It is part of the Itasca Independent School District located in north central Hill County.

[2] According to local legend in Itasca, a student from the late 1920s helped them come up with one of the state's most unusual nicknames: Wampus Cats.

The imaginary mascot has made Itasca recognizable to people who don't even know the town of 1,500 is 45 miles south of Fort Worth.

A Dallas radio station has called it the quintessential Texas high school football nickname.

[3] Nancy Bowman, a lifelong Itascan who runs the school's special services, explains that the team was having trouble finding a nickname until the perfect one erupted from a post-game locker room celebration.