It hits the souls of 5,100 fans each Friday night when they walk into Tom Riden Stadium.
The dulcet tones of “Gloryland” echo from the bell tower through the opposite end zone.
A joyous group of students, staff and fans convene in the courtyard to chat, grab a slice of pizza or gaze upon the wall of plaques that showcase Buford football success.
The 35-year-old metal bleachers have a certain feel.
Tom Riden Stadium, for a weekly three-hour appointment, became home.
“It’s hard to describe such a special place,” former Buford offensive lineman Josh Cardiello said. “The best thing I can say is nostalgia. You truly can sit there and realize that you are about to play on a field that so many amazing players before you played on.”
Buford football bid adieu to Tom Riden Stadium on Dec. 6 after the Wolves fell in the GHSA 6A state semifinals 30-17 to Carrollton. Regardless of the result, what turned out to be the final game for Buford would’ve been the last in the Wolves’ beloved digs.
Entering the 2025 season, Buford will begin play in the state-of-the-art City of Buford Stadium. The project has spanned numerous years and carries a budget of more than $16 million.
Buford, in 2024, had only four home games. It received the gift, however, of four additional games at Tom Riden Stadium due to universal coin tosses during the playoff run. Buford head coach Bryant Appling told his players to “cherish” those moments. They did so along with former alumni of the school, led by the return of a number of former players.
Buford Athletic Director Tom Beuglas said the use of Tom Riden Stadium won’t cease. It will be used for middle school events, and the high school track-and-field team will implement it as its main venue. It will receive a new track surface in summer 2025.
“The teams here and the community know the history and significance of Tom Riden Stadium,” Beuglas said. “Everyone is excited about the new stadium, but it will be good to still have teams occasionally competing in Tom Riden. It is great that we will be able to utilize both locations.”
Tom Riden Stadium opened in 1990 as the football playing site moved from Hill Street Stadium beside the old city gym. It featured six head coaches, including three prominent ones — Dexter Wood (67 wins and a 35-game winning streak), Jess Simpson (100 wins and streaks of 43 and 41 wins) and Appling (37 wins with streaks of 17 and 13 wins). Tom Riden Stadium has hosted over 230 wins and only 28 losses, including 76 playoff victories.
Tom Riden Stadium bears its name from the Buford legend Tom Riden. He had a 15-year tenure as a principal, science teacher and coach of nearly every sport within the athletic department. Riden received the honor in 1995, and it has stuck within the small-town community ever since.
Back when the stadium opened in 1990, Buford readied with excitement to debut against cross-town rival North Gwinnett. Marcus Smith remembered riding in the school bus to the stadium with unexplainable anticipation. He arrived at the stadium with his teammates, including Demetris Randolph, and they all saw that someone had vandalized the then-natural grass field prior to the game.
That only added fuel to the fire for that group of Wolves. They beat North Gwinnett that evening, 13-7, in a memory they’ll never forget.
Throughout the following decades, Tom Riden Stadium became a gathering place for the community for myriad events. The graduations won’t be forgotten, including the one for this writer as I had the privilege to walk independently across the grass to a standing ovation for those in attendance.
There were plenty of football wins climbing through classifications, but also moments to remember the ones we tragically lost. Tom Riden Stadium became a memorial for the losses of Adam Smith, Ryan Daniel, Devin Durden and others. Each of those men were honored on Friday nights and are never forgotten.
Those days made Tom Riden Stadium special to walk through the tunnel attached to what is now Buford Middle School.
In 2025, the lights of the new stadium may be brighter. The capacity may be expanded. The facilities may carry more pizazz.
Nothing, however, will be like Tom Riden Stadium again. Farewell to those Friday nights at the place we all called home.
FEATURED PHOTO: Fans fill the stands at Tom Riden Stadium in Buford. Photo by Christian Stahl.
A tribute to Buford educator Tom Riden
Article published Sept. 1, 1995, in the Gwinnett Extra section of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
