David W. Carter High School
Encyclopedia
David Wendel Carter High School (commonly referred to as Dallas Carter) is a public school located in the Oak Cliff
area of Dallas
, Texas
(USA
). David W. Carter High School, which covers grades 9-12, is a part of the Dallas Independent School District
.
The area surrounding Carter is one of the wealthier parts of Oak Cliff; most homes were built in the early 1960s. Although Carter's students were almost completely white when the school opened, the student body became increasingly African-American in the late 1970s. The surrounding neighborhood remains solidly middle-class.
The school initially drew students from Justin F. Kimball High School
; the two schools maintain a highly competitive rivalry to this day. The two schools face each other annually in football as "The Oak Cliff Super Bowl".
In 2005, after the closure of the Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District
. Carter absorbed some WHISD high school students.
In 2011 the district re-opened Wilmer Hutchins High School. Some former WHISD zones covered by Carter were rezoned to Wilmer-Hutchins.
Dallas Carter has a very competitive American football program. Playing in the highest classification in Texas high school football, the Cowboys reached the state semifinals in 1971 (lost 7-13 to Wichita Falls
), 1974 (lost 12-14 to Mesquite
) and 1982 (lost 13-21 to Hurst Bell
), but did not make the final game until 1988. That year, Dallas Carter had one of the most talented high school football teams ever assembled, equipped with a defense featuring Jessie Armstead
(LB
), Derrick Cherry (DT), Clifton Abraham
(CB
), Le'Shai Maston
and Derric Evans (both S). Guided by legendary coach Freddie James
, the Cowboys won the 1988 5A state championship with a 31-14 win over Converse Judson
. During the 1988 playoffs, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) attempted to remove Carter for using a player ineligible for an allegedly failing grade. The Dallas Independent School District (DISD) challenged the determination of the TEA in court and received a restraining order allowing them to continue play. Carter won the case in district court, Judge Joe Kendall ruling that the DISD, not the TEA, held the final authority to determine its students' grade. (The DISD had ruled that the student passed.) The UIL and TEA appealed Judge Kendall's decision and the appellate court refused to hear it, declaring the case moot. In spite of the court's rulings, the UIL voted in 1991 to officially strip the title from Carter and award it to Judson. The DISD, weary from years of legal proceedings, decided not to further contest the matter.
The 1988 Dallas Carter Cowboys appear in the 2004 film Friday Night Lights as opponents to Odessa Permian
in the state championship game. Actually Carter defeated Permian in the 1988 state semifinals. The video clips used to show the 1988 Dallas Carter playing the “Hays Rams” was actually a 2002 playoff game between Carter and Richardson Berkner
.
Carter's 1989 team was just as talented as the 1988 squad, featuring Clifton Abraham in his senior year and transfer Greg Hill
. However, they were banned from the 1989 state playoffs by the UIL
executive committee because Carter coach Freddie James had knowingly played an ineligible player. Carter was also caught using police scanners in 1991 to intercept radio headset communications between opposing team's press box coaches and sideline coaches, limiting an opposing team to six first downs in a 1991 playoff game. Nonetheless, the Dallas Morning News ranked Dallas Carter at #1 of the their final area ranking of the 1989 season. In 1990, Carter reached the state semifinals again, but lost 7-28 to Arlington Lamar
. Since James retired in 1995, Carter had a couple of different head football coaches. Bruce Chambers
chose to leave the school for an assistant job at Texas
after two seasons. His successor Linus Walton coached 1998 and 1999 before being removed after he was convicted of stealing money from the school. In 2000 Carter had an interim coach.
In 2002, Carter hired Allen Wilson
, who has previously coached at Paris High School
in Paris, Texas
and John Tyler High School
in Tyler, Texas
. Paris won a 4A state title in 1988, while John Tyler won a 5A title in 1994 and made a finals appearance in 2000. Carter owns a 53-8 record since Wilson's arrival.
