On the busy stretch of Candler/Flat Shoals Road between I-20 and I-285 Although Panthersville Cemetery and the White Family Cemetery are adjacent to one another and total approximately 265 graves between them according to an online article on the White Family Cemetery “The White Family Cemetery joins the Panthersville Presbyterian Church Cemetery just to the right [if one is facing south] through a thin line of trees,” the article states “There is a sign for ‘The White Family Cemetery’ at the far end of the cemetery.” Recently a sign was erected marking the Panthersville Cemetery and a fence was erected that roughly separates the two burial grounds which apparently was once a recognized community with several organizations bearing its name today survives only as a 3.7-square-mile census designated place where the most prominent feature is the Gallery at South DeKalb mall Both cemeteries were established in the 19th century and most burials were in the late 19th and early 20th centuries which was approximately two blocks away from the cemetery on Flat Shoals Road officially dissolved at the end of 1989 and the cemetery was placed in perpetual care through a trust fund There are burials in the side-by-side cemeteries that predate the Civil War One of the more readable older markers is for the grave of John McDaniel Although this grave is listed on the White Family Cemetery registry it is next to the fence on the Panthersville side “The marker actually was placed there some time in the mid-20th century,” explained Sue McDaniel Spencer possibly when she was teaching at Agnes Scott College because the original ones marking family graves had become unreadable Cemetery records show the three graves near that of John McDaniel as “unmarked,” but McDaniel family members say they believe those graves belong to other family members who lived in the 19th century John McDaniel was married and the father of 12 children “You’ll notice that all those graves are covered with heavy rock slabs,” said Spencer who at 94 is the lone survivor among nine siblings “That’s because large cats once roamed freely through the area That’s why the area is called Panthersville The slabs were to keep the animals from digging up graves.” The term “panther” is sometimes used to refer to a number of large wild cats according to Sue Spencer’s youngest son Robert Spencer figures prominently into Georgia and Alabama history who holds a master’s degree in library information studies and has spent years researching his family said that one or more of John McDaniel’s descendants founded Bowdon College in Bowdon the state’s fifth chartered institution of higher education and its first coeducational institution The college opened in 1857 and closed its doors in 1936 along with 124 of the college’s 144 students According to a historic marker at the site of the former college “the college that was founded in the wilderness” educated students who went on to become educators Family legend says John McDaniel was also related to 19th century Georgia Gov but family records do not document this claim “I do know that Alabama’s Governor Bibb was a distant relative of Ruth Smith McDaniel my material grandmother,” Robert Spencer said The first and second governors of Alabama were brothers William Wyatt Bibb and Thomas Bibb and website in this browser for the next time I comment As former Southwest DeKalb High School football coach William ‘Buck’ Godfrey walked on the field at the former Panthersville Stadium “It’s the first time I walked on this field and I wasn’t coaching,” he said When he saw “William Buck Godfrey Stadium” on the scoreboard it still had not sunk in that a stadium—where he won many  games—is named after him two months or maybe a year before it sinks in,” he said The DeKalb County School District held a dedication ceremony Sept 19 to officially rename Panthersville Stadium the William Buck Godfrey Stadium The DeKalb County Board of Education voted April 1 to rename Panthersville Stadium after the legendary coach coaches and colleagues of Godfrey gathered near the scoreboard to celebrate the Hall of Fame coach and this new honor Godfrey began his coaching career in DeKalb County in 1974 as a baseball coach He was also a swim coach before he was hired to coach football at Southwest DeKalb in 1983 His first game as head coach at Southwest DeKalb was at Panthersville Stadium on Aug he won 273 games (the most wins of a football coach in DeKalb) won the 1995 Class AAAA Georgia High School Association state championship and helped hundreds of players earn scholarships to college Godfrey never had a losing record at Southwest DeKalb and missed the postseason just three times The Hall of Fame coach has received many honors including induction in the 2010 Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame class and in the 2014 class of the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association (GACA) Hall of Fame Godfrey said the best part about the dedication was seeing his former players “We had them on the field and in the classroom and to see them doing well This is something that happened because of fulfilling [my] purpose and doing it well.” Hason Graham is one player who did well after high school “Coach Godfrey was my first father figure,” he said but he showed me how to take it to the next level.” Graham went on to play on the college level at the University of Georgia and on the professional level with the New England Patriots He said he credits Godfrey for his football success after high school “He was the one who showed me how to be a man,” he said he brought me into his home—I came from a single-parent home He taught me how to study; he showed me how to be successful for the next level.” Graham said it is amazing to see his beloved coach’s name on a stadium “It’s amazing that somebody in this decade can even see his name going up [on a stadium],” he said but for them to do this while he’s here is just