As the New Woodruff High School Opens, Students of the Old Woodruff High Reflect on the Best of Times at their Beloved School
By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
Garrett@thewoodrufftimes.com
‘A loyal band are we.’
The second line of Woodruff High School’s alma mater is an indelible statement of fact for those who have walked its halls. We knew this day was coming; the day when Woodruff’s old high school would become Woodruff Middle School and the doors to our new high school would open.
The end of an era is a bittersweet moment, marked by a nostalgic fondness shared equally among the generations who called it home.
Literally raised from the ashes of its predecessor, which was heartlessly burned to the ground in 1987, and opened anew in 1989, for 37 years, students grew, learned, competed, and took their first steps into adulthood inside those rustic brick walls. The heart of Woodruff High School will always beat inside that building, regardless of the name on the sign, and the memories that remain from those whose lives crossed over the threshold will live on forever.
As one era ends and another begins, we offer a proper send-off to an old friend. These are those memories…in their own words.
Michael Edmonds- Class of 1990
“Class of 1990 here. It was pretty awesome being the first class of seniors to walk into the new building. We came out of the ashes for those who remember that.”
Beth Hodge Osteen- Class of 1990
“We were the first senior class to enter the new/old Woodruff High in 1990. All three years of high school, we had a different principal. Tenth grade Mr. Simpkins; eleventh grade, Mr. Harrell, and twelfth grade, Dr. (Rallie) Liston. We were at the ‘Ele-High’ after the fire in tenth and eleventh grade. I remember that it felt super strict our senior year at the new Woodruff High. No touching or leaning on the walls, etc., but we managed to have a fun year regardless.”
Genise Watson- Class of 1991
“We were the second class to graduate, and 35 years later, my son Thomas Watson was the last class to graduate. We had some great teachers who I loved, who have passed, Mrs. Barbara Ropp, Coach Gordon Godfrey for Drivers Ed, and Mrs. Moss’ typing class. Driver’s Ed with Coach Godfrey was so much fun. He had us driving everywhere.”
Jessica Pridemore Carpter- Class of 1991
“Our claim to fame, the class of 1991, the last class to graduate to have ever attended ‘Ele-High’. Oddly enough, my brother Matt, Class of 1990, was the first class to graduate from the now old high school. My favorite part of WHS was being a part of the now-defunct Woodruff High School newspaper and Maroon Moments. I still have all the issues in a box somewhere. My favorite memory of WHS was sharing Mrs. Ropp’s geometry class with my brother, and him thinking he was going to be smarter than me. The hardest memory of WHS, losing our friend and classmate, Miss Lynn Bennett, our senior year.
On another note…
The lockers had locks.
The floor had tape.
The designated bathrooms had designated times.
The faces were shaved.
The shorts were actually pants.”
Katina Rice-Davis- Class of 1992
“I was in the first class that attended 89/90, 90/91, 91/92. (all 3 years) and graduated from the new high school. Class of 1990 was the first graduating class, but class of 1992 was the first class to spend their entire high school years and then graduate in the new school.”
Andi S. Anderson- Class of 2002
“Ninth grade entrance of boos, homecoming week of hall theme decorating, farmers day being able to drive four wheelers and tractors to school, Friday pep rallies, Coach Varner walking the halls as the 9th/10th grade assistant principal, demerits for walking on the grass or touching the walls, waiting outside on sidewalk before being able to enter the building before bell rang, on annual day being allowed to wear shorts for the only time of the school year, homecoming bonfire and night pep rally at the bottom of the WHS parking lot and the parking lot would be full of students and community, 5th quarter at First Baptist after Friday night football, first class of the day for everyone was sitting in your advisors’ class, when JV (sports) was 9th and 10th grade and varsity was 11th and 12th, and when you could use the pay phone by the gym to call out early.”
