Tag Archives: Georgia Sports

Granite Bowl, 1954, Elberton

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The Granite Bowl, home to Elbert County’s Blue Devils, is the most unique high school football stadium in Georgia. It was originally associated with Central High School. As you can see, I wasn’t able to get inside the facility, but still wanted to share. The sunken field is surrounded by seats of, you guessed it, Elberton granite, and after an expansion in 1961, it has a capacity of 20,000. The granite was donated by local companies and much of the work of installation was done by local volunteers. The Rock Gym, visible in the background, was completed in 1942.

The press box was part of the 1961 expansion and was designed by local architect James M. Hunt (1915-1993).

Forest Avenue Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

UGA Football Barn Sign, Revisited

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The UGA Football Barn Sign, as this old store or warehouse building is now known throughout Dawg Nation and beyond, has become a serious landmark, has its own social media presence, and has even been featured on t-shirts. It was already well-known when I first photographed it in 2010, and was a sign for many travelers on the road to Athens that they were getting just a bit closer to the nirvana of a weekend between the hedges. In some of UGA’s leaner years, the sign changed regularly to reflect on recent shortcomings and was a welcome beacon of tough love, when most observers weren’t willing to put it out there. It never disappoints, and the current message is the best. I just know if this old building were to fall down, there would probably still be a UGA Football Barn Sign.

Vince Dooley, 1932-2022

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Vince Dooley at the 2015 Georgia Writers Hall of Fame Ceremony, Athens

News of the death of Vince Dooley came at particularly tough time, as fans were beginning preparations for the big Georgia-Florida game weekend. Coach Dooley was revered for leading the Bulldogs to their legendary National Championship season in 1980 and transforming the program into a powerhouse, and there is plenty of information to be found about that online and in print. But he was much more than a sports personality and this a personal appreciation.

When I met him, by chance, at the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame ceremony in Athens in 2015, he was talking with some of that year’s inductees about their work. His genuine interest in arts and culture came as somewhat of a surprise to me but it was easy to see that this was just a part of who he was. Though he was often the center of attention when on the UGA campus, he came to events like this to celebrate others. He had no air of self-importance about him whatsoever. I was honored to be able to meet and photograph him.

After a tour in the Marines, while coaching at his alma mater, Auburn, Dooley obtained a master’s degree in history. This all happened before he began his storied career at Georgia, in 1964. His interest in history never wavered and in 2011 he was named a Trustee of the Georgia Historical Society, serving as chairman of the board from 2016-2018. In addition to this work, and tireless fundraising for a wide variety of causes, he found the time to be a master gardener.

He will be greatly missed but he leaves an amazing legacy.

Mr. Angel Monument, 2008, Eastman – The First Georgia Bulldog Mascot

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Before Sonny Seiler’s white English Bulldogs, known as the Ugas, came to prominence as the most recognizable collegiate mascots in the nation in 1956, there was Mr. Angel.

Mr. Angel was the first English bulldog to serve as the mascot for the University of Georgia. The brindle-and-white bulldog was owned by Dr. Warren A. Coleman of Eastman and served the school from 1944-1946, while Coleman’s daughter, Marie Coleman Wilson, was enrolled at the University.

Dr. Coleman’s home was located on the site of the present-day Magnolia State Bank in downtown Eastman, and upon his death, Mr. Angel was buried in the yard, hence the location of this monument at the site. The marker notes of Mr. Angel: His beautiful appearance and captivating personality inspired the athletes of the University of Georgia to insist English bulldogs remain as the school’s representative…

Mascot Trivia: Before Mr. Angel, the first known mascot to serve the University of Georgia was “The Goat”, who made appearances at two football games during the 1892 season. The first dog to serve as mascot was a Bull Terrier named Trilby, in 1894. After Mr. Angel, and before the Ugas, three other brindle bulldogs served: Butch, Tuffy, and Mike.

Red Elephant, Gainesville

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This is well-known around Gainesville as a rental sign. Gainesville High School’s sports teams are known as the Red Elephants, a moniker they’ve had since the 1920s. They are the only high school in the country with this mascot.

Pope Park, 1910, Sylvester

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Georgia is lucky to have three landmark minor league parks dating to the 1920s [Golden Park in Columbus (1926); Grayson Stadium in Savannah(1926); and Luther Williams Field in Macon (1929)], but none is as old as Sylvester’s historic Pope Park. It’s been in continuous use as a baseball venue since 1910.

Named for Colonel John D. Pope, it has hosted amateur, semi-pro, American Legion and county league teams throughout its history. It’s presently home to the Worth County Rams high school team. The wooden grandstand is a rare sight in the modern era of baseball and is the centerpiece of Pope Park. The property is maintained jointly by the City of Sylvester and Worth County High School.

UGA Football Barn Sign, Peacocks Crossing

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This old store at Peacock’s Crossing features regularly updated murals about the Georgia Bulldogs. Some are good and some are bad, depending on your perspective. [This one complains about the effectiveness of the University of Georgia’s head football coach Mark Richt. The artists obviously love the Bulldogs and think they could do better. No matter your loyalties, I think they make a valid point]. I photographed this one in 2010.

Check out the sign’s Facebook page.

 

Fitzgerald High School Football, 1948 State Champions

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Running back Lauren Hargrove (1930-2009), whose nickname was the Phantom, became a local celebrity in Fitzgerald for his role in the 1948 State Football championship, in which the Purple Hurricane beat Decatur. In these rare photographs, he’s being presented a new automobile by Pontiac dealer Albert McCormick. In today’s world, such a gift wouldn’t be possible, but it’s amazing what hometown pride meant in those days.

Lauren was running back for the Hurricane from 1945 until graduating in 1948. In that time he was All-State, All-Southern, and Prep All-American. He also had a distinguished career for the Georgia Bulldogs from 1950-52, and was a letterman in all three seasons.

It’s amazing to think of how many car dealerships there were in Fitzgerald, or any small town, back then.

There’s even a book about the 1948 season, called Purple and Gold Boys, by C. R. Adams.

 

Irwinville School Lunchroom

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This lunchroom, likely built in the early 1950s, is all that remains of the old Irwinville High School. It now serves as the Irwinville Community Center and hosts many community and family reunions. This school is best remembered for its basketball team, the Farmers, who won state championships in 1947, 1950, and 1951. The legendary Wallace “Country” Childs (1918-2006) was their formidable coach, and in the consecutive title years of 1950 and 1951 they chalked up 76 wins, a record only recently broken by Cuthbert’s Randolph-Clay High School.  The school closed in 1963.