The Habersham Central Basketball Hall of Fame will induct three new members this season.
Raider hoops stars Renee York and Pat Burns, along with coach Don Ledbetter, will be honored at a ceremony when the Raiders host White County on Dec. 2.
Pat Burns
Burns was a three-year starter for the Raiders from 2009-2012.
In 2010-2011, he earned 8-4A All-Region honors as a junior and was one of only four players from the North sub-region to make the squad. He helped the Raiders finish with a 17-8 record and earned a spot in the region quarterfinals. Burns averaged 13.1 points per game, scoring a season-high 23 points twice and finishing in double figures in seven of the 10 regular season region games. He was also one of the Raiders’ top defenders.
As a senior, Burns was again recognized among the best in the region earning 8-4A All-Region honors. Burns and teammate Kevin Ellison were two of 11 players on the All-Region team. The HCHS boys squad also had a successful season winning the 8-4A North Sub-region during the regular season and finishing with an 18-7 record.
Burns was honored with the Blitz Channel 4 Basketball Player of the year with averages 16 points, 5 rebounds, 49 percent FG and 2 steals that season. He also won the MVP trophy in the Inaugural North GA All-Star Classic in Hall County that year.
Burns headed to Oxford College of Emory and made a smooth transition into the college ranks. In the 2012-13 season, he was awarded the Coach’s Award in helping the Oxford basketball team make history with a 23-8 record. Oxford ended the season as GCAA regular season champs.
In 2013-2014, Burns was named the National Junior College Athletic Association’s (NJCAA) Division III Player of the Year. He led the GCAA with 18.5 points per game and was second in 3-point percentage at 36.2. He averaged 2.4 steals per game, fourth best in the GCAA, and 2.9 assists, which was fifth best region. This helped the Emory-Oxford Eagles finish with a 17-14 overall record, regular season champions, and a bid to the NJCAA District Tournament. He was voted player of the week several times that year and was selected for both the All-Region First Team and All-Defensive team.
Burns was honored with the Dick Shappel Award for Outstanding Athletic Achievement by a male student, Basketball Coaches & Leadership Award, and Basketball Most Outstanding Player. He capped his excellent career by earning NJCAA All-American second team honors.
Burns lives in Sacramento, Calif., with his wife Jordan and daughter Beaux. Recently, he received his Master’s in Health Administration and is currently working as a Department Coordinator for the Portia Bell Hume Center, where he oversees the daily operations and administrative services of the mental health organization.
Renée York
Dr. Renée York began her basketball athletic career at Habersham Central in 1982 when she played point guard for Coach Manson Hill, later playing for Geep Cunningham and Cass Cassell.
As point guard for Cassell’s Lady Raiders, York averaged 10 points, 2.5 assists and 4 rebounds per game. She led the Habersham girls in free throws every year. York was voted Best Defensive Player and Best Free Throw Shooter on the Lady Raiders’ team that had a record of 17-8, tied for the regular sub-region title and advanced to the region tournament. York earned Varsity Letters in basketball (’83-’85) and softball (’81-’85).
After graduating from Habersham Central, York signed a scholarship to play basketball at Piedmont College, where she majored in education. Among her many accomplishments at Piedmont, York was named Best Defensive Player Award for four years, as well as being named All-Conference three years. York recorded 1,500 career points and shot 92 percent from the free throw line during her career. She was inducted into the Piedmont College Hall of Fame in 2001.
York has devoted her life to education. She started her teaching career in Banks County where she taught middle school. She then moved back to Habersham to teach at South Habersham Middle School. She coached track and girls’ basketball at Habersham Central High School from 1991-1996. She was the first 9th grade girls’ basketball coach when the ninth grade became part of Habersham Central in 1991.
York went on to become varsity head coach of the Lady Raiders when Sammy Cunningham retired. York’s teams were 51-20 during her coaching tenure at HCHS. She stopped teaching and coaching to become a stay-at-home mom.
The following spring, she got back into coaching women’s basketball and assisted Charles Cooper at her alma mater, Piedmont College. Two years later, she became athletic director at Piedmont College where she was also the Great South Athletic Conference Commissioner.
York returned to public education in 2003. Since that time, she has taught elementary school and was principal at South Habersham Sixth Grade Academy and Cornelia Elementary.
For the last eight years, York has served as the Director of Federal Programs for the Habersham County School System. York has three daughters – Aubree Van Winkle and Habersham Central High School seniors Elisa and Collyn Smith.
York and her twin girls reside in Cornelia.
Don Ledbetter
Ledbetter coached the Raiders from 2007 to 2017, winning 81 games, tied for most in school history.
He coached the Raiders to three consecutive winning seasons and was the Region 8-6A coach of the year in 2012.
Prior to coming to Habersham Central, he coached Seneca High School to five regional championships, 16 trips to the state playoffs and was the region coach of the year twice.
As a player, Ledbetter started four years at Central Wesleyan College and was a two-time captain. He later earned a masters degree in education at Clemson.
He was all-conference and all-county at Northeast Guilford (N.C.) High School.