Odessa High School

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Location
Odessa High School
Odessa, Texas
Information
Principal	Ron Leach
Enrollment	2574 (2006)
Type	Public
Athletics conference	District 2-5A
Color(s)	Red and White
Established	1908
Homepage	http://www.ector-county.k12.tx.us/Schools/ODE/

Odessa High School (OHS) is a public high school located in Odessa, Texas (USA) and is part of the Ector County Independent School District. The full name of the school is Odessa Senior High School. This name was originally to differentiate it from Odessa Junior High School (now known as David Crockett Junior High School). Normally, the school is commonly referred to as Odessa High or just OHS.

The student body of Odessa High School is composed of sophomores (grade 10) through seniors (grade 12). Freshmen (grade 9) are part of the junior high program in Odessa and do not normally attend classes with 10th through 12th grade except for special programs. Freshmen are allowed to compete in varsity athletics with upper grades in all sports. However, this mainly happens in such sports as swimming, golf, gymnastics, tennis, volleyball, softball and baseball. To date, no freshmen have competed on the varsity football team.

1 Sports teams
2 Band
3 Ghosts
4 Trivia
5 Notable alumni
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Sports teams

The mascot for Odessa High School is the Odessa Bronchos, with all female teams referred to as "Lady Bronchos." This unique spelling of "Broncho" has resulted in Odessa High being the only high school in Texas with this particular mascot. The original mascot for the team was the Yellowjackets and the team colors were purple and gold. In 1929, the student body voted 113-0 to change to the "Bronchos". The Bronchos colors were changed to red and white.

Boys at Odessa High School can participate on the following athletic teams: football, basketball, track, cross country, golf, tennis, swimming, soccer, powerlifting, baseball and gymnastics.

Girls can compete in: basketball, track, cross country, volleyball, golf, tennis, swimming, soccer, powerlifting, softball and gymnastics.

OHS has won state championships in boys track and field and was the 1946 winner of the Texas State football championships. The team also won state football championships in 1944 and 1945, but had to forfeit them because several of the players were ineligible due to their World War II service. In 1953, Odessa High School was a finalist in the Texas State Football championship.

[edit] Band

Odessa High school has consistently had a high quality music program in its school, especially its band program. The Odessa High School band has the second longest consecutive streak of first division rating in marching contests in the State of Texas, going back 69 years. Only Plano High School in Plano, Texas has a longer streak (by one year).^{[citation needed]} The band has also been invited to various music festival and contests across the nation. In March 2007, the band was invited to play their marching season selections "Letters from the Front" at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. In 2004, The Odessa High School Band combined with the band from Permian High School in Odessa to form the largest band ever to march in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California (over 500 members).^{[citation needed]}

The OHS Band was started in 1932 under the direction of G. Ward Moody. Directors Robert L. Maddox and Bill Dean have been the longest tenured directors of the band with 13 years and 22 years respectively. The Instrumental Music Building at OHS is named in honor of Maddox and the main band hall is named in honor of Dean.

From 1981 through 2006, the band has had at least one member make the Texas All State Band each year. In the 1998-99 school year, eight members were accorded All State honors. Band members also consistently do well at UIL Solo and Ensemble contest.

The band is currently under the direction of Bill Harden, only the 7th director in the history of the band.

[edit] Ghosts

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According to local legend, Odessa High School is haunted by as many as three ghosts — one human and 2 animal.^{[citation needed]}

The legend of the human ghost is based somewhat in fact. In the 1960s, a female student at OHS was killed by her boyfriend^[1]. He did the deed at a stock pond near Notrees in Ector County. The boyfriend was brought up on charges of murder, but was acquitted. Since the girl was a theater student, she supposedly haunts the auditorium. The event is documented in the book, "Washed in the Blood," by Shelton Williams. Shelton Williams was a cousin to the female student and at the time attended Odessa Permian High School. The ghost of the female student, known as Elizabeth, has been sighted throughout the school, primarily in the auditorium.

The two animal ghosts are supposed to be the ghosts of two former mascots — Spirit I and Spirit II — Shetland ponies that served as live mascots for the school. Spirit I was killed when pranksters from a rival high school painted the horse and he died of poisoning from the paint. The second horse died of natural causes. Both horses are buried on the school campus outside the baseball field. According to the legend, on clear, moonlit nights two horses can be seen either grazing or galloping across the baseball field and the football practice field. At other times, when the night is not so clear, discernible hoofbeats are said to be heard along with snorts and whinnies.