DeMatha Catholic High School

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DeMatha Catholic High School
Gentlemen & Scholars
Established 1946
School type Private
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic
Principal Dr. Daniel McMahon, '76
Location Hyattsville, MD, USA
Campus Main Building, St. John DeMatha Monastery, McCarthy Activities Center, Retreat House
Enrollment approximately 1,000 total (all boys)
Faculty 82
Average class size 25 students
Student:teacher
ratio		 18:1
Average SAT
scores (2005)		 563 verbal
581 math
Athletics 13 Varsity Teams
Color(s) Blue, White, Red
Mascot Stag
Conference Washington Catholic Athletic Conference
Homepage DeMatha Catholic High School

DeMatha Catholic High School is a four-year Catholic high school for young men located in Hyattsville, Maryland, USA. Known both for academic achievement and athletic prowess, DeMatha is a member of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, and is as a Catholic, college-preparatory high school administered under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.

Contents

[edit] History

DeMatha was founded by the Order of the Most Holy Trinity, or Trinitarians, in 1946. Originally, the school was designed to cater to the needs of Catholic seminarians from the Trinitarian order. Many local families, however, desired a Catholic secondary school for their children, and DeMatha's location in the Maryland suburbs of Washington proved ideal for this goal. As a result, the school began admitting more students, and expanded its academic and athletic programs while constructing the "old wing," or original school structure.

In addition to the original building, the school erected a state-of-the-art second wing, completed in 1990. The former band practice facility, known as "Fort Necessity," burned down in the 1970s. This building was refurbished and became the Anthony Fotos Arts Center, named for a beloved teacher of mechanical drawing and other architectural and engineering courses and a 30-year veteran of the school.

Recently, the school purchased more property adjacent to the original campus along Route 1, or Baltimore Avenue, in downtown Hyattsville. DeMatha seeks to develop the land acquisition with the direction and input of alumni, community leaders and the board of trustees of the school itself.

[edit] Catholic Tradition

Pictured is a unique feature of the DeMatha Chapel, located on the second floor of the new wing. The stained glass depicts images central to the Catholic faith and the Trinitarian order, and the chapel serves as the site of Masses, prayer services and other faith-based communal exercises.

The Catholic faith remains central to DeMatha's education, and the chapel reflects this fact, as does the shrine to the Virgin Mary, commissioned and completed in 2001 and located outside the DeMatha Monastery.

Although DeMatha remains Catholic and Trinitarian by tradition, students of various denominations attend DeMatha, and several faculty members are members of other faiths. Their presence adds to the rich diversity of the school.

[edit] Athletic Legacy

DeMatha's athletic teams, the Stags, have received national recognition for achievement in a variety of sports, from golf and baseball to basketball and football. Sports Illustrated recognized DeMatha as the #2 high school athletic program in the United States in 2005.

DeMatha exacted some revenge on the #1 school, Long Beach Polytechnic Institute, by defeating them in a swim meet in California in early 2006. A popular explanation for the school's ranking among DeMatha students is that the school is only ranked #2 because of their "cheerleaders."

DeMatha's basketball program has produced many championships in the school's WCAC (Washington Catholic Athletic Conference) league, and the team often wins the City Title game against opposing schools from the District of Columbia. In addition, DeMatha's former head basketball coach, Morgan Wootten, earned a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame for his achievements as the Stags' coach. In 2005, DeMatha's Varsity Basketball team finished with the #1 ranking in the Washington Post, and finished as the third-best high school squad in the country, according to USA Today even after winning the National Championship in 2005.

The DeMatha varsity football team won the 2006 WCAC championship for the fourth consecutive year and finished ranked #1 in the DC area by the Washington Post. They were featured in the Sporting News in their publication "High School Football". Head Coach Bill McGregor is quoted in the article featuring the school's profile. In addition, DeMatha football logos were featured in a recent Nike commercial, where actors dressed in Stag football jerseys compete against a team of professionals coached by legendary Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula.

In addition to football and basketball success, the DeMatha soccer and wrestling programs have also enjoyed critical acclaim. The varsity soccer team have won several WCAC championships and recently had their 67-game undefeated streak broken. The DeMatha wrestling team is known as a national powerhouse, with 21 consecutive WCAC championships. DeMatha has produced several All-American wrestlers.

DeMatha also fields very competitive teams, each with a number of conference titles, in other sports, such as swimming, tennis, hockey, golf, lacrosse, cross country, and track. The lacrosse team have won several championships in an area known for an abundance of talent in the sport, particularly at schools such as the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University, both of which have recruited DeMatha lacrosse players in the past.

