Wednesday, October 14, 2026
By Submitted Story on September 13, 2026
Manteo High School has announced it will hold its Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday Sept. 18 during halftime of its home football game against Catholic High School.
Because no induction ceremony was held last year, two Class of 2025 inductees and five from the Class of 2026 will be honored together.
Class of 2025 Inductees
Kenny Meekins (Head Baseball Coach, 1995–2013): Led Manteo Baseball to the 1996 2A State Championship, 10 Conference Championships, and Eastern Runner-up finishes in 1997 and 2006, finishing with a career MHS record of 326–134.
Lelia Ward Byrum: A standout multi-talented athlete and member of the Manteo High School Women’s Basketball Team that achieved State Championship Runner-up honors in 1951.
Class of 2026 Inductees
Don Twyne, Jr. (Class of 1984): MHS Athlete of the Year (1982–83), two-time All-Conference football player, two-time All-Conference and 1984 MVP in baseball, who went on to serve as an assistant football and baseball coach for over two decades.
Alfie Wheeler (Class of 2005): All-State and Conference Player of the Year in baseball, All-Conference in football, MHS Athlete of the Year, Division 1 baseball star at High Point University, former MHS Head Baseball Coach (Conference Coach of the Year) and Athletic Director (2016–2025), recipient of the 2020 NCHSAA Charlie Adams Distinguished Service Award, and founder of the MHS Athletic Hall of Fame.
Gerald Crawford (Class of 1997): Two-time All-State and multi-time All-Conference baseball player, 1996 2A State Champion, two-time State Games participant, two-time USA Today Honorable Mention All-American, NC State baseball player, and All-Region/All-Conference standout at Pitt Community College, where he led the nation in batting average (.519).
Timothy “Timmy” Charity (Class of 2007): Two-time All-Conference football player, key contributor to the 2006 MHS Football State Runner-Up Team, multi-sport athlete in basketball and track & field, 4-year Division I football starter at North Carolina Central University, and a 3-time All-Star semi-professional football player (Carolina Ducks, East Carolina Rams, East Carolina Phantoms).
Manfred “Fred” Gore (Class of 1984): Legendary four-sport letterman who earned All-State, All-Conference, and Team MVP honors in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. He starred at Methodist University before winning World Series Titles (1998 Chesapeake Braves, Florida Seadogs) and National Championships (1998 Braves, 2004 Seadogs), earning posthumous induction into the Chesapeake MSBL Hall of Fame (Class of 2023).
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