South Charleston High School

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South Charleston High School
Catch the Spirit


School type Free public
Established 1926 (consolidated in 1990)
District Kanawha County School District
Grades 9-12
Principal Mr. William Walton
Faculty 114
Students 1,184
Colors Orange and Black
Mascot Black Eagle
Campus Suburban, 65 acres (0.4 km�)
Location South Charleston, WV
United States
Website http://schs.kana.k12.wv.us/

South Charleston High School is a school located on the southern half of the Kanawha River, west of the city of Charleston, in the city of South Charleston's Spring Hill neighborhood. The School mascot is the Black Eagle and the enrollment is around 1,200. SCHS is a class AAA school which is the highest class of high school sports in West Virginia. South Charleston has great pride and tradition in their school as it is one of the only schools left in the state that has been around for more than 75 years. (Along with Huntington High School, Parkersburg High School, Morgantown High School, Martinsburg High School, and some others) South Charleston is considered to be one of the powerhouses of the state.

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[edit] History

South Charleston High School has called three buildings home since it was created over 80 years ago! The original Louden District High School was built in downtown South Charleston in 1925. Another newer building was built near the old building, still in downtown South Charleston, in 1931. South Charleston High was moved to the larger building; South Charleston Junior High School moved into the building SCHS moved out of. In 1971 a new, much larger school and campus complex was built on the sight of an old country club in the Spring Hill area of town. South Charleston Junior High School was moved from the original 1925 building to the old South Charleston High School. If you go see the current South Charleston Middle School bulding today you can still see where Louden District High School is engraved into the stone.

The South Charleston High School "Black Eagle Band" has been around almost as long as the school. The original band was organized in 1932 with only three members participating. The first band was led by Charles Gorby. The band has seen enrollment of up to 110 members at one time!

In 1990, South Charleston's rival school Dunbar High School was closed and those students were transferred across the river to South Charleston High School. This spiked South Charleston's enrollment.

[edit] School Renovations

South Charleston High School underwent several renovations to make room for the new ninth graders coming up. A commons area referred to by the students and staff as the "Piazza" was added to the front of the school and became the current entrance to the building.

The Piazza
The Piazza

It serves as a commons area and houses a concession stand, a garden and waterfall, seating areas, and the entrance to the gym, theater, auxiliary gym, and offices can all be accessed from here.

The Fountain and Garden in "The Piazza"
The Fountain and Garden in "The Piazza"

The Auxiliary gym was added also to make room for more gym classes at one time and for the sports teams to be able to practice inside at the same time. New classrooms were added to the back of the school that now houses the history department and is referred to as "The New Wing" by students and staff.The cafeteria was also made larger to make room for the upcoming students. The way the cafeteria is run makes it seem like an eatery, and it is often called the "Cafe" because of its round tables and layout.

[edit] Athletics

South Charleston has many athletic programs available to students. The football program has won the State Championship in the years 1945-1946 and 1994-1995 for class AAA. The Basketball Team won the State Championship in the 1958-1959 school year, and has made numerous State Tournament appearances. The Baseball team won the State Championship in 1976-1977,1977-1978, and 2005-2006. The Cheerleaders, Tennis Team, Track Team, Swim Team, Softball Team, Soccer Team, have all made their mark on West Virginia State High School athletics as well. South Charleston is considered one of the dominant schools in the state.

Oakes Field during a Home Football game
Oakes Field during a Home Football game

The High School Football team does not play their games on campus. Oakes Field down in downtown South Charleston is home to Black Eagles football. The Grandstand holds close to 2,000 and the games are always packed, especially for the Homecoming games, and the SC vs. GW game. The Boy's basketball team plays at the high school in the "Ole Pro Gymnasium." The gym holds around 1,000 and High School basketball is very popular for the school. The Baseball Field, Softball Field, Tennis Courts, and track are all on campus. The Swim Team practices at the South Charleston Community Center and the Soccer team plays at Oakes Field.

The Student Spirit Organization at the school heavily participates during Football and Basketball Season. The students commonly wear all orange on game nights and sit in a student section referred to as "The Bird Cage." They are known as one of the loudest student sections in the state as around 300 kids participate on big game nights. They have very unique cheers and are known for the bright orange "Rowdy Rags" that are used during the games. Players from other schools have stated that playing in South Charleston's gym makes them think of what it would be like to play in front of Duke University's Cameron Crazies.

[edit] Rivalries

South Charleston has several local rivals that always turn out to be big games when it comes to athletics. The biggest rivalries come with the games between the two Charleston High School teams, George Washington High School, and Capital High School. George Washington is a rival because of its close proximity to South Charleston and the fact that it literally is south of Charleston. GWHS serves as the high school for the South Hills district of Charleston. Capital High is a rival because it is the city's northern school, vs. the southern school. All three teams are considered rivals to one another.

South Charleston also has a rivalry with St. Albans High School.

[edit] Notable Alumni:

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