Eddie Wilson has always been in the Mount Holly Sports Hall of Fame – as its founder, and as president, treasurer and secretary. So, when Wilson and the nominating committee were sorting through names last spring for the 2014 ceremony, the process was predictably routine – until the others asked him to leave the room.

“We went through the names and I told them it sounded like a great slate, then they said, ‘We have one more name…’ and I had to walk out, then they threw my name out and voted on it,” Wilson said. “And I said, ‘No!’ I couldn’t believe it.”

Wilson is inducted not only for his role with the Hall of Fame, but for his athletic performance – mainly with the Mount Holly High School football team, which won the Western state championship game in 1967, 26-20 over Glen Alpine.

“Eddie Wilson was the heart of the championship team in 1967. He was a leader in every way,” said Hall of Fame president Gary Neely. “Depending on the situation, he could be an encourager, or he could get in your face and issue a challenge. Eddie was the vocal leader that every team needs.”

Wilson, 64, grew up watching ballgames, or playing sandlot ball at his family’s country home. He took up summer baseball with the Mount Holly recreation program, when he was old enough.

As a seventh-grader in 1962, he tried football, playing left guard on a 13-and-under midget program team of eighth-graders.

It was his first introduction to football, and it ended with a national title.

“It was the first organized program I ever participated in, the YBMC – Young Business Man’s Club – sponsored by Flint-Groves Mills out of Gastonia. Earl Groves, out of his pocket, had started a football team (in the 1950s), and I got the privilege to be part of it,” he said. “They sent a driver around to the little towns in Gaston County to pick up football players, and you tried out for the team.”

The sanctioned program was part of a national organization, and Wilson’s team, the Little Orangemen, won the county and state titles, then traveled to Valley Stream, N.Y., on the west end of Long Island, to play in the Liberty Bowl – the national championship for Pop Warner football.

They won.

“They put so much emphasis on discipline, respect, honor and determination – all the principles you would expect a young man to display. Plus, they emphasized academics, and no one on the team could play if you had less than a B average,” Wilson said. “So you not only had to play the sport, but you had to play the books as well. It taught you that there’s more to athletics than just playing the game.

“They taught us there was more to life than livin’ on a mill hill and runnin’ wild and quittin’ school.”

Wilson grew into a defensive back role in eighth grade, and made his high school team as a freshman. By his sophomore year, he was starting – a role usually saved for seniors.

“I started on offense and defense, as a blocking back on offense and as a linebacker and nose guard on defense. I was probably only about 150 pounds, but I was the lead blocker for the tailback and fullback,” he said. “My junior year, I continued to play blocking back, and it was a 5-4 defense, so I played like a cornerback.”

As a senior, and a little bigger at about 175 pounds, Wilson said he moved to safety on defense, continued to play offense, and added some punt returns.

“Your objective was, you wanted to play every minute of every ballgame,” he said. “Coach (Delmer) Wiles, he was such a great coach. He was a drill instructor in the Marines, and he demanded respect. And you couldn’t help but respect him. The example he gave you with his life was impeccable.

“You worked as hard as you knew how to work for him, to prove yourself not only to yourself, but to him. It was about giving 110 percent.”

In 1967, as a senior, Wilson set a Mount Holly High School record for points scored – 118 – and also led all scoring in Gaston County. He was named Gaston County’s football Back of the Year.  And he was Most Valuable Player of the state championship game.

“That ’67 team, we had the best coaching staff, and we were in shape,” Wilson said. “Synergy is when the sum is greater than the whole, and even though we didn’t look like we were that strong, when you put us together, we were stronger than you could imagine.

“It was all because of Coach Wiles and Joe Spears, who was the assistant coach. We were just strong.”

“Coach Wiles had named Eddie to be one of the captains,” Neely said, “a role that Eddie worked hard to fulfill. He also led by example in the way he ran his sprints, and in the way he blocked, tackled and carried the ball. … That ’67 team had a slew of outstanding players, but Eddie Wilson was the one teammate that we could not have won the championship without.”

Wilson played three years of high school baseball and two years of Legion ball for Belmont Post 144. He received scholarship offers to play baseball at Belmont Abbey and football for Gardner-Webb and Lenoir-Rhyne, but decided to follow some friends to Western Carolina and try for football.

“Later in the summer, my tuition was due at Western and I sold my car to pay my tuition,” he said. “After that, I got a full scholarship. I won the Veterans Affairs Scholarship, and I was a walk-on at Western and played freshman ball.”

The problem with Western, however, was that Cullowhee was too far from Wilson’s high school sweetheart. He left after a year and came home. He and Sheila were married in January, 1970 – they’ll celebrate their 45th anniversary next year. Their son, Brian, was born in 1974.

Wilson switched to Gaston College, played some pro ball with the Gaston Patriots, and went to work for Duke Power in Charlotte as a junior engineering assistant. He moved up through the company and spent the last 15 of his 32 years with Duke at the Allen Steam Station in Belmont, before retiring as superintendent in December 2001.

“I just want to thank the Good Lord for giving me the life that He has. It’s been a great ride up to now, and I give Him the praise and glory for it,” he said. “I was one of seven children, and I was brought up in a Christian home. We had all the necessities – a Christian environment, and love. I give my mom (Margie) all the credit.”