Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School

Coordinates: 40°05′59″N 75°16′13″W / 40.099774°N 75.270209°W / 40.099774; -75.270209

Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School is a high school in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Colonial School District, with a current enrollment of approximately 1,600 students.

Plymouth-Whitemarsh is a public high school in the Philadelphia region, and is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The curriculum is aligned with state and national standards and offers more than 200 courses, including 24 Advanced Placement (AP) courses audited by the College Board and more than 30 honors level courses. A technical education program is available through the Central Montco Technical High School.

Notable alumni

• Beth Anders, All-American in Field Hockey and Lacrosse, Olympic Field Hockey Captain, 1984 bronze medalist, 9 time NCAA champion as coach of Old Dominion.
• Owen Biddle, Grammy-winning member of The Roots, from 2007-2011. Performer on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon (with The Roots as house band) as Fallon's fictional wife, Renee, who is an alcoholic on "The Real Housewives of Late Night".^[1][2]
• Joe Daley (golfer), professional golfer formerly of the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour. He now plays on the Champions Tour. On 1 July 2012, Daley won the Senior Players Championship for his first major victory on the Champions Tour. Class of 1978.
• Jackie Frazier-Lyde, attorney and boxer (daughter of Joe Frazier), who fought Laila Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali.
• Marvis Frazier - boxer (son of Joe Frazier).
• Neil Gershenfeld, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, head of MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms.^[3]
• James Martin (Jesuit writer), Jesuit priest and author, frequent commentator on Roman Catholic news for The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, ABC, NBC, FoxNews, CNN and NPR.
• Tom Mitchell, former professional football player Bucknell, Baltimore Colts
• John Pergine, former professional football player, University of Notre Dame, Washington Redskins.
• John Salmons, professional basketball player, plays for the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans
• Da'Rel Scott, former running back for the New York Giants, former running back for the Maryland Terrapins.

Sports and traditions

• Boys' Basketball: The team has won five district championships and three state championships (1963,^[4] 1997^[5] and 2010). On Saturday March 27, 2010, Plymouth-Whitemarsh defeated Penn Wood in the championship game, 58-51 at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center - capturing their third Pennsylvania state basketball title. C. J. Aiken finished as the 2009-2010 PIAA AAAA Boys Basketball Player of the Year (16.9 PPG, 7.2 BPG, 9.6 RPG). State semi-final loss appearances in 2009 and 2011. In 2015, after defeating Ridley in the District One semi-finals, the Colonials lost to Abington in the District final. That year the Colonials went on to defeat Northeastern and Pennridge in state playoffs and ended the season after losing to Martin Luther-King HS in the State Quarterfinals. Even though the Colonials lost to Martin Luther-King HS, senior guard Andre Mitchell was still able to score his 1,000th point in a buzzer beater.

• Girls' Basketball: 1985 PIAA AAAA state runner-up. 1983 District One AAA champions.

• Golf: PW Golf won Suburban One American titles in 2007,2008,2009.

• Boys' tennis: League championships in 2008 and 2009.

• Girls' tennis: Christina Keiser District One AAA champion in 2011,2012 and 2013 and PIAA,AAA state champion in 2012.

• Football: Suburban One American Champions in 2005, 2011, 2012, 2013. In the 1990s Plymouth Whitemarsh Football placed 8th in winning percentage in the state of Pennsylvania out of 563 High Schools with a record of 94-20-2, including 7 league championships. In the early 1970s, the Colonials had a 33-game unbeaten streak.

• Bowling: 2009-2010 Suburban One American League co-champions of Boys Bowling with a 55-11 varsity record. Chris Hammes in 2008 and Julius Selfinger in 2012 bowled perfect games.

• Baseball: 1994 State Champions, ranked 6th best high school baseball team in the country in USA Today. The Colonials had qualified for 12 consecutive District One AAAA playoff berths (2000-2011); did not make the postseason in 2012 and 2013.

• Boys' lacrosse: 2011 marked the Colonials' first Suburban One American Boys Lacrosse title in PW history, playing to an undefeated 12-0 league campaign. Also won the 2012 Suburban One American title with a 12-0 league campaign, plus the Colonials earned its first District One playoff victory in 2012.

• Field Hockey: 2013 Suburban One American champions with a 14-0 league record, 17-1 regular season record (lone loss had been a 2-1 overtime blemish against visiting Haverford High), earned first round bye and third seed in District One AAA playoffs (lost to visiting 14 Hatboro-Horsham 2-0 in second round). Head coach Marianne Paperone has taken the Lady Colonials to the district One AAA playoffs in 19 of her 20 coached seasons (missed in 2009); Paperone did not coach PW in 2012 (PW finished 7-12 and did not make playoffs).

• Softball: 2008 Suburban One American quad-champions with Methacton, Upper Merion, and Cheltenham, 13th seed in District One AAA playoffs (lost 4-3 versus 20 Central Bucks East in first round). Second place Suburban One American finish in 2009; PW recorded first District One playoff victory as 17 seed at 16 Harry S.Truman. District One AAAA at off appearances: 2008 (first round), 2009(first and second round, 2011 (first round). NO-HITTERS: Erica Miller (2), back-to-back vs. Upper Moreland and at Springfield (M) May 2009. Rich Server had been the manager from 1990 until 2010. Dana Moyer has coached the Lady Colonials since Spring 2011.

• Cheerleading: Numerous first place wins each year as well as bids to National competitions in Florida, Virginia, and Pittsburgh. In 2009, the Colonial Cheerleaders captured the ECA title in Virginia.

