Bridgewater-Raritan High School (commonly abbreviated as BRHS) is a four-year comprehensive

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

. It is the lone secondary school of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District serving students in

ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

s from Bridgewater Township and Raritan in Somerset County,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, United States. The school has been recognized by the

National Blue Ribbon Schools Program The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...

, the highest award an American school can receive. As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,749 students and 222.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...

of 12.3:1. There were 212 students (7.7% of enrollment) eligible for

free lunch A free lunch is the providing of a meal at no cost, usually as a sales enticement to attract customers and increase revenues from other business. It was once a common tradition in saloons and taverns in many places in the United States, with the ...

and 50 (1.8% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Bridgewater-Raritan High School

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance ...

. Accessed December 1, 2022.

History and symbols

Until the 1950s, high school students from the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District attended Somerville High SchoolRussick, Joan
"Somerville To Graduate 332 Seniors"
''

Courier News The ''Courier News'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Somerville, New Jersey, that serves Somerset County and other areas of Central Jersey. The paper has been owned by Gannett since 1927. Notable employees * John Curley, former pre ...

'', June 11, 1959. Accessed February 16, 2022, via

Newspapers.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. In November 2018, ...

. "This will be one of the last graduating classes to number students from Bridgewater and Raritan. After the Class of 1961 graduates, all Bridgewater and Raritan students will attend the new high school in Bridgewater which will be opened for fresh men and sophomores this Fall." and

Bound Brook High School Bound Brook High School is a comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Bound Brook, in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of the Bound ...

. With the opening of the high school, the Somerville district saw the loss of 370 Bridgewater students that had attended the district's high school. Bridgewater-Raritan High School was opened in September 1959, with students in ninth and tenth grades; those students moving into eleventh and twelfth grades remained at Somerville High School, with the final set of Bridgewater and Raritan students graduating with the Class of 1961. Norman A. Gathany serving as the school's first principal. Increasing enrollments in the early 1960s led to the construction of a second high school in 1966, which was named Bridgewater-Raritan High School East (the Minutemen), while the original high school was renamed Bridgewater-Raritan High School West (the Golden Falcons). Declining enrollments led to their consolidation into a single high school during the 1990s. The former High School West was expanded and updated over a period of several years, during which all of the district's high school students attended what had been High School East. In 1992, the former High School West reopened as the new consolidated Bridgewater-Raritan High School, and High School East became the district's middle school. The mascot of BRHS is the

panther Panther may refer to: Large cats *Pantherinae, the cat subfamily that contains the genera ''Panthera'' and ''Neofelis'' **''Panthera'', the cat genus that contains tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards. ***Jaguar (''Panthera onca''), found in Sout ...

. BRHS's school colors were previously black and silver, with red serving as an accent color, but now are primarily only black and white. The red in uniforms of the past has been mostly replaced by silver, or no accent color has been added. The football, baseball, boys lacrosse, girls basketball, and various other teams have eliminated red from their uniforms. A minority of teams, including boys basketball and boys cross country, have continued use of red as an accent color. The uniforms for the marching band are black and red with silver buttons and helmets. The high school's football field is "Basilone Field", named for

John Basilone John Basilone (November 4, 1916 – February 19, 1945) was a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the Battle for Henderson Field in the Guadalcanal campaign, and the Navy Cross posthumou ...

, a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

recipient of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

who grew up in Raritan. On the wall of the field house next to the field is a mural honoring Basilone. In December 2009, two minors, a 16-year-old Bridgewater-Raritan student and a 17-year-old student from nearby Immaculata High School, were arrested in connection with an alleged Columbine-like plan to attack the school.

Awards, recognition and rankings

During the 1999–2000 school year, Bridgewater-Raritan High School was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the

United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...

.Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982–1983 through 1999–2002 (PDF)

. Accessed May 11, 2006. For the 1997–98 school year, Bridgewater-Raritan High School was named a "Star School" by the

New Jersey Department of Education The New Jersey Department of Education (NJ DOE) administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered ...

