A. L. Brown High School
Encyclopedia
A.L. Brown High School (also sometimes referred to as Kannapolis or simply Brown) is a comprehensive public high school
in Kannapolis, North Carolina
. It is the only high school in the Kannapolis City Schools
district as well as the city of Kannapolis. As of the 2005/06 school year, the current enrollment is 1,350 students.
Brown was recognized by DPI as a "School of Distinction" under the state's ABC standards for public education for the 2003–2010 school years.
opened. Later in the early 1930s Centerview School was renamed J.W. Cannon High School, after the town's founder. A few years later Cannon High School was destroyed by a fire, then later rebuilt. In 1951 A.L. Brown High School was constructed southeast of J.W. Cannon and opened in the following year. Cannon High School then became J.W. Cannon Junior High School. In 1974, A.L. Brown was almost destroyed by a fire started in the attic; fearing auditorium damage, graduation was moved to the primary gymnasium. Then on January 10, 1982, James William Cannon Junior High School was completely destroyed by a fire.
Many additions have been built on to Brown and there is a separate vocational building as well as a free-standing gymnasium. During the 2006/07 school year, a newer gymnasium/PE facility opened on campus. These free-standing buildings give A. L. Brown its unique character. Instead of a traditional single building like most high schools, Brown has a small, college-like atmosphere with numerous buildings around a central courtyard. All of the buildings on the campus are built in the Colonial Williamsburg
style of architecture. All of the buildings are brick with white trim, modeled after most of Kannapolis.
The $8.1 million, 50,000-square foot STEM ((Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Academy, designed to resemble the nearby North Carolina Research Campus
Core Lab, will hold its grand opening on September 25, 2011. The top two floors offer modern science labs, while the second floor will house communication classes. The basement has a health center and an international welcome center.
They also host an NJROTC unit that is successful. In the last four years the Cross Country team has battled from the conference cellar to be a constant contender for the regional crown, finishing 2nd in the region in 2003 and 2004, those years they finished 7th and 6th in state, respectively. In 2007 the men's team finished 5th in the state championships. The team continues to grow strong and have developed to be a more competitive team. In 2010, the mens and women's track and field team were the SPC Conference champions and would later win the regional title, ultimately ending in 4th place at the NCHSAA 3A Track and Field Championships.
. The teams play for a coveted railroad bell that was donated to the school in 1924; The game began in 1931. The Kannapolis/Concord game is the longest continuous high school football rivalry in the state of North Carolina. Concord leads the series at 39–37–4, but since 1975 Kannapolis has won 24 out of 36. At the end of each game,the losers of the game perform the traditional exchange of the bell which occurs at midfield. A week before the concord game A.L Brown will display the bell in the courtyard for all students to ring in spirit of the Wonders. The winning team paints the bell transom in their school colors for display during the entire school year. In the '08 season Kannapolis beat the Concord Spiders 56–6, the biggest defeat in the series. In 2009 Concord upset Kannapolis 10-13, possibly the biggest upset in the series history.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Kannapolis, North Carolina
Kannapolis, North Carolina
Kannapolis is a city in Cabarrus and Rowan counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina, northwest of Concord and northeast of Charlotte. The population was 42,625 at the 2010 census, which makes Kannapolis the 20th largest city in North Carolina...
. It is the only high school in the Kannapolis City Schools
Kannapolis City Schools
Kannapolis City Schools is a local education agency headquartered in Kannapolis, North Carolina. It encompasses parts of Cabarrus and Rowan Counties, yet operates independently of both county-wide school systems.-Grades 5-12:...
district as well as the city of Kannapolis. As of the 2005/06 school year, the current enrollment is 1,350 students.
Brown was recognized by DPI as a "School of Distinction" under the state's ABC standards for public education for the 2003–2010 school years.
History
During the expansion of the Cannon Mills Corporation during the 1920s, James William Cannon donated a piece of land just east of the town for a school. Centerview School was constructed in 1924, about the same time that the first Concord High SchoolConcord High School (North Carolina)
Concord High School is a comprehensive public high school in Concord, North Carolina. Founded circa 1912, it is the oldest high school in Cabarrus County...
opened. Later in the early 1930s Centerview School was renamed J.W. Cannon High School, after the town's founder. A few years later Cannon High School was destroyed by a fire, then later rebuilt. In 1951 A.L. Brown High School was constructed southeast of J.W. Cannon and opened in the following year. Cannon High School then became J.W. Cannon Junior High School. In 1974, A.L. Brown was almost destroyed by a fire started in the attic; fearing auditorium damage, graduation was moved to the primary gymnasium. Then on January 10, 1982, James William Cannon Junior High School was completely destroyed by a fire.
