikeouts per inning
• Selected to the minor league all star game 2006
• Passed away from a canoeing accident 2006
• The Rays present the Erik Walker Community Service Award annually to a minor leaguer who exemplifies the highest character and skills
• The hospitality suite at the UNCC baseball field is named in Erik’s honor
• Main field at SW little league was named the Erik Walker Field
• His family funds a scholarship to a West baseball player annually
• His West jersey is retired