, the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve. BRHS is one of only three high schools in the state to have received both awards. In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', the school was ranked 36th in New Jersey and 1,190th nationwide. In ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...

's'' May 22, 2007 issue, ranking the country's top high schools, Bridgewater-Raritan High School was listed in 983rd place, the 29th-highest ranked school in New Jersey. The school was the 76th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in ''

New Jersey Monthly ''New Jersey Monthly'' is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey. The magazine was started in 1976. It is based in Morristown. In addition to articles of general interest, the publication fe ...

'' magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology. The school had been ranked 113th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 67th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 91st in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was also ranked 83rd in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state."Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank"
''

'', September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008. In previous years, the school had been ranked in the 20s in the same ranking. Following publication of the 2006 ''New Jersey Monthly'' article, the school's principal issued a public statement explaining changes in the magazine's ranking methods that altered the school's standing, and generally criticizing the ranking methodology. Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 83d out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (a decrease of 20 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (89.0%) and language arts literacy (96.1%) components of the

High School Proficiency Assessment The High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA, pronounced "hess-pah" (/ˈhɛspə/) or sometimes just "H-S-P-A") was a standardized test that was administered by the New Jersey Department of Education to all New Jersey public high school students in ...

(HSPA). In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", ''

The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...

'' ranked the school 442nd in the nation among participating public high schools and 37th among schools in New Jersey. In its listing of "America's Best High Schools 2016", the school was ranked 108th out of 500 best high schools in the country; it was ranked 20th among all high schools in New Jersey and seventh among the state's non-magnet schools. The school has had three

Siemens Competition The Siemens Competition was a science competition for US high school students funded by the Siemens Foundation, which was administered by the College Board from 1999-2013 and by Discovery Education from 2014–2017. The Siemens Foundation released ...

semifinalists.

Music

Choir

There are three curricular choirs: the Mixed Choir and two choirs that require an audition Select Women's Ensemble and Symphonic Choir. There are four extra-curricular ensembles, Ensembros (all male ''a cappella''), the Glee Club, the Lorelei women's ensemble, and Men's Choir. Choirs at BRHS often collaborate with other ensembles, most recently having performed the Mozart Requiem with the Central New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. In the spring of 2015, the Symphonic Choir performed

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

's ''Solemn Vespers'' with the National Festival Chorus at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

. In 2009, the Chamber Choir participated in a concert of Brazilian music at

Westminster Choir College Westminster Choir College (WCC) is a historic conservatory of music currently operating on the campus of Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Rider's Westminster College of the Arts, the college under which the historic institution has b ...

. In the spring of 2008, the BRHS Chamber Choir performed Joseph Haydn's ''Kleine Orgelmesse'' with Masterwork Chorus and Orchestra at Drew University's Dorothy Young Center for the Arts.

Orchestra

The orchestras travel the region attending various festivals and events. The ensembles annually approach serious orchestral literature, including performing movements from Sibelius' Fifth Symphony. Past achievements include performing at

in March 2008 along with the school's Wind Ensemble. There are two curricular orchestral ensembles, the Concert Orchestra and the auditioned Symphonic Orchestra.

Band

The school's wind ensemble has performed in the State Gala concert numerous times within the past decade. The symphonic band and wind ensemble have performed at Carnegie Hall for the Eastern Wind Symphony Symphonic Gala in March 2013. Since 2002 BRHS has won three NJAJE state jazz band titles, eight NJ state marching band championships, four BOA regional class championships. In fall 2012, the BRHS marching band finished 18th in the nation as BOA semi-finalist and was awarded the national '' The Albert J Castronovo Esprit de Corp Award'', the highest placement of a NJ band in the history of Bands of America.

