Washington Township High School is a four-year
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 ...
located in
Washington Township, in
Gloucester County, in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
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, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. The school serves 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 as the lone secondary school of the
Washington Township Public School District
The Washington Township Public School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from Washington Township, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States.
As of the ...
. It is one of the largest public high schools in
South Jersey
South Jersey comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey located between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of South Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquialism rather than an administrative ...
. The school building itself is just over a quarter of a mile long. It is located at 509, 519 and 529 Hurffville-Cross Keys Road.
As of the 2020–21 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,204 students and 180.0 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 12.2:1. There were 361 students (16.4% 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 92 (4.2% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.
[School data for Washington Township 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 February 15, 2022.
Washington Township High School is the home of the Republic Bank Performing Arts Center, known until 2022 as the
Investors Bank Performing Arts Center The Investors Bank Performing Arts Center is a 2,400-seat theater located in Washington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, Washington Township, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States, that is one of Sout ...
, a 2,500-seat
performing arts center
Performing arts center/centre (see spelling differences), often abbreviated as PAC, is used to refer to:
* A multi-use performance space that is intended for use by various types of the performing arts, including dance, music and theatre.
:The ...
located at the center of the school. Most of the school's concerts and events are held there, and many notables have performed in this center, including the
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian rock band formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario. The band developed a following in Canada, with their self-titled 1991 cassette becoming the first independent release to be certified gold in Canada. They reach ...
,
Tony Bennett
Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birth ...
,
Wayne Brady
Wayne Alphonso Brady (born June 2, 1972) is an American television personality, comedian, actor, and singer. He is a regular on the American version of the improvisational comedy television series ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' He was the host of ...
,
George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American comedian, actor, author, and social critic. Regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercul ...
,
David Copperfield
''David Copperfield'' Dickens invented over 14 variations of the title for this work, see is a novel in the bildungsroman genre by Charles Dickens, narrated by the eponymous David Copperfield, detailing his adventures in his journey from inf ...
,
Bill Cosby
William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...
,
BB King
Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shimm ...
,
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow (born Barry Alan Pincus; June 17, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter with a career that spans seven decades. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", " Somewhere Down the Road", " Mandy", "I Write the Songs", " Can ...
,
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
,
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...
,
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson (born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, '' Swe ...
,
Lewis Black
Lewis Niles Black (born August 30, 1948) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion, or any other cultural trends.
He hosted the Comedy Central series ''Lewis ...
,
Pete Davidson
Peter Michael Davidson (born November 16, 1993) is an American comedian and actor. He was a cast member of the NBC late-night sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' (SNL) for eight seasons, running from 2014 to 2022.
Davidson's ...
and
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, actor and author. He is best known for creating comedy songs that make light of pop culture and often parody specifi ...
.
Awards, recognition and rankings
The school was the 149th-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 165th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 175th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 149th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 150th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.
History
11-12 Wing
Construction on what is now the 11-12 wing of the high school began in 1962. WTHS opened in September 1963, serving grades 6-9 while parts of the building were still under construction. Each successive year, all of the grades incremented by 1 (1964 was 7-10, 1965 was 8-11 and 1966 was 9-12) In 1966 the first High School Class of WTHS graduated. In the early 1970s, the school became overcrowded (a problem that would plague the school on and off through 1998). In the fall of 1968, the 7th grade was sent to the new Birches Elementary School, occupying 1/2 of that facility. For the 1969/70 school year, the 7th grade returned to WTHS which operated an AM and PM session, staggered over 4 lunch periods. The 9th through 12th grades taking the morning session and the 7th and 8th grades, the afternoon. In the 1970-71 school year, the 7th grade was sent to Wedgewood Middle School and WTHS operated a traditional single session. In the 1971-1972 school year, the 7th and 8th were sent to Wedgewood Middle School and the school operated split sessions with grades 11-12 attending from 7:30 AM to noon and grades 9-10 attending 12:30 PM to 5:00 PM. For 1972-73 it was back to split sessions in the high school with grades 10-12 taking the morning shift. As a result, a two-story addition was opened in September 1973 to the right side of the building, as well as an additional gym and a new library. The school continued to serve students in grade 7-12 until the 1979-1980 school year. As a result of this overcrowding and moving of grades, the Class of 1975 was the youngest class as 7th graders, then again the youngest class as 8th graders, then again the youngest class as 9th graders, and finally, with split sessions, the youngest class in their session, as 10th graders.
