A question was asked: “Officially when did the Wildcats cease to exist?” Frank Lowe, Class of 1972 sent the below.
"We consolidated in 1971-72 school year, however we played football under the Wildcat name, later the consolidated school board changed the name during the spring of 1972 to take effect in 1972-1973 school year. So I consider my senior year 71-72 to be the last year of the Wildcats."
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Frank L Lowe, Class of 1972 & one of the last Wildcats
We all came back after the summers of 71 to a huge change, that truthfully neither of the schools student body were happy about.
We had been ordered consolidated by someone with no knowledge of the traditions that would be changed forever.
(Note: also refer to Bob Poole 32+ Years in Texas Schools http://delrioalumni.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=199&Itemid=48 )
As bad as it seemed to us Wildcats, it had to be even harder on the Mustangs, they didn't have their High School building that contained so many of their memories. We at least had ours.
Much confusion, discussion, and meetings were held almost on a daily basis. Being a member of the National Honor Society much of the "political" discussions were held through that organization. Since the consolidation order indicated that neither "old" school could keep its mascot or colors, elections were held to determine the new school's name and colors. This took place during the middle of the school year in 1972.
The athletic teams kept the Wildcat name and colors throughout the 1971-1972 school year.
The cheerleaders also kept the Wildcat mascot and colors. We had two drill teams, Del Rio Dolls and The High Stepping Senoritas. At pep rallies we would sing our school song, they would sing their school song. Needless to say, there was more than one confrontation at the pep rallies. But we both got through all of that and made the best of the situation that was forced on us all.
Towards the end of the school year the school board did not take any of the names or colors voted on by the students and selected the mascot name Rams and the colors blue and white - all to take effect in the 72-73 school year.
Guillermina Bosquez Stover, Class of 1971
Somewhere along the way in my almost 60-year travel on this journey called life, I suffered an angina attack. Nine years ago last April, to be exact. And then I suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA or pre-stroke). So I became confused about two issues during my high school years: moving to the new cement plant, er, I mean the new Del Rio High School AND consolidation.
I spent my freshman year (1967-1968) in the OLD and BELOVED Del Rio High School. Ah, how I treasured that building. It was old, it had history, it had a smell and a lovely feel. Sometimes if I listened very carefully I could hear the echoes of teenaged girls in their bobby socks, teenaged boys in their rolled-up pants cuffs, laughing and chatting and planning sock hops and freshman initiation. And of course I had to go suffer (delightfully, I might add) through freshman INITIATION in that OLD and BELOVED Del Rio High School.
Moving to the new school the following year was traumatic. But I managed to survive and to appreciate the new history we were making in its halls. The newness of everything was actually quite fun to experience. I especially liked the sunken library.
But consolidation, that was another matter entirely. I would not get the "REST OF THE STORY" about that issue until very recently. Most of us were glad that we didn't have to go through the process; we couldn't imagine our football team as anything other than "Wildcats." And looking back, how superficial and trivial that seems now! So I was relieved that I would be gone before any of it affected me.
But of course I was wrong. It may not have affected me the student, but it affected me the person, the adult that was years in the future.