Extracurricular clubs

The high school currently has many ongoing clubs and activities, such as the Forensics Speech and Debate Team. In the past, the Forensics team has had National Championship qualifiers, as well as numerous state champions and one national champion. In 2019, the Forensics team qualified two teams to the Tournament of Champions, the school's first qualifications to the tournament in over half a decade. The school also has an Academic Team and Math League. The Forensics team has been ranked third in the state of New Jersey. Group Shot of BRMUN Team

The school also has a

Model United Nations Model United Nations, also known as Model UN or MUN, is an educational simulation in which students can learn about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations. At a MUN conference, students work as the representative of a count ...

team. Founded in 2015, the team competes in regional and international conferences. One such international conference is the Princeton Model United Nations Conference. In January 2018, the team hosted their first annual home conference, BRMUNC I, which was followed up by BRMUNC II in 2019. BRHS also is the home of Team 303 in the

FIRST Robotics Competition FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an international high school robotics competition. Each year, teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors work during a six-week period to build robots capable of competing in that year's game that weig ...

, TEST Team 303. At the 2007 FIRST Robotics Challenge World Championships in Atlanta, Team 303 ranked 23 in their division out of the 1500+ teams from across the globe that had attended the event. At the 2010 New Jersey Regional Competition, Team 303 were semifinalists. In the 2011 season the team won both the New Jersey and Philadelphia Regional Competitions, and were division quarter-finalists at the championships in St. Louis. In 2013, Team 303 ranked third in the Newton Division, and went on to win the Division against the number one alliance. The following year, Team 303 won the Chairman's Award at the Clifton District Event and at the Mid Atlantic Regional Championship, advancing them to the World Championship. The school's honor societies include the

National Honor Society The National Honor Society (NHS) is a nationwide organization for high school students in the United States and outlying territories, which consists of many chapters in high schools. Selection is based on four criteria: scholarship (academic achi ...

Tri-M Tri-M Music Honor Society, formerly known as Modern Music Masters, is an American high school and middle school music honor society. A program of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), it is designed to recognize students for their ...

Music Honor Society, and various language Honors Societies. In the past decade, the high school has expanded its

Peer Mediation Mediation is a structured, interactive process where an impartial third party neutral assists disputing parties in resolving conflict through the use of specialized communication and negotiation techniques. All participants in mediation are ...

program, training approximately 20 new mediators a year and student conflicts have followed a consistent downward trend since the program's inception. The school's

mock trial A mock trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting ...

team has made the county playoffs in the annual tournament and achieved the Somerset County Title in 2005. The Weightlifting Club includes over 60 trainees and several trainers. In the past there have also been BRHS delegations that participated in weightlifting and powerlifting competitions. BRHS has two

Envirothon NCF-Envirothon is an annual environmentally themed academic competition for high school aged students organized by the NCF-Envirothon a program of the National Conservation Foundation. The competition is held by the United States and Canada on a ...

teams which operate through the school but are almost entirely student-run. They joined the competition in the 2006 season. In the 2008, BRHS expanded to include a second team. Later that year Team One finished first in the New Jersey division and earned 14th out of 55 in The Canon Envirothon (which includes teams from the U.S. and Canada). In the 2009 season, Team One earned 6th and Team Two earned 11th at the New Jersey regional. BRHS has a Science Olympiad team which had placed 6th regionally at the Princeton University Regional Competition. At states, they placed at the top 20 teams in 2009. The club is run by students along with an advisor. BRTV is the school's television program, produced in the school's own television studio, that goes live on weekdays to provide announcements and information about school events. BRHS recently created a Science Bowl Team, which has competed in the 2011 and 2012 New Jersey Regional High School Science Bowls held at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. In the 2022 state competition they took home third place. The school's Physics Forum hosts talks from physicists and other scientists who use physics extensively in their work. Past speakers include Michael Strauss, professor of

astrophysics Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the h ...

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

, and John Parsons, professor of

particle physics Particle physics or high energy physics is the study of fundamental particles and forces that constitute matter and radiation. The fundamental particles in the universe are classified in the Standard Model as fermions (matter particles) an ...

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

and collaborator on the ATLAS detector at the

Large Hadron Collider The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world's largest and highest-energy particle collider. It was built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) between 1998 and 2008 in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists and hundred ...

