LOGAN, W.Va. — There are now two banners prominently displayed on the Logan High School football field scoreboard honoring the Aracoma High School Bulldogs.
In the days of segregation, the all Black school won back-to-back state titles in 1948 and 1949.
The school, which closed in 1962, eight years after Brown v. Board of Education outlawed segregation, became part of Logan High.
The banners were dedicated back on Thursday night before the Logan-Man game to open the season. Logan Principal Zach Anderson said the Aracoma Bulldogs should never be forgotten.
“We wanted to make sure that their successes and what they accomplished, which was remarkable, would be enshrined in Logan High School sports history forever,” Anderson said during an appearance on MetroNews Midday.
Anderson said the decision was made to place the banners at Willis Nesbitt Stadium for a reason.
“Anytime somebody comes walking on the island, anytime somebody comes to a football game, any outside athletic event or even pull onto our campus, they will see the enduring legacy of Coach (Lacy) Smith and those Aracoma Bulldogs,” Anderson said.
There were several people associated with the school who were able to attend Thursday night including a few former cheerleaders, cousins and nephews of former players and the only living graduate of the school that still lives in Logan County.
Anderson said it’s important to celebrate the success of the Logan school community no matter when it was.
“I wanted to make sure that we were recognizing and enshrining these people that have gone before us and their achievements so that way in the future people will show that same respect and honor to people now,” Anderson said.
He said it would be great if some other schools across the state would recognize the schools connected to their communities.
“It would be awesome if this started kind of a series of recognitions for these schools that came before us, before integration, that we honor their successes as part of our history. Aracoma High School history is Logan High School history,” Anderson said.