Choosing a high school in our town in 1978 was a big deal. Basically, you were choosing sides, claiming territory, and placing loyalties that would never be changed. It was either Bradshaw or Coffee. This rivalry was fierce. In our day, the rivalry between Bradshaw and Coffee was worse than that of Alabama Auburn.
Everything from vandalism to bad jokes were hurled back and forth. There were jokes about the school in the cow pasture (Bradshaw) and the school on goat hill (Coffee). One tradition that happened was the painting of various things on one another’s property. This happened so much that Bradshaw actually placed a large rock in front of the school that could be painted called the “graffiti rock.” During rival week, one could expect any number of “events” to take place.
In my junior high school, Weeden, the majority of people chose Coffee. It was actually closer to the people in our community is the biggest reason I’m guessing. However, my family leaned toward Bradshaw. My cousins went there and back then I did just about anything my cousin Donnie did. I had heard, too, that their band program was a bit stronger. Also there were important things like which school had the best colors. I did not like the colors black and gold together and there was something just not too appealing to me about being a “Yellowjacket.” Bradshaw had the colors orange and brown. They were unique. No one looked like that. They had a Bruin (large bear) as a mascot too–much stronger than bees a buzzin!
It was such a rare thing to choose Bradshaw over Coffee from our school that only one other student (my good friend Fonda Fletcher) and myself from our junior high school band chose that school. Both of us chose it because of the band.
Even though it was rare to choose this school, I’m so glad I did. I made friends that will always be in my heart and some with whom I still hang out. The class I graduated with in 1982 were very close. We had 292 students in that class and I certainly did not know them all, but many I did know and still have fond memories of most of them.
The rivalry between these schools no longer exists. The city decided a few years ago to combine the schools and make “Florence High School.” It was a decision that I have not liked since the day it came to pass. It seemed for many of us to take away a special tradition that will never be able to happen again.
June 6th, 2011 at 7:31 am
Go ye mighty bruins
Raise your sound
Everybody knows you’re best
Dear Orange and Brown
So win you mighty bruins
May you never fall
And when the battle’s o’re
the bears will
CONQUER ALL!
I can’t believe I remember that! Go Bruins!
June 6th, 2011 at 10:44 pm
Great job Teri! Remember these?
When back we look
Successes prove our all enduring will.
To see the mark we’ve set so high,
Move ever skyward still.
The mark of the bruin has now been made.
It’s highest challenge we will not evade.
Yes, Bradshaw dear Bradshaw will forever be.
In our hearts through eternity…
Bradshaw, dear Bradshaw.
June 7th, 2011 at 12:06 pm
So sad about that whole Florence Falcons thing. The song is right… Bradshaw, dear Bradshaw!
June 7th, 2011 at 7:45 pm
Being a Mars Hill grad, we paid little attention to the whole competition between Bradshaw and Coffee, but after graduating from college, I started calling high school basketball and calling one of those games was always thrilling. I remember working games when Lyman Mitchell was the star. He became a family physician to my mother and mother in law. I’m getting old.
October 10th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Keith, I started at BHS the year after you left, and did 4 years in the band. Those were the days. I have been in Nashville for 23 years, and I wish my daughter could have experienced the BHS_CHS rivalry and all that went with it. Every time I see another gun found in a Nashville school or read about another school not meeting standards, I miss Bradshaw dear Bradshaw.
October 12th, 2012 at 4:23 pm
Unfortunately, Bradshaw was built for the baby boom, back when Coffee ended up with about 3000 students in the 60s. When the baby boomers were done with school, enrollment started dropping like a rock, and combining that with the economic disaster that was the 80s and 90s in Florence, it was just a matter of time. I think both schools were running about 600-700 students apiece the last year before “FHS” came along. Remember, the last time Florence did not register a population loss in the census was 1980.