Two longtime coaches enter Berwick Hall of Fame

Berwick High School inducted two longtime coaches, Lloyd Burchfield and Ludness “Lud” Henry, into the school’s inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame before Friday’s homecoming game.
Burchfield, a four-year letterman in football and track, graduated from Berwick in 1972.
He came back to the Panthers to coach the softball team from 1990-2015. He retired with a career record of 504 wins, 339 losses and 10 ties, with 25 playoff appearances. Burchfield’s teams reached the state tournament 13 times, including state championships in 1993 and 2003. The Lady Panthers were also runners-up in 2001.
“I have always been a Berwick High School Panther at heart,” Burchfield said. “BHS has provided great opportunities for me as a student, player, teacher, athletic director and coach. I had the opportunity to coach hundreds of girls, and I attribute a lot of my success to the hard work and effort they put forth as players. Being a member of the BHS Hall of Fame is one of the most memorable honors I have ever received.”
Burchfield was inducted to the Louisiana Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2010. Berwick also renamed the softball field, Burchfield Diamond, in 2016.
Henry, a member of the Class of 1978, was a standout baseball player for the Panthers from 1975-78. He was the district MVP and an All-State selection for the 1978 Class 2A state championship team.
After playing four years at McNeese, Henry came back to his alma mater as an assistant coach in 1983. He served as Berwick’s head baseball coach from 1984-91 and amassed a record of 140 wins, 47 losses. Henry’s teams were district champs in five of his seven years as head coach.
“This was a very proud moment for me,” Henry said. “I thought of my mom and dad, teammates and coaches as a student athlete while my wife and kids and the Berwick community came to mind when I thought of my coaching (Continued on Page 10)(Continued from Page 1)
days. Berwick has always been home, and it always will be.”
Both coaches thanked Berwick Principal Buffy Fegenbush and those involved with their selections.
“It’s important to recognize the people who are lifelong givers to the community in which we live,” Fegenbush said.