THIS IS FIRST-CLASS'
Cabarrus County Sports Hall of Fame display unveiled at arena
Cabarrus County Sports Hall of Fame chairman and coach EZ Smith speaks during the unveiling of the display at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center.
Family and friends got to see the display up close.
Anyone attending an event at the arena will be able to see the Cabarrus County sports hall of Fame display.
CABARRUS COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME
As he talked about what it meant to him to see his father's name and plaque on the new display for the Cabarrus County Sports Hall of Fame, Britt Alley could not help but be emotional.
"This would mean an awful lot to him. He'd be so proud of all of these people. I wish he could be here today, and I'm glad my brother came with me today."
Britt's father, George "Ick" Alley, was inducted into the Hall as part of the Class of 2012. However, until Saturday, the Hall had no home. Now it does, front and center at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center. Britt and his brother Keith were among the 50 or so people who attended the dedication ceremony, and they were not alone in their emotional response.
The Hall honors the men, women and teams in the county that have distinguished themselves in the athletic realm. Each individual member has their own plaque on a wall dedicated to displaying the best of the best. Each plaque highlights the top three achievements of the inductee. A quick scan of a QR code opens up to a more detailed biography of each member. Along the columns in the Hall are plaques honoring the Cabarrus County teams that have won state championships.
Among the crowd, more than a dozen athletes who have been inducted were present. For each of them, seeing themselves up on the wall brought back memories. Mike Morton is on the wall. As a linebacker at A.L. Brown, he led the Wonders to a state title. He went on to play at UNC and then in the NFL, where he won a Super Bowl with the Rams. Seeing his plaque brought back memories of those who helped him get there.
"I think about my parents, all of my coaches, teammates and buddies. It takes so many people to help an individual have success. So, I think about the people involved who helped me get there. This is first-class. I'm thrilled and honored to be a part of it," Morton said.
Nobody had a bigger presence at the ceremony than the Hall chairman, E.Z. Smith. The former Concord High Football player and coach was instrumental in bringing the Hall to fruition. Smith worked tirelessly to make the Hall happen, and then kept working to make sure it was up to standard. He said that seeing his hard work come to fruition made him feel like a kid again.
"I feel like a little boy at Christmas. I feel like this was what I put on my wish list, but I had no idea it would be this. This is first-class. There are very few in this part of the country that have a facility like this. So I'm excited."
Smith also has a unique perspective on the Hall. He's inducted into it as an individual, part of the Class of 2012. He is also the father of an inductee. His daughter, Audrey Lee Smith Bost, was inducted in 2018. As a former coach, he has players and coaches he worked with in the Hall, and as a player, he has his former coach in the Hall. Smith says that seeing so many familiar faces honored makes him proud.
"As I look at it, I'm so proud that I'm a member. But it's almost like a father watching a growth period. Every day I'm almost busting at the seams because I'm proud of what they accomplished."
Now that the Hall of Fame has a home, the next order of business is filling it up. There are 107 members currently. The display has room for 300. Nominations for this year's class are being accepted through June 30. At that time, the committee will vote on the class. The class will be announced and celebrated on Dec. 5. There also is an ongoing fundraiser to help cover the costs of the Hall of Fame and to award scholarships to local students.
As for Smith, he says that although it's nice to see his work come to fruition, there is still plenty of work to be done.
"I love helping. I love building. I'll probably go home tonight and crash a bit, but on Monday morning, I'll be up. I'll take my grandchildren to school. Then I'll start with fundraising, or getting ready for nominations and our awards ceremony in December."