CERN The European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN (; ; ), is an intergovernmental organization that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. Established in 1954, it is based in a northwestern suburb of Gene ...

. All talks are open to the public.

Athletics

The Bridgewater-Raritan High School PanthersBridgewater-Raritan High School

New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports. State championsh ...

. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the

Skyland Conference The Skyland Conference is a New Jersey high school sports association under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). The conference is made up of 22 public and parochial high schools covering Hunterd ...

, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Somerset and

Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval A ...

counties in west

Central Jersey Central Jersey is the central region of the U.S. state of New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, ...

, and operates under the jurisdiction of the

(NJSIAA). With 2,072 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,060 to 5,049 students in that grade range. The football team competes in Division 5B of the

Big Central Football Conference The Big Central Football Conference is a football-only athletic league of high schools in Central New Jersey. The 60-team league was formed in 2020. History The Big Central consists of the members of the former Mid-State 38 Conference and the foot ...

, which includes 60 public and private high schools in Hunterdon,

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

, Somerset,

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

and Warren counties, which are broken down into 10 divisions by size and location. The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group V North for football for 2018–2020. The school was recognized as the Group IV winner of the NJSIAA ShopRite Cup in 2005–06. The award recognized the school for achieving first-place finishes in boys soccer, boys swimming, boys tennis and boys volleyball; second place in field hockey; and third place in boys lacrosse (tie), girls soccer (tie) and girls volleyball (tie); plus bonus points for no disqualifications in two of three seasons. The boys basketball team won the Group IV state championship in 1965 (against Bloomfield High School in the finals), won the Group III title in 1987 (vs.

Malcolm X Shabazz High School Malcolm X Shabazz High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in Newark in Essex County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Newark Public Schools. Founded as South Side High School in 1912, the school was renamed in 197 ...

) and 1988 (vs. Shabazz), and won the Group II title in 1989 (vs.

Abraham Clark High School Abraham Clark High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from the borough of Roselle, in Union County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Roselle Public S ...

). The 1965 team won the Group IV title with a 63–55 victory against Bloomfield in the championship game played in front of 10,000 spectators at

Atlantic City Convention Hall Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, formerly known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is a multi-purpose arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Atlantic City in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, New Jersey. It was Atlantic City's pri ...

. The 1987 team finished the season with a record of 29-1 after defeating Shabazz by a score of 76–57, led by 28 points from

Eric Murdock Eric Lloyd Murdock (born June 14, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Utah Jazz in the first round (21st pick overall) of the 1991 NBA draft. Biography Murdock grew up in Bridgewater Township, New ...

, in the championship game played at the

Louis Brown Athletic Center Jersey Mike's Arena, commonly known as the RAC (an initialism for Rutgers Athletic Center, its former official name), is an 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Piscataway, New Jersey on Rutgers University's Livingston Campus. The building is shape ...

. The 1976 girls basketball team won the Group IV state title in 1976, defeating

Bayonne High School Bayonne High School (BHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in Bayonne, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States, operated by the Bayonne Board of Education. The school has been ...

by a score of 60–51 in the tournament final. Kristen Helmstetter broke the girls basketball record for most points in her high school career, topping her coach's previous record with 1,476 career points. The boys soccer team has won the Group IV state championship in 1998 (as co-champion with

Columbia High School Columbia High School may refer to: *Columbia High School (Huntsville, Alabama) *Columbia High School (Georgia) *Columbia High School (Florida) *Columbia High School (Idaho) *Columbia High School (Illinois) *Columbia High School (Mississippi), a Mis ...

