East Lincoln's Mike Byus named NC AP prep football coach of the year

By AARON BEARD

 AP Sports Writer

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – East Lincoln coach Mike Byus followed an unbeaten run to a state championship by being named The Associated Press high school football coach of the year for North Carolina for the 2012 season. 

Byus led the school to its first state title in football, completing the run with a win against three-time defending champion Tarboro in the Class 2-A final. 

“The right place, the right time, the right group of kids combined with the right coaching staff,” Byus said. “If you do something like this, obviously you get a break here and there. You can't do something like that without getting the breaks to bounce your way a few times.” 

Byus earned 10 of a possible 17 votes from sports writers across the state in results released Tuesday. Matthews Butler's Brian Hales was second with three votes after guiding the Bulldogs (15-0) to a third 4-AA championship in four seasons. 

Madison County's Mark Gosnell was third with two votes – the only other coach to receive more than one vote – after guiding the program to a school-record 13 victories. 

Byus, 51, is in his eighth season at East Lincoln (16-0), which averaged nearly 41 points per game and won games by an average margin of 24 points. The team continued to thrive all season, even after losing senior quarterback Garrett Young for two games due to a knee injury. 

East Lincoln trailed only three times all season, the last coming in the 2-A final before scoring the go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. 

East Lincoln led Tarboro 17-6 at half of the state final before giving up 14 straight points in the third quarter and falling behind. But the Mustangs responded with a 10-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Young's 13-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Brock with 7:55 left and ultimately gave East Lincoln the championship. 

Byus credited his players, saying they always put in the work to prepare for any opponent. 

“I talked to them all year about reaching their ceiling,” Byus said. “I said, `Guys, I don't know how good we can be, but I want you to be as good as you can be.’ … So after the (final) game, my quarterback came up to me and said, `Hey coach, did we reach our ceiling?' I said, `I think we pretty much did about all we could do.“’ AP-WF-12-18-12 2115GMT

The voting breakdown for the 2012 Associated Press prep football coach of the year for North Carolina, as cast by 17 sports writers around the state. 

Mike Byus, East Lincoln (10) 

Brian Hales, Matthews Butler (3) 

Mark Gosnell, Madison County (2) 

Jeff Craddock, Tarboro (1) 

Carson Gowan, McDowell County (1)

Winners of The Associated Press prep football coach of the year award for North Carolina: 

2012–Mike Byus, East Lincoln 

2011–Jim Bob Bryant, Havelock 

2010–Scott Young, West Rowan 

2009–Joey Price, Wallace-Rose Hill 

2008–Scott Young, West Rowan 

2007–Ken Avent Jr., Warsaw Kenan 

2006–Chris Norman, Shelby 

2005–Danny Wilkins, Asheville 

2004–Greg Thomas, Greenville Rose 

2003–Roy Kirby, Shelby Crest 

2002–DeWayne Kellum, Chocowinity Southside 

2001–Bob Lewis, Clinton 

2000–(tie) Rick Brown, Durham Jordan; Tom Knotts, Charlotte Independence 

1999–Harold Robinson, Williamston 

1998–Daryl Barnes, Richmond County 

1997–Daryl Barnes, Richmond County 

1996–David Elder, Hickory 

1995–Allen Brown, Thomasville 

1994–Anthony Price, Durham 

1993–Ken Browning, Northern Durham 

1992–Ken Browning, Northern Durham 

1991–(tie) David Gutshall, Burlington Cummings; Walter Barnhill, Hoke County 

1990–Ray Davis, Southern Nash 

1989–Bobby Poss, Hope Mills South View 

1988–Jim Taylor, Shelby 

1987–(tie) Clyde Parrish, Red Springs; Jim Biggerstaff, Belmont South Point 

1986–Mickey Bridgers, Northern Nash 

1985–Denny Hicks, Kings Mountain 

1984–Marion Kirby, Greensboro Page 

1983–Glenn Sasser, Charlotte Myers Park