amazing.” Although DeKalb County School District music coordinator Don Roberts did not play for or coach with Godfrey “Coach Godfrey is one of the reasons that I wanted to come to Southwest DeKalb High School,” Roberts said Roberts was the band director at Southwest DeKalb from 1990 to 2003 “There is a culture that he helped create that exists today and that culture is the band and the football teams are really close,” Roberts said “You see in DeKalb County right now where the band and football teams all function as one and that started with Southwest DeKalb and coach Godfrey He’s one of the greatest men I’ve ever met.” Roberts said he hopes more is done to the stadium “Not only should it be a dedication of this stadium I think [there] needs to be a renovation and a totally rebuilt stadium in his honor,” he said but it should be just the beginning for Coach Godfrey.” Godfrey had one message to all the men who call themselves “Buck’s Boys.” Former Southwest DeKalb High School football coach William “Buck” Godfrey won many games at Panthersville Stadium the stadium will display his name—William Buck Godfrey Stadium friends and former players were at the school board meeting to celebrate his latest honor who began his coaching career in 1974 as a baseball coach said the thought of having a stadium named after him never crossed his mind during his coaching days “You really don’t think beyond the next game “When I came into the county it was a little rough from the standpoint of some of the things you had to face from a racial standpoint—with the referees You have to explain some things to your kids that should never have happened and we would have to do that week in and week out “But through it all we maintained the integrity the dignity and the character to be successful,” Godfrey added the flags they were throwing they didn’t throw anymore because this team is doing things like it’s supposed to do I think we cleared the way for a lot of guys right now and I think that’s the greatest legacy we got.” Godfrey coached baseball and swimming in DeKalb before he was hired to coach football at Southwest DeKalb in 1983 I coached baseball and I thought that was going to be it for me.” Godfrey said he had to study football to understand the game and after he was hired by Southwest DeKalb he got the hang of it and inherited some guys who weren’t used to having a Black coach,” he said “None of the players were coached by a Black coach at all Black players are against you because they figured you don’t know [anything] Once we cleared that hurdle it became a program that was the envy of everyone.” Godfrey won 273 games (the winningest football coach in DeKalb) including his induction in the 2010 Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame class and in the 2014 class of the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association (GACA) Hall of Fame Godfrey said it is hard to rank the naming of the stadium with his other accomplishments I won’t know for another 10 years,” he said “But right now I got to say it’s right along with the GACA and all the rest of [the honors] When you do things genuinely out of the love from your heart for stuff that you’ve work on Although he has not been in Panthersville Stadium as much since his retirement he plans to be at the newly named stadium more often Congratulations Buck- the best coach amd teacher ever The Georgia State men’s soccer team’s 2016 season has been one of the extremes Eight games in and this season has already produced exciting The season is also bearing witness to an unblemished home record One of the biggest reasons for the Panther’s success at the GSU Soccer Complex is the sophomore from Germany Burmeister notched a hat trick in a 4-1 smashing of the Memphis Tigers being able to score three goals was not a surprise to him “I was well prepared for this,” Burmeister said I knew what to expect from last season; I just did not think it was going to happen during the first game.” There is not a much better start than a hat trick in the home opener The very next game he added three more goals versus Lipscomb exemplifying exactly why so much soccer talent comes out of Germany the second one caught me little off guard,” Burmeister added with a chuckle “But I’m just happy I was able to help my team.” but that did not stop Georgia State from collecting more wins The next couple wins highlighted two new heroes Oliver Haines played hero first as he knocked in two goals versus Central Arkansas and freshman Kyle Clinton follows up in the next home game by scoring his first career goal to seal the win against Presbyterian “That was really my first game playing significant minutes in since last year I ended up redshirting.” and to say it kindly; the Panthers have underperformed away from the GSU Soccer Complex but each match has been close with the three losses coming by a total of only four goals Haines spoke on what might be the team’s issue and it’s going to take a good team playing well to come here and beat us,” Haines said “ I think when we go away we forget what we do and sort of focus on what they do.” Haines also stressed the importance of getting that first road win and how sooner would be better than later especially considering the bigger schools with tougher teams that are fast approaching on their schedule One of those teams also happens to be Duke a school Sophomore Max Hemmings has heard all about and is excited to face Duke is a renowned school even over there,” said Hemmings “It’s great to be playing the best teams and the best schools The Panthers are about to embark on a road trip to the Carolinas that will conclude with Duke If the Panthers have plans of staying above .500 they will need to win at least one of the upcoming road games and Haines believes the first game was the perfect start and a win against a good side in UNC Asheville gave us that confidence.” Copyright © 2025 | Georgia State Signal | By Daniel Varitek