) and 2005 (vs. Shawnee High School). The team won the 2005 Group IV state championship, finishing the season with a program-best 23 wins and one loss, a ranking of second in the state and a national ranking of 24th. In 2006, the boys soccer team repeated as Group IV North II state sectional champions, defeating Elizabeth High School 3–0. In 2017, the boys soccer team finished with an undefeated season. They were co-champions in the 2017 Somerset County Tournament and were also North II Group IV sectional winners. They lost to eventual state champions Kearny on penalties in the semi-finals. The Bridgewater-Raritan East football team won the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III state sectional championships in 1974 and the Central Jersey Group II title in 1989. The 1974 team, which featured Jeffrey Vanderbeek as a running back, won the first Central Jersey Group III sectional title of the playoff era with a 20–6 victory against

Carteret High School Carteret High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Carteret in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, as the lone secondary school of the Carteret School Distr ...

in a game played indoors at the

. The Bridgewater-Raritan football team made a run in the 2015 playoffs. Carrying a perfect 11–0 record to the Group V North state championship game, they played and lost to another undefeated team, the

Westfield High School Westfield High School may refer to: * The Westfield School, Perry, Georgia * Westfield High School (Westfield, Indiana) * Westfield High School (Massachusetts), Westfield, Massachusetts * Westfield Technical Academy, Westfield, Massachusetts * West ...

Blue Devils. The boys volleyball team won the New Jersey State Volleyball Coaches Association Tournament (the predecessor to the NJSIAA tournament) in 1989 (defeating St. Joseph High School in the tournament final), 1990 (vs. St. Josephs), 1991 (vs.

Fair Lawn High School Fair Lawn High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in Fair Lawn, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of the Fair Lawn Pu ...

), 1993 (vs. Memorial High School of West New York) and 1994 (vs. Memorial of West New York). The team has won the NJSIAA state championship in 2005 (vs. Clifton High School) and 2015 (vs.

Southern Regional High School Southern Regional High School is a regional comprehensive public high school located in the Manahawkin section of Stafford Township in Ocean County, New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades and operating as part of the S ...

). The seven combined state titles are the most of any school in the state. The team won the 2005 state championship over Clifton High School, 25–20, 21–25, 25–20. In 2015 the team was recognized by

NJ.com NJ.com is a digital news content provider and website in New Jersey owned by Advance Publications. According to a report in ''The New York Times'' in 2012, it was the largest provider of digital news in the state at the time. In 2018, comScore r ...

as its team of the year after winning the Group IV title against Southern Regional and finishing the season with a 37–1 record. The boys tennis team won the 2005 North II, Group IV state sectional championship with a 4–1 win against

. The tennis team won the 2006 Group IV state championship, defeating

Cherry Hill High School East Cherry Hill High School East (also known as Cherry Hill East or CHE) is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades in Cherry Hill, in Camden County, New Jersey, United States, operating as p ...

3–2 in the semifinals and

West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, commonly referred to locally as South, is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Princeton Junction in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twe ...

3–2 in the finals to take the title. The girls tennis team won the Group IV state championship in 2007 (defeating Bergen County Academies in the tournament final), 2011 (vs. Livingston High School) and 2018 (vs. Montgomery High School). The 2007 girls tennis team won the North II, Group IV state sectional championship with a 5–0 win over

J. P. Stevens High School John P. Stevens High School (abbr. JP or JPS) is a four-year comprehensive high school, comprehensive state school, public Secondary education in the United States, high school that serves students in ninth grade, ninth through twelfth grades fr ...

in the tournament final. The team moved on to win the Group IV state championship with a 3–2 win over Montgomery High School in the semifinals and Bergen County Technical High School in the finals by a 4–1 score. The 2018 team won the Group IV title with a 3–2 win at

Mercer County Park The Richard J. Coffee Mercer County Park is a recreational park located in Mercer County, New Jersey – mostly within West Windsor Township, but also with small western sections extending into Hamilton and Lawrence Townships. Originally and sti ...

over previously undefeated Montgomery High School. The girls swimming team won the Division A state championship in 1992 and the Public A championship in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. The boys swimming team won the Public A championship in 2007, 2011 and 2018. The boys swimming team won the 2006 Public A state championship over

Cherry Hill High School West Cherry Hill High School West (also known as Cherry Hill West or CHW) is a four-year comprehensive public high school, serving students in ninth grade through twelfth grades in Cherry Hill, Camden County, New Jersey, United States, operating ...

