Can you remember...?

Do you remember???

Life was sooo much fun!!

Coach Bowles, the B.A.I., words to the Alma Mater, the Electric Eye, Ben Franklin's 5&10, 8 track tapes, Madras shirts with loops, Coach Dannaway, the Frost Top, Senior courtyard..parking lot..iced tea, air conditioning (there wasn't any), WAGN radio, morning announcements, 10 cent Krystals, 60 cent lunches, cell phones and home computers (just checking to see if you were paying attention), Mrs. Eskew, Woodstock 1969, Bobby Blackwelder, woods across the street instead of a Target or Richway store, Apollo 11, the Miracle Mets, those awful gym outfits, coulottes, who  John Romaine was, the Scroll, "ya'll yell", the Pep band at basketball games, bringing coaches burgers after a trip to Sandy's, love beads, saddle oxfords (aka "light bulbs"), any ideas from you?

If any of these items slipped your mind, a visit to the class reunion will help refresh your memory!

Those are these people?

Some of us never recovered from this!

Cheap tickets

I can hear the fight song now!!

Hullabaloo!!!

Yes, its the infamous Troll Doll! Admit you had one!

Who watched Now Explosion?

Do You Know Where You're Going To?

Do you have COOTIES???

Did you ever wonder what was inside?

Our special thanks to former Baron and former neighbor Alan Ulman for a great job on this site

http://briarcliffbarons.blogspot.com/

 

 

BHS Shield (Volume I, 1958-1959) Sports Section
 

 

The BRIARCLIFF BARONS ATHLETICS ARCHIVE documents the athletic teams and athletes from the opening of the high school in DeKalb County Georgia in 1958 to its closing in 1987.
 

 

Briarcliff opened in 1958 with 442 students, put its first football team on the field that fall and its first basketball team on the court that winter. By 1961 it had its first state-ranked athlete, by 1962 it had its first state championship team, and by 1964 enrollment reached an all-time high of 2,470. Briarcliff athletes competed in each of the school's 29 years. They won 101 individual state championships, and hundreds more placed at the state, region and county levels. Sixteen wrestling, gymnastics, soccer and swimming teams won state championships, and another 48 teams earned top-ten state rankings. Throughout the decades of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, baseball, basketball and soccer teams qualified for state playoffs. Five football teams had winning or break-even seasons, one earned a state-ranking, and several upset state-ranked teams.  By 1986, enrollment had declined back into the 400 range, and as Briarcliff was preparing to close after the 1987 school year, two of its most winning teams did it one last time:  wrestling won its region and then finished 7th in state, and baseball finished strong at 18-9.

While you won't hear "Go Barons!" at any more games, you are welcome to visit BRIARCLIFF BARONS ATHLETICS ARCHIVE anytime.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Timeline

 

 

 

 

Briarcliff High School, DeKalb County Georgia, 1958-1987
 

 

1956 - DeKalb enrollment increased, with Druid Hills High School especially overcrowded, so the County approved a new school for West-Central DeKalb and purchased 21.77 acres of land, on North Druid Hills Road, that had been part of Tuggle Daries.

1957 - T. C. Brittain Construction Company of Decatur began building BHS.

1958 - The County divided DHHS' district into two, one for DHHS and one for BHS, which opened with 442 8th and 9th grade students under Principal Harold Schuler and 15 teachers. The original campus included "A" hall (offices), "B" hall (12 classrooms) and the cafeteria at a cost of $546,000, including land. BHS colors, originally maroon and gold, became blue and silver. Coach Sam Black named BHS students Barons, and an armored knight on horseback became the BHS emblem. Students published first editions of the BHS newspaper, Scroll, and yearbook, Shield. Football completed its first season.

1959 - BHS added 10th grade. Boys basketball completed its first season.

1960 - BHS added 11th grade, enrollment increased to 1,202 students, and BHS began to experience overcrowding. BHS athletics teams were assigned to Region 4AA. Girls swimming became the first state-ranked team in BHS history finishing 9th in state. Baseball, track and wrestling completed their first seasons.

