Muskogee High School

Muskogee High School (MHS) is a four-year public high school in Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA. MHS has a steady enrollment of 1,700 students. It is accredited by the Oklahoma State Department of Education and the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association. The school year consists of two 18-week semesters with a 7 class flexible schedule, consisting of 55 minute periods.

Muskogee High School is part of the Muskogee Independent School District No. 20 of Muskogee County, Oklahoma, more commonly known as Muskogee Public Schools (MPS). MHS telephone number: 918-684-3750.

Administration

School history

The Muskogee Rougher is the mascot of Muskogee High School and Muskogee Public Schools at-large.

The modern history of high school education for students in Muskogee, Oklahoma started with the birth of Muskogee High School in 1970, but the roots for the education of the young adults of this community can be traced back to before statehood.

Muskogee High School came into existence on August 19, 1970, when Central High and Manual Training High were integrated by the Muskogee Board of Education. The two previous high schools were established several years before statehood. When the first Board of Education was established in 1898, one of its initial duties was to create public schools for students of different races to replace the church schools that had missionaries as teachers. Thus creating Central High School and Manual Training High School.

Central High School’s first graduating class was in 1908. In 1909, Central High became the first school in the state to be accredited by the North Central Association. A 1922 memory book filled with names and photos of CHS graduates that year is available at the Muskogee Public School website, along with more historical information about the schools.

The legend of Manual Training High School goes back 61 years prior to integration. The construction of Manual Training High started in 1909. The first class occupied the building at the corner of Altamont and Girard Streets before its completion in 1910. The first graduating class was in 1912.

The last graduating classes from both Central and Manual were in May 1970. The following fall, all high school students integrated to what we now know today as Muskogee High School. This integration in 1970 marked the end of two historical institutions but also spawned a single school to carry on the best of both traditions.

In 1925, the Central football team won another state championship and the squad was tagged with the nickname “Roughers” because many of the players performed without helmets, due to lack of funding, and for their rough play. The current Rougher mascot is a roughneck with a bulldog face symbolizing the Oklahoma oil days and the Manual High bulldog mascot. In 1981, a contest was held to choose a mascot. MHS had no image for a mascot at the time, and only used the word "Roughers". Several students submitted their images for the Rougher, and Kennny Davis from the class of 1981 was voted the winner. He took the Manual High Bulldog and made it into a roughneck. He got $500.00 for winning the contest. Both the mascot and the term “Roughers” are copyrighted and can never be used by any other institution.

Because of the rich history and tradition, the Muskogee High School Roughers have become an icon to the Muskogee community.

Academics

Muskogee High School offers a wide range of academic courses.

In order to graduate from MHS, a student must complete:

Advanced Placement Program

The Advanced Placement (AP) Program provides college-level courses to MHS student through AP courses. Through AP Exams, students have the opportunity to earn credit or advanced standing at most of the nation's colleges and universities.

Concurrent enrollment

Juniors and seniors of exceptional ability are provided with the opportunity to gain college credit while completing their high school education. School counselors must verify that prerequisites are met and that enrollment in the college course has been completed, including payment for the course(s), prior to concurrent enrollment being changed on a student's schedule.

Special Education Department

Muskogee High School provides comprehensive services to qualifying students.

Technology and Business Department

Through different programs at MHS students are allowed to incorporate work experience into their academic plans. The DECA program allows students to attends MHS half the day and maintain a job the other half. Students interested in technical and career-specific skills to prepare for such careers as automotive, child care, computers, construction, cosmetology, industrial technology, health care, and landscape may enroll in programs at the Muskogee Indian Capital Technology Center, affiliated with the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.

Athletics

Football

After integration Muskogee High became a separate institution from Central High and Manual Training. Since integration the only 2 times Muskogee High has made it to the championship game was in 1985 when they were runner-ups and 1986, crowned champions. The only state championship team since integration led by Coach Ron Freeman. Manual never won a championship and Central won its last one in 1951. The legendary class of 1987 is the only senior class in Muskogee High history to win a state championship since integration. The team was led by a great senior class and All-American Glen Bell and Team MVP Charles Thompson. The Muskogee High School Roughers football team has become more and more successful in recent years. Now guided by New Head Coach Josh Blankenship, the Roughers hope to finish better than the 2010 regular season that fell below 500, but with new guidance they look forward to 2011. They are excited about the leadership and knowledge the youthful coach Blankenship will bring to the field.