Many additions have been built on to Brown and there is a separate vocational building as well as a free-standing gymnasium. During the 2006/07 school year, a newer gymnasium/PE facility opened on campus. These free-standing buildings give A. L. Brown its unique character. Instead of a traditional single building like most high schools, Brown has a small, college-like atmosphere with numerous buildings around a central courtyard. All of the buildings on the campus are built in the Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg is the private foundation representing the historic district of the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. The district includes buildings dating from 1699 to 1780 which made colonial Virginia's capital. The capital straddled the boundary of the original shires of Virginia —...
style of architecture. All of the buildings are brick with white trim, modeled after most of Kannapolis.
North Carolina Research Campus
The North Carolina Research Campus is a center for biotechnological, agricultural, food science, and nutritional research. It was initially founded by David H. Murdock, former CEO of Dole Foods...
Core Lab, will hold its grand opening on September 25, 2011. The top two floors offer modern science labs, while the second floor will house communication classes. The basement has a health center and an international welcome center.
Timeline
- 1924 – Central High School Opens
- 1930 – Renamed J.W. Cannon High School
- 1933 – J.W. Cannon High School burns down because of faulty wiring
- 1934 – Cannon HS is rebuilt
- 1950–51 – A.L. Brown High School is constructed 50 yd southeast of Cannon High. Cannon High becomes J.W. Cannon Junior High School.
- 1957 – An 8-classroom science wing is added to the west end of the main building.
- 1958 – The W.J. Bullock Physical Education Building is constructed. Kannapolis Memorial Stadium is built and the central courtyard is added.
- 1967 – The Samuel B. Stroup Vocational Arts Building, The Ruth Coltrane Cannon Musical Education Center and the Administrative Annex is constructed (Now the Central Office).
- April 17, 1974 – Roof Burns; graduation is moved to W.J. Bullock Gymnasium.
- 1976 – The W.J. Bullock Physical Education Building is extensively renovated under the supervision of Coach Bob Boswell.
- January 10, 1982 – J.W. Cannon Junior High School burns down. (Fire was caused by accident). Gymnasium, Cafeteria and Home Economics buildings remain.
- 1991 – Media Center Wing is constructed.
- 1993 – Cafeteria Addition is built
- 1994 – Main Office Renovated
- 1995 – Music building roof pitched, W.J. Bullock Gym roof replaced.
- 1995 – An 8-classroom science wing is added to the existing science wing
- 1997 – Cyber Campus comes online.
- 2003 – Science wing basement is renovated. Becomes the Mathematics wing.
- 2005 – Cannon Cafeteria and Home Economics Building are demolished
- 2006 – Auxiliary Physical Education Building is constructed and the Auditorium is extensively renovated. An addition is built for the Central Office and the Main Office is renovated.
- 2007 – The Freshman academy is made.
- 2009 – The Biotech Wing (later called STEM Academy) construction begins.
- 2011 – STEM Academy completed.
Athletics
A.L. Brown's athletics teams are known as the Wonders. The school is an AAA member of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) and competes in the South Piedmont Conference (SPC). The school sponsors interscholastic football, volleyball, tennis (boys and girls), cross country (boys and girls), basketball (boys and girls), wrestling, swimming (boys and girls), baseball, softball, golf, which the 2006 team won the SPC Conference for the first time in school history, track and field (boys and girls), indoor track and field (boys and girls), soccer (boys and girls), and most recently a lacrosse team. The Varsity football team won titles in 1989 and won another 3A State Championship in 1997. The dominant years of the late 90's featured a team with one All-American (Drew Maher) one D-1A player and one NFL practice squad player (Maher). The Varsity football team has posted 33 consecutive seasons at .500 or better. In the 2010-2011 football season the wonder varsity team posted a record of 13-2 making it to the 3rd round of the play-offs. the wonders were led by senior quarterback Martel Campbell. After a great junior year Campbell put up even better numbers his senior year. Campbell will be attending Davidson University in the fall. The A.L. Brown football team has 474 wins and 168 losses since 1952. Ron Massey is currently 108-30, a 78.7% winning percentage, into his 11th season in 2010. Mike Newsome was hired in 2011 from Butler High School.They also host an NJROTC unit that is successful. In the last four years the Cross Country team has battled from the conference cellar to be a constant contender for the regional crown, finishing 2nd in the region in 2003 and 2004, those years they finished 7th and 6th in state, respectively. In 2007 the men's team finished 5th in the state championships. The team continues to grow strong and have developed to be a more competitive team. In 2010, the mens and women's track and field team were the SPC Conference champions and would later win the regional title, ultimately ending in 4th place at the NCHSAA 3A Track and Field Championships.
Battle for the Bell
A long-running tradition, The Battle for the Bell is a football game between A.L. Brown and Concord High SchoolConcord High School (North Carolina)
Concord High School is a comprehensive public high school in Concord, North Carolina. Founded circa 1912, it is the oldest high school in Cabarrus County...