Dallas Carter had made 30 playoff appearances, which is best in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
and 5th overall in 5A Texas football.
The ethnic makeup of the school is 94% African-American, 6% Hispanic
, less than 1% White
, non-Hispanic, less than 1% Asian/Pacific Islander
, and less than 1% American Indian
/Alaskan Native
.
The average class sizes at Carter are 24 students for English
, 30 for foreign language
, 22 for math, 23 for science
, and 28 for social studies
.
Teachers at the school carry, on average, 11 years of teaching experience and 9% of the teachers on staff are first-year teachers.
Adelle Turner, Mark Twain Vanguard, and T. G. Terry Elementary Schools feed into William H. Atwell Middle School, and Birdie Alexander, Umphrey Lee, Ronald E. McNair, and Martin Weiss Elementary Schools feed into D. A. Hulcy Middle School, all of which ultimately feed into David W. Carter High School.
Oak Cliff
Oak Cliff is a community in Dallas, Texas, United States that was formerly a separate town located in Dallas County; Dallas annexed Oak Cliff in 1903...
area of Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). David W. Carter High School, which covers grades 9-12, is a part of the Dallas Independent School District
Dallas Independent School District
The Dallas Independent School District is a school district based in Dallas, Texas . Dallas ISD, which operates schools in much of Dallas County, is the second largest school district in Texas and the twelfth largest in the United States.In 2009, the school district was rated "academically...
.
History
The school was built in 1965 and is named after David Wendel Carter, a doctor and member of the DISD school board. He served on the school board for 25 years, from 1925 to 1950, longer than any other member. Carter also served as the school board's president for 16 years. The school graduated its first class of seniors in 1968.The area surrounding Carter is one of the wealthier parts of Oak Cliff; most homes were built in the early 1960s. Although Carter's students were almost completely white when the school opened, the student body became increasingly African-American in the late 1970s. The surrounding neighborhood remains solidly middle-class.
The school initially drew students from Justin F. Kimball High School
Justin F. Kimball High School
Justin F. Kimball High School is a public secondary school in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas . Justin F. Kimball High School enrolls students in grades 9-12 and is a part of the Dallas Independent School District...
; the two schools maintain a highly competitive rivalry to this day. The two schools face each other annually in football as "The Oak Cliff Super Bowl".
In 2005, after the closure of the Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District
Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District
Wilmer-Hutchins Independent School District was a school district in southern Dallas County, Texas serving the cities of Wilmer and Hutchins, a portion of Dallas , and a small portion of Lancaster. The district served urban, suburban, and rural areas...
. Carter absorbed some WHISD high school students.
In 2011 the district re-opened Wilmer Hutchins High School. Some former WHISD zones covered by Carter were rezoned to Wilmer-Hutchins.
Football
Carter High School winning football program started with Joe Rush, Mike Baker, Danny Davis, Patrick Martin, O.C Jackson and Skip Jefferson. Patrick Martin was 1st team All-SWC at Arkansas 1978.Dallas Carter has a very competitive American football program. Playing in the highest classification in Texas high school football, the Cowboys reached the state semifinals in 1971 (lost 7-13 to Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls High School
Wichita Falls High School or WFHS is a public school in Wichita Falls, Texas . It is part of the Wichita Falls Independent School District and is one of the district's three high schools....
), 1974 (lost 12-14 to Mesquite
Mesquite High School (Mesquite, Texas)
Mesquite High School is a high school in Mesquite, Texas. Physically, the school lies adjacent to the intersection of Beltline Rd/East Davis Rd as well as Beltline Rd/East Gross Rd....
) and 1982 (lost 13-21 to Hurst Bell
L. D. Bell High School (Hurst, Texas)
Lawrence Dale Bell High School, more commonly known as L. D. Bell High School, is a public high school in the cities of Hurst and Bedford, Texas and part of the Hurst-Euless-Bedford Independent School District. The school is named for Lawrence Dale Bell, the founder of nearby Bell Helicopter...