with a score of 88–82, winning their first state championship after going into the final event in a tie. In back to back seasons in 2010 and 2011 the boys swim team took home the New Jersey state championship trophy, defeating

both years. The field hockey team won the North I/II Group IV state sectional championship in 2005, the North I Group IV in 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2013, and the North II, Group IV in 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2014. The team was the runner up for the Group IV state championship in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. In 2007, the field hockey team won the North I, Group IV state sectional championship with a 2–0 win over Montclair High School in the tournament final. In 2003, the girls soccer team won the North II, Group IV state sectional championship with a win over Roxbury High School and were Group IV state finalist. The girls soccer team won the North II, Group IV state sectional championship in 2007 with a 2–1 win over

Ridge High School Ridge High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Bernards Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of the ...

in the tournament final. In 2013, the girls soccer team captured their first ever Group IV state title by defeating defending champion Montgomery High School 1–0. The team ended the season ranked second in New Jersey by ''

The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to ''The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of wh ...

''. The boys lacrosse team won the Group IV state title in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2015 and won the overall state championship in 1998, 2011, 2012 and 2015. The team won the 2011 Tournament of Champions with a 6–5 win over Summit Senior High School, marking the program's second state title and breaking Summit's 68 game winning streak. The Panthers won their first state lacrosse title in 1998. To begin the 2012 season, the Panthers were ranked 5th in the nation and 1st in the state. They finished the 2012 season undefeated at 21–0, extending their overall winning streak to 36 games. Along the way, the Panthers won their second consecutive Somerset County, state Group IV and NJ Tournament of Champions titles. With a 23–0 record, the team was the state's only undefeated team in 2015, winning the Somerset County tournament, Group IV title and the Tournament of Champions with a 16–13 win vs.

Bergen Catholic High School Bergen Catholic High School is an all-male Roman Catholic high school in Oradell, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Coll ...

. In May 2018, the boys lacrosse coach earned his 500th win as head coach, making him the third coach in the state to reach this milestone in the sport, having compiled a career record of 500 wins and 211 losses since being hired in 1980. The girls' lacrosse team won the Group IV state championship in 2009 (defeating Washington Township High School in the tournament final) and 2017 (vs.

Eastern Regional High School Eastern Regional High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school for students in ninth through twelfth grades from Berlin Borough, Gibbsboro and Voorhees Township, three communities in Camden County, New Jersey, United States, o ...

). The team won the Group IV state title in 2017 with a 16–4 win against Eastern Regional in the championship game and went on to win the program's first Tournament of Champions with a victory in the finals against

Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child is a Catholic private school in Summit, in Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is coeducational from pre-kindergarten to grade 6 and all-girls for seventh grade to twelfth grade. The school operates u ...

Administration

The school's principal is Daniel Hemberger. His core administration team includes four assistant principals, one for each grade.

Notable alumni

Alumni of Bridgewater-Raritan High School and its predecessor schools Bridgewater-Raritan High School East and West are included. * Catherine Caro (born 1995, class of 2013),

field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ci ...

player on the

United States women's national field hockey team The United States women's national field hockey team, represents the United States in international field hockey. The team is currently coached by Anthony Farry. It made its first international appearance in 1920 when a touring team visited Engla ...

. *

Fousheé Britanny Fousheé (born August 1, 1992), known professionally as Fousheé, is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from New Jersey. She came to wide notice when the vocals for her song "Deep End" were used on a hit song by rapper Sleepy H ...

(born 1996), singer-songwriter and guitarist. * Paul Heck (born 1967), music producer and artist liaison for the

Red Hot Organization Red Hot Organization (RHO) is a not-for-profit, 501(c) 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture. Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilati ...

and an independent sound manager. *

Matt Kassel Matthew Timothy Kassel (born October 30, 1989) is a retired American soccer player and current color commentator for Bethlehem Steel FC in the USL. Career College and amateur Kassel attended Bridgewater-Raritan High School. He began his caree ...

