Mr. All-Conference: Hardin picks up honors in four different sports

Published 4:25 pm Friday, March 23, 2018

For fans of Hampton athletics, Gavin Hardin is a name they have probably heard a lot over the past few years.
Hardin, a senior at Hampton school, competes for the Bulldogs in football, baseball, basketball, and golf. And after this past basketball season, Hardin became the first athlete at Hampton to ever receive all-conference honors in four different sports.
“It means a lot to me,” said Hardin. “That is something that I wanted to accomplish ever since I was a freshman in high school. I never thought that I would in basketball. Basketball never seemed to be my sport.”
Hardin has had two All-Conference nods in both football and golf while picking one up in basketball. In baseball, Hardin has received all-conference, all-district, and all-region honors.
Playing sports pretty much the whole school year can be trying for any student-athlete. But Hardin takes it to another level. The Bulldog is apart of HOSA, the National Honors Society, and FCA while also maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
“God plays a big role in it,” said Hardin. “Without Him, I don’t think any of it would have been possible. I have a lot of great coaches that are very understanding and very lenient with everything that I am trying to accomplish. I also have really good teachers”
During his time competing for Hampton, the Bulldogs have seen some successful season, with the baseball team making it to the state sectional for time since 1996 last year while the golf team made it to the region this past season. During his junior year, the Bulldogs football team made it to the second round of the TSSAA Class AA playoffs. Hardin has played for the Hampton basketball team the past three season, and during that time the Bulldogs have had a state tournament berth along with two state sectional appearances. According to Hardin, the Bulldogs successes can be linked to coaches.
“We have so many people at the school that take athletics seriously,” said Hardin. “Coach (Michael) Lunsford in football always has us lifting and working. Coach (Nicholas) Perkins is also doing the same thing with baseball. Coach (Ned) Smith keeps people shooting as much as he can. Coach (Wayne) Ellis has a bunch of people that wants to work for him and be better at golf.”
Hampton is in the middle of the 2018 baseball season, and with it being Hardin’s senior year, this will be his last run with the Bulldogs.
“It sad to think about it being my last season of playing a sport at Hampton High School,” said Hardin. “I am really excited for this season. I have a really good coach in Coach (Nicholas) Perkins, and I also have a lot of great teammates. We think we could go a long way. We are just taking it one game at a time.”
In college Hardin hopes to play baseball, which is his favorite sport of the four he plays.
“It has always had a special place for me,” Hardin said. “My papaw (C.B. Hardin) was a great baseball player at Unaka. My dad (Matt Hardin) played baseball for Hampton and coached at Hampton for ten years. I have been around it my whole life, and it has always meant a lot to me.”
Anyone who goes to a Hampton athletic outing will quickly pick up on the fact that the Bulldogs’ community loves their sports. And Hardin said it has been great to play in front of a very supportive fanbase.
“We have a great community and a great fanbase,” said “It is great to see when you have a game anywhere you will have fans travel with you. This year in basketball we went all the way to Cosby for our first-round regional game, and our side of the bleachers were more filled than Cosby’s. No matter where you go you can always count on the Bulldogs fanbase.”

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