2021 Hall of Fame Class

7 former Chargers and 1 team gets the call from Northwood’s hall

PITTSBORO, N.C. — Northwood High School will induct 7 members and one team into its Athletics Hall of Fame October 15 at 7:00 p.m. The induction will take place during halftime of the football game against Orange High School. Those being inducted into the 2021 class include: Taylor Adams, Austin Brice, Josh Edwards, Jay Farrell, Stefanie Pearce-Mendler, Maurice Perry, David Stephens and the 2000 Men’s Basketball Team.

Taylor Adams graduated from Northwood in 2004. He ran cross country and track all four years of high school. In track & field, Adams was a 2-time all-state selection in the 3200-meter race. On the cross country trail, he was a 3-time team captain, where he led the Chargers to two conference and regional championships, including a 2A state runner-up finish in 2004. Individually, Adams won the state championship in 2004. Upon graduation from Northwood, he held the school record for the fastest time in the Boys 5K. 

Adams attended NC State University on a Park Scholarship, where he graduated with a bachelor of science in Aerospace Engineering. He then went on to receive his masters of science in Civil Engineering in 2012 from the University of Colorado. He is currently a Water Resources and Environmental Engineer at Hydros Consulting in Boulder, Colorado. 

“Northwood High School Athletics was important for my growth because the persistence and value of hard work that I learned through running has helped me with everything I do,” Adams said. “I made good friends, received high-quality instruction, and was able to achieve my goals, which was very rewarding.”  

Adams has been involved in the community, serving as a volunteer coach at Northwood while attending NC State. He also volunteered at Service Raleigh through the Park scholarship program, was on the board of directors and collectors for NedCompost a nonprofit organization that collects compost using bicycles in Nederland, Colorado, was a member of the Park selection committee, attended senior retreats as an alumnus to advise current Parks Scholarship recipients, and is a current board member for the Boulder Disc Golf Club. 

Austin Brice is a 2010 graduate of Northwood High School, where he excelled on the soccer and baseball fields. Brice was instrumental in the soccer team’s 2009 state championship runner-up team. He was a 2009 and 2010 all-conference selection for his accomplishments in soccer. 

On the baseball diamond is where Brice was a force. He won 63 games in four years on the mound. His senior year, he struck out 76 batters in just 41 innings pitched. He also doubled as a stellar hitter, posting a career .385 batting average that included 10 home runs. His electric arm — which reached speeds of over 90 miles per hour in high school — caught the attention of many colleges and scouts. That led to Brice being selected in the 9th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft by the Miami Marlins. He originally committed to play baseball at Appalachian State, but decided to pursue his dream of playing major league baseball instead. He was called up to the majors for the first time on August 9, 2016 and made his debut in a game against the Chicago White Sox. Born in Hong Kong on June 19, 1992, Brice became the first Hong Kong-born player to appear in the majors. In 2017, Brice was traded from the Marlins to the Cincinnati Reds and, just a couple of years later, was claimed off of waivers by the Marlins in February 2019.  On January 10, 2020,  Brice was traded to the Boston Red Sox where he is currently a member of their AAA affiliate organization, the Worcester Red Sox. He made 13 appearances with Boston in 2021 where he had a 6.59 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 13.2 innings pitched. 

“Having my brother go to Northwood, I was always wanting to follow his footsteps,” Brice said when asked to describe his time at Northwood. “I used to watch him play and wanted to be like him one day. Coach Parks was great at getting all of us out there and pushing our names to college coaches and scouts. He really promoted his players. I think he had a lot to do with scouts coming to see me play and eventually being drafted. And on the soccer field, how many times do you get to go to a state championship? Coach Frazier was one of the best coaches I have ever had. The experiences I had at Northwood are unbeatable.”

Josh Edwards a 2007 graduate of Northwood and a standout in both football and wrestling. A defensive end, Edwards holds the school record for sacks in a game with 11 and totaled 34 sacks his senior year. He was part of the first football team in Northwood history to make it to the third round of the state playoffs in 2006. He was an all-state selection in football and was one of the top-rated defensive ends in North Carolina in 2007. 

Edwards was known for his performance on the mat, where he was the 2007 2A state champion in the 215-lb weight class. His record during his final two years of high school was 87-8, including a 49-0 unbeaten season his senior year. Upon graduation from Northwood, Edwards attended NC Central University. 

“Our motto senior year was ‘finish,’” Edwards said when asked about his time with the Chargers. “I took that motto with me throughout the rest of my life. To never cut short and complete the job. I appreciate all that my coaches did for me to make me a better player and man.” 

Edwards has volunteered previously at the Haw River Baptist Church Food Bank and is currently employed in his family masonry and carpentry business.

J.A. (Jay) Farrell III is a 1975 Northwood graduate who was a member of the 1974 and 1975 basketball team.  Mr. Farrell was nominated for his 26 years of service as a member of the football chain crew. 

“I enjoy being able to give back to the community,” Farrell said, reflecting on his time on the Northwood sideline. “I follow the young athletes through youth sports and enjoy watching their journey in sports and academics.” 

In addition to his service on the chain crew, Farrell was a member of the Pittsboro Fire & Rescue for 43 years, was a member of the Pittsboro Town Council, and a member of Masonic Lodge #102. Mr. Farrell is also a local business owner, acting as co-owner of Virlies Grill in Pittsboro.