1961 - BHS enrollment increased to 1,642 students. Abco Builders completed construction of "C" and "D" halls (41 classrooms and nine labs for science, home economics, art and language), a library, a gymnasium (capacity: 1,600), music and industrial arts buildings at a cost of $1.4 million. On April 30 Mrs. Margaret Harris, Superintendent Jim Cherry and Reverend Max Milligan dedicated BHS. Girls swimming finished 2nd in state. Wrestling finished 5th in state. Cross country and girls basketball completed their first seasons. In November Adams Memorial Stadium opened at a cost of $318,000. In the final game of their fourth season, BHS played the first game ever at Adams (pictured below). The DeKalb New Era reported,

"The Briarcliff Barons fulfilled their part of the opening ceremonies of the new Adams Memorial Stadium last Friday night with a 13-0 victory over Druid Hills ... Even though the night was cold the 8,000 capacity mark was almost reached as fans crowded into the new stands."

 Briarcliff's Henry "Birdnest" Faucette and Freddy Chance scored the first two touchdowns at Adams. Today Adams is one of five stadiums in DeKalb County: http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/instruction/athletics/stadiums.html
 

First game at Adams Memorial Stadium:
Briarcliff 13, Druid Hills 0
 

 

1962 - BHS graduated its first senior class. BHS athletics teams were reassigned to Region 4AAA. Girls swimming finished 1st in state. Wrestling finished 1st in state. Boys basketball finished 12-10 and in the playoffs. Football upset region champion Decatur.
 

 

1963 - BHS celebrated its 5th anniversary. Russell Clark became Principal. Wrestling finished 1st in state. Cross country, girls swimming, and boys track each finished 3rd in state, and track defeated the 1962 state champion, Southwest High School (Atlanta). Boys swimming finished 8th in state. Girls basketball finished 15-7. Football upset 2nd-ranked Tucker and 5th-ranked Decatur. Gymnastics and tennis completed their first seasons.
 

 

1964 - BHS enrollment reached its all-time high of 2,470. Girls swimming finished 1st in state. Wrestling finished 1st in state. Track finished 4th in state. Boys swimming finished 6th in state. Cross country finished 10th in state. Football finished 4-3-3, its first winning season. Girls basketball finished 14-6.
 

 

1965 - BHS overcrowding was relieved by Lakeside High School opening. John Bolin became Principal. Wrestling finished 1st in state. Track finished 2nd in state, the best finish in BHS history. Boys swimming finished 8th in state. Football finished 5-4-1, its second consecutive winning season and tied for best record in BHS history.
 

 

1966 - Harry Jaynes become Principal. Wrestling finished 1st in state. Track finished 3rd in state. Girls swimming finished 7th in state. Boys swimming finished 8th in state. Boys basketball finished with the best record in BHS history (22-4), won the Cross Keys Invitational Tournament, and advanced to the playoffs. Girls basketball advanced to the playoffs. Football started 1-0 and was ranked 10th in state, its first and only state ranking. Girls gymnastics finished 1st in county (the highest level of competition).
 

 

1967 - Wrestling finished 1st in state. Boys swimming finished 5th in state. Girls swimming finished 9th in state. Girls gymnastics finished 1st in county (the highest level of competition). Boys basketball finished 17-5 and won the Cross Keys Invitational Tournament. Baron girls basketball finished 14-5. Football upset Southwest DeKalb, ranked 6th in state the previous season.
 

 

1968 - BHS celebrated its 10th anniversary. BHS athletics teams were reassigned to Region 8AAA. Girls swimming finished 1st in state. Soccer finished 1st in state. Wrestling finished 5th in state. Girls basketball finished 13-6 and in the playoffs. Girls gymnastics finished 1st in county (the highest level of competition). Boys basketball finished 17-6 and upset Decatur, ranked 1st in state, on BHS Homecoming.
 

 

1969 - Girls gymnastics finished 2nd in state. Girls swimming finished 4th in state. Wrestling finished 10th in state. Five BHS tennis players won state championships, the most in BHS history. Soccer finished 8-1-1. Boys basketball finished 13-9.
 

 

1970 - Ernest Hallford became Principal. Wrestling finished 9th in state. Soccer finished 9-2 and in the playoffs