One of the finest to ever grace the sidelines in Virginia High School League Basketball is hanging it up.

On Wednesday, George Lancaster announced that he will be retiring as the Head Boys Basketball Coach at Highland Springs High School after a decorated career that spanned 37 seasons on the sidelines for the Springers.

"At some point in time, you've got to get off the Ferris wheel," Lancaster told the Richmond Times-Dispatch's Eric Kolenich. "I've had a wonderful ride. I really have."

Lancaster, 71, came to Highland Springs in 1979 after beginning his coaching career at Bluestone Junior High in Mecklenburg, then spending six seasons at Huguenot (three coaching the junior varsity, three coaching the varsity). He led the Springers to a pair of State Championships in 2003 and 2007.

"I always said that seven is a magic number for me. Every seven years since I was a young adult, about 30 or 35, I always re-evaluated my life, my profession. When I became 70 years old, I sort of decided it would be a good time to retire," Lancaster told VirginiaPreps.com.

"We all in the coaching ranks have surrounded ourselves by good people. I've been supported by family, friends, players, parents, administrators, the media. It's been an honor and a privilege to serve."

The milestones and memories are countless, yet a couple stick out besides hoisting the two State Championship trophies. One was in December of 2010 when Jarvis Threatt, who went on to play at Delaware, drained a 75-footer at the buzzer to lift the Springers past Hopewell and give Lancaster his 600th win. Another came this past season on January 14, 2006 against Capital District rival Varina, when Lancaster achieved his 700th victory.

His coaching career ended in a 61-53 loss to eventual 5A State Tournament runner-up L.C. Bird in the Conference 12 Tournament Semifinals. Ironically that came against former assistant coach Troy Manns, who views Lancaster as one of the biggest mentors and influences on him. The Springers finished out the season an even 12-12 overall.

With 704 wins, Lancaster places fourth in VHSL history, only behind the likes of Robert E. Lee-Staunton's Paul Hatcher (897 victories), Hopewell's Bill Littlepage (755 wins) and Maury's Jack Baker (728 wins). Baker is the lone active Head Coach of the bunch as he just wrapped up his 40th season with the Commodores.

"I believe that I gave all that I had to give every moment that I was there. I don't know if I measured up to others' standards, but I gave all that I had," Lancaster noted.

"In Micah 6, the question is asked, 'In what does the Lord require of us?' I think the answer is to be just, to be fair and to have mercy. I've tried to be fair with people. I've been just. I probably didn't have any mercy on officials (laughing). That's a regret. But I did the best that I could within those guidelines."

In 2013, Lancaster was inducted into the VHSL Hall of Fame.

To those that know him best, he was a Hall of Famer on - and off - the court.

"George Lancaster will forever be an integral part of High School Basketball in the state of Virginia. His influence can be seen throughout the state. There is not a day that goes by where I do not hear his voice in my head - whether it's a funny story, basketball advice or life advice. He has played a major role in the lives of so many student-athletes over three decades and his impact will be felt for years to come."

- - L.C. Bird Head Coach Troy Manns, a protege and former assistant of Lancaster's at Highland Springs who led the Skyhawks to a region title and trip to the 5A State Championship game this past March.

"One of the nicest coaches around. To my knowledge, he got along with everyone. His teams were always well-disciplined and well-coached. They never beat themselves. To me his legacy will not only be as an outstanding basketball coach, but also for being a person willing to help another human being. He truly cared about the well being of his players and his friends. He will be missed in the coaching fraternity."

- - Maury Head Coach Jack Baker, who is 3rd in VHSL history with 728 wins through the 2015-16 campaign. Baker's Maury squad fell to Lancaster's Springers 50-37 in the 2003 AAA State Semifinals.

"One of the father figures of basketball and people stepped down today. A class act. One of those guys that would do anything he could to help you and a guy who genuinely cares about people, cares about the game of basketball and the person behind the jersey more than the game. Coach Lancaster epitomizes what it means to be a coach and elevated the word coach. He's in a class of his own. If there was a Mount Rushmore of coaches, you would have to say he'd be one of those faces in the Mount Rushmore with guys like Coach [Bill] Lawson, Coach Littlepage, Coach Hatcher."

- - John Marshall Head Coach Ty White, who went up against Lancaster with the Justices and as an assistant at Petersburg.

Matthew Hatfield serves as State Basketball Analyst for VirginiaPreps.com, part of the Rivals.com Network, and is a staff writer for Tar Heel Illustrated. Check out Hatfield’s Twitter page for more sports related updates, and you can also read his work in the Suffolk News Herald. To contact Matthew, please e-mail hatfieldsports2k4@yahoo.com, and don’t forget to listen to him every Saturday at 10 AM on ESPN Radio 94.1, plus watch him on the Cox 11 Sports Report.