[edit] Academic Excellence

In addition to these athletic achievements, DeMatha's academic record ranks highly among all-male Catholic high schools. The school offers a variety of honors and Advanced Placement courses, as well as various academic clubs and societies. Also offered are opportunities for study abroad and service within local Maryland communities, in keeping with Trinitarian tradition. The school emphasizes the importance of being both "a gentleman and a scholar".

The U.S. Department of Education recognized the school as a National School of Excellence twice, in 1984 and 1991. In DeMatha's 60-year history, the school has graduated over 6,000 young men. The school supports the Valois chapter of the National Honor Society, with a large percentage of upperclassmen participating in the group. The DeMatha chapter assists with food drives, fundraisers, and cleaning efforts of local parks, including the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C.

DeMatha fields competitive scholastic competition teams. For example, DeMatha routinely appears on It's Academic, the Washington-based television quiz show. DeMatha has emerged victorious several times during their television appearances. Outside of the DC area, DeMatha won the Myrtle Beach Ball Classic competition in 1998, and has also finished as champions or semi-finalists in many local quiz bowl competitions.

DeMatha routinely fields a strong Mock Trial team. Consisting of academically talented students, and coached by faculty and alumni mentors, the team has enjoyed great success and exposure over the years, being featured in publications such as the "Catholic Standard" and arguing before the Maryland Court of Appeals. The team regularly makes a showing in Maryland state semifinals, winning the statewide Maryland championship in 2001.

While DeMatha continues its tradition of all-male secondary education, when Regina Catholic High School, an all-girls school in Adelphi, Maryland, closed in 1989, DeMatha welcomed 21 members of the junior class who expressed a desire to finish their last high school year at DeMatha. Therefore, the class of 1990 contains the only female graduates in school history.

[edit] Music Program

DeMatha's music program was founded in 1970 by John Mitchell. The school's Wind Ensemble was named the top Catholic High School Band in 18 of 20 years by the National Catholic Bandmaster's Association. In addition, DeMatha performing groups have received 25 gold medals at international festivals in Chicago, Toronto, Orlando, Atlanta, Nashville, Myrtle Beach, Virginia Beach, and Daytona Beach. Each year, the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band II, the Voices of DeMatha, and the DeMatha Singers perform at a major music festival. The bands have received consistent superior ratings for the past 25 years at District, Archdiocesan, and State Band festivals. Over 400 students have been chosen to perform in All-State bands since 1974.

DeMatha's music programs feature both academic and extracurricular performing groups including the Pep Band, Jazz Lab, Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, String Ensemble, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble. In addition, the school maintains a choral program focusing on performance music, which includes the DeMatha Singers, the DeMatha Harmonics, the Voices of DeMatha, and Power of the Cross (Gospel Choir). Many graduates continue to perform with major symphony orchestras and Washington, DC-based service bands.

[edit] Some Notable Alumni

[edit] Some Notable Faculty and Staff

  • Lou Amico, 1949-1968, Math, Coach, Principal
  • Dr. Charles E. "Buck" Offutt, 1955-Present, English, Coach
  • John Moylan, 1944-Present, Principal Emeritus
  • John Mitchell, 1970-Present, Music
  • Ray "Smitty" Smith, Math, Coach
  • Rich Macheski, 1976-Present, History, AP Program, Time Travelers
  • Bill McGregor, English, Head Varsity Football Coach
  • Morgan Wootten, History, Former Varsity Basketball Coach
  • Richard Messier, PE, Health, Head Wrestling Coach

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] DeMatha's Athletic Championships

DeMatha Sports Teams' League Championships
SPORT   YEARS OF LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP TOTAL
Baseball   1957, 1968, 1970, 1975, 1978-81, 1983,1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994-98, 2002, 2003, 2004 23
Basketball   1961-66, 1968, 1969, 1970-76, 1978-84, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1994-98, 2001, 2002, 2005-2006 33
Cross Country   1988, 1996, 2006 3
Golf   1981, 1983-85, 1989, 1993-99, 2004 13
Football   1964, 1966, 1967, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1991-95, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 17
Hockey   1990, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004 9
Lacrosse   1988-91, 1994-96, 1999-2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 14
Soccer   1974, 1987, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005 6
Softball   1974-82, 1984-87, 1990, 1992 15
Swimming   2005 1
Tennis   1996-2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 8
Track   1991, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006 9
Wrestling   1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 21
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