• Ice hockey: During the 2008-2009 season the team won the league championship claiming their first title in the team's history.

• Boys' soccer: Suburban One Liberty Boys Soccer champions in 1985. Suburban One American champions in 2013 with a 13-l league mark sharing with Upper Dublin, earning the eighth seed in the District One AAA tournament advancing to the second round (lost 1-0 to visiting nine Bensalem) after its first-ever District One playoff victory (1-0 home victory against visiting 25 Harriton in first round). Suburban One American champions 2014 with a 13-1 league record, earning the fifth place seed in the District One AAA tournament advancing to the quarterfinals (lost 2-1 to host Central Bucks East in overtime).

• Girls' soccer: First District One AAA playoff appearance as last seed in 2010 (lost 4-0 at five Strath Haven). Suburban One American champions in 2011 with 11-1 record sharing with Upper Dublin, eanred 15th seed in 28-team District One AAA playoff (lost 2-0 to visiting 18 Bishop Shanahan). Third place Suburban One American in 2013, earned first one District One AAA playoff berth as 25th seed (lost 5-1 at eight Spring-Ford, Cristina Terraces scored PW's first-ever playoff goal).

• Girls' volleyball: Second place Suburban One American finish in 2010, advanced to District One AAA quarterfinals as 11 seed (lost 3-0 at three Mount Saint Joseph's in the 2010 quarterfinal).

• Wrestling: Justin Giovinco captured the PIAA, AAA state championship in 1998 and 1999 at the 140 lbs. and 145 lbs. weight classes. Giovinco finished his career with a 144-8 record and went on to wrestle at the University of Pittsburgh. John Michael Staudenmeyer won the PIAA, AAA state championship in 2011 at the 171 lbs. weight class. Staudenmeyer finished his career with a 168-11 record and went on to wrestle at the University of North Carolina. Long-time coach Bob Lorence retired in 2008 and finished with a 357-180-6 career coaching record. Lorence was inducted into the Southeast Pennsylvania Hall of Fame in 2002 and the PIAA Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006.
• Marching Band: In November of 2013, the Plymouth Whitemarsh Marching Colonials won a state championship against 11 other highly competitive marching bands in the American Division with a score of 97.05. The band also took home awards for High Visual, High Ensemble Music, High Auxiliary, General Effect, and Highest Score of the night.

Colonial Players

The Colonial Players are an extra curricular theatre program founded in 1977 that strives to produce professional-quality musicals and plays. They serve primarily to enhance live theatre performances in the local community and to give students an opportunity to express themselves. The musical productions earn critic acclaim by the Greater Philadelphia Cappies, a high school theatre awards program, and took home their first Cappie award in 2006 in Props and Effects for the design of an oversized piano in Big, The Musical. In 2009, the Colonial Players earned 13 Cappie nominations for their production of Little Shop of Horrors, "Best Show" being among them. The Colonial Players' production of Romeo and Juliet and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, which was nominated for 16 Cappie Awards, the most of any school participating in the Greater Philadelphia Cappies. In the 2012-2013 season, the Colonial Players put on Father of the Bride and Guys and Dolls, which was well revered by the high school Cappie reviewers.^[6][7]

References

External links

• Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School's website
• Plymouth Whitemarsh Basketball Team Website
• Plymouth-Whitemarsh's golf site

Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, schools Main school districts Abington Abington Senior High School Bryn Athyn (Does not operate any schools) Cheltenham Cheltenham High School Cedarbrook Middle School Colonial Plymouth Whitemarsh High School Colonial Middle School Hatboro-Horsham Hatboro-Horsham Senior High School Keith Valley Middle School Jenkintown Jenkintown Middle/High School Lower Merion Lower Merion High School Harriton High School Bala Cynwyd Middle School Welsh Valley Middle School Lower Moreland Township Lower Moreland High School Methacton Methacton High School Norristown Area Norristown Area High School North Penn North Penn High School Perkiomen Valley Perkiomen Valley High School Pottsgrove Pottsgrove High School Pottstown Pottstown Senior High School Springfield Township Springfield Township High School Upper Dublin Upper Dublin High School Upper Merion Area Upper Merion Area High School Upper Moreland Upper Moreland High School Wissahickon Wissahickon High School Wissahickon Middle School Other schools Boyertown Area (partially located in Berks County) Boyertown Area Senior High School Private schools Abington Friends School Academy Of The New Church Boys School Academy Of The New Church Girls School AIM Academy Baldwin School Calvary Baptist School Christopher Dock Mennonite High School Coventry Christian Schools Episcopal Academy Friends' Central School Germantown Academy Huntingdon Valley Christian Academy Indian Creek Mennonite School Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy La Salle College High School Lakeside School Lincoln Academy Main Line Academy Martin Luther School Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Catholic School Meadowbrook School Merion Mercy Academy Mount Saint Joseph Academy New Life Youth & Family Svcs Reformation Christian School Saint Aloysius School Saint Basil Academy Saint Katherine Day School Shipley School Stowe Lighthouse Christ Academy The Haverford School The Hill School The Pathway School The Perkiomen School Torah Academy of Greater Philadelphia Trinity Christian Academy Valley Forge Baptist Academy Wyncote Academy Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia Bishop McDevitt High School Country Day School of the Sacred Heart Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School Lansdale Catholic High School Pope John Paul II High School Souderton Area (partially located in Bucks County) Souderton Area High School Spring-Ford Area (partially located in Chester County) Spring-Ford Senior High School Upper Perkiomen (partially located in Berks County) Upper Perkiomen High School