Wichita Falls High School
| Wichita Falls High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
2149 Avenue H and Coyote Blvd. , Wichita , 76309 | |
| Coordinates | 33°53′39″N 98°31′00″W / 33.894214°N 98.516762°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public, Secondary |
| Established | 1891 |
| School district | Wichita Falls Independent School District |
| Superintendent | John Frossard |
| Principal | Chirsty Nash |
| Grades | 9th - 12th |
| Enrollment | 1,222[1] (2016-17) |
| Color(s) | Red & Black |
| Athletics | Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Powerlifting, Track, Cross Country, Soccer, Tennis, Swimming, Baseball, Softball, and Golf |
| Mascot | Coyote |
| Rival | S. H. Rider High School |
| Newspaper | "The Coyote News" |
| Website | www |
Wichita Falls High School (WFHS) is a public school in Wichita Falls, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls Independent School District (WFISD) and is one of the district's three high schools.
Located at 2149 Avenue H and Coyote Blvd., the school serves students in grades nine through twelve.
As the first high school in the city, Wichita Falls High School is locally known as "Old High." The school was founded in 1891 and the current building was built in 1922[2] and is a state historic landmark.
The high school's mascot is the coyote.
Student demographics
As of the 2013-2014 school year, Wichita Falls High School had a total of 1,473 students (47.41% White, 35.2% Hispanic, 15.6% African American, 1.8% Asian, and 0.3% Native American).[3]
2011-2012 accountability rating
Based on the accountability ratings released by the Texas Education Agency on August 1, 2012, Wichita Falls High School is currently rated "Academically Acceptable".[4]
The WFISD also awarded Wichita Falls High School with an award for the district's highest GPA, every year from 1991-2002. The award was discontinued in 2002.
Athletics
Whether at home or away, during the glory years the Wichita Falls team was always a handful for its opponents.
— Ty Cashion[5]
Wichita Falls had one of the most predominant football programs for more than 30 years, from the late 1930s to the early 1970s. Under the guidance of head coaches Ted Jeffries (1931–43), Thurman Jones (1944–46), Joe Golding (1947–61), and Donnell Crosslin (1965–79), the Wichita Falls Coyotes made the state finals ten times between 1937 and 1971, winning six times.
As of the 2007-08 football season, Wichita Falls High School has won eight Quarterfinal Championships, fifteen Regional Championships, eighteen Area Championships, nineteen Bi-District Championships, and thirty-six District Championships since 1923.
In September 2007, Texas Monthly Magazine named Wichita Falls High School as the top high school football program in state history.
Student journalism
Wichita Falls High School's journalism program continues to publish the school's newspaper and yearbook.
Mrs. Anetta Reusch managed the award-winning program for numerous years until her retirement in 2013. Mr. Jason Byas has since taken the reins of the organization as the faculty adviser.
In 2013, the organization was reevaluated and the two publications were restructured to publish under the entity WFHS Publishing. The move was meant to save cost for the newspaper and yearbook and improve communication throughout the program and the publications it publishes.
Since the restructuring, the newspaper, The Coyote News, for the first time in over five years, made a profit and the yearbook increased yearly sales.
The newspaper runs an online edition of the paper. WFHS Publishing has also published a history guide to Wichita Falls High School which is available on their website.
Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps
The Wichita Falls High School Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Army program was established in 1951 and is extensively still active to this day. The battalion is officially recognized as the Corp of Coyotes or the Coyote Battalion. Since its establishment the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp program has competed statewide and nationally and averages a participation body of 130 cadets per year. It has stood true to its mission of making better citizens. Although not established for the recruitment of young citizens into the Armed Forces, many have chosen to serve. It is a four-year program fulfilling a mission of educating young adults with a military type of educational curriculum. The program is overseen by a Senior Army Instructor and an Army Instructor.
Senior Army Instructor Sergeant Major Salvador Montez Jr. arrived at Wichita Falls High School in January 2017, after an honorable 26-year Army career. Army Instructor Sergeant First Class Christopher Souba arrived at the program in February 2019, after an honorable 21-year Army career. Both continue to spearhead this program to this day.[citation needed]
Rivalry
Wichita Falls High School has participated in the rivalry against Rider High School since the completion of Rider in 1961. Beginning the week of the infamous game, the Wichita Falls Police Department reports an increase in vandalism, theft, and attacks from both sides.
Notable alumni
- Frank Kell Cahoon, Class of 1952, former member of the Texas House of Representatives from Midland
- Gabriel P. Disosway, Class of 1927, United States Air Force four-star general
- Johnny Genung, Class of 1959, Texas Longhorns football player, inducted into Longhorn's Hall of Honor in 2004.[6]
- David Farabee, Class of 1982, member of the Texas House from Wichita Falls since 1999
- Ray Farabee, Class of 1952, state senator from Wichita Falls and West Texas (1975-1988)
- Ed Neal, NFL player
- Bernard Scott, Class of 2003, NFL player
- Jim Turner, American football player
- Thomas W. Fowler, Class of 1939, Medal of Honor Recipient for his actions in World War II, Fowler Elementary named him in Wichita Falls ISD
See also
References
- ^ "Wichita Falls H S". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- ^ "WFISD School Info". Wichita Falls Independent School District. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
- ^ "WFISD School Info". Wichita Falls Independent School District. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
- ^ "WFHS Accountability" (PDF). Texas Education Agency. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
- ^ Cashion, Ty (1998). Pigskin Pulpit: A Social History of Texas High School Football Coaches. Austin: Texas State Historical Association. pp. 164–165. ISBN 0-87611-168-1.
- ^ "Men's Hall of Honor announces seven new inductees". TexasSports.com. September 16, 2004. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
External links
- Wichita Falls High School
- Wichita Falls ISD
- Wichita Falls High School Coyote football
- Campus facts 2007-2008