), but did not make the final game until 1988. That year, Dallas Carter had one of the most talented high school football teams ever assembled, equipped with a defense featuring Jessie Armstead
Jessie Armstead
Jessie Willard Armstead is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who played for eleven seasons with the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins between 1993 and 2003. He played college football at the University of Miami.-High school career:Armstead attended...
(LB
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
), Derrick Cherry (DT), Clifton Abraham
Clifton Abraham
Clifton Eugene Abraham was an American football defensive back in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chicago Bears, and the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Florida State University. He played high school football at David W...
(CB
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
), Le'Shai Maston
Le'Shai Maston
Le'Shai Edwoin Maston is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Baylor University. Maston is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity....
and Derric Evans (both S). Guided by legendary coach Freddie James
Freddie James
Freddie James is a renowned former American football coach. He played under Billy Nicks at Prairie View A&M in the late 1950s, before working in a steel plant for a couple of years, then as a physical therapist in Houston, Texas. His former coach Nicks later recommended him for high school football...
, the Cowboys won the 1988 5A state championship with a 31-14 win over Converse Judson
Judson High School
Judson High School is a public, co-educational secondary school in Converse, Texas. It was established in 1959 and is part of the Judson Independent School District. The school was named after Moses Judson, who served on the Bexar County School Board from 1918 to 1939...
. During the 1988 playoffs, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) and the Texas Education Agency (TEA) attempted to remove Carter for using a player ineligible for an allegedly failing grade. The Dallas Independent School District (DISD) challenged the determination of the TEA in court and received a restraining order allowing them to continue play. Carter won the case in district court, Judge Joe Kendall ruling that the DISD, not the TEA, held the final authority to determine its students' grade. (The DISD had ruled that the student passed.) The UIL and TEA appealed Judge Kendall's decision and the appellate court refused to hear it, declaring the case moot. In spite of the court's rulings, the UIL voted in 1991 to officially strip the title from Carter and award it to Judson. The DISD, weary from years of legal proceedings, decided not to further contest the matter.
The 1988 Dallas Carter Cowboys appear in the 2004 film Friday Night Lights as opponents to Odessa Permian
Permian High School
Permian High School is a public high school located in Odessa, Texas and is part of the Ector County Independent School District. It was the subject of the book Friday Night Lights which in turn inspired a movie and TV series of the same name.-History:...
in the state championship game. Actually Carter defeated Permian in the 1988 state semifinals. The video clips used to show the 1988 Dallas Carter playing the “Hays Rams” was actually a 2002 playoff game between Carter and Richardson Berkner
Lloyd V. Berkner High School
Lloyd V. Berkner High School is a high school in Richardson, Texas, with a 2008 enrollment of 2,755 and a student/teacher ratio of 16.7. It is one of four high schools in the Richardson Independent School District.-History:...
.
Carter's 1989 team was just as talented as the 1988 squad, featuring Clifton Abraham in his senior year and transfer Greg Hill
Greg Hill (American football)
Gregory Lamonte' Hill is a former professional American football running back who played in the National Football League from 1994 to 1999.-High school:Hill attended David W...
. However, they were banned from the 1989 state playoffs by the UIL
University Interscholastic League
The University Interscholastic League is an organization that creates rules for and administers almost all athletic, music, and academic contests for public primary and secondary schools in the American state of Texas....
executive committee because Carter coach Freddie James had knowingly played an ineligible player. Carter was also caught using police scanners in 1991 to intercept radio headset communications between opposing team's press box coaches and sideline coaches, limiting an opposing team to six first downs in a 1991 playoff game. Nonetheless, the Dallas Morning News ranked Dallas Carter at #1 of the their final area ranking of the 1989 season. In 1990, Carter reached the state semifinals again, but lost 7-28 to Arlington Lamar
Lamar High School (Arlington, Texas)
Mirabeau B. Lamar High School is a secondary school in Arlington, Texas. It is named for Mirabeau B. Lamar, the second president of the Republic of Texas, and located at 1400 West Lamar Boulevard....
