Sparks High School is a public high school located at 820 15th Street, Sparks, Nevada, United States. It serves about 1150 students as a member of the

Washoe County School District The Washoe County School District (WCSD) is a public school district providing public education to students in all parts of Washoe County, Nevada, including the cities of Reno and Sparks, and the unincorporated communities of Verdi, Incline V ...

. It is ranked in the top-1000 schools based on the number of

AP exams Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curriculum, curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement ...

. Its mascot is the "Railroaders" and has a distinct train whistle when a game is taking place.

Athletics

Sparks High School's sports clubs are known as the "Railroaders," a reference to the city of Sparks' beginnings as a small railroad town affiliate to

Reno Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

in the late 19th century - early 20th century. The Railroaders have competed in the NIAA 3A North League since 2005 and have shown good athletic performances in different sports. They have won numerous league, regional, and state titles throughout the school's history.

Football

The Railroaders football team earned great success and respect throughout northern

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

and surrounding areas by winning many championships, and undefeated seasons, through the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Coach Edwin "Tip" Whitehead has been credited for building a football dynasty in the 1940s, which had numerous undefeated seasons and won State championships. The athletic complex at Sparks High is named after the iconic coach. The Railroaders have won the Nevada State Championship 7 times.

Soccer

Over the past years, Sparks has been renowned for their boys' soccer team, winning a State title in November 2011, defeating the Wolverines of

Truckee High School Truckee High School is one of two high schools in the Tahoe-Truckee Unified School District, which is based in the Lake Tahoe area town of Truckee in eastern Nevada County, California. Athletics Truckee High School is one of five California h ...

Truckee, CA Truckee is an incorporated town in Nevada County, California, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 16,180, reflecting an increase of 2,316 from the 13,864 counted in the 2000 Census and having the 316th highes ...

by a scored of 1–0 on a lone goal for the 3A State title. Success in soccer has not only happened against the 3A, but also against the 4A, where the soccer Railroaders have proved themselves as one of the best teams in

, and the West Coast. The team has been renowned enough as a soccer power to receive a sponsorship from

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

. In November 2016, Sparks had won a State title defeating the Warriors of Western High School of Las Vegas, NV by a score of 2–0 for the 3A State title. Sparks also won the State title 2016.

Basketball

Boys' Basketball has also been dominated by the Railroaders . After having fallen short in years before, the Railroader won the Nevada 3A State title in February 2010, knocking off the Buckaroos of Lowry High School of

Winnemucca, NV Winnemucca () is the only incorporated city in, and is the county seat of, Humboldt County, Nevada, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 8,431, up 14.0 percent from the 2010 census figure of 7,396. Interst ...

in the championship match-up, at

Lawlor Events Center Lawlor Events Center is northern Nevada's largest multi-purpose arena. It is located in Reno, Nevada at the intersection of North Virginia Street and 15th Street on the University of Nevada, Reno campus. It is named after former athletic director, ...

on the campus of the

University of Nevada The University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada, the University of Nevada, or UNR) is a public land-grant research university in Reno, Nevada. It is the state's flagship public university and primary land grant institution. It was founded on October 12 ...

Notable alumni

* Alexis Hansen, politician. * Randy Messenger, former

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player (

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The fran ...

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

) *

Brian Retterer Brian Retterer (born 1972) is a retired United States, American swimmer specialising in freestyle swimming, freestyle and backstroke events. He swam under Skip Kenney and Ted Knapp while at Stanford, and prior swam at Reno Aquatic Club in Sparks, ...

, swimmer Stanford *

Harvey Whittemore Frederick Harvey Whittemore (born August 17, 1952) is an American lawyer and businessman in the Reno, Nevada area. As an influential lobbyist for the gambling, alcohol and tobacco industries, and for his own ventures, Whittemore was called "one o ...

, lawyer and businessman. Hosted by the Whittemore-Peterson Institute.

References

External links

Official site
{{authority control Washoe County School District Buildings and structures in Sparks, Nevada Schools in Washoe County, Nevada Public high schools in Nevada