re: Olympia Stadium (BR Catholic High Football)

It is a shame that kids in this area will never get to experience the days when district titles and playoff bids meant something. Area high school football was pretty intense come playoff time back in the day. There were only 4 classifications back then, and you actually had to earn your playoff bid. Only 4 state champions...not 9. No 1-9 teams made the playoffs.

The game I mentioned earlier when Tara and Broadmoor packed Memorial Stadium was the last game of the season. A district title was on the line. And even bigger than that, bragging rights were at stake, with Airline HIghway near the current mid-city being the cutoff. If you lived west of Airline, you went to Tara. East of Airline, you went to Broadmoor. It was a bitter rivalry....the likes of which are totally non-existent in BR these days.

Even though that rivalry was heated, it was nice to live in a city where communities and neighborhoods meant something. There was a lot of school spirit and pride because you went to the school in your neighborhood. And then the desegregation order came in the early 80's and ruined the schools, then eventually the neighborhoods, then finally the entire city.