| James River High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 3700 James River Road Midlothian, Virginia 23113 |
|
| Information | |
| School type | Public high school |
| Founded | 1994 |
| School district | Chesterfield County Public Schools |
| Superintendent | Dr. Marcus Newsome |
| Principal | Mr. John Titus (1995-2011) Mr. Jeff Ellick (2011-present) |
| Assistant Principals | Mr. Michael Fennessey Ms. Amanda Voelker Mrs. Jennifer Coleman Dr. Kitty Catina |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 2,125 (2006-2007) |
| Language | English |
| Campus | suburban |
| Color(s) | Purple, Green, and White |
| Mascot | Rapids |
| Rival Schools | Midlothian High School, Monacan High School |
| Specialty Program | Leadership and International Relations |
| Athletic Conference | Virginia High School League AAA Central Region AAA Dominion District |
| Website | Official Site |
James River High School is located in Midlothian, an unincorporated community in Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States. James River High School has been recognized by the United States Department of Education as a School of Excellence, earning the high honor of Blue Ribbon in 2000. In 2009, James River High School was listed in America's top 1500 schools, ranking in at number 246 in the nation (the highest in the Richmond metro area).
James River is a part of Chesterfield County Public Schools.
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The James River baseball team entered the 2007 season with great expectations, beginning the season ranked as the 49th best team in the country by Baseball America. Throughout the year, the Rapids would see themselves rise through the ranks with their continued success on the field. The 2007 Rapids went on to win the Group AAA State Baseball Championship, finishing with a 26-2 record.[1] In its final poll of the year, Baseball America ranked the James River baseball team as the 9th best team in the nation. The following season, the Rapids would claim their second baseball state title in two years. It was also the third year in a row a team from the Dominion District won the State Championship title as well as the 14th title for the Central Region All-Time (The most of any region in the state of Virginia.)
The 2008 men's golf team won the 2008 VHSL Group AAA State Championship led by Head Coach Jim McLean and Captains Michael McLean and Nick Austin. The 2011 golf team placed third in the state. [2]
The 1997 Lady Rapids basketball team advanced to the State Championship game but fell to West Springfield, 53-47.[3]
The women's cross country team has enjoyed great success. The team has finished 2nd in the State twice (2001, 2004), and in 2002 the team won the Group AAA State Championship.[3]
In 2002, the women's field hockey team won the State Championship in overtime against Lake Braddock 3-2, and in 1999 the team finished 2nd in the State, losing to Cox 3-0.[3]
The wrestling team won the Central Region Championship in 2006 (6th in the State Tournament) and in 2008 (8th in the State Tournament) During their 2008-2009 season, James River had their first ever State Champion in wrestling, but still continues to have success in their program.[4]
The men's volleyball team is back to back state champions (2010 & 2011). Both title games were against the the eastern region champion Cox High school. In 2010 the region and district games title games featured James River Vs. Cosby. The 2010 title game included a thrilling five game match with a Rapid win over Cox, while the 2011 title included three matches each won by the Rapids. [5]
The Rapids baseball team was also back to back state champions in 2007 and 2008. The class of 2008 boasted two division 1 pitchers, Daniel Marrs and Austin Stadler, both recruited by Wake Forest. That year the championship was won by a score of 10-0 vs. Colonial Forge High School. In 2011, the team placed second in the region with a loss to Cosby[6] but continued on to the state tournament and ended with a loss in the semi-finals. The team has seen great success in recent years which has increased monetary donations to the program. This has allowed the team to re-do the past JV field into a new varsity field and build a new snack bar, restroom, and locker facility near the field. This building is set to open for the 2012 season.
The school also has men's and women's lacrosse teams, which are the first public high school lacrosse teams in the Central Region.
The James River men's soccer team won the Dominion district title, and district tournament, ending the season with a 15-3 record. They beat Midlothian in all three games they played, scoring 13 goals against them in total.
The James River cheer leading squad has enjoyed much success in the past three years. Including a 2009 district and regional championship clinching them a spot in the school's first state finals were they finished 5th. The team also had a great 2011 campaign in which they made it to "states" for the second time.
James River sponsors the following athletic teams: baseball, basketball (men's and women's), crew (men's and women's), cross country (men's and women's), field hockey, football, golf, lacrosse (men's and women's), soccer (men's and women's), soft ball, tennis (men's and women's), track & field (men's and women's), volleyball(men's and women's) and wrestling.
James River's rivals include Midlothian, and the new edition to the Dominion district, Cosby. The James River and Midlothian rivalry is a classic one mostly dominated by JRHS, especially in football, where the Rapids have won 16 of the 17 meetings between the two schools in the annual "Coal Bowl". Because of the proximity of the schools, only six miles apart, they are considered "cross town rivals". Cosby on the other hand is a new school and has been a perennial powerhouse in the majority of sports. James River's athletics have caught up to Cosby in the past year or two creating a vicious rivalry between the two Dominion powerhouses. This rivalry is especially present in baseball, volleyball, and cheer leading, where Cosby and James River finish first and second for the past few years.
James River has one of only two bands in the state to receive the rank of Honor Band every year of its existence. This rank is achieved by having both excellence in Marching and Symphonic bands. They have received the award seventeen years in a row. James River Drumline is the ballinest in all the land.[7]
James River established the NJROTC program back in 2009. This is the 3rd year program which is very popular to the school. Within The teams they offer are the unarmed drill team, armed drill team, air rifle team, raiders team, unarmed exhibition team, armed exhibition team, academic team, and a color guard team. This program is offered to everyone.