The Pine Bluff High School Fighting Zebras boast one of the richest history of high school football state championship wins in Arkansas history, adding this year’s 5A championship title to their list of wins.
Image Credit: www.nwaonline.com
This year, the Pine Bluff High School Fighting Zebras football team has worked hard to live up to their school’s prestigious football legacy. For generations, the Zebras have been the pride of the city. The Zebras have a rich history of winning 23 State Championships in 1916, 1921, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1932, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1943, 1951, 1962, 1963,1973, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2014, and 2015. As they were headed for this year’s State championship the Zebras were halted at the 5A-Central Conference Champion level, which is still a record to be celebrated. The Zebras also won two National Championships in 1925 and 1939. Only Little Rock Central High School boasts more state championship wins than the Pine Bluff High School Zebras.
Although the 1920s and 1930s are considered the Zebra's heyday. Pine Bluff High School alumni, now head coach Micheal Williams, has made it a point to teach his players about their esteemed football history to continue that legacy.
In an interview with THV11 earlier this year, Senior Austyn Dendy stated, “Back in the day, it was a winning school, so everybody knows us for winning. All you're going to hear is Pine Bluff High. That’s the heart of the city. Everybody loves the Zebras.”
Williams also stressed that teaching his football players about their history was of utmost importance to returning to the standard. With this emphasis on Pine Bluff High’s winning standard, Williams stated, “They didn’t know what the expectation was last year. They're ready to go this year."
Just as Williams stated, the Pine Bluff Fighting Zebras were again ready to win this year. On November 3, the Zebras won the 5A-Central championship after they defeated the Joe T. Robinson High School Senators 20-7 at Jordan Stadium. This victory is all the more sweet as last year, Pine Bluff High lost to Joe T. Robinson in its final regular-season game, ending their playoff hopes.
On November 24, Pine Bluff High competed against Shiloh Christian in the semifinals of Arkansas’ 2023 AHSAA Centennial Bank Football Playoffs. They lost by just 8 points, the final score being 49 to 41. The Zebras have thrilled and reinvigorated the Pine Bluff community with their phenomenal football season.
Sources:
1925 & 1939 Zebra National Champion Teams. Jefferson County Historical Quarterly. Volume 51, Number 3. Fall 2023
Written by: Ninfa O. Barnard