Will Gage coached his last game at Harnett Central on Monday night in the first round of the All American Conference varsity boys basketball tournament.

The seventh-seeded Trojans were topped, 66-58, in double overtime at second-seeded Triton

So ended Gage’s tenure after 33 years.

“I’ve been very blessed to work with great administrators, great assistants and great players,” Gage said. “The combination of those three, is probably the biggest factor in the longevity. I was not ever wanting to leave Harnett Central, not looking to go anywhere else.”

Central led 26-10 at halftime in an upset bid Monday night.

“We played really, really hard,” Gage said. “We just didn’t get a lot of bounces in the second half, but I thought our guys, especially considering the two previous games against Triton (44-76, 47-71), I thought we battled.

“We definitely didn’t play like a number seven seed, and I was just really extremely proud of their effort.”

Central made a stunning run in the Tri-County Six 3-A Conference tournament in 2020 to defeat top-seeded Southern Lee, 52-50, in the final. The Trojans had gone 4-6 in league play with two losses to the Cavaliers, who went 10-0, by a total of 35 points.

Gage’s efforts produced a 392-351 career record at Central, where he spent the bulk of his professional life.

“I was at Anderson Creek for three, and then I’ve been here 35,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed every minute. I enjoyed the coaching part of it, I enjoyed the teaching part of it. I enjoyed the athletic director part of it.

“I told my wife (Mary) a long time ago that I wanted to be one of those people that got out of it while I still enjoyed it. I didn’t want to be that guy that everybody thought was miserable, and I really have enjoyed doing it, and still do enjoy it. I’ll still root for the Trojans.”

Gage has been athletic director at HC for 21 years, overseeing a span when the Trojans were 4-A as well as members of several 3-A leagues.

He likes the proposed realignment that would include Central, Lee County, South Johnston, Southern Lee, Triton, Union Pines, West Johnston and Western Harnett in a 6-A grouping in the NCHSAA’s new classification system, which will be effective in 2025-26.

“I like it in the sense that I think it’ll be great for rivalries,” Gage said “I think it’ll be great for travel. I think all the schools in the conference will all benefit from it.”

Gage had the unique experience of coaching in a game with his son’s team on December 14 this season when Will Gage guided Avery County to a 70-62 win in overtime at Central, which named its gym floor Coach Gage Court, earlier this season.

Gage’s teams generally played a deliberate tempo, which was representative of a disciplined coaching style.

Gage has been a prime mover in the Bennie Pollock Memorial Tournament which involves boys and girls basketball teams from Central, Overhills, Triton and Western Harnett in an annual tipoff event.

He organizes the Harnett County Educators golf tournament each spring and put together the Bobby Purvis Memorial golf tournament which raises funds for a scholarship in the name of the former Union Pines athletic director.

Gage received the Charlie Adams Distinguished Service Award for Region Four of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association in 2021.

Gage is a graduate of Campbell and majored in history education. He has also coached cross country and assisted in football for the Trojans.

Gage is a history teacher at the school, focusing mainly on accelerated upper-level courses.

He has served as conference president for several leagues including the Triangle 3-A, Greater Neuse 4-A, Tri-County 3-A, and currently serves as president of the All American 3-A/4-A Conference.

Players that Gage has coached that have gone on to perform in college include Brooks Lee (Campbell), Andre Ray (Virginia Tech), Kenkay Jones (Charlotte), Marco Spears (Johnson C. Smith), Lee Marsh (Campbell), DeAngelo Jackson (UNC Greensboro), Nate Laing (Central Florida) and Ian Jones (East Carolina).

Gage is an active member of First Presbyterian Church in Dunn. He played basketball at Dunn High School.