Stefanie Pearce-Mendler is a 2001 graduate of Northwood High School. She was a member of the cross country, basketball, and track & field teams. She was a three-sport athlete for all four years of high school. Pearce-Mendler excelled in cross country where she was a 2-time conference champion and runner of the year. She also placed in the regional race in the fall of 2000. 

Upon graduation, she attended Appalachian State University, where she graduated in 2005 with a degree in Health Promotions/Exercise Science. She planned on running cross country while at Appalachian State, but an injury ended her collegiate career early. Pearce-Mendler is currently a part-time insurance/travel agent while being a full-time stay-at-home mother. 

“I made lifelong friendships with girls I played with since early childhood through recreational, middle and high school,” Pearce-Mendler said. “I also cherish the memories and lessons learned from the best, most dedicated coaches. Brian Harrington, Steve Thomas and, most importantly, Ronald Horton, were such an impact on my life.”

Maurice Perry is a 1991 graduate who was a standout in track & field, football and cross country. He holds the school records in the 110-meter hurdles, 300-meter hurdles and high jump and was a member of the 4 x 200 relay team. Perry was the 1991 state champion in the 300-meter hurdles. He was also Conference Player of the Year in track & field in 1991 and was all-conference in football that same year. Upon graduation from Northwood, Perry attended The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, where he was a two-time national qualifier in the 100-meter dash and long jump. He was also named the Carolina Conference MVP in Track and Field. Perry graduated with a Business Management degree in 1996 and is currently employed as an Implementation-Conversion Manager with Fidelity National Information Services.

Mr. Perry has also been heavily active in his community through Habitat for Humanity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and Inc. Community Engagement.

“Athletics at Northwood were the culmination of lessons learned throughout my youth in organized and community sports,” Perry said when describing his time at Northwood. “I learned the importance of teamwork and trusting the individual next to you to handle their responsibilities as they entrust you to do the same.  Leaving everything on the field/track and living with the results. One of the most important lessons I took from my time at Northwood was friendship. We bonded together for a common goal, regardless of race, color, creed, social or economic differences.” 

David Stephens was a 2001 graduate of Northwood High School where he was a member of the men’s basketball team and football team. The 6’5’’ Stephens was quite a presence on the football team as a defensive end. He was selected to the all conference team his junior and senior year. 

On the basketball court is where Stephens made his name known throughout the state. He was selected as the West’s Most Outstanding Player during the 2000 state championship, scoring 30 points and pulling down 16 rebounds in the contest. He shot 11-for-14 from the field and 8-for-10 from the free throw line in achieving his point total. For his career, he averaged 17 points and 15 rebounds per game. He went on to attend Southwest Missouri State, which was a junior college at the time. Following his stint at Southwest Missouri State, Stephens attended Tarlton State in Texas where he earned a degree in business. Stephens coached numerous AAU teams and also coached at Stevenville High School in Texas. 

“That was my starting point and it paved the way for me to pursue basketball at another level,” Stephens said when looking back at his career at Northwood. “It gave me the confidence I needed to maintain the mental energy throughout my career. I feel like Coach Pappas was the first person to introduce me to basketball and share his knowledge. He put me on the right path to pursue my future career. His expertise and knowledge shaped me into the player and man that I am today.” 

The 2000 Men’s Basketball Team was the first team at Northwood High School to make it to a state championship game. They finished as the runner-up after a heartbreaking 68-66 loss to Whiteville. The Chargers stormed into the state championship that season winning 22 straight games after a December 19, 1999, loss to Chapel Hill, 68-57. Their 22 straight victories were won by an average of 24 points and only twice all season did they win by less than 10 points. 

“In coaching, you get lucky and get one of those teams where everything gels,” Coach Jim Pappas said when reflecting on his team. “When I think about their parents, the kids, you talk about a group — unless they fooled me — that really liked each other. They really liked spending time with each other. Their families were supportive of what we were doing and everyone was on board from the administration to the school and the community. They were a classy group. They went into every game and did what I asked. A lot of times, the practices were better than the games because we had 12-13 guys that could really play. I think the guys we had on the bench would have finished second in the conference if we created another team. It was a really special time. I remember we had a really great dinner at a local church during the state championship week and parents did everything they could to make it an easy week for us.

“All of the guys have moved on and had families of their own. They are all doing really well. I was blessed to be the recipient of really good guys to play for me. My manager left me a note and said one time I needed to sit my tail down and just let the boys play. He was basically saying don’t do anything to mess this thing up. All of the guys sacrificed. They all carried the water cooler, they all carried the bags and I had great assistants. It was really a dream team.”

The members of the 1999-2000 team were Avon Seymour, Ezra Swan, Joe Scroggs, Ryan Williams, Doug Brooks, Tony Rogers, Rod Edwards, Daniel Smith, Justin Phillips, Lamar Reaves, Justin Massey, Rashaun Rives, Ryan Valente, David Stephens and Simon Alston. The head coach was Jim Pappas, assisted by Jared Hedrick, Mike Bray, Andrew France, Darrin Price, manager Mario Scurlock, statisticians Alisha Bynum and Cynthia Stickland.

Congratulations to the newest members on their induction into the Northwood High School Athletics Hall of Fame!