The marching band performs at Mack Tharpe Stadium in 2015, spelling out the number 50 on the field.
“ We were given a hero’ s welcome as we returned home,” Barfield recalled.
This was second time in three years, having won in the spring of 1981 as well. In the fall of’ 83, the band changed to a more traditional marching band uniform, but kept the 50th Regiment name. The band’ s logo was originally drawn by Randy Weldon, former band member and drum major, who graduated in’ 87.
At that point they also moved on from the cowboy / western music and began playing other music in their shows. That fall they won Grand Champion at the Northeast Florida Marching Band Contest in Jacksonville, Florida.
At the end of that school year in the spring of 1985, Medders left to take the head band director position at Thomasville High School, and Johnny Mashburn, who had been the junior high band director and assistant high school band director moved up to take over at CCHS.
Barfield said,“ Mashburn really upped the game on both the marching and concert parts of the band. He really took the band upward.”
In the fall of’ 85, they won Grand Champion at the Tropicana Music Bowl, a Bands of America( BOA) sponsored contest in Gainesville, Florida. This win qualified the band to participate in the BOA National Championship in Indianapolis, but it was not financially feasible for them to participate, so they declined.
“ Those were some great times,” Barfield said. She left the program in 1985.
12 MoultrieScene AUGUST 2025