Wilson Matthews had possibly one of the finest success stories in all of Arkansas football history.  At Little Rock Central High School (LRCHS), his teams won 10 State Championships in 11 years and posted a remarkable record of 109-17-3.  They lost only 3 games to in-state teams.  Rogers (Ark.) High School was where Matthews began his coaching career in 1944.  He led his team to a 7 to 3 finish before moving to LRCHS in, as an assistant coach.  His first Tiger teams went 12-0-1 in 1947, and 9-1-1, in 1948.  His next two teams finished 10-1 and 10-2.  In 1951, his team was 9-3, with a one point loss to North Little Rock High School. That season was the last defeat Matthews coached against competition from Arkansas schools.

The Tigers went undefeated in the state for the next six years.  Matthews led the Tigers to unbeaten seasons in 1956 and 1957, and left the school with a 33 game winning streak.  His 1957 team was ranked Number 1 in the nation.  Matthews was a native of Atkins, Arkansas.  He played football at Atkins High School, Arkansas Tech, University of Arkansas, and with the Monticello Marine-Navy team.  He earned his bachelor’s degree and his master’s in education from the University of Arkansas.  Matthews also served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II.