at 3420 Carter Hill Road, built with such hope and promise during the mid-1960s. Its early years were so successful that by the late 1970s kids poured out of private school to attend that public school.  JD had wonderful football and band programs during its glory decades. 1969 was its first undefeated football season. It was Regional Football Champ ten years in a row starting in 1975. Tennessee held its warm-up scrimmages on the JD practice field every time it played at Auburn. The Jeff Davis marching bands of the era were outstanding. The green stripe at its midsection was added this year to give it some pizzazz, much needed after its sad history of the most recent 25 years.  The 2000 student school is located in a solid neighborhood, yet its academics are poor, its football program is lackluster, its white attendance only 4%. From my backyard I hear its band at practice most afternoons, but the sound comes with a certain melancholy for times gone by.

-Charles Humphries