Lufkin High School

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Lufkin High School
Established	1905
Type	Free public
Principal	Mark Smith
Students	2,350
Grades	9^th through 12^th
Location	Lufkin, Texas USA
District	Lufkin Independent School District
Colors	Purple and Gold
Mascot	Panther
Website	Lufkin High Website

Lufkin High School is a public secondary school located in Angelina County, Texas. It serves the Lufkin, TX area as part of the Lufkin Independent School District.

The current Lufkin High School was formed in 1970 by consolidation of Lufkin High School and Lufkin Dunbar High School, the formerly African-American HIgh School in Lufkin.

[edit] Sports Teams

Lufkin High School participates in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. The football team plays at Abe Martin stadium, named for legendary TCU, and former Lufkin High, coach Abe Martin.

The mascot of the Lufkin High School sports teams is the black-furred puma, known locally as the black panther. Farther west the panther is known as the mountain lion. The panther mascot harkens back to an earlier day when predatory animals such as black bears and panthers still roamed the forests of East Texas. Early residents of Angelina County reported hearing the terrifying screams of panthers from deep in the night darkened woods. The black panther is a rare melanistic variant (opposite of albino) of the puma, which normally has a reddish fur. Some experts assert that the black-furred panther exists only in legend, but those who play against the Lufkin Panthers know that its fierce spirit is alive and well.

The school fight song is "On, You Panthers" sung to the tune of "On, Wisconsin," the fight song of the University of Wisconsin.

[edit] Notable Alumni

Thad Sitton - historian and writer.
Betty Conner - actress in Gidget (TV series).
R. B ("Robert B.") McIntire - long time news announcer on KILT radio in Houston
Ken "Hubcap" Carter - Radio DJ and newsman and member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame
Ken Houston - Lufkin Dunbar graduate who played for the Houston Oilers and Washington Redskins before being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Reggie McNeal - former Aggie QB and current Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver
Don Muhlbach - former Aggie and current Detroit Lions deep snapper.
Terrence Kiel - former Aggie and current San Diego Chargers safety.
Brian Bradford - former Longhorn punter.
Amy Bradford - former Longhorn softball pitcher.
Chris Seelbach - former MLB pitcher.
Tom Murphy - former MLB pitcher.
Murphy Martin - Lufkin and Dallas area newman and ABC News anchorman.
Pete Runnels - former Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox. and Houston Colt .45s infielder.
Joe Robb - former lineman for the St. Louis Cardinals, prececessor to the Arizona Cardinals
Rex Hadnot - former Houston Cougar OL, current Miami Dolphin center