Highland High School (Medina County, Ohio)

Highland High School is a public high school in Granger Township, Ohio, United States, near Medina. The school offers students a progressive, achievement-oriented educational program and serves students from Hinckley, Granger, Sharon, Montville, Copley, Medina, and Brunswick townships. The Highland Local School District has been rated Excellent by the State Department of Education for the past 13 years. In May 2013, Highland High School was named one of “America's Best High Schools” by Newsweek in its 2013 rankings. Currently, nearly 3,300 students are enrolled in grades PK-12.

It is the only high school in the Highland Local School District. The school colors are kelly-green and black, and the school mascot is the Hornet. The alma mater is to the tune of Carmen Ohio and the fight song is the Notre Dame Victory March.

Highland High School is a comprehensive high school with approximately 1,130 students in grades 9-12. The Senior Class enrollment is 274.

Athletic History

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Highland dominated wrestling in the AA Ohio school division, winning Ohio High School Athletic Association state titles in 1975 and 1981. The 1975 team was coached by James Florian and Robert Burton. The class of 1981 may have been Highland's greatest. "It was a perfect storm," one alumni is quoted as saying. "The people, individuals actually, when put together were exceptional and worked as a team to win the wrestling championship." Many of the wrestling team members went onto wrestle at various colleges across the U.S. Todd Winter went onto becoming Ashland College's 40th greatest wrestler of the 1980s. In 2009 Tyler Houska won a Division II state championship.

Jim Ritcher, another notable Highland athlete, went on to play collegiate football at North Carolina State, where he won the Outland Trophy in 1979 for the best offensive lineman. Ritcher spent 14 years in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills, where he played in four super bowls and was a Pro Bowl selection in 1991 and 1992.

Recently in 2008 the Highland football team went 11-2, winning the suburban league and making it to the regional finals. Highland High School competes in the Suburban League.

The Highland High School 2013 football team went on a 13 game winning streak (17 straight games dating back to the previous season) which included beating the renowned Massillon Tigers. However, the hardworking team fell to Glenville in the state-semi finals. This marks the farthest that a Highland football team has ever gone in the playoffs in the history of the school. The season proved that an exceptional coach with smart kids can make it far in the playoffs. No one on the team was a stand out division I college recruited athlete.

In December of 2013, after many years of planning, the Highland Board Of Education revealed plans for a new athletic complex. This complex includes a football stadium featuring a turf field, eight lane track, locker room facilities, multiple bathroom facilities, multiple food vending facilities, a video scoreboard, and seating for 5,000 people. The complex will also feature a Soccer field, Tennis courts, and multiple parking lots. The stadium will be constructed on land that was being used as a practice field for the marching band, and the new Soccer field and Tennis courts will be constructed west of the new stadium where a wooded area is currently. Parking lots will be constructed on the west and south sides of the new stadium. This project is projected to cost seven to eight million dollars with most of the funding coming from private sources. This new complex is to be completed in August of 2015 so that it can be used by the fall sports programs.

On October 17, 2014, the final varsity football game was played at the original Highland Stadium located at Highland Middle School against Revere High School (Ohio). The game resulted in a 24 - 10 victory for Highland. Special festivities for the game included a history of the Highland Stadium slideshow projected on a large inflatable screen on the field after the game, followed by a fireworks show supported by the Pride Of Highland Marching Band. Also, The first 1,500 people to enter the stadium received "last home game" T-shirts. The evening concluded with the singing of the Highland Alma Mater. Starting in 2015, this stadium will be used for the practices of several sports programs and used for home games for the middle school football and soccer teams.

Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships

• Boys Wrestling – 1975, 1981 ^[1]
• Girls Volleyball – 1981 ^[2]

Clubs and activities

Art Club, Athletic Assistants: Statisticians, Ticket Takers, Announcers, etc., Band: Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, String Orchestra, Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble (also backs up Added Attraction), Chess,

Choirs: Non Auditioned: Mixed Choir, Auditioned: Women's Chorus, Concert Choir, Chorale, Added Attraction (Jazz Ensemble),

Class Officers: Freshmen, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, Convolutions: Highland's Academic Challenge Team, Dance: Highlighters (Flag and Dance Corp performs at football games) and Dance Team (Hip Hop dance team performs at basketball games), D.A.R.E. Role Models: Students making a commitment to lead by example, resisting drugs and violence, Environthon: Competitive Team Event, Foreign Language Clubs: French, German, Latin, Spanish, Chinese, Little Sis: Wrestling Pep Club, Key Club: Community Volunteer Organization, National Honor Society: Selection criteria includes scholarship, service, character and leadership, Peer Leaders (selection criteria), Prom Committee: Junior Class, Robotics Team, Rugby: Girls and Boys Club Sport, Stinger Newspaper Staff: Write, edit and layout of monthly newspaper, The Highland Buzz: A student written and produced news show, Sixth Grade Camp Counselors: Fall camp; selected from applicants, Student Council: Any student is welcome to participate; Officers by student election, S.A.D.D.: Students Against Destructive Decisions - volunteer organization plans drug and alcohol awareness programs., Sign Language Club, Ski Club: Skiing at Boston Mills one night a week and usually one out-of-state trip., Speech & Debate Team, Thespians: Student try-outs held prior to performances. Includes actors, actresses, stage managers, set builders, lighting crew, make-up, costume and publicity., VOFT: Volunteer Opportunities for Teens - volunteer organization plans and carries out service projects for community and school., Volunteers: Gym Aides, Library Aides, Office Aides, Guidance Workers, BIONIC Night,

Athletic Opportunities:

Boys: Cross Country, Golf, Soccer (JV & Varsity), Football (9th, JV & Varsity), Wresting (JV & Varsity), Basketball (9th, JV & Varsity), Baseball (JV & Varsity), Track, Tennis,

Girls: Cross Country, Cheerleading(Football and Basketball), Golf, Soccer (JV & Varsity), Volleyball (9th, JV & Varsity), Basketball (9th, JV & Varsity), Softball (JV & Varsity), Track, Tennis,

The school's Latin Club functions as a local chapter of both the Ohio Junior Classical League (OJCL)^[3] and National Junior Classical League (NJCL).^[4]

Notes and references

External links

• District Website
• Official Website

Coordinates: 41°09′47″N 81°44′34″W / 41.162970°N 81.742748°W / 41.162970; -81.742748