Kristen Williams Wood- Class of 2003
“Melissa and I would steal the journalism team’s passes and roam around the school, taking pictures to pass the time. Being a homecoming contestant when you were introduced on a huge flatbed trailer in front of the bonfire. I remember Coach Godfrey being the driver’s ed teacher, and he would make us drive him to do his errands and run through Hardee’s drive-thru. I remember (and still have many) the school newspaper and doing a “senior will” where you left things to underclassmen. I also remember selling candy grams and sending them to your friends at Valentine’s Day. I remember senior dining opening up after taking away the home economics classes that used to occupy that space.”
Dustin DeShields- Class of 2003
“I was arguably the smallest person in the school until maybe tenth grade. After a growth spurt that transformed me from a 93-pound freshman to a 120-plus-pound sophomore, I decided the grass wasn’t greener. All jokes aside, I cut almost 20 pounds to wrestle at 103. I went undefeated in dual (team) matches that season. Ironically, I pinned the future ex-coach of Woodruff High School wrestling in the opening match of the team state championship ‘Final Four’. It was all a testament to my allegiance and all those around me (and before) that did the same. That gym is always going to be home. Go Wolverines!”
Katie Srisanit- Class of 2005
“My favorite memories were having Coach Varner there my freshman year. Mrs. (Frances) Mason’s red pen that looked like Murder She Wrote when she was finished grading essays! Even though she was one of the best teachers! Mrs. (Kim) Dionne shouting Beowulf with great enthusiasm! Mrs. Ropp’s water bottle to spray those sleepers in class. Rest her soul! Coach (Steve) Ramey’s life lessons outside of running cross country. His sincerity of if we ever needed him, even after we graduated, he would be there. September 11th happened in Coach Garner’s history class (I think that was second period) as time stood still as we all watched the tragedy of that day unfold. Mrs. Neal was the principal and she asked for that hall or bathroom pass every time you saw her outside of the classroom. I think she wanted to write someone up. There were some great teachers, too. Mr. Gillespie (chemistry), Coach Robinette, Mrs. Brady, Mrs. Lyda, Mrs. Clark (Biology), and Mrs. Bolden (Schumpert) Spanish. It was great to be a Wolverine.”
Justin Miller- Class of 2006
“I remember my freshman year walking into the cafeteria and meeting the legendary Coach Varner for the first time as a new football player and being scared to death of his booming voice, then realizing he was a great advisor. Then, walking in the gym to the boos and remembering looking at all the pictures on the walls of the Wolverines before us. Moving on to sophomore year, having learned my way around the year prior, not feeling lost but still taking in all the trophies that gave Woodruff its name. Can’t forget the pep rallies on Friday either. Getting to experience the old shop in the building out back that became the workout room prior to graduation. There are so many memories you can’t just name a few, but as a whole, the feel of walking into the old school knowing how many great people had walked them halls always made me feel great. It’s a weird feeling on our 20-year anniversary that it’s the year it’s no longer the high school.”
Amanda Spradlin (Tinker)- Class of 2007
“One of my favorite memories was when the girls’ soccer team went to the state championship in 2007. Dr. Liston approved early dismissal, so buses took students, teachers, and community members all the way to Columbia to support us. For a small-town team, it felt like something out of Friday Night Lights. Even though we didn’t win, the experience of having everyone there cheering us on remains one of my favorite memories and something I’ll never forget.”
Austin Weathers- Class of 2007
“So, in 2006, there was a shake up in the cafeteria staff, which led to us engaging in peaceful protest. We got a new cafeteria manager that year who had moved over from the primary school and she was used to feeding little kids, not almost adults. So, that year the majority of seniors had third lunch and after a couple weeks went by there was hardly anything left to eat by third lunch. Even the salad bar was empty. So, some seniors saw an opportunity for some beneficial civil disobedience. They started packing lunches and getting food delivered, and it caught on big time. Suddenly, kids in other lunch periods were getting their parents to drop off buckets of KFC chicken at lunch time. Well, the office got mad because there was a flood of food deliveries at the lunch periods, and very few people were eating the school lunch at this point. It was right after the KFC incident that Jay got called to talk to (principal) Ms. (Karen) Neal. He explained we were hungry and originally it was just seniors so we felt even more slighted, and we wanted to make our disagreement known. It was awesome. Full bore populist movement across the whole spectrum of the student body population. The lunch situation got remedied and all became well again in Wolverine Land.”
