At Midfield, he inherited a football program which had endured four straight losing seasons. However, with patience, understanding, and a superior knowledge of the game, he turned the program around over the next 16 years. His teams suffered only two losing seasons and he sent six teams to the state playoffs. Sparks Patriots advanced to the quarterfinals in 1985, winning a then school record 10 games during the regular season. Coach Sparks left coaching to become principal after the 1990 season. His overall football record is 137-92-3, with 104 of those victories coming at Midfield. Sparks also left an indelible mark due to his achievements in baseball, with an overall record of 327-120, a state championship in 1988 and five county championships. He was a head coach for the East-West All-Star game, and he was coach of two American Legion championship teams. He served two terms as AHSAA Central Board president before retiring as Shelby County school superintendent. Coach Sparks was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame at its 10th annual induction ceremony held on March 20, 2000. |