News Briefs

John Pritchett is synonymous with Dallas ISD athletics, as his tenure spans 50-plus years announcing athletic events in the district and 30-plus years as an announcer for the UIL State Track & Field Meet. Born in Oklahoma and a graduate of W.H. Adamson High School, Pritchett took advantage of a late growth spurt while enlisted in the U.S. Army and was a three-sport letterwinner for his division team. His interest in broadcasting also took flight during that span as he served as the weekend announcer for the Frankfurt Black Knights’ football and basketball teams. Pritchett returned to Dallas and enrolled…

Legendary boys basketball coach J.D Mayo’s impact on the game of basketball has spanned nearly five decades in North Texas. During his illustrious career on the hardwood, Mayo made the biggest difference in the lives of Dallas ISD student-athletes as the winningest head coach in district history during a 33-year span at Skyline High School. A graduate of East Texas State in Commerce, Texas, Mayo began his storied career at Spruce High School as an assistant coach under John Paul Fultz for five seasons. Mayo was handed the keys to his own program in 1976 at Skyline and made the…

Considered one of the greatest sprinters of all-time, Roy “Robot” Martin prepped at Roosevelt High School under legendary head coach Earnest James. Martin burst on to the scene as a junior in 1984, as he was named Male Prep Athlete of the Year by Track & Field News and finished fourth in the 200 at the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials. As a senior in 1985, Martin set the 200-meter high school national record for all competitions when he ran 20.13 at the state championship — a record that stood until 2016. Martin’s time is still the national record for high…

Harvey Martin’s path to NFL stardom quietly began at South Oak Cliff High School as a member of the first racially integrated class in the city of Dallas. A two-year letterman, Martin picked up pads for the first time in his life as a high school junior and quickly adjusted to the game of football as he moved to the defensive side of the ball and led the team deep into the state playoffs his senior season. Despite his success on the gridiron, Martin fielded only one scholarship offer as he enrolled at East Texas State in Commerce, Texas. Martin…