Randy Carpenter- Class of 2008
“It was January 2006. (Basketball) Coach (Gary) Robinette was coaching. I was the manager. We were playing Ninety-Six and we were down by 25 points at halftime and were playing really bad. He picked up a water bottle carrier and threw it across the room to fire them up and smashed it on the floor. He looked at me and “Sorry, I had to get my point across”. Needless to say, we came back and won!”
Anthony Smith- Class of 2008
Being the last football team to use the old field house and the first to use the new one since I made varsity as a freshman in 2004 and 20 years later (2024) getting recognized with my dad at halftime, 2004 region champs for me, and 1984 state champs for him. We both wore number two. Coach Varner was still there in the beginning of 2004 and talked to all the freshman one on one. When he found out my dad was Jeff Smith, he told me we didn’t need to have any further conversation because he knew what kind stock I came from. Seeing an unmarked name for the 1985 tennis champ every day, dad said he beat the #1 tennis player that year during PE and they refused to put his name up there. Getting booed the first day as a freshman.”
Ashton Matsuda Osborne- Class of 2015
“My favorite memory is winning Female Athlete of the Year in 2014. That was such a huge moment for me and helping build my confidence. Another huge part is when Brandon Stites died. Everyone knows he was a part of our friend group. And watching how all of our teachers rallied around our group and the community. Especially Mrs. Babb. She went above and beyond to help us get through the grief we were suffering.”
Alexis Vaughn- Class of 2020
“I’d definitely have to say my favorite story of WHS was graduating during COVID. Graduation started outside, we eventually got moved inside to wait for a storm to pass, and then went back outside and graduated in the rain with masks on! What a time!”
Blake Kelly- Class of 2023
“Graduated 2023. Favorite memory was finally getting to hold up a team state championship for Woodruff High School in 20 years in 2021 in our hometown and then to be able to bring home another golf state championship at home in front of our hometown crowd and to be able to make the winning putt in the playoff in 2023!”
Lilah Prince- Class of 2026
“I graduated this year (2026) and my favorite memory from my senior year was Woodruff beating MVP in football. The energy of that game was unreal. Not a single student sat down or was not screaming the whole game. This was something I’d never experienced before in my four years of being a high school student.”
A loyal band indeed.
The story of Woodruff High School is woven into the fabric of our lives and will never be washed from our memories as long as we live.
The story of our Woodruff High is one of joy, tragedy, loss, grief, and learning how to love and support each other as we raced headlong into adulthood. Over the generations between 1989 and 2026, us Wolverines witnessed Desert Storm, the birth of the internet, the unimaginable horror of the September 11th terrorist attacks in 2001, a country which came together in the strongest ways only to watch it be torn back apart, and a pandemic. But we also experienced so many wonderful things, too.
Those experiences are what we hold onto the strongest. The memories of those we call our friends.The teachers who poured their hearts into making us better people.The spirit of those who have long since left us with nothing but the impact they made on our lives.
As a member of the class of 2003, I could say so much about my time as a student at Woodruff High School. But I will reduce those thoughts down to the simplest of terms. Our Woodruff High School helped save my life, and with a little help from some really good friends and teachers, I am fairly certain I would not be the person I am today without them. So many, I’m sure, can say the same. My prayer is that as our Wolverines of the present begin a new journey in their own incarnation of Woodruff High School, they can look back years and decades later, as we do, and say the same. That somewhere along the journey, their lives were changed for the better.
We will all be there to cheer them on.
Our alma mater ends with a final line that fully encapsulates our thoughts and feelings, our memories, and our sentiment toward the home away from home that helped mold us into the people we are today…
‘It’s off with your hats and three times cheer for the dear old school we love.’
So long, old friend.
