Holy Cross Preparatory Academy is a four-year Catholic high school 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, located in Delran Township in

Burlington County Burlington County is a county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The county is the largest by area in New Jersey. Its county seat is Mount Holly.

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 Delawa ...

, United States. The school is the only

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

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 the county. Holy Cross has been accredited by AdvancED since 2013.Holy Cross Academy
AdvancED. Accessed March 14, 2017. The school was run under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton until 2018 when the school became independent.Fifth Anniversary
Holy Cross Preparatory Academy. Accessed December 20, 2022. Occupying a campus, it has a variety of co-curricular activities, including about 40 sports teams in 23 athletic programs and 50 clubs, for students to participate in. Tuition for the 2022–23 school year was $10,900. As of the 2019–20 school year, the school had an enrollment of 248 students and 19 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 13.1:1. The school's student body was 73.8% (183) White, 16.5% (41) Black, 4.8% (12) Asian, 4.4% (11) Hispanic and 0.4% (1) Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander.School data for Holy Cross Preparatory Academy

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 financ ...

. Accessed March 10, 2022. The student population is from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds. 99% of the school's graduates go onto two and four-year colleges and universities.About
Holy Cross Academy. Accessed May 1, 2015.

History

Constructed on a site at a cost of $3 million (equivalent to $ million in ), the school opened to an initial group of 400 students in September 1957 as the county's first Catholic high school. The school underwent a $3.5 million renovation in 2005. A renovated Gerald Finsen Media Center was built during the 2005–06 school year. Former principal Joseph Lemme pleaded guilty in December 2007 to the theft of $400,000 from the school for his personal use and was sentenced to five years in prison as part of a

plea bargain A plea bargain (also plea agreement or plea deal) is an agreement in criminal law proceedings, whereby the prosecutor provides a concession to the defendant in exchange for a plea of guilt or ''nolo contendere.'' This may mean that the defendant ...

. In October 2017 the Diocese of Trenton informed the Holy Cross administration that the school's future was in jeopardy due to the schools enrollment and financial status. Throughout the final months of 2017 the alumni organized a Founding Board to determine if they could find a way to avoid the school’s closure and questioned the Diocese about becoming an independent school. In December 2017 Bishop David M. O'Connell met with school administration and informed them that the school would be closed at the conclusion of the 2017-18 school year. He then met with the Founding Board and informed them of the religious requirements for the school to become independent. The Diocese finally gave the board the permission to move forward and work to become an independent Catholic high school. Prior to 2018 the diocese spent about $500,000 each year to cover the deficit to keep the school in operation; the school remained open since the alumni were able to raise that much in donations. The school's name was changed to Holy Cross Preparatory Academy that year.

Extracurricular activities

About 95% of the student body is involved in some type of extracurricular activity. In 2006, Holy Cross created a new, redesigned Dance Team program with a custom dance studio that was completed that summer. Holy Cross features three annual drama events: a fall play, a Christmas production, and a spring musical. The 2008-09 lineup included '' Noises Off'' in October 2008, ''

A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols Nine Lessons and Carols, also known as the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols and Service of Nine Lessons and Carols, is a service of Christian worship traditionally celebrated on or near Christmas Eve. The story of the fall of humanity, the ...

'', in December 2008 and a spring musical that runs in April. An entire week of games and activities lead up to the big game and the homecoming dance. "Spirit Week" draws alumni, friends, family, and the curious in general. Holy Cross' student government format is a Student Council and is open to anyone in the student body who wishes to be involved. While the Student Council Executive Board (SCEB) has a president and other positions, it takes ideas and opinions from anyone regardless of rank. The board is responsible for many of the year's events, including formal dances, homecoming activities, etc.

Athletics

The Holy Cross LancersHoly Cross Academy

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 Burlington County Scholastic League (BCSL), which is comprised of public and private high schools in Burlington, Mercer and

Ocean The ocean (also the sea or the world ocean) is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of the surface of Earