Sheffield

A November Message from Superintendent Dr. Carlos Nelson

"A Season of Thanks — and a Stadium Full of Memories"

November is the season of thanks, and there is no better time to say it plainly: I am thankful for Sheffield City Schools, and I am thankful for this community. I am thankful for our students, who show up every day ready to learn, to work hard, and to take care of one another. I am thankful for our families, who trust us with their children, who cheer from the stands and the sidelines, who volunteer, who show up for conferences, concerts, and games, and who remind us why this work matters. I am thankful for our teachers and staff, who give far more than a school day asks of them. And I am thankful for our community partners, neighbors, and alumni, who keep opening doors and creating new opportunities for Sheffield students. A school district is only as strong as the people who stand behind it, and Sheffield stands strong. That is why this month's newsletter carries a special tribute; to a place that has held so many of those people, across so many years, under one set of lights: Walton R. Wright Stadium.

The Man Behind the Name

The stadium bears the name of a man who gave Sheffield nearly three decades of his life. Walton Wright came to Sheffield High School in 1937 and stayed for 28 seasons as head football coach. His very first team went 8-1, and his 1943 and 1944 teams finished a perfect 9-0. He started Sheffield's baseball program in 1946 and coached in the state's first All-Star football game in 1948. In 1999, the stadium was named for Coach Wright, and he was later inducted into the Alabama High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame. When we say his name, we are remembering a coach who built a program, and a man who built young people.

A Place of Memories

For generations, Walton R. Wright Stadium has been more than a football field. It has been the place where this community gathers. It is where Friday nights have unfolded under the lights; the band striking up, the cheerleaders leading the crowd, and the Bulldogs taking the field in purple and gold. It is where track athletes have raced down the home stretch, where field days have filled the grass with our youngest students, and where our graduates have walked across the field to receive their diplomas, families cheering from the bleachers. Homecomings, pep rallies, band performances, and special events have all found a home inside those fences. If you grew up in Sheffield, chances are some of your best memories live in that stadium.

The Thanksgiving Tradition

No tradition captures the stadium's spirit better than the Sheffield–Coffee Thanksgiving Day game. For 38 years, from 1926 through 1963, the Sheffield Bulldogs and the Coffee Yellow Jackets met on Thanksgiving Day in a daytime game that felt like a bowl game, drawing fans from across the Shoals and beyond. The series was nearly even the whole way; Coffee won 19, Sheffield won 16, and three games ended in ties and the players on both sides laid everything on the line for their schools. Sheffield's biggest win in the series was a 59-0 shutout in 1929. When the final Thanksgiving game was played in 1963, Joe Gilbert scored Sheffield's last touchdown of the series. The game itself is gone, but the homecoming spirit it created, families coming home, old friends finding each other in the stands, a whole town pausing to be together never left. It lives on in every homecoming we celebrate today.

Championship Teams and Record Nights

The Bulldogs have given this stadium plenty to cheer about. Sheffield's football teams won region championships in 1974, 1977, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, and 2001. The 1974 team won the school's first playoff game, its first 10-win season, and its first region championship, and carried Sheffield all the way to the Class 3A State Championship game. The 1985 team posted the school's first 11-win season, and the 2001 team put together the school's first 10-0 regular season and first 12-win season. The record book has some unforgettable nights in it, too. The 1929 team finished the school's first undefeated season. The 1946 team won 26 consecutive games. And in 1953, the Bulldogs set team records that still stand out-- 82 points in a single game and a 75-point margin of victory. Beyond football, the stadium has hosted the full range of Bulldog pride: band performances that set the tone on Friday nights, cheer squads that kept the crowd on its feet, and track teams that have competed for area, region, and state honors on the track around the field. Every one of those young people: football player, band member, cheerleader and runner added a thread to the stadium's story.

Thank You to the Builders of the Legacy

A stadium is concrete and grass and bleachers. A legacy is people. So thank you to the coaches who taught far more than a game; to the players who wore the purple and gold with pride; to the band directors and cheer sponsors; to the fans who filled the stands in every kind of weather; to the graduates who came back to watch the next generation, and to every family who made a Friday night at Wright Stadium part of their family's story. You built the legacy in this place and it is yours.

Last week's final game against Clements closed a chapter. The larger stadium renovation begins this month, bringing a new press box, upgraded bleachers, improved concessions, and updated restroom facilities, with completion expected by July 2027 with a new track to follow. So when the Bulldogs return to a renewed Walton R. Wright Stadium, they will run onto a field their grandparents cheered on, in a stadium made new for their children.

This Is Not the End

Let me say this clearly: This is not the end of Walton R. Wright Stadium. It is a turning of the page. The traditions built here: the Thanksgiving mornings, the championship seasons, the graduations, the band's first notes under the lights do not end when construction begins. They wait, and they grow. It is now the turn of a new generation of Sheffield students to add their own chapters, their own big nights, their own victories, their own memories. We thank those who built this stadium and left a legacy for us to follow, and we promise to hand it to the next generation even better than we found it.

Looking Ahead with Gratitude

We are excited about the academic achievement of Sheffield City Schools. Our students are working hard, our teachers are teaching with purpose, and our families are partnering with us every step of the way. We look forward to sharing and celebrating our students' achievement and our district report card grade soon, and to celebrating together what our young people accomplish.

As we head into the Thanksgiving break, I wish every Sheffield family a wonderful Thanksgiving. Take the time to reflect on everything we have to be thankful for including our children, our families, our friends, our schools, our community and especially the things we so often take for granted: a safe school, a caring teacher, a neighbor who checks in, a Friday night together. Those are the real gifts, and they are all around us.

As the old saying goes, "Gratitude is the memory of the heart." May this November fill your hearts with memories and may the memories we make together at Walton R. Wright Stadium carry us proudly into the years ahead.

With gratitude,

Carlos Nelson, Ed.D

Superintendent, Sheffield City Schools

On October 4, the SHS auditorium officially took on the name, Howard C. Jaggers Auditorium. Jaggers left an indelible impression on the school district and community during his tenure as SHS principal from 1970-1992. The auditorium dedication drew a large crowd of his former students, employees and longtime friends. Thank you to the Sheffield Education Foundation for organizing this special event honoring a truly extraordinary educator whose impact on Sheffield City Schools will be felt for generations to come.

This year's Registry of Honor awardees were Rob Barber, Brad Bernard, Cornelia Burns Holland, and Ed Vengrouskie. Accepting the honor on behalf of Cornelia Burns Holland was John Blackwell. Congratulations to all the recipients, as you are further proof that Sheffield City Schools has long produced successful individuals who have contributed greatly to society in numerous capacities. We are truly honored to call you Sheffield alumni.

Congratulations to SHS 2026 Homecoming Queen Elyse Holcomb. The Homecoming Court was stunning and each young lady represented her class well. Also, thank you to Z-Factor and its student leaders for sponsoring such a fun Homecoming dance and providing the wonderful venue at the RMP multi-purpose auditorium.

RESCUE ME PROJECT founder Dewayne Malone and company held a school wide assembly at SHS challenging students to "Level Up" by taking initiative for the direction of their lives. The four shared personal stories of their own challenges and how they overcame them. It was inspiring for students and school personnel. Thank you, RMP, for investing in the students of SCS and making a difference in their lives.

It was a great day to celebrate SHS's brand new Modern Manufacturing Program on National Manufacturing Day! Community/business and industry leaders joined Mrs. Bradford and MMP students to get a first-hand look at the new classroom/lab and learn more about the program. We appreciate those who came and celebrated with us!

Our MMP Center of Excellence-sponsored Modern Manufacturing Program is honored to begin a second major industrial partnership with Lockheed Martin, Inc. Through this aerospace corporation partnership, students will continue to add to their vast array of workforce skills. Diversity in training and skill is the goal set by the state of Alabama as we do our part to start the process for building the strongest Alabama (and beyond) workforce ever! Along with our Project XYZ, Inc. partnership, our SHS manufacturing classes are gaining valuable experience and credentials to propel them into high-paying professional careers in some of the nation's most sustainable industries. The future is bright for these students!

This school year, so far, has been my busiest yet--and I'm not complaining! With the busy has come great opportunities for SCS students and employees in all the schools.We've had traveling exhibits like the Be Pro Be Proud mobile workshop come to us, and we've gone out to explore our community's resources through our local colleges and workforce. We've had music and visual arts artists-in-residence at LEW and TPS, respectively, and our students have been the beneficiaries of many wonderful experiences. We've forged major business partnerships with the likes of Project XYZ, Inc. and Lockheed Martin Corp. which will give our students in the new Modern Manufacturing Program a significant workforce advantage after high school. But there's still so much more to come---more opportunities for our students, more building towards our future with the likes of a brand new state-of-the-art stadium and the introduction of new programs later this year for the 2027-28 school year. I'm honored to be a small part of such a progressive school district. My door is always open to those with fresh ideas for events, programs and adventures for our students, with the endgame of life success! It's indeed a privilege to work for the students and families of Sheffield!

L. Rickman

For the last time, in Walton R. Wright stadium as we know it, senior athletes and band members were honored on Oct. 30, 2026. These students, their families and the Sheffield community will carry fond memories of this stadium into our next chapter with the creation of a brand new stadium.

November of 2023 marked the beginning of the Center of the Shoals fundraising campaign for Sheffield City Schools. The 3-year goal was for the purpose of providing digital signage for the three schools in our district that didn't have it. It was an ambitious goal, with an estimated need of $75,000, collectively, for the signs. I am beyond thankful to be able to announce that in less than that amount of time, this school district raised $95,026. The money came through no-match grants, like RC&D, The Colbert County Legislative Commission, The Sheffield Education Foundation, and the Logan Foundation. The City of Sheffield Mayor and Council and Sheffield Kiwanis also supported the campaign financially as well as every individual who attended a Celebrity Serve Dinner (thank you, Red Clay Table) or Taste of Sheffield Tasting Fair event. The individual donors are too numerous to name, but please know, we APPRECIATE YOU. And, we appreciate our school district personnel for their constant support of fundraising efforts, both with your financial giving and your volunteerism. I'd be remiss if I didn't publicly thank Dr. Carlos Nelson who back in 2023 offered much encouragement when presented with this fundraising campaign idea and trusted his new public relations director with the logistics. She learned quickly that NO COMMUNITY out-gives THIS COMMUNITY! It's great to be a Sheffield Bulldog!

Please remember that we are continuing to keep our fundraising portal available for future projects that benefit the entire district. With our digital signage project now complete, we will be gearing our attention to meeting other needs in all four of our schools. Donations may be taken to the central office (please mark to the attn. of Center of the Shoals Campaign) or through the following link: scsfundraising.com

Thank you for supporting YOUR schools through the Center of the Shoals Campaign!

L. Rickman

Website: www.scs.k12.al.us
Location: 300 West 6th Street, Sheffield, AL, USA
Phone: 256.383.0400
Facebook: facebook.com/scsbulldogs