State Championships(Central High): 1910 - 1914 - 1919 - 1920 - 1923 - 1925 - 1935 - 1940 - 1947 - 1948 -1949 1950 - 1951

State Championship(Muskogee High) : 1986

Softball

The Muskogee Softball program was established in 1970 by Nancy Harrold. In 1983, 1998, 2000, and 2009 the Rougher Softball team claimed state titles. The last coming in 2009, when the Rougher defeated Jenks 13-3 to cap off a 36-7 record. The Roughers are currently coached by Keith Coleman (2005-present). The Rougher fastpitch program has twice qualified for the State Tournament, 2008 and 2013. The Roughers defeated Union in the Regional Finals to advance to the 2013 State Tournament. The Rougher Softball Team was also named the Class 6A Academic State Champions in 2013, with a team GPA of 3.7.

State Championship(Muskogee High) : 1983, 1998, 2000, 2009

Student clubs and organizations

Notable alumni

• Archie Bradley, professional baseball player (transferred to Broken Arrow Senior High School)^[1]
• Bo Bolinger - football player
• John Tyler Hammons - former mayor of Muskogee
• George Faught - current State Representative for Muskogee
• Drew Edmondson - current Attorney General of Oklahoma
• Ed Edmondson - former Congressman for Oklahoma's 2nd District
• James E. Edmondson - current Oklahoma Supreme Court justice
• J. Howard Edmondson - former Oklahoma Governor and Senator
• Mike Synar - former Oklahoma Congress from Oklahoma's 2nd District
• Ernest E. Evans - Commander, United States Navy. Died in combat 1944.
• Jack Jacobs - former Canadian Football League quarterback and one of the original inductees to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
• Glen D. Johnson, Jr. - current Chancellor of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education
• Robert Reed - actor.
• Charles Thompson Social activist, Graduate of 1987 and only MVP of state championship football team in Muskogee High history

Miscellaneous

Fight song

On! Muskogee. On! Muskogee
Break right through the line.
Throw the ball, and get that first down.
Touchdowns sure are fine! Fine, Fine fine!
On! Muskogee. On! Muskogee
Fight for Rougher fame.
Fight Roughers, fight! fight! fight!
To win this game. Hey!

The book, Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign 1941-1945 was published in November 2006. It was written by Evan Thomas, editor of Newsweek. The book details Muskogee graduate, Commander Ernest Evans, in one of the last great battles of the Pacific Theater in 1944. Mr. Thomas visited the library media center at Muskogee High School as part of his research for this book.^[2]

References

External links

• Muskogee Public Schools homepage
• Rougher football homepage
• Rougher Softball homepage

Coordinates: 35°46′12″N 95°19′43″W / 35.770015°N 95.328673°W / 35.770015; -95.328673

Oklahoma High School Athletic Districts
6A	District 1 Bartlesville Booker T. Washington Enid Owasso Ponca City Sand Springs Stillwater Union District 2 Bixby Broken Arrow Jenks Muskogee Putnam City Sapulpa Thomas Edison Westmoore District 3 Edmond North Eisenhower Midwest City Moore Norman North Putnam City North US Grant Yukon District 4 Edmond Memorial Edmond Santa Fe Lawton Mustang Norman Putnam City West Southmoore
5A	District 1 Del City Duncan MacArthur Southeast District 2 Bishop McGuinness Carl Albert Deer Creek El Reno Guthrie Northwest Classen Western Heights District 3 Bishop Kelley Durant Memorial Nathan Hale District 4 Central Claremore Coweta East Central Grove
4A	Cache Clinton Elgin Fort Gibson Hilldale McLain McLoud Sallisaw Stilwell Tecumseh Wagoner Webster
3A	Bethany Bethel Cascia Hall Dickson Eufaula Heritage Hall Hugo Idabel John Marshall Lone Grove Seminole Sequoyah-Claremore Sequoyah-Tahlequah Star Spencer
2A	Chisholm Oklahoma Christian Heavener Millwood Mount St. Mary
A	Afton Barnsdall Gore Okay Okeene Oklahoma Bible Academy Oklahoma Union Porter-Consolidated Wayne Wilson
B	Cave Springs Forgan
C	Southwest Covenant