Hall of Fame
Everett Carlton is a 1948 graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne where he played football for two seasons. He played wingback, fullback, linebacker and guard for two seasons as the Bears restarted the football program under Clarence Stasavich after World War II. He was an alternate captain of the team in 1947. After Lenoir-Rhyne, Carlton started his coaching career at Kings Mountain (N.C.) High School in 1948. He coached there for eight years, sandwiched around a 15-month stint in the Marine Corps during the Korean War. During the war, Carlton earned a Bronze Medal in 1951. Carlton earned his master's degree from Appalachian State University in 1955. From 1957 through 1972, he served as athletic director and football coach at Ashley High School and then the consolidated Ashbrook High School in Gastonia, N.C. His football teams posted a 115-47 record during that stretch and qualified for the state playoffs eight times. He was appointed principal at Ashbrook in 1973 and held that position for four years before finishing his career as the athletic director for Gaston County Schools. Carlton was named Athletic Director of the Year by the NCHSAA in 1983 and was on the NCHSADA's first Board of Directors. He is a member of the Gaston County Sports Hall of Fame as well as the Kings Mountain, Ashbrook High School, NCHSAA and the NCHSADA Halls of Fame.