9-10 Wing
In the late 1970s, construction on what would be the township's first middle school began. In September 1980, WTMS opened, serving 7th and 8th graders. Because of its location right next to WTHS (at the time, what is now the location of the Core was just a parking lot), the two schools would often share facilities.
Despite a new rather large school to house 7th and 8th graders, and more room in the high school, the township was exploding in population at the time, and both WTHS and WTMS were overcrowded only a few years after the middle school opened. In the mid-1980s, planning for yet another new middle school was underway. This time, however, because WT's elementary schools also faced overcrowding, the school district went ahead and built two schools, which would enroll grades 6 through 8, thus relieving all the elementary schools in the district from 6th graders (they also were relieved of all kindergarteners, thanks to an addition at Grenloch Terrace Early Childhood Center). In fall of 1989,
Chestnut Ridge Middle School and Orchard Valley Middle School opened for grades 6-8. The former WTMS became part of the high school complex, renamed as the 9/10 Building (as it served mostly students in 9th and 10th grade), while the original HS was also renamed as the 11/12 Building.
The transition wasn't smooth, however. Both CRMS and OVMS weren't finished in time for the new school year. As a result, the newly formed WTHS complex started its first month with split sessions. High school students would have class starting early in the day, while all middle school students would have class in the late afternoon/early evening. During this time period, the high school students also had to share their lockers with the temp middle school students.
The 9/10 building has H-Hall, I-Pod, J-Hall, K-Pod, and L-Pod. The "Pods" are large hallways with bathrooms in the center. The classrooms are arranged around the pods like a courtyard. There were lockers in the center of each pod, but they have since been removed due to the addition of the lockers in the core.
I-Pod: Originally called "A-Pod" before the 9/10 building was connected to the 11/12 building. The flooring is Red in the classrooms. The Student Assistance office and speech therapists are located here.
K-Pod: Originally called "C-Pod" before the 9/10 building was connected to the 11/12 building. The flooring is Yellow in the classrooms. The math and science department office is here.
L-Pod: Originally called "C-Pod" before the 9/10 building was connected to the 11/12 building. The flooring is Green in the classrooms. The 9/10 executive principals office is here.
H-Hall: Originally called "D-Hall" before the 9/10 building was connected to the 11/12 building. The bathrooms, main office, principals offices, restriction room, and wood shops are here. The 9/10 Gym is also here. The old 9/10 cafeteria was converted to the "Auxiliary Gym". The new cafeterias are in the core.
J-Hall: Originally called "E-Hall" before the 9/10 building was connected to the 11/12 building. The adaptive gym, orchestra room and nurses office is downstairs. Upstairs are classrooms. The original library was here until the core expansion. The old library was converted to the 9/10 adaptive gym.
Core building
Washington Township's population continued to grow, therefore, they needed to expand the high school yet again. Under a $50 million district wide improvement program, a third building was to be built on the site between the 11/12 and 9/10 buildings. The Core building would physically connect the two existing buildings and would include a 2500-seat auditorium (known as the
Investors Bank Performing Arts Center The Investors Bank Performing Arts Center is a 2,400-seat theater located in Washington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey, Washington Township, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States, that is one of Sout ...
as of 2015, formerly known as Commerce Bank Arts Centre and the TD Bank Arts Centre), administrative and guidance offices, a new Media Center (library), new cafeteria (for 9-10 wing students) and more classrooms.
Construction on the core building began in the summer of 1996. Parts of the building opened in 1998, and some classes were moved immediately from both the 11/12 and 9/10 buildings.
