Cravens Family Tradition Lives on at Arlington High
Published on June 01, 2026
By Office of Communication
The Cravens name has been woven into Arlington’s history since its inception, and for senior Coleman Cravens, that legacy is no abstract story.
This June, Coleman is set to graduate as one of Arlington High’s highest-ranking students, following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather Carlisle (Class of 1924), grandfather Tom (Class of 1960), and father Carl (Class of 1990), making him the fourth generation of Cravens to graduate as a Colt.
“I'm definitely proud to be Arlington Colt,” he said. “Just like my great granddad, my granddad and my father, part of that makes me feel like I need to leave a legacy just like they did. That's one of our big mottos here at Arlington High is to leave a legacy, and I like to believe that I've done that very well during my time Arlington High.”
During his years at Arlington High, Coleman embraced every aspect of student life, balancing academics, athletics and leadership roles across campus.
“I'm currently ranked number four out of 600 of my class,” he stated. Everyone knows me as a quarterback, but I also am an orchestra playing viola. I'm involved in Key Club and National Honor Society. I've done bass fishing as well for four years, which has been a good time. I ran track and I recently picked up golf this year, which has been a blast to meet new people in all those different areas of Arlington High.”
“It's been rewarding to see him, accept the challenges ahead of him and really embrace new opportunities by taking the hard classes, not shying away from a busy schedule, Coleman’s father Tom said. “Quite frankly, he's surprised me as busy as he is to continue to excel in various activities inside of the classroom, the extracurricular field and then in the community as well.”
Cravens Field at Lamar High School, named for his great-grandfather, Carlisle Cravens, stands as a lasting tribute to a family that helped shape the community. Coleman played on this field as the starting quarterback for Arlington High School. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather played football for the Colts as well.
“Whenever your team and the other team all know your last name and you’re playing on your field that has your last name on it, there’s definitely pressure there but it was definitely a great experience to be able to do that,” Coleman said.
Coleman’s two older sisters, Mary Nelle and Edie, added to the family’s presence in Arlington High athletics as cheerleaders and both now attend the University of Texas at Austin, where Coleman is headed next.
“He's been learning and listening since he was a young child” said Lisa Cravens, Coleman’s mom. “When you talk to him about the history of Arlington or his legacy, while you may not think that he was listening, he really has been listening. But he’s just kind of been Coleman Cravens, which that's really what you want as a parent. Not to try to live up to somebody else's expectations or to a shadow that's over you. I think that he has represented himself well and been the person that he wants to be here in high school and in Arlington. But he's a great student, great athlete, great friend, and he's a pretty great leader, too.”
“I think one of the big things in today's age is people are quick to get up and leave whenever they think they don't have an opportunity. But I think Arlington High School has provided the opportunity for anyone to succeed here.”
Visit Arlington150.com for more historical articles, photos and events planned throughout 2026.