Legendary Sulphur Springs football coach James Cameron has been named to the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor. The late Coach Cameron capped his coaching career with six stellar seasons in Sulphur Springs. Between 1989 and 1994, his Wildcats’ teams captured four district championships and shared two others. His 1993 and 1994 teams both played until the regional quarterfinal game. Coach Cameron’s 1991 team was a perfect 10-0 and was rated #1 in the state before losing a bi-district game. Coach Cameron still has the highest winning percentage of any Wildcats coach with his 78.8% record of 57-15-1. Only current coach Greg Owens has exceeded his victory total with 77 wins over 11 seasons. Coach Cameron also had head coaching stops at Kilgore, Rockwall and McKinney.
Current Wildcats Football Offensive Coordinator Matt Young had a unique perspective to observe Coach Cameron. Young’s father Tom was a Coach Cameron assistant at Rockwall and Sulphur Springs. Matt grew up around football teams and played for Coach Cameron for four years at Sulphur Springs High School. Coach Young said Coach Cameron has had a lasting effect on a bunch of coaches. He said he was blessed of have Coach Cameron as part of his life. Coach Young remembers as a player seeing Coach Cameron deep snapping footballs into garbage cans and eating candy and then falling asleep during some film sessions. He said everyone seems to have a James Cameron story. Coach Young said Coach Cameron was a joy to play for and he made you love him. When Coach Cameron passed away between the 1994 and 1995 seasons, a large crowd of over 3,000 attended his funeral at the Hopkins County Regional Civic Center.