. Since James retired in 1995, Carter had a couple of different head football coaches. Bruce Chambers
Bruce Chambers
Bruce Chambers is an American football coach. He currently serves as an assistant to Mack Brown at the University of Texas at Austin. Priorly he served as coach at David W. Carter High School in Dallas, Texas....
chose to leave the school for an assistant job at Texas
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
after two seasons. His successor Linus Walton coached 1998 and 1999 before being removed after he was convicted of stealing money from the school. In 2000 Carter had an interim coach.
In 2002, Carter hired Allen Wilson
Allen Wilson (American football)
Allen Wilson is an American football coach. A highly successful high school coach, Wilson won two Texas state championships and amassed a 213-74-3 record. His teams are known for their smash-mouth running game....
, who has previously coached at Paris High School
Paris Independent School District
Paris Independent School District is a public school district based in Paris, Texas . It is a 3A school, and is the largest in Lamar County, with an enrollment of almost 1,500 students....
in Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas is a city located northeast of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in Lamar County, Texas, in the United States. It is situated in Northeast Texas at the western edge of the Piney Woods. Physiographically, these regions are part of the West Gulf Coastal Plain. In 1900, 9,358 people lived...
and John Tyler High School
John Tyler High School
John Tyler High School is a public, co-educational secondary school in Tyler, Texas. It is part of the Tyler Independent School District and serves 9th through 12th grade...
in Tyler, Texas
Tyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, in the United States. It takes its name from President John Tyler . The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau...
. Paris won a 4A state title in 1988, while John Tyler won a 5A title in 1994 and made a finals appearance in 2000. Carter owns a 53-8 record since Wilson's arrival.
Dallas Carter had made 30 playoff appearances, which is best in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a title designated by the U.S. Census as of 2003, encompasses 12 counties within the U.S. state of Texas. The area is divided into two metropolitan divisions: Dallas–Plano–Irving and Fort Worth–Arlington. Residents of the area...
and 5th overall in 5A Texas football.
Statistics
53% of the students at David W. Carter High School are economically disadvantaged, 12% enroll in special education, 10% enroll in gifted and talent programs, and 4% are considered "limited English proficient."The ethnic makeup of the school is 94% African-American, 6% Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
, less than 1% White
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
, non-Hispanic, less than 1% Asian/Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
, and less than 1% American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
/Alaskan Native
Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives are the indigenous peoples of Alaska. They include: Aleut, Inuit, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Eyak, and a number of Northern Athabaskan cultures.-History:In 1912 the Alaska Native Brotherhood was founded...
.
The average class sizes at Carter are 24 students for English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, 30 for foreign language
Foreign language
A foreign language is a language indigenous to another country. It is also a language not spoken in the native country of the person referred to, i.e. an English speaker living in Japan can say that Japanese is a foreign language to him or her...
, 22 for math, 23 for science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, and 28 for social studies
Social studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
.
Teachers at the school carry, on average, 11 years of teaching experience and 9% of the teachers on staff are first-year teachers.
Feeder patterns
As of 2006, William H. Atwell and D. A. Hulcy Middle Schools feed into David W. Carter High School.Adelle Turner, Mark Twain Vanguard, and T. G. Terry Elementary Schools feed into William H. Atwell Middle School, and Birdie Alexander, Umphrey Lee, Ronald E. McNair, and Martin Weiss Elementary Schools feed into D. A. Hulcy Middle School, all of which ultimately feed into David W. Carter High School.
Notable alumni
- Jerry Pittman, first graduating class 1968, Dallas attorney, represented British author and attorney, Michael H.B. Eddowes and Marina Oswald Porter; exhumed alleged presidential assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald in 1981 for second autopsy.
- Craig WatkinsCraig WatkinsCraig Watkins is currently the district attorney for the Dallas County, Texas, USA. He became the first African American district attorney in Texas when he was elected in 2006....
, first African American District Attorney in Dallas County and the State of Texas; known worldwide for correcting the wrongful convictions of previous DA's - Clifton AbrahamClifton AbrahamClifton Eugene Abraham was an American football defensive back in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chicago Bears, and the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Florida State University. He played high school football at David W...
, former NFL cornerback - Jessie ArmsteadJessie ArmsteadJessie Willard Armstead is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who played for eleven seasons with the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins between 1993 and 2003. He played college football at the University of Miami.-High school career:Armstead attended...
, former NFL linebacker - Karan AshleyKaran AshleyKaran Ashley is a former American actress.Ashley was born Karen Ashley Jackson in Odessa, Texas. She graduated from David W. Carter High School in Dallas, Texas. In 1992, she was a member of the short-lived girl group K.R.U.S.H, who contributed a song to the soundtrack of Mo' Money...
(Karan Ashley Jackson), TV actress; played Aisha in the Power RangersPower RangersPower Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
TV program - Chet BrooksChet BrooksChet Brooks is a former safety who played 3 seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League. He started in Super Bowl XXIV. During his college years, he coined the name "Wrecking Crew" for the Texas A&M University football team defense.-References:...
, former NFL cornerback - Joe BurchJoe BurchJoe Burch is a former American football offensive and defensive lineman.-Early years:Burch prepped at David W. Carter High School in Dallas, Texas, where he won the 1988 5A Texas state championship alongside Jessie Armstead and Clifton Abraham...
, former AFL lineman - Daryll Smith, NFL player
- Michael CrabtreeMichael CrabtreeMichael Alex Crabtree is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the 49ers with the 10th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football for Texas Tech, where he received recognition as one of the nation's...
, First-Team All-American wide receiver for the Texas Tech Red RaidersTexas Tech Red Raiders footballTexas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, First Round Draft pick (10th overall) by the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in the 2009 NFL Draft2009 NFL DraftThe 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00... - Greg Hill, former NFL running back
- Darren LewisDarren Lewis (American football)Darren "Tank" Lewis is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League. He was a 6th round selection out of Texas A&M by the Chicago Bears in the 1991 NFL Draft. He would play for the Bears from 1991-1993...
, former NFL running back - DJ Phife, disk jockey Celebrity DJ from Dallas Texas
- Le'Shai MastonLe'Shai MastonLe'Shai Edwoin Maston is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Baylor University. Maston is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity....
, former NFL fullback - DeMarcus LoveDeMarcus LoveDeMarcus Love is an American football offensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Arkansas. Love was selected with the 168th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Vikings.-High school career:Love attended David W...
, American football offensive tackle - Liz Lacy MikelLiz MikelElizabeth Juliene "Liz" Mikel is an American actress and jazz vocalist from Dallas, Texas. She is best known for her role as Corinna "Mama" Williams, mother of star running back Brian "Smash" Williams, on the NBC television series Friday Night Lights.-Career:Mikel has been performing on stage...
, actress and jazz singer - Steve Nice, radio personality on K104, a Dallas-area mainstream urbanMainstream UrbanMainstream Urban is a term used to describe a radio format similar to an Urban Contemporary format. The format differentiates itself due to two factors: playlist composition and target demographic...
station - Mark SanfordMark Sanford (basketball)Mark Sanford February 7, 1976 in Dallas, Texas), is an American professional basketball player, formerly for the University of Washington, Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, and New Jersey Nets....
, former NBA Player Miami HeatMiami HeatThe Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami... - Jesse Poole, former all-purpose back for the TCU Horned Frogs
- {Patrick Martin), former All SWC 1st team Defensive Back Arkansas, Defensive Player of week vs. Texas AM 1978
- Reginal Richards, Musician, Bassist for blues legends Bobby 'Blue' Bland and B.B.King.