Lake View – Athletic departments that can remain stable and consistent within its coaching roster are usually the most successful.
In today’s world of sports, moving around and always looking for greener grass on the other side is the norm. But, when coaches bond and stick together through tough times, success is usually not far off.
Coaches and athletes alike seem to be moving around more often than ever, seeking to find better opportunities. However, there remains some that look to grow where they are planted and a lot can be said for settling in your hometown and contributing back to your own community.
When it comes to love of family and hometown, few high schools in the Palmetto State can match Lake View. While most known for its success in football, Lake View High School has won championships in several sports and is an annual participant in the Class A state playoffs in almost every sport. And, in the rare case that a team or two is having a bad season, the community of Lake View continues to provide the highest level of support.
Several members of Lake View High’s current coaching staff are graduates of the school, many growing up in the area and returning home to work in the school system and provide guidance to the generations behind them.
Lake View does not offer a wide variety of sports to participate in but a large percentage of students do participate in the sports that are available. And success brings more and more interest.
Head football coach Daryl King is a 1994 graduate of Lake View. He took over as head coach in 2007 for the legendary Jewell McLaurin. King played on a state championship team at Lake View in 1991. As head coach, King took his 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2020 teams to the state finals, winning the state title in 2016. He has more than 100 career wins as the head coach. Lake View has won 10 state football titles, which ranks fifth in state history.
King, entering his 25th season as a Lake View coach, says a key reason for the sustained success is his coaching staff, which has been together for a number of years and has a lot of connection to the school.
“I think it means a lot, having men who grew up here and played here and know what type of work ethic we try to instill in our players,” King said. “We lived it so we can tell our kids that they aren’t doing anything that we didn’t have to do when we played.”
The 2023 coaching staff will be without one major assistant coach this fall. Long-time assistant Johnny Dew has retired from coaching after 45 seasons. He had been a fixture on Lake View’s staff for more than 10 years.
Cloy Ford works with the offensive line and inside linebackers while Andy Ford works with the linemen on both sides of the ball. Both have extensive coaching experience and each has been with Lake View for more than a decade.
Andy Ford is a former player at Lake View and played on the 1981 state championship team.
Head baseball coach Kip Herlong coaches running backs and outside linebackers and Jeffrey Ceasar coaches the receivers and cornerbacks. Ceasar also is the boys varsity basketball coach.
Herlong, though not a Lake View graduate, is certainly a fixture in the program as a coach. Herlong will enter the 2024 baseball season, his 30th, with 595 career victories, all at Lake View. He has guided the program to 14 region championships and eight Class A state titles. His teams won state championships in 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006 and 2021. That five-year run of consecutive championships ranks among the most dominant runs in state history. The 2023 team was the Class A state runner-up.
From 1998 through 2001, Lake View went 96-6 overall. All total 19 of Herlong’s teams have won at least 20 games in a season. That includes a 27-win season in 2000, a 29-win season in 2006 and a 26-win season in 2011.
Larry Inman works with the ends on both sides of the ball. Inman, a graduate of Lake View, is the varsity girls basketball coach and has contended for the Lower State championship for the last four seasons. Lake View has posted a 76-10 record over that span.
Inman was a star football player at Lake View and played at Western Carolina.
Kevin Hamilton is relatively new on the staff, joining last season. He works with the safeties and quarterbacks. He also is a former player and graduate of Lake View.
New to the staff this coming season is Mac Brey, who will handle special teams. Will Daniels has been added as an assistant coach for the junior varsity.
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