Moon Area High School

Moon Area High School
Address
8352 University Boulevard Moon Township, PA 15108 United States
Coordinates	40°30′47″N 80°13′04″W / 40.512941°N 80.217790°W / 40.512941; -80.217790
Information
Funding type	Public
School district	Moon Area School District
Principal	Barry Balaski
Teaching staff	89.6 (FTE)
Enrollment	1192[1] (2014–15)
Color(s)	Red, white, and black
Mascot	Tiger
Website	Moon Area High School

Moon Area High School, known to the locals as Moon High, is a public high school located in the Moon Area School District in Pennsylvania, United States. The school serves students in grades 9-12 from Moon and Crescent, South Heights borough, along with the communities of Glenwillard and Wireton, and several other unincorprated villages. The Moon Area School District's High School and Middle School facilities are located in the center of Moon.

Athletics

Moon High student athletes are able to compete in 13 sports and cheerleading.^[2] In most instances, Moon High sports compete in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL), District VII of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA).

Football

The Moon High football team competes in the WPIAL Class AAA Parkway Conference, which is made up of geographical foes Blackhawk, West Allegheny, Montour, Ambridge, Hopewell, Central Valley, Chartiers Valley, and New Castle.^[3]

In 1998, Moon Tigers won the WPIAL Class AAA Championship at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. Moon defeated Blackhawk 34-7 to claim the title.^[4] The Tigers then went on to the PIAA Class AAA Championships in Hershey, only to fall 10-0 to Allentown Central Catholic High School.^[5]

Boys Soccer

The Moon High boys soccer team has had much success in the WPIAL over the years. In 2003 they beat Thomas Jefferson 2-1 to win the WPIAL AA Championship. In the semi-final game before the championship Moon beat Mars 2-0. Adam Lippencott scored one of the goals from over 70 yards away thus setting the unofficial WPIAL longest goal record.^[6]

Ladies Soccer

In 2004, the Moon High ladies soccer team won the WPIAL Championship defeating Norwin 3-1. The team fell 2-0 to Downingtown West in the PIAA State Championship, but made school history being the first girls' soccer team to win a district championship and compete in the state final. In 2006, they returned to the WPIAL Championship and earned the silver with a 2-0 loss to Pine-Richland. The girls then went on to Hershey to face Downingtown West a second time and, just like 2004, brought home a silver medal after another 2-0 loss. In 2012, the girls lost their WPIAL semifinal but went on to play in the PIAA State AA Final in Hershey, PA. They beat Archbishop Wood 1-0 to win the PIAA AA Girls State Final.^[7]

Swimming & Diving

Moon swimming has over 30 Midwestern Athletic Conference and WPIAL section championships. The Moon boys swimming team boasts a state championship from 1980 and runners-up in 2001. The boys also have won WPIAL Championships in 1996 and 1997 with runners-up titles in 1980, 1995, 1997 and 2002.

The girls team has had even more success, winning state titles in 1996 and 1997. The girls boast WPIAL titles in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999. They were runners-up in 2003.^[8]

Since 1978, Moon High has produced 87 WPIAL champions.^[9]

Boys Basketball

The Moon High boys basketball team made school history, winning three consecutive WPIAL championships - 2004, 2005, 2006. The team was crowned state champions in 2004.^[10]

In the 2006-2007 season, Moon entered the WPIAL Class AAAA, but will go back down to WPIAL Class AAA in the 2008–2009 season.^[11]

Ladies Basketball

The Moon High ladies basketball team, in recent years, has had much success in WPIAL and PIAA competition, with a 2003 and 2005 WPIAL championship. The Lady Tigers have also reached the final four of the PIAA state playoffs multiple times.^[12]

Ice Hockey

Although Moon's hockey program has never been a stand out, mostly due to being an independent program without financial support from the school district, multiple runs into the playoffs have been made, and held a six-season stretch (2002–2003, 2003–2004, 2004–2005, 2005–2006, 2006–2007, 2007–2008) of receiving a berth in the PIHL playoffs. In 2007, they won the PIHL Class AA Section Championship.^[13]

Ladies Gymnastics

The gymnastics team won the WPIAL team championships and won states. Also in the 2017 they have become section champs.

Notable alumni

• Jodi Applegate, Class of 1982, was an Emmy Award-winning host for Fox 5's "Good Day New York." Before that she worked at NBC News as co-anchor of "Weekend Today" and "Later Today." She also worked at MSNBC covering Princess Diana's funeral and Fox25 in Boston.^[14]
• John Calipari, Class of 1978, is the head coach for the University of Kentucky men's basketball team.^[15]
• Lou Christie, Class of 1961, is a singer/songwriter with popular hits like "Lightning Strikes" and "I'm Gonna Make You Mine." ^[16]
• Brandon Wilson, Class of 1971, is an explorer and Lowell Thomas Award-winning author and photographer of Yak Butter Blues: A Tibetan Trek of Faith (2004, 2005), Dead Men Don't Leave Tips: Adventures X Africa (2005), Along the Templar Trail (2008) and Over the Top & Back Again: Hiking X the Alps (2010).^[17]
• Bob Davie, Class of 1972, was a former head coach at Notre Dame and a current sports commentator.^[18]
• Rich Milot, Class of 1975, Former Linebacker Penn State 1975-1979, and the Washington Redskins 1979-1987. Played in three Super Bowls, (XVII, XVIII, XXII). Winning two times in XVII and XXII.^[19]
• A. Q. Shipley, Class of 2004, a football, center, of the Arizona Cardinals.^[20]

Health concerns

At the beginning of the 2007 school year, exposed mold was discovered in a portion of the building.^[21] After a private company was called in to clean up the area, school officials declared that the building was safe.

External links

• Moon Area School District Website
• Moon High Sports
• Moon Area Hockey Association
• Moon High Marching Band

References