Asheboro High School Athletics Hall of Fame
Blue Comets fans, September 30 was Hall of Fame night at Asheboro High School. The AHS Athletics Hall of Fame was begun in 2004 and with this addition of 5 individuals, 101 former Blue Comets athletes and teams will have been enshrined in the Hall.
The formal induction ceremony took place earlier in the evening with the following announced at the Football Game Half Time Show, where the newest inductees were introduced to the Blue Comet Family.
Members of the 2021 Class will have their names permanently and prominently displayed in the lobby of the Gymnasium.
The first inductee for the Class of 2021 is: Lindsay Cross
A member of the graduating class of 2006, Lindsay Cross lettered in Cross Country, Basketball, and Softball, earning a total of 11 varsity letters. Lindsay earned 5 All-Conference recognitions, 3 All-County recognitions, and was a two-time All-State performer, the first for Asheboro High School. At the conclusion of her highly successful career, Lindsay Cross was named Miss Blue Comet by the AHS coaching staff. In 2005, she was named Wendy’s High School Heisman recipient for AHS.
Following her outstanding career wearing the blue and white, Lindsay attended Salem College and Randolph College, where she earned All-Conference Honors and was selected as the ODAC Conference Softball Player of the Year. In 2009, she was named a Division 3 Softball All-American and was named to the ODAC All-Conference Academic Team. She ranks highly in several categories of the Randolph College record book in basketball and softball.
Lindsay Cross earned a Master’s degree in Social Work at UNC Greensboro and is currently a social worker for the Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools. Blue Comet Fans, please help me congratulate Lindsay Cross, Hall of Famer!
Our second inductee is: Michael Eddy
A member of the graduating class of 2007, Michael Eddy personified the term “student athlete.” As a Blue Comet, Michael participated in Football and Track, earning 8 varsity letters. As a kicker on the football squad, Michael scored 136 points. There is not an official record book for AHS athletics, but it is believed that is a school record. Michael excelled at Track and Field as few others have in the storied history of Asheboro High. He was a four-time All-Conference performer and earned All-State honors. In the 400-meter run and the 500-meter run, Michael was a 3A NCHSAA Champion in his senior season.
Michael Eddy continued to excel and win praise as a member of the Track team at Princeton University, earning 4 varsity letters and All-Conference recognition four times. He was named All-American Second Team after his senior season and earned Academic All-American distinction after each of his four seasons.
In 2016, Michael earned a PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the discipline of geochemistry. He resides in Indianapolis where he is a professor and research scientist at Purdue University. Blue Comet Fans, please help me congratulate Michael Eddy, Hall of Famer!
Our third inductee is: DeNeal McNair
A member of the Blue Comets graduating class of 1984, DeNeal McNair is recognized for his excellence in Football and Track and Field. Twice he earned All-Conference in football, and three times he earned All-County recognition in track. He was named Honorable Mention All-State in football in 1983 and was awarded the coveted Mr. Blue Comet as selected by the AHS coaching staff.
Following his graduation from AHS, DeNeal participated in football at Wake Forest University, before earning two varsity letters at North Carolina A&T State University. He was part of the MEAC Conference Championship Team in 1986. Again, there is no AHS Athletics record book, but we believe that DeNeal still holds the school record in the triple jump.
DeNeal McNair is an outstanding leader in the Asheboro community. Call him pastor, Mr. President of the East Side Improvement Association, coach of the Mid-City Xpress Track Club, or founder of the Randolph Interdenominational Youth Choir. As track coach at Asheboro High School, his teams won 6 County Championships and 1 Conference Championship. Currently, he is pastor of Vision of Unity Outreach Ministries here in Asheboro. Blue Comet Fans, please help me congratulate DeNeal McNair to the AHS Hall of Fame!
Our fourth inductee is: Neal Pritchard
Along with Michael Eddy, we honor a second member of the graduating class of 2007 – Neal Pritchard. Neal participated in Basketball and Baseball, earning 2 All-Conference recognitions in basketball and 3 in baseball. As a Blue Comet student athlete, Neal Pritchard accomplished something no one else has – he was named Conference Player of the Year twice in basketball and Mid-Piedmont Conference Player of the Year twice in baseball. That is 4 Player of the Year awards in two sports. In 2007, he was named All-State by the North Carolina Baseball Coaches Association. At the conclusion of his senior season, Neal was named Mr. Blue Comet for overall athletic excellence.
Neal matriculated at Elon University and earned All-Conference honors in baseball in 2010 and 2011, his junior and senior seasons. At the conclusion of his collegiate career, he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball.
Today, Neal Pritchard resides in Randleman where he coaches youth baseball. Blue Comet Fans, please help me congratulate Neil Pritchard to the Hall of Fame!
Our fifth and final inductee for the Class of 2021 is: John Thornburg
A member of the graduating class of 2012, John Thornburg is the youngest inductee in the AHS Athletics Hall of Fame. In his stellar career, sporting the blue and white, John participated in Football, Wrestling, and Baseball. He earned 10 varsity letters. John was recognized All-Conference 3 times in wrestling and once in baseball. His career reached its apex when he was crowned 3A NCHSAA State Champion in the 160 lb weight class. Additional awards presented to John at the end of his AHS career included Mr. Blue Comet and Mid-Piedmont Conference Athlete of the Year. The Athlete of the Year is the most outstanding student athlete across all conference sports.
After leaving AHS, John attended and graduated from North Carolina State University with a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Economics. John currently lives in Raleigh and works in sales for the Trane company. John epitomized the term “student athlete,” practiced fair play, and acted in a sportsman-like manner to opponents. Blue Comet Fans, please help me congratulate John Thornburg to the AHS Hall of Fame.