1976, 1977 LHS regional champs want to be part of school history

Members of the 1976 and 1977 Lumberton High School Raiders baseball teams want to be remembered in the school’s history that they were regional champions during those years. While the 2025 Lumberton Raiders are to be congratulated for having an outstanding season this year, making it to the regional semifinals, there is a sense in which they made history and a sense in which they did not. The 1976 and 1977 teams won regional championships both years, making history that has not been repeated. However, they won by going only three rounds instead of the four now possible, and they won before current divisions were in place. The 2025 Lumberton Raiders made history in that they went four rounds into the playoffs. Gregory Wells, who played for the Raiders both in 1976 and 1977, said, “This was an era when if you didn’t win your district outright, you went home. This day in time they take four teams from each district to the playoffs.” Several of the members of the 1976 and 1977 teams continue to live in or near Lumberton, and want it remembered that their teams were the only ones from Lumberton to ever actually win regional championships. Steve Hartt, who played on the 1976 team and continues to coach Little League, was the first to point out that the ’76 team had won the regional championship that year. He and several others on those teams who won regional championships 43 years ago or longer still have their letter jackets which proudly display emblems noting that they were regional champions. Gregory Wells exhibited two 16x20 color photographs of the teams which he said were pulled out of stack of supplies that were to be placed into a dumpster on the high school property. He also had newspaper clippings and other memorabilia as reminders of what the two teams had accomplished in the mid 1970s. Wells noted that his brother, Jason Wells, who has passed away, also played on the 1976 team. He said he and several members of the 1976 and 1977 teams continue to live in the area and continue to support and attend Raiders baseball games. “We are very proud of our 2025 Lumberton Raiders baseball team,” he said. “They are a great group of kids with big hearts and determination, and are very well coached.” He named several members of the 1976 team who still live in or near Lumberton, including Kelley Green, Kirk LeBlanc, Matt Leger, Aubrey Brisendine, Robbie Tribble, Steve  Templeton, Steve Hartt, Roger Hargraves, Donald Smith, Jimmy Fournier, Bill Gloede, Todd Dunkleberger, John Blackstock, Ricky Luguette, Dwain Orr, Ricky Tribble and Darrell Furlow.