The new WTHS
The entire building was completed before the 1998-1999 school year. WTHS was now one building for the first time since the 1988-1989 school year. The three parts of the building were renamed the 11/12 wing, core, and 9/10 wing, and hallways were renamed to integrate the building. Because the new building featured a new library, a united guidance office, and cafeteria for the 9/10 wing, the old libraries and guidance offices in each of the wings as well as the old 9/10 cafeteria were able to be renovated for other uses.
Athletics
The Washington Township High School Minutemen/Minutemaids
[Washington Township 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
Olympic Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools located in
Burlington
Burlington may refer to:
Places Canada Geography
* Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador
* Burlington, Nova Scotia
* Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington"
* Burlington, Prince Edward Island
* Burlington Bay, no ...
,
Camden and Gloucester counties, and operates under the aegis of the
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 ...
(NJSIAA). With 1,670 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 the Continental Division of the 95-team
West Jersey Football League The West Jersey Football League is a 94-school superconference that stretches from Princeton, New Jersey to Wildwood, New Jersey encompassing schools from the Colonial Valley Conference, the Burlington County Scholastic League, the Olympic Conferenc ...
superconference and was classified by the NJSIAA as Group V South for football for 2022–2024.
The WTHS Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1992 to honor outstanding WTHS athletes as well as residents of the township who have achieved success in athletics.
Athletic accomplishments
The boys' basketball team won the South Jersey Group II state sectional championship in 1969.
The field hockey team won the South Jersey Group III state sectional championship in 1977. The 1977 team finished the season with a 14-1-4 record after winning the Group III title with a 1-0 overtime victory against
Phillipsburg High School in the championship game.
The softball team won the Group IV state championship in 1985 (vs.
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 ...
), 2002 (vs.
West Milford High School
West Milford High School is a four-year comprehensive high school, comprehensive community state school, public Secondary education in the United States, high school that serves students in ninth grade, ninth through twelfth grades from West Mil ...
), 2013 (vs.
Watchung Hills Regional High School
Watchung Hills Regional High School is a regional comprehensive high school, comprehensive state school, public Secondary education in the United States, high school and school district serving students in portions of Somerset County, New Jerse ...
) and 2015 (vs.
Bridgewater-Raritan High School
Bridgewater-Raritan High School (commonly abbreviated as BRHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school. It is the lone secondary school of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District serving students in ninth through twelfth grad ...
). The 1985 team won the Group IV state title with a 1-0 victory against Westfield in the championship game. The team finished the 2015 season with a record of 31-1 after winning the Group IV title with a 1-0 one-hitter victory against Bridgewater-Raritan in the championship game.
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 ...
/ ''
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 ...
'' ranked Washington Township as their number-one softball team in the state in 2015.
The football team won the South Jersey Group IV state sectional championships in 1987, 1992 and 1995. The 1995 team finished the season with a 10-1 record after winning the South Jersey Group IV sectional title with a 19-7 defeat of
Shawnee High School in the championship game.
The boys' wrestling team won the South Jersey Group IV state sectional championship in 1998, 2000 and 2010.
The girls' track team won the Group IV indoor relay state championship in 1999. The boys team won the Group IV indoor relay title in 2009.
The golf team won the New Jersey Group IV state championship in 1999.
The girls spring track team was Group IV co-champion in 2000.
The boys' cross country team captured the program's first ever South Jersey Group IV sectional crown in fall 2005.
The baseball team won the 2007 NJSIAA Group IV state championship, defeating
Steinert High School
Steinert High School (also formally known as Hamilton High School East) is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as one of three secondary high schools that are part of the Hamilton Towns ...
9-3 in the semifinals and
Randolph High School 15-7 in the group final.
In 2007, the boys' soccer team won the South Jersey Group IV state sectional championship with a 1-0 win over
Lenape High School
Lenape High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Medford Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. It is the oldest of the four high schools that comprise the Lenape Regional High School District, ...
in the tournament final.
The ice hockey team was back-to-back champions of the South Jersey High School Ice Hockey League.
The 07-08 boys' track team had the nation's top time in the 4x800 with a time of 8:06.95.
The 2009 boy's outdoor track team won the large high school division in the 4x800 at the
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays (also Penn Relays Carnival) is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. In 2012, there were ...
.