. The teams play for a coveted railroad bell that was donated to the school in 1924; The game began in 1931. The Kannapolis/Concord game is the longest continuous high school football rivalry in the state of North Carolina. Concord leads the series at 39–37–4, but since 1975 Kannapolis has won 24 out of 36. At the end of each game,the losers of the game perform the traditional exchange of the bell which occurs at midfield. A week before the concord game A.L Brown will display the bell in the courtyard for all students to ring in spirit of the Wonders. The winning team paints the bell transom in their school colors for display during the entire school year. In the '08 season Kannapolis beat the Concord Spiders 56–6, the biggest defeat in the series. In 2009 Concord upset Kannapolis 10-13, possibly the biggest upset in the series history.
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- Year Winner Score
- 1952 K-town 27–13
- 1953 K-town 32–0
- 1954 K-town 7–6
- 1955 K-town 41–0
- 1956 K-town 20–14
- 1957 Concord 7–0
- 1958 K-town 13–0
- 1959 K-town 7–0
- 1960 K-town 14–8
- 1961 Concord 14–6
- 1962 Concord 6–0
- 1963 Concord 20–19
- 1964 Concord 13–12
- 1965 Concord 12–0
- 1966 Concord 13–6
- 1967 Concord 21–11
- 1968 Concord 21–8
- 1969 Concord 33–6
- 1970 Concord 13–11
- Year Winner Score
-
- Year Winner Score
- 1971 K-town 10–7
- 1972 K-town 30–13
- 1973 K-town 7–3
- 1974 Concord 14–6
- 1975 Concord 21–0
- 1976 Concord 7–3
- 1977 Concord 18–6
- 1978 K-town 33–0
- 1979 K-town 31–6
- 1980 K-town 41–0
- 1981 Concord 7–6
- 1982 K-town 14–10
- 1983 Concord 27–7
- 1984 K-town 26–8
- 1985 Concord 7–6
- 1986 Concord 14–0
- 1987 K-town 19–0
- 1988 K-town 9–7
- 1989 K-town 16–14
- Year Winner Score
-
- Year Winner Score
- 1990 K-town 20–19
- 1991 Concord 30–20
- 1992 K-town 27–19
- 1993 K-town 28–6
- 1994 Concord 35-14
- 1995 K-town 5–0
- 1996 Concord 27–0
- 1997 K-town 33–14
- 1998 K-town 28–10
- 1999 K-town 10–7
- 2000 K-town 28–0
- 2001 K-town 1–0(C forfeit)
- 2002 K-town 42–6
- 2003 K-town 13–12(OT)
- 2004 Concord 20–9
- 2005 K-town 19–14
- 2006 Concord 42–20
- 2007 K-town 45–25
- 2008 K-town 56–6
- Year Winner Score
-
- Year Winner Score
- 2009 Concord 13-10
- 2010 K-town 28-21
- 2011 K-town 31-26
- 2012
- Year Winner Score
Notable alumni
- Melissa Morrison-HowardMelissa Morrison-HowardMelissa Morrison-Howard is an American hurdler best known for winning two Olympic bronze medals. She also won the bronze medal at the 2003 World Indoor Championships as well as one national indoor championships.She is a 1993 graduate of Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina...
– Olympic bronze medalist (track and field) - Nick MaddoxNick MaddoxNicholas Maddox was a professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball from 1907-10 for the Pittsburgh Pirates....
– professional football player - Mike MortonMike MortonMichael Anthony Morton is a former American football linebacker. Morton played college football for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and went on to play for four teams in a 7-year National Football League career.Since his retirement from the NFL, he is now a dentist and opened his...
– professional football player - Ethan HortonEthan HortonEthan Shane Horton is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League. He played one season for the Kansas City Chiefs , and seven seasons as a tight end for the Los Angeles Raiders , and the Washington Redskins...
– professional football player - Haskel StanbackHaskel StanbackHaskel Stanback is a former professional American football player who played running back for seven seasons for the Atlanta Falcons...
– professional football player - Tracy Johnson – professional football player
- James LottJames LottJames Lott is a retired American high jumper.He finished tenth at the 1987 World Indoor Championships and won the gold medal at the 1987 Summer Universiade.His personal best jump is 2.31 metres, achieved in May 1987 in Austin....
– professional football player - Lance SmithLance Smith (American football)Lance Smith is a former American football guard who played 12 seasons in the National Football League for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals and the New York Giants. He played college football at Louisiana State University and was drafted in the third round of the 1985 NFL Draft.-References:...
– professional football player - George ShinnGeorge ShinnGeorge Shinn is the former owner of the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets as well the Charlotte Knights and Gastonia Rangers minor league baseball teams along with the Raleigh/Durham Skyhawks of the World League of American Football. He purchased the Hornets for $32,500,000 in 1987...
– owner of the New Orleans Hornets - Aundrae AllisonAundrae AllisonAundrae Akeem Allison is an American football wide receiver for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at East Carolina.He has also been a member of the New York Jets, and...
– professional football player - Rush Rollins – Catawba Kicker
- Christian Hunt – Rhodes Scholar
- Scott Belcher– The Citadel, All-American Linebacker
- Travis Riley- "The Train" - (To be announced)
- Melton Bost- Vice-President of Intel and one of the co-creators of the Pentium Micro-processor