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Stadium Named After Coach Sullins Inspiration for Many Wildcats
by Louise Abercrombie, News Staff Writer

For 68 years shadows have been falling over Sullins Field in Ponca City, but the longest and winningest shadow was cast by a man of small stature. He was a man everyone called "Coach." His real name was Earl Sullins. A man of many talents, Sullins was to amass a winning record in Ponca City that has yet to be equaled. During his coaching career that spanned nearly 40 years, Sullins' Ponca City football teams won 115 games, lost 47 and tied 10 in 16 years. But his wins were not limited to football as he was the winningest coach in the modern era of Po-Hi baseball. In 1977, the memorable coach was so well-known and thought of by the community that Blaine Stadium, was renamed Sullins Stadium.

Sullins died in 2004 at the age of 98. He was a fellow that knew his teams personally and kept in touch after they graduated. If you couldn't find a sports statistic, all you had to do was telephone Earl and he could answer the question without hesitation. Built by WPA The stadium itself was built by the WPA in 1937. The WPA preservation survey said, "The Blaine Stadium and Field house are significant for the immediate and long-range impact they have had upon the Ponca City Community." Describing the stadium, the WPA survey said, "Architecturally, the structure was unique in the community in terms of type, construction materials and style.

As a WPA facility it demonstrated the breadth of the agency's definition of a 'useful' project, suggesting that recreation and athletic contests were critical to recovery from the Depression." The stadium was built in an on-again, off-again project and competed in 1937. The field house and stadium were both built in what was known at one time as Blaine Park. In 1938 Blaine Park was changed to Blaine Field by Ponca City Resolution No. 1068. Actually the resolution was only a formality since the city and board of education had planned the transfer several years before and were waiting until necessary work of the athletic field was completed by Works Progress Administration. According to a series on Ponca City Parks by the late Vern Orndorff, Ponca City News reporter, Blaine Park was part of the original plat of the Townsite of Cross.

The plat dated May 4, 1893, 9.29 acres was reserved for park purposes. Cross was the first townsite of what would later become Ponca City. The acreage was bounded by Broadway Avenue, now Brookfield, on the north, a half-section line, now Seventh Street, on the east, a half-section line, now Liberty, on the south, and L Street, now Fifth Street on the west. According to Orndorff's story the site was never developed as a park, but for a time, the north part was used as a cemetery. Later the graves were moved to Odd Fellows Cemetery. The grand and glorious occasion when the first football game held in the new stadium in September 1937. Prior to that the games were held in the Conoco athletic field at the Conoco Complex.

Originally the oil company's athletic field was built by E.W. Marland of Marland Oil. The lights from the Conoco ballpark were moved to the stadium. The Wildcats won that game against Davenport, which was an oil boom town, 27 to zip. Officially the stadium was dedicated On Oct. 1, 1937. Master of ceremonies was A.E. Runnels, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. Clyde E. Muchmore, the late publisher of The Ponca City News, was the dedication speaker. Also speaking were Gen. W.S. Key, immediate past state director of the WPA, and Monte Dillingham, director of information representing Ron Stephens, WPA state administrator. Artificial turf was installed on the Wildcats Football field in Sullins Stadium a few years ago. The third week of August this year the Oklahoma State University football team practiced here for three days because their field was soggy. On a daily basis a lot of fans showed up to watch the scrimmage. The Wildcats first 2005 home game in Sullins Field is set for Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m. against the Bartlesville Bruins. The is the second season for Ponca City High School Coach Bo Hannaford. Coach Sullins surely would have wished him good luck and a winning season.