Metamora Township High School

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Metamora Township High School (MTHS) is a public high school which serves several townships in Woodford County, Illinois. The school is located in Metamora, Illinois.

Metamora Township High School District 122 is a single-school district independent of the three grade school districts that feed into it: Metamora Community Consolidated School District 1, Germantown Hills School District 69 in Germantown Hills, and Riverview Community Consolidated School District 2 between East Peoria and Spring Bay.

The high school was constructed in 1915. Another building was added to the school in 1971, and what was previously the gym became the study hall room. A newer gym was recently constructed.^{[citations needed]}

1 Sports
2 Music
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Sports

The school colors are red and white. The mascot for the school is the Redbird, which is also the Illinois state bird.

[edit] Track & Field

The boys track and field program at MTHS has seen much success in the Mid-Illini Conference in the past few years under head coach Chuck Danner, who also teaches at the school. Their program is well-known as one of the best in the area, putting together very strong squads year after year. They have won the Mid-Illini Conference Championship several times over the past years, the most recent being 2007, in which they took home both the Freshman/Sophomore and Varsity titles.

In the beginning of 2008, the team began to extend its dominance beyond their conference. In March, they won the Sterling-Newman Indoor Invitational against some of Illinois's premier track programs, many of the them bringing twice as many athletes to compete. The team was led to victory with event wins by all-conference Pete Shadid in the pole vault and by the 3200 meter relay team of Cory Shoopman, TJ McMorrow, Ryan Harms, and Chase Anderson.

On May 2nd, 2008, the MTHS track boys traveled to Geneseo for the John McCormick Invitational. Although they came into the meet steep underdogs, the Redbirds were able to put forth their best team performance of the year and tie Dixon High School for first place, with the host school taking home third. Winners for Metamora included Jake Gilfillan, Brock Gray, Caleb TerBush, and Aaron Peters in the 400 meter relay, Caleb TerBush in the 400 meter dash, and Jake Gilfillan in the 200 meter dash. Other notable performances included Peter Shadid's second place in pole vault, Brock Gray finishing second in the 400 meter dash, TJ McMorrow's third place finish in the 1600 meter run, Ryan Wenzel finishing fourth in high jump, and a fourth place finish by the 3200 meter relay team of Chase Anderson, Kevin Kamm, Ryan Harms, and Cory Shoopman.^[1]

[edit] Martial Arts

The martial arts club stands because it was one of the first XMA certified martial arts schools in the state of Illinois^{[citation needed]}, the original one being located in Chicago. The martial arts program is relatively comprehensive. Karate and Tae Kwon Do are also taught to students. The martial arts program at MTHS is designed for participants to receive a black belt within four years, the usual span of a high school career.

The martial arts program is a free after-school program for MTHS students. Classes are led by fourth degree black belt Joe Chianakas and several other volunteers, including fifth degree black belt David Hawkey, third degree black belt Larry Stephens, second degree Adam Ulbricht and first degree Amanda Dixon.

In addition, the program is unique in that it offers youth training programs at all public feeder schools in Metamora. Metamora Grade, Germantown Grade and Riverview Grade students all have the same program offered at their grade schools. When grade school students enter high school, they will have a chance to be part of the elite high school level program.

The main training revolves around shuri-ryu Okinawan karate but also incorporates tae kwon do, XMA, and judo, among others. Students may also join the competition team and demonstration team. MTHS martial artists have competed and placed in several national and even world level competitions. Bockler, Adam. About Metamora Martial Arts. Retrieved on 2008-05-01.

If a student is highly devoted, he or she may even graduate with the ranking of first degree black belt. The program is designed to teach the art of combat, focusing highly on self-defense, physical fitness, and life skills benefits such as respect and discipline. As of May 2008, MTHS martial arts program has promoted nine students to black belt. Metamora Martial Arts also has its own website separate from the MTHS subsite.

[edit] Football

The Metamora football program has arguably been the best in Central Illinois over the last fifteen years under head coach Pat Ryan.^{[citation needed]} The highlights of which are class 4A state championship game appearances in 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2000, all of which were losses.^{[citation needed]} Metamora won eight straight Mid-Illini titles from 1995–2002 and has won four straight from 2004–2007. The team has also advanced to the quarterfinals of the IHSA state tournament 10 out of the last 12 years and has qualified for the state playoffs 13 seasons in a row.^[2]

Despite reaching the state football championships regularly, Metamora was denied the state championship for 30 years, being defeated repeatedly in the top game. But in November 2007, Metamora won its first state championship since 1975, beating Morris High School 17–14 with a field goal kick by a freshman to break the tie with 27 seconds left.^[3]

The Metamora football program also owns several records in the IHSA record book, including most rushing yards by a team in a playoff game, with 633. This feat occurred in 2002 against Canton in the first round of the playoffs. ^[4] The school also holds the IHSA record for most losses in the state championship game, with six. Head coach Pat Ryan owns the individual coaching record for state championship game losses, with four. ^[5]

Metamora's championship drought is over by winning the class 5A state championship vs. Morris in 2007 17-14

[edit] Music

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[edit] Marching Band

The school's marching band has been very successful and goes to several marching band competitions each year, as well as performing at either the Grand National Marching Band Competition in Indianapolis or the Marching Band Super Regional each year, sometimes both.^{[citation needed]} The program is lead by Mr. Chris Render and Dr. "Doc" Parks.

[edit] Wind Ensemble

The MTHS Wind Ensemble is the top performing group the school offers. Members are selected by audition and must keep up with a higher standard of musicianship, maturity, and responsibility. The group has played college-level music with flair, such as "A Movement for Rosa" and "Mother Earth". In accordance with a true wind ensemble format, the MTHS Wind Ensemble has only one or two people per part, keeping the size of the group down and raising the importance of each individual. The MTHS Wind Ensemble is directed by Wally Parks, but guest conductors like Eric Loring and, of course, Chris Render, are not uncommon.

[edit] FLO

Certain members of the marching band are also members of the Fluorescent Light Orchestra - not to be confused with the more popular ELO (Electric Light Orchestra). The members of the FLO play such classics as 'The Stripper' and 'Ain't misbehavin'.' The band is directed by Mike Damico.

[edit] Choral Program

The choral program at MTHS is organized a bit differently this year. As always there is the Freshman Men's Choir as well as the Freshman Women's Choir. These groups perform at the Fall Concert, the Christmas Concert, as well as the Spring Concert. This year Chorale is an unauditioned sophomore through senior choir. They perform at the Christmas concert, a Winter Concert featuring Wind Ensemble and Chorale, as well as the Spring Concert. Also new this year is a group called Splendoris. Splendoris is an auditioned choir made up of numerous talented sophomores through seniors. Splendoris competes in many competitions around the area. They are very privileged this year as they get the opportunity to sing with Milikin University. Splendoris will also be traveling to Chicago in the spring of 2008.

The choral department is also involved with other activities throughout the year. Its most notable event is the annual Madrigal Dinner, performed on one of the first few weekends of December. Students perform throughout the night as guests are treated as guests in an old English castle. In similar form, the choral and drama departments team up to put on a Spring Musical each year. These shows have had a cast of up to sixty performers, and shows performed have included Little Shop of Horrors, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Guys and Dolls, The Pirates of Penzance, Beauty and the Beast, High School Musical, and this year, Peter Pan^[6].