Bill Rucker

Bill Rucker and the Owen Warlassies, A team that began winning basketball games in 1964 did not stop winning for five years.

The 90-game winning streak was just one of many accomplishments for Rucker, who was inducted into the WNC Sports Hall of Fame and the N.C. High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame. Rucker won 638 games as a high school basketball head coach.

Beacon’s outreach in the community helped create a pool of young, talented basketball players who played for Rucker at Owen High, named for Beacon Manufacturing’s founder, Charles Owen. His intensity on the court allowed him to mold the players into one unit, said Carl Bartlett, a longtime supporter and observer of the school’s athletic programs.

He received his 600th career win in 89'