(born 1989, class of 2008),

midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

who played for the

Philadelphia Union The Philadelphia Union are an American professional soccer club based in Chester, Pennsylvania. The Union compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Founded on February 28, 2008, the club began playing in 201 ...

in the MLS. * Andy Kessler (born 1958), businessman, investor and author. * Paul Laird (born 1958, class of 1976),

musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some mu ...

at the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

. *

Mark Lemongello Mark Lemongello ("le-MAHNJ-ul-oh"; born July 21, 1955) is an American former professional baseball player who pitched in Major League Baseball from 1976 to 1979 for the Houston Astros and the Toronto Blue Jays. He is the cousin of singer Peter ...

(born 1955, class of 1973), former Major League Baseball pitcher. *

Derek Luke Derek Nathanial Luke (born April 24, 1974) is an American actor. He won the Independent Spirit Award for his big-screen debut performance as the titular character in the 2002 film ''Antwone Fisher'', directed and produced by Denzel Washington. ...

(born 1993), professional soccer who plays for

FC Cincinnati Football Club Cincinnati, commonly known as FC Cincinnati, is an American professional association football, soccer club based in Cincinnati. The club plays in the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The ...

in the

United Soccer League United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a Association football, soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues curren ...

. *

Juliet Macur Juliet Macur is an American journalist. Biography Macur is from Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, born to Catholic Polish immigrant parents, and attended Bridgewater-Raritan High School West. She attended Barnard College at Columbia University, g ...

, journalist. *

(born 1968), former professional basketball player. * Casey Murphy (born 1996), professional

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

player who plays

goalkeeper In many team sports which involve scoring goals, the goalkeeper (sometimes termed goaltender, netminder, GK, goalie or keeper) is a designated player charged with directly preventing the opposing team from scoring by blocking or intercepting o ...

for

North Carolina Courage The North Carolina Courage is a professional women's soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina. It was founded on January 9, 2017, after Stephen Malik acquired National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) franchise rights from the Western New York F ...

of the

National Women's Soccer League The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league at the top of the United States league system. It is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federatio ...

. *

Jack Terricloth Peter Ventantonio (June 11, 1970 – May 12, 2021), known professionally as Jack Terricloth, was an American musician and guitarist, the lead singer of the cabaret-punk band The World/Inferno Friendship Society and guitarist and vocalist of Stick ...

(1970–2021), lead singer of the

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

band

The World/Inferno Friendship Society The World/Inferno Friendship Society (also referred to as World Inferno, or Inferno) was an American band from Brooklyn, New York. Its style merged punk, soul, klezmer and jazz, while its collective membership featured horns, piano and guitar ...

and guitarist and vocalist of Sticks and Stones. * Jeffrey Vanderbeek (born 1957, class of 1975), former owner of the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional sports, professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern ...

. *

David Wiesner David Wiesner (born February 5, 1956) is an American illustrator and writer of children's books, known best for picture books including some that tell stories without words. As an illustrator he has won three Caldecott Medals recognizing the year ...

(born 1956), author and illustrator of children's books and publications, whose work has won several honors, including three

Caldecott Medal The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...

s. * Tom Wilson (born 1967), chairman of the

New Jersey Republican State Committee The New Jersey Republican State Committee (NJGOP) is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New Jersey. It was founded in 1880 and is currently led by Bob Hugin. Current leadership * Bob Hugin, Chairman * Lynda A. Pagliughli, Vi ...

from 2004 to 2009.Goodnough, Abby
"In Person; So What Will He Do After November?"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', September 28, 1997. Accessed March 1, 2012. "That early foray into politics did not hook Mr. Wilson, who said he never even considered participating in student government at Bridgewater-Raritan High School East, playing on the golf team instead."

References

External links

High school website
*
School Data for the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District

NJ.com NJ Somerset Schools Report Card 2004–2005
{{Authority control 1959 establishments in New Jersey Educational institutions established in 1959 Bridgewater Township, New Jersey Raritan, New Jersey Public high schools in Somerset County, New Jersey