Congratulations Barons on a magical season.

Posted by [email protected] | Nov 16, 2016 | Education, Sports | 0 |

Cheerleading squads before the Homecoming Game

Trophy kept in the BHS’ athletic department conference room

Congratulations Barons on a magical season. For the first time in program history, the football team went to the sectional finals, before losing to powerhouse Greece Athena who recently won its first game in the state playoffs.

The 2016 squad built from the experience and momentum of the 2015 team that captured the Connors and Ferry Championship trophy.

The 2015 team was led by quarterback Austin Carr. Austin had a successful season this year at the University of Rochester, moving from quarterback to safety.

With Austin and teammates before a 2015 game. from No Jills; no playoffs for the Bills

The 2016 squad jumped off to a 4-0 start. In doing so, the Barons looked to match the two previous unbeaten Brighton teams, in 1955 and 1969.

see Pygmies of ’69 remain Brighton’s last undefeated football team

fBHS 1956 yearbook, Crossroads. Courtesy of Brighton Memorial Library. From Pygmies of ’69 remain Brighton’s last undefeated football team

1955 Democrat and Chronicle from Pygmies of ’69 remain Brighton’s last undefeated football team

1-democrat-and-chronicle-2-nov-1969-sun-metro-edition

2 Nov, 1969, Sun, Metro edition from Pygmies of ’69 remain Brighton’s last undefeated football team

from the 1970 BHS yearbook Crossroads. Scanned courtesy of the Brighton Memorial Library

1969 Homecoming Game from Crossroads

Unfortunately, the Barons lost a taut 28 – 21 contest to then (and still) undefeated Greece Athena.

Athena scoring go ahead touchdown. see see Working on the Chain Gang at Reifsteck Field

JV players before the Greece Athena game

from the 2016 game program. Scanned courtesy of the Brighton Memorial Library.

Reifsteck Field 9/30/16 from Pygmies of ’69 remain Brighton’s last undefeated football team

Throughout the season, the Barons attracted much local media coverage.

Jenna Cottrell with WHAM news before the game; cameraman Toby Motyka from Barons prevail in first televised football game at Reifsteck Field

While before their time, these long time Baron fans knew well of the Pygmies of ’69.

At the game you also met the “Chain Gang,” including Nelson Lopatin and Richard Beers.

see Working on the Chain Gang at Reifsteck Field

Nelson Lopatin (top left) and Richard Beers (top right) from Working on the Chain Gang at Reifsteck Field

Richard Beers from Working on the Chain Gang at Reifsteck Field

The Barons home sectional match-up against Spencerport made history. The game — won by Brighton 40 – 20 — was the first live televised game ever at Reifsteck Field.

see Barons prevail in first televised football game at Reifsteck Field

from Barons prevail in first televised football game at Reifsteck Field Democrat and Chronicle, Oct 5, 1950

The day before the game, Brighton AD Nate Merritt showed me the press box from where TWC televised the game. from Barons prevail in first televised football game at Reifsteck Field

TWC installed special audio equipment for the game. From Barons prevail in first televised football game at Reifsteck Field

(left) WHAM’s cameraman John McClintock and Toby Moytk (right) Chuck Hinkel and TWC crew from Barons prevail in first televised football game at Reifsteck Field

TWC crews (left) on top of press box, camera men Doug and Ron (right) l-r Nate Rowan, stats, Gene Battaglia, play-by-play, Chuck Hinkel, color commentary from Barons prevail in first televised football game at Reifsteck Field

tv screen shot from Barons prevail in first televised football game at Reifsteck Field

from Barons prevail in first televised football game at Reifsteck Field

The Herb Carlberg Scoreboard 9:22 pm 10/21/16 from Barons prevail in first televised football game at Reifsteck Field

The Barons won in the sectional semi-finals at Rhinos Stadium. The 1999 team also made the semi-finals before falling just short. As the game was again televised by Time Warner Cable, Nelson and the Chain Gang were captured live and in action.

Fri Oct 1 1999 from Barons prevail in first televised football game at Reifsteck Field

see Barons prevail in first televised football game at Reifsteck Field

TV screen shots. Nelson and the chain gang at the sectional semi-final win at Rhinos Stadium see Working on the Chain Gang at Reifsteck Field

see Working on the Chain Gang at Reifsteck Field

from the 2016 game program. Scanned courtesy of the Brighton Memorial Library.

ON TWO OTHER BARON TEAMS: VOLLEYBALL AND CHESS (and FOOTBALL)

In grand fashion, Brighton celebrates its volleyball champions and the first Boys state team sports title in school history

Wildcats strike out our undermanned Barons

On the boards and in the field, Wildcats continue to defeat Barons

About The Author

[email protected]

Welcome to Talker of the Town! My name is David Kramer. I have a Ph.D in English and teach at Keuka College. I am a former and still active Fellow at the Nazareth College Center for Public History and a Storyteller in Residence at the SmallMatters Institute. Over the years, I have taught at Monroe Community College, the Rochester Institute of Technology and St. John Fisher College. I have published numerous Guest Essays, Letters, Book Reviews and Opinion pieces in The New York Times, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, the Buffalo News, the Rochester Patriot, the Providence Journal, the Providence Business News, the Brown Alumni Magazine, the New London Day, the Boston Herald, the Messenger Post Newspapers, the Wedge, the Empty Closet, the CITY, Lake Affect Magazine and Brighton Connections. My poetry appears in The Criterion: An International Journal in English and Rundenalia and my academic writing in War, Literature and the Arts and Twentieth Century Literary Criticism. Starting in February 2013, I wrote for three Democratic and Chronicle blogs, "Make City Schools Better," "Unite Rochester," and the "Editorial Board." When my tenure at the D & C ended, I wanted to continue conversations first begun there. And start new ones. So we created this new space, Talker of the Town, where all are invited to join. I don’t like to say these posts are “mine.” Very few of them are the sole product of my sometimes overheated imagination. Instead, I call them partnerships and collaborations. Or as they say in education, “peer group work.” Talker of the Town might better be Talkers of the Town. The blog won’t thrive without your leads, text, pictures, ideas, facebook shares, tweets, comments and criticisms.