The 08-09 girls' varsity lacrosse team won the South Jersey Group IV championship, beating division rivals
Cherokee High School by a score of 10-9 in the section final to take the program's first state sectional. The 10-11 girls varsity lacrosse team went undefeated (8-0) as the Olympic Conference champions and won the South Jersey Group IV Championships, beating division rival
Lenape High School
Lenape High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Medford Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. It is the oldest of the four high schools that comprise the Lenape Regional High School District, ...
by a score of 14-7 in the sectional final.
The boys bowling team won the Group IV state championship in 2010 and 2020, winning the state
Tournament of Champions both of those years. The program is one of only three schools that have won the Tournament of Champions two or more times.
The 10-11 girls' basketball team won the South Jersey Group IV state sectional title as the 11th seed, knocking off top-seeded division rival
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 ...
(who entered the game with a 26-1 record) in the sectional final by a 46-43 score. The 11-12 girls' basketball team won the Olympic Conference and the South Jersey Group IV state sectional title, beating
Toms River East High School
Toms River High School East is a comprehensive four-year public high school, the third high school built in Toms River in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Toms River Regi ...
in the sectional final by a score of 55-24, after starting the game on a 23-point run and leading 26-2 at the half. The 12-13 girls' basketball team won the Olympic Conference and their third consecutive South Jersey Group IV state sectional title, beating division rival
Williamstown High School in the sectional final by a score of 50-38, sealing the victory with a 20-6 run after Williamstown had pulled ahead by two points in the fourth quarter.
The girls' bowling team won the Group IV state championship in 2011.
The Minutemen boys' soccer team won the Group IV state championships in 2014 (against runner-up
Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School
Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (or SPFHS) is a comprehensive regional four-year public high school in Union County, New Jersey, United States, which serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from the Township of Scotch Plains and the ...
in the finals), 2015 (vs.
West Orange High School) and 2018 (vs.
Morris Knolls High School
Morris Knolls High School (MKHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Denville Township and most of Rockaway Township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States, operating as ...
). The program earned their first title in program history in 2014 with a 1-0 win against Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School. The team repeated in 2015 by defeating West Orange High School by a score of 1-0 in the championship game. The team won the program's third Group IV title and finished the season with a 24-1 record after defeating Morris Knolls in the 2018 championship game.
Extracurricular activities
Washington Township is home to the NJ-932nd
Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) is a subdivision of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC). JROTC is a junior military science elective class that is offered in many high schools across the United States. The cla ...
, which includes five curricular course offerings in aerospace science. The NJ-932 has a drill team and color guard open to all cadets in the NJ-932.
Music program
The Washington Township High School Orchestra is under the direction of Ian Hoblitzell. On April 22, 2011, the Orchestra participated and played at Carnegie Hall in the National Invitational Band and Orchestra Festival.
The Washington Township High School Wind Ensemble has been participating at the New Jersey State Gala at Rutgers University.
Marching band
The Washington Township High School Minutemen Marching Band is a regionally and nationally recognized band. Under the direction of James Beyer, the band grew to over 225 members in 1997, the same year they achieved a 94.40 at the ACC Championships, a school record that still stands today. Later that season they participated in the 1998
Tournament of Roses Parade
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
in
Pasadena, California
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.
I ...
and became the first band to be decorated in 5,000 live flowers and seeds, creating the first ever "Marching Musical Float". Designed by Todd Marcocci, this unique concept and design approach received tremendous support from all major media around the world. The band has also participated in the 1995 and 1997 Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade, invited to play for Governors Kean and Florio and President Reagan, the 2004
Gator Bowl
The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game held in Jacksonville, Florida, operated by Gator Bowl Sports. It has been held continuously since 1946, making it the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised natio ...
in
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...
, the 2005
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that has been played in San Diego since 1978. San Diego County Credit Union has been the game's title sponsor since 2017, and the bowl has b ...
in
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...
and the 2008
Outback Bowl
The ReliaQuest Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, usually on New Year's Day. The event has been formerly called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1995 and the Outback Bowl from 1996 to ...
in
Tampa, Florida
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
. Since its inception in 1973, the band has placed in the top 10 at the
Tournament of Bands The Tournament of Bands (TOB) is one of the largest competitive band organizations in the United States and is one of several major circuits in the mid-Atlantic states (other circuits include Cavalcade of Bands and USBands). TOB was founded in 1972 ...
