James F. Byrnes High School
| James F. Byrnes High School | |
|---|---|
Discere est Vincere
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| Address | |
| 150 East Main Street Duncan, South Carolina 29301 United States |
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| Information | |
| Funding type | Public |
| School district | Spartanburg County School District 5 |
| Superintendent | Scott Turner |
| CEEB Code | 410670 |
| Principal | Dr. Jeff Rogers |
| Faculty | 97 |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 1,654 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 17:1 |
| Color(s) | Blue and Gray |
| Mascot | Rebel |
| Newspaper | The Spotlight |
| Website | Official website |
James F. Byrnes High School is located in Duncan, South Carolina. The school has 2289 students enrolled as of the 2008–2009 school year. It is the only high school in Spartanburg District 5. The James F. Byrnes Freshman Academy is located at the former D. R. Hill Middle School. Currently, there are 1,560 students served by 139 faculty and staff members. There are approximately 600 students in the Byrnes Freshman Academy. Throughout its history, Byrnes has experienced a large amount of success in athletics most notably their Football team. The Rebels have won 2 State Championships in Football.[1]
Contents
History
James F. Byrnes High School was built in 1955 at a cost of $1,000,000. The school was named after James F. Byrnes, the most distinguished South Carolinian of his time.. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, was a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Director of War Mobilization during World War II, U.S. Secretary of State under President Harry Truman and completed his political career as Governor of South Carolina 1951-1955. When the school was built there were 21 teachers and 500 students in grades 9-12. In 1969, the school integrated, moving all the African-American students from Florence Chapel School to Byrnes. In 2007, the ninth grade moved to a separate facility.[2]
Extracurricular activities
Fine Arts
James F. Byrnes High School has recently become one of the most prestigious schools in South Carolina for the Fine Arts. Most prominent is the marching band nicknamed "The Rebel Regiment" which has won 10 State Championships. The school is also starting to become highly recognized for its theater department nicknamed"The Rebel Theater Company". They have won state four times in five years, most recently in 2014. They have competed at SETC (South Eastern Theater Convention) against 20 of the best schools from ten states. In 2013, Their show Women of Troy won second at SETC, including All Star Cast Awards and the Best Actress award.
Athletics
Throughout the school's history, the Rebels have won a total of thirty-six state championships in all sports.[1]
Football
The Byrnes High School football team has experienced a large amount of success throughout its history. The Rebels have won two state championships in football, including two under Bobby Bentley.[1] The Rebel football team competes on Nixon Field, located behind J. F. Byrnes High School. The field is named in honor of D. M. Nixon. Mr. Nixon was a former superintendent of District Five Schools and served from 1956 until his retirement in 1965.[3]
In 2008 the Rebels began the season as the number one team in the country according to The USA Today newspaper and held that spot until a regular season loss dropped them in the polls. They regrouped and won their ninth state championship to finish that season. In 2009, Byrnes began the season as the No. 2 ranked team in the nation according to MaxPreps.com. Also in 2009, the Rebels played the defending national champions, St. Thomas Aquinas High School of Fort Lauderdale, FL on October 2, 2009. St. Thomas Aquinas defeated Byrnes by a score of 42-34. Byrnes defeated Gaffney 31-24 on December 3, 2011 to win their 2nd state title.[4]
State championships
| State Championships[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Sport | Number of Championships | Year |
| Fall | Marching band | 10 | 1983, 1988, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006 |
| Football | 2 | 2010, 2011 | |
| Cross Country, Boys | 2 | 2000, 2001 | |
| Volleyball | 4 | 1979, 1982, 1986, 2008 | |
| Winter | Wrestling | 1 | 1981 |
| Basketball, Boys | 2 | 1976, 1990 | |
| Basketball, Girls | 4 | 1960, 1961, 1962, 1965 | |
| Spring | Softball | 2 | 1991, 2005, 2006, 2014 |
| Total | 27 | ||
Notable alumni
- Everett Dawkins: Tampa Bay Buccaneers and former Florida State University defensive tackle
- Chas Dodd: Rutgers University quarterback, All-Big East Freshman Team
- Trey Elder: Appalachian State wide receivers coach and former quarterback, 2003 SC Mr. Football
- Marcus Lattimore: San Francisco 49ers and former University of South Carolina running back, National Freshman of the Year, 2009 SC Mr. Football
- Samuel J. Locklear: US Navy 4-Star Admiral
- Prince Miller: Saskatchewan Roughriders and former Detroit Lions and University of Georgia cornerback, 2005 SC Mr. Football
- Matt Quinn: Vanderbilt University and Presbyterian College (2010) wide receiver. 2009 All-Big South Selection. Current offensive coordinator at Westwood High in Columbia, SC.
- Bradley Robinson: Edmonton Eskimos and former Middle Tennessee State University cornerback
- Bobby Bentley:: Auburn University Football staff 2014-present and former Presbyterian College Head Football Coach
- Preston Bailey:: Central Florida Jags Wide Receiver and former The Citadel wide receiver and special teams specialist and blocking enthusiast.
