West Branch High School is a public

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 ...

in Beloit, Ohio, United States. The high school was established in 1960 It is the only high school in the West Branch Local School District. Sports teams are called the Warriors, and they compete in the

Ohio High School Athletic Association The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio. The OHSAA governs eligibility of student athletes, resolves disputes, organizes levels of compe ...

as a member of the

Eastern Buckeye Conference The Eastern Buckeye Conference is an OHSAA athletic league that began competition in the 2018–19 school year. The following are members: Members League history The idea for the Eastern Buckeye Conference began in December 2015 when seven of t ...

History

The high school was established in 1960 In June 2001, an outbreak of bacterial meningitis killed two high school students. A third student was hospitalized, but survived.

Athletics

OHSAA State Championships

* Football – 1994 * Girls

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

– 2004

1994 football championship

West Branch entered the playoffs with an undefeated record of 10-0 in the 1994 season and had clinched an NBC league title. West Branch won its first game against Copley by a score of 56-12. In the state semi-final game, the Warriors matched up against perennial powerhouse Steubenville Big Red. After a 21-7 deficit in the first half, the Warriors charged back with 3 consecutive touchdowns leading them to a 31-28 victory and a berth in the state finals. The state finals paired the Warriors against

Clyde Clyde may refer to: People * Clyde (given name) * Clyde (surname) Places For townships see also Clyde Township Australia * Clyde, New South Wales * Clyde, Victoria * Clyde River, New South Wales Canada * Clyde, Alberta * Clyde, Ontario, a tow ...

. West Branch won by a score of 28-11, giving the

Northeastern Buckeye Conference The Northeastern Buckeye Conference (NBC), was an OHSAA high school athletic conference that comprised eight high schools in Northeast Ohio. Final members Former members League history *The NBC was established in September 1988 and began lea ...

its only football state title and West Branch its first state title in Division 3 football.

Rivalry with Salem

West Branch's football program maintains a rivalry with Salem High School, located about away. The reason can be traced back to before 1971, when West Branch, without a field at the school, was forced to use Salem's field a home field. Due to this, the games played there were usually intense, and very emotional for the players involved. The construction of Clinton Heacock Stadium in 1971 allowed West Branch to play at its own field. However, the rivalry continued to be fierce, with occasional fan fights breaking out. In 1994, perhaps the best game of the rivalry was played at Salem. At the end of regulation, the score was tied at 21-21. However, West Branch managed to pull off a stunning 28-21 victory in overtime. This win, coupled with a perfect regular season, started a run through the playoffs which ultimately led to a state championship. In 1996, the fighting after the game caused by fans was so intense that the rivalry was called off for two years. In 1998, the rivalry was resumed, with Salem pulling a stunning victory over the Warriors. This win was the last for them until 2005. The most recent game in 2021 ended in a 43-42 overtime victory over the Quakers, securing a perfect 10-0 regular season for the Warriors Salem joined West Branch in the

for the 2011-12 school year, and both schools helped create the

in 2018. This both guarantees and expands the rivalry as the Quakers and Warriors will meet yearly in all sports.

References

External links

School website

District website
{{Authority control High schools in Mahoning County, Ohio Public high schools in Ohio