(TOB) Atlantic Coast Championships 16 times, and was Chapter One Champions for 16 straight years from 1985 to 2000, winning the Group 3 title from 1985 to 1987 and the Group 4 titles the subsequent 13 years.
In recent years the band has undergone many changes, including becoming a separate ensemble (no longer a required part of the concert band program) and a director change, Casey Corigliano in 2003. In 2004, the Minutemen band became the first South Jersey band to compete in a
Bands of America
Bands of America (BOA) is a music education advocacy organization and promoter of high school marching band competitions in the United States, such as the annual Grand National Championships. Established in 1975 as Marching Bands of America (MBA), ...
(BOA) Regional at
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
, part of the nation's top marching circuit. The show was titled "The Odyssey". The band competes in class IV-A of the
United States Scholastic Band Association
United may refer to:
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* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
(USSBA). The Minutemen host a home show every year titled Preview of Champions.
In the 2009-10 school year, the Minutemen band was named the 2009 USSBA Northern States Group 3A Champion. This was the band's first championship of any kind since the 16-year Chapter Championship streak was broken in 2001. The band was also named the 2010 Cotton Bowl Music Festival Grand Champion while participating in the
Cotton Bowl Classic
The Cotton Bowl Classic (also known as the Cotton Bowl) is an American college football bowl game that has been held annually in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex since January 1, 1937. The game was originally played at its namesake stadium i ...
festivities in
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County w ...
. By being named grand champion, the band had the honor of playing their show "Journey of Man" during pre-game in front of 78,000 fans. The WTHS Drumline also received first place and won the honor to play their cadence to bring all of the bands onto the field for the mass half time show at the 2010 Cotton Bowl.
Other recent bowl games include the
2012 BCS National Championship Game
The 2012 Allstate BCS National Championship Game was a postseason college football bowl game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers, and determined the national champion of the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season on Monday, J ...
in New Orleans and the
2013 Alamo Bowl
The 2013 Alamo Bowl was an American college football bowl game that was played on December 30, 2013, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The 21st edition of the Alamo Bowl, it featured the Oregon Ducks from the Pac-12 Conference and the T ...
in San Antonio. The Minutemen placed 2nd place in field competition and parade competition. They also received the 2013 Alamo Bowl Spirit Award. This award is presented to the school who best embodies the definition of sportsmanship by positively representing their school and showing an overall enthusiasm for music and performance at the Alamo Bowl.
The Minutemen participated in the
2016 Liberty Bowl. They placed 1st in Class AA in Field Show competition capturing best marching, percussion, effect, and colorguard. They were also named the 2016 Liberty Bowl Grand Champion. They achieved this from getting the highest score in field and parade competitions. Their field show was titled "Into Darkness" featuring the music of Hector Berlioz Symphonie Fantasique.
In 2017, Calvin Spencer became band director. Under his direction, the band won numerous first place
Tournament of Bands The Tournament of Bands (TOB) is one of the largest competitive band organizations in the United States and is one of several major circuits in the mid-Atlantic states (other circuits include Cavalcade of Bands and USBands). TOB was founded in 1972 ...
regional competitions, second place at TOB States and Atlantic Coast Championships, and first at Tournament of Bands Region 1 Group 4A. The band traveled to New Orleans for the
2018 Sugar Bowl
The 2018 Sugar Bowl was a College Football Playoff semifinal bowl game that was played on January 1, 2018 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The 84th Sugar Bowl game, it matched two of the top four teams selected by the College Football ...
. They placed 2nd in Class AA in Field Show. Their field show was titled "Yuletide Fantasy" an original composition by Calvin Spencer featuring Christmas music.
Administration
The school's executive principal is Raymond F. Anderson, who took over in December 2022. His core administration team includes an executive assistant principal and five assistant principals.
Notable alumni
*
Jim Auer (born 1962), former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...
who played for the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
.
*
King Kong Bundy
Christopher Alan Pallies (November 7, 1955 – March 5, 2019) was an American professional wrestler, actor and stand-up comedian, better known by his wrestling gimmick and ring name, King Kong Bundy. Under this gimmick, he portrayed a pugnacious, ...
(born 1957), former WWF wrestler.
*
Sam Esmail
Sam Esmail (born September 17, 1977) is an American film and television producer, director, and screenwriter who runs the production company Esmail Corp. He is best known as the creator, writer and director of the award-winning USA Network televi ...
(born 1977), television producer known for ''
Mr. Robot
''Mr. Robot'' is an American drama thriller television series created by Sam Esmail for USA Network. It stars Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer and hacker with social anxiety disorder, clinical depression and dissociati ...
'' and ''
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia.
...
''
*
Ryan D'Imperio
Ryan D'Imperio (born August 15, 1987) is a former American football fullback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings with the 237th overall pick in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Rutgers University. He fi ...
(born 1987), fullback drafted by the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
.
*
Linda Fiorentino
Clorinda "Linda" Fiorentino (born March 9, 1958 or 1960) is an American former actress. Fiorentino made her screen debut with a leading role in the 1985 coming-of-age drama film ''Vision Quest'', followed that same year with a lead role in the ac ...
(born 1958), actress, from ''
Dogma
Dogma is a belief or set of beliefs that is accepted by the members of a group without being questioned or doubted. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Roman Catholicism, Judaism, Islam ...
'', ''
Men in Black
In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are purported men dressed in black suits who claim to be quasi-government agents, who harass, threaten, or sometimes even assassinate unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesses t ...
'', ''
The Last Seduction
''The Last Seduction'' is a 1994 American neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by John Dahl, and features Linda Fiorentino, Peter Berg, and Bill Pullman. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment and distributed by October Films. Fiorentino ...
''.
*
Emily Gray
Emily Rose Gray (born October 5, 2000) is an American soccer player who plays as a midfielder for North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Early life
Gray was raised in the Sewell section of Washington Township, ...
(born 2000),
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 as a
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 ...
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 ...
*
Antony Jordan
Antony T. Jordan (born December 19, 1974) is a retired professional American football player who played linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts and Atlanta Falcons. He was also a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was drafted in the fifth roun ...
(born 1974), professional
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
player who played
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
in the NFL for the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
and
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
.
*
Justin Mortelliti
Justin Mortelliti (born August 30, 1980 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American actor, singer/songwriter and recording artist.
Early life
Mortelliti was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His family moved to Washington Township, Gloucest ...
(born 1998), actor, singer/songwriter and recording artist.
*
Cheryl Reeve
Cheryl Reeve (born September 20, 1966) is an American basketball head coach and President of Basketball Operations for the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA. Reeve has coached the Lynx to four league championships. In WNBA history, she has the highest ...
(born 1966), head coach of
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team won the WNBA title in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017.
Founded pr ...
who is a two-time
WNBA Coach of the Year.
*
Laura Schwanger (born 1958, class of 1977), retired
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
Paralympic athlete
The Paralympic sports comprise all the sports contested in the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. As of 2020, the Summer Paralympics included 22 sports and 539 medal events, and the Winter Paralympics include 5 sports and disciplines and about ...
and
adaptive rower.
*
Scott Wiener
Scott Wiener (born May 11, 1970) is an American politician and a member of the California State Senate. A Democrat, he represents the 11th Senate District, encompassing San Francisco and parts of San Mateo County.
Prior to his election to the ...
(born 1970), politician who represents the
11th Senate District in the
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Cal ...
.
California State Sen. Scott Wiener
Legistorm. Accessed November 17, 2022. "Washington Township High School (Sewell, N.J.) - Diploma"
References
External links
*
Washington Township Public Schools
Washington Township High School Minuteman Marching Band
*
School Data for the Washington Township Public Schools
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 ...
South Jersey Sports: Washington Township HS
{{Authority control
1966 establishments in New Jersey
Educational institutions established in 1966
Public high schools in Gloucester County, New Jersey
Washington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey