TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
“Woooooo Pig Sooooie! Arkansas Razorbacks!” When you think of the name, you probably assume it originated with the University of Arkansas, but Arkansas High School first adopted the Razorback mascot as their own in 1873. In 1894, when the University of Arkansas team was formed, their mascot was a cardinal. The cardinal mascot stuck until 1910, when Hugo Bezdek, the football coach, stated his team played like a “wild band of Razorback hogs” after beating LSU 7-0. After the student body at the University of Arkansas heard this statement, they voted to change the name and mascot to the Arkansas Razorbacks. In the 1920s, farmers rushed out to the team’s bus after returning from an away game, yelling, “Woo Pig Sooie.” This stuck with the student body, and the action of calling the Hogs was born. Since the Texarkana Arkansas High School (AHS) was already known as the Razorbacks, the University of Arkansas made an agreement with the high school to “use” their Razorback logo as their mascot. In exchange, the University of Arkansas gave Arkansas High School used athletic equipment. To protect the trademark of the “Arkansas Razorbacks,” the University of Arkansas has exclusive licensing rights to the Razorback logo and its related merchandise. Still, there is no quarrel with Texarkana Arkansas School District continuing to use the name “Texarkana Arkansas Razorbacks.” After all, we were the ones who came up with the name first—and today, we pride ourselves on being the home of the “original” Razorback mascot. I have always been proud of being an Arkansas Razorback fan, and I have yelled “Woo Pig Sooie” with joy. I am entering my senior
year as a Texarkana Arkansas Razorback, and I know I will always have a home at AHS. The excellent education and world-class experiences that I have enjoyed will stay with me long after I’ve stopped walking these red and white halls. Dr. Robin Hickerson, the former TASD Assistant Superintendent and principal of Arkansas High School, always says it best… “Once a Razorback, always a Razorback.”
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2023 FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
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