School sports in small towns across America tie the communities together with pride, dedication and life long fans. Bethel High School Basketball provides a great local example of how a basketball team can bring a community together for generations. 

The Bethel High School Boys Basketball Team of 1947-1948 won the 1948 North Carolina State Championship. The team consisted of W.Z. Worsley, Walter Clayton Whitley, William Earl House, Earl Keel, Bill Smith, Frank Hemingway, W.R. Bullock, Mack Whitehurst, William Keel, Hilton Tetterton, Thomas Whitehurst, Edgar Barnhill and Coach Walter Latham.

Bill Smith was one of the players on the 1947-1948 team. He donated a scrapbook to the Bethel Heritage Center with information and photographs pertaining to the ’48 season. Please click the link below to view the digitized version of the scrapbook.

Top Tow: Janie Edmondson, Jean Cullifer, Toddy Smith, Janice Roberson, Lecky McWhorter.Bottom row: Sue Bland, Mary Jo Wynne*, Jenny Whitehurst*, Beth Briley.

* Junior Cheerleaders

In the mid-1940’s the Bethel High School Boys’ Basketball team, coached under Walter Latham, had received much recognition, including a berth in state championship in their division. Great pride and excitement swept the town.

 In the spirit of school pride, I went to Mr. Latham’s office and bravely said, “Mr. Latham, our team needs some cheerleaders.” Coach Latham replied, “OK, you do it.”

So the word went out across the school that if you wanted to be a cheerleader, meet during your lunch hour in the auditorium, and seven girls showed up. Thus, the Bethel High School cheerleaders came into existence.

With much pride, we lead our team to VICTORY!