BBCMOM, thanks for the in-put about the team. You can assure those 17 players that they have our support until the final gun.

I & M

I second that!

Horace

I know this idea will be considered by some to rebellious, out of the question, a none starter. BUT reality being what it is I am of a mind to consider a trial balloon that was tossed up in these parts a number of years ago....Consolidate the football teams in Sylacauga. WHAT? Why? you may ask. Well as much as we all believe in the kids at Comer and respect the effort that they make and all that the coaches give to them I believe that we must seek another solution. In 1949 there were 52 players dressed for the "A" team, in 1951 there were 31, in 1953 there were 29 in 1954 there were 22...The basketball "A" team dressed 8 players in 54. From 1954 until about 2006 I had no knowledge of what was going on, but everybody around Sylacauga has grown and/or consolidated while leaving us behind. Many, many people have given it their all, some in recent years(and I do not speak of players here)clearly HAVE NOT. There seems to have fallen upon our Alma Mater sense of deapair. Seventeen players cannot compete in today's world. THIS BY NO MEANS BELITTLES THE VALIANT YOUNG MEN WHO DON THEIR ARMOUR WEEK AFTER WEEK AND GIVE IT THEIR ALL. It seems to me to have come down to a numbers game. The demise and final disappearance of Sylacauga's most import industry and emloyer has had as much to do with that I suspect as anything else.

I am reminded of a prosperous little town called Hopedale, Massachusetts. When I lived and worked next door in Milford, MA in the late 50's early 60's Hopedale was the home of the Draper Corporation. If you have ever visited an Avondale weave room you will immediately recognize the name Draper. Most of the looms utilized by Avondale were made in the foundries of the Draper Corporation in Hopedale. When the cotton mills, moved to South America and Asia or in the case of Avondale died, or perhaps better said were destroyed, Draper was no longer a player. Hopedale began to dry up on the vine like an unattended grape vine. Hopedale could still field basketball and baseball teams but the numbers game did their football program in...as it did in a nearby town of Millis...a perenial Hopedale opponent. The two programs saw the end in sight and cool heads proposed a merger...they did it(it wasn't easy) and today while the players live in two different towns and attend two schools they come together under the Friday night lights and play winning football.

Now, you say, but they were two different towns and two different school systems...I say So What...nobody, absolutely NOBODY Loves BB Comer School more that I do...but I love Sylacauga even more. My heart aches when I see most of the Sylacauga students now attending SHS while Comer is left in the dust. SHS seems to get stronger every year and their crowds probably grow in number...If the Comer guys were brought into that system just think how much stronger it could be and all of Sylacauga, if we all just buried the enmity that has existed on the football field in early November and went after our common foes as one united Army.

OK if you want to burn a cross I live at 56113 Finches Court in Fort Mill South Carolina...a town just like Sylacauga with a rotting empty cotton mill building. We could have the renewed hope of HOPEDALE and MILLIS.

Horace

Mr Horace, I am Comer to my core. Folks are starting to mention this more and more. Clay County just did this very thing and the students are adapting better than the grown folks. I would just about curl up, but I would support it and I would make sure "OUR" boys got a fair chance. Politics is a huge factor in our little town, but I think it would work. Let me go on record and say this, Glad me and mine are out before it happens!

Yes, but both of the schools in Clay County were county schools. With Sylacauga being a city school and Comer a county school not sure how that would work out. I would hate for that to happen and it mean a loss of jobs for school personel at either school. I would bet that if Comer and Sylacauga combined Comer would not be a part of the new name. Lots of folks (including me) would not like that. Just my thoughts but should do what is best for the kids and teachers regardless of our feelings.

I understand your point Mike and agree...I don't think it would hurt though if some honest folks(whomever they might be...the selection of that group may be the toughset job) sat down and looked at the feasabilty of the idea to see if it could be done. I really wasn't talking about conbining the schools, just the football teams as was done in the Hopedale situation. I suspect Basketball and Baseball can survive at Comer..

Horace

Yes Horace I realized what you meant but in Alabama I don't think the AHSAA will let you combine two teams if they are seperate schools. I could be wrong but I am pretty sure that is the rule here.

Bus Winterboro High School students into BBC. Winterboro is one of only two county schools that doesn't have a new building. Winterboro building could be used for lower grades. Call it "Comer-Win"!!

Re-draw the school district lines from Winterboro to Childersburg.

When I was questioned about the possibility it was suggested that several folks from both schools would come together to name it and find a fair mascot and colors. Here is mine: Marble City High School. Home of the Quarrymen and colors Comer Gold and Cardinal Red.

You know I was thinking of perhaps Fayettville if a school consolidation were possible and I was also thinking of Marble City High School for a name. Many of us over the years travelled a lot farther to school than such an action might bring about today. Winterboro also crossed my mind but has the Honda growth put them in a more highly concentrated population area? I was also thinking,in retrospect, that Sylacauga might not be the best match for all of the gut feelings among student body and alumni. They are also in a higher athletic classification. Putting Comer (High School or football program) together with another school of similar size might also cause that entity to be placed into a higher athletic classification. History shows that it can work, athletically, economically and pretty soon a whole new set of allegiances will emerge. Again I know this could be pouring some salt albeit quite diluted, into the wound BUT Our Time Has Come and almost Gone...my class will soon be celebrating 60 years and each celebration brings with it a smaller crowd...don't mean to be morbid but REALITY IS WHAT IT IS and we all know(well most of do, some presidents aren't entirely sure)what IS means.
I like this discussion and the civility of it. I was even pleasantly surprise when BBComermom jumped with some very positive ideas.

Horace

BBCMOM...now, you have put some thought in this and I like it. Besides that, people have trouble spelling Sylacauga and Marble just comes out pretty good. I have thought for a long time that the combination would be a real powerhouse on the field, both football and band. Sylacauga City has done this to Comer by annexing more and more so it appears there is no other way really. It appears that north and east could be bused to Winterboro and south and west to Fayetville and would not put a burden on anyone that could not be worked out. Comer's facility will still be the choice campus but "smart" people could work to make it beneficial to all. It will take a generation to really get over the shock but has anyone considered what might be best for the kids?

BTW BBCMOM...Please don't call me Mister. Horace is bad enough but Mr. Horace is downright depressing.

Horace

In reply to BBCMOM's first post in this thread...when we first moved to Dairyland in 1943 or 44...there was a rather large Bradley family living in the 4 plex next to ours..probably Apt..5B...they had several kids much older than I (8 yrs of age)...Could have been one of them...I know this is of no value but it just came to me as I was reading through this today.

Horac