Historical

The Dallas County Sports Hall of Fame was organized in 2005 to preserve the history of sports and related activities in Dallas County, to develop and promote public interest through the educational process; to recognize, honor and keep in remembrance those athletes, coaches and others who have made outstanding contributions to the field of athletics, who have met all criteria of the association, and who deserve accolades of the citizenry of Dallas County, Arkansas.

Sparkman School Mascots

Mascots listed in the 1929 Spark yearbook were the senior girls basketball team called the Sparklers, the junior girls basketball team called the Midgets and the boys basketball and football teams called the Sparkplugs.

The next yearbook published was the 1949 Sparkler. By that year the football program had been dropped but the boys and girls basketball teams were still called the Sparkplugs and the Sparklers. The Midgets were not mentioned again.

In the 1957-1958 school year, junior and senior high football was added and still called the Sparkplugs.

In the 1960 Sparkler yearbook, the team mascot was called the Rebels but a picture of a sparkplug was on the inside of the yearbook but not on the outside as usual.

In the 1971-1972 school year the mascot was changed to the Raiders. The Sparkman Training School had integrated with the Sparkman High School in the 1969-1970 school year. The Sparkman Training School mascot was the Tigers and their school colors were black and gold. A new high school building was built for that year and it was decided that a new mascot would help all of the students to feel welcome in the new building. The new mascot was voted on by the students. The school colors of purple and gold were kept as they had been from the beginning of Sparkman Schools.

The Raider mascot remains as of today in 2011. The Raider emblem was designed in 1971 by the Herff-Jones Company who sold senior rings and graduation supplies to the students.

1951-1952 Princeton Girls Basketball

In the 1951-1952 school year, the Princeton senior girls’ basketball team won the district tournament. Their coach was Mr. Key Crouse, who was also the school principal. The final game between Carthage and Princeton senior girls was played at the Princeton Gymnasium. Carthage had a good team. The picture of number 12 is Mamie Ruth “Top” Wheeler standing on the steps of the old Princeton Gymnasium. She is proud of her number (12). The members of the team were:
Reba Nutt
Epsie Jo Gregory
Mamie Ruth “Top” Wheeler”
Patsy Sue Walker
Johan Smith
Katie Lou Stone
Irene Looney
Nova May Holloway
Velma Yergin

1957 Princeton Girls Basketball

In 1957, the Princeton Senior Girls team won the Dallas County Basketball Tournament at Sparkman High School Gymnasium. These girls were underdogs, since they had not won a game until the tournament. They defeated Sparkman, Carthage, and Fordyce to win the tournament. This was a big accomplishment for the team and the Princeton school.

1965 Dallas County Basketball Tournament

In 1965, the Dallas County Basketball Tournament was held in the Princeton Gymnasium in Princeton. The Princeton school was small in numbers and there were not enough boys to have a senior boys’ team. Everyone supported the junior boys team. There were five boys on the junior team. These five young men were very much the underdogs to win the county tournament. They had to defeat Carthage, Sparkman, and Fordyce to win the tournament. To everyone’s surprise, these boys, coached by Carrol Harrison, won the tournament. It has been a memorable conversation for years. No one believed it could happen. The team included the following athletes:
George Humphries
Jerry Young
Randall Jones
Andy Bryant
Jimmy Jones
The next year Princeton School consolidated with Fordyce and Sparkman schools. George Humphries and Jerry Young went to Sparkman School. Andy Bryant, Randall Jones, and Jimmy Jones went to Fordyce School. It has been discussed over the years, what might these five achieved if they had been able to continue on the same team. This was the last tournament played in the Princeton Gymnasium before the school closed.

1986 Redbug Reunion – Coach Parker

Listen to Coach Parker at the 1986 Redbug Reunion.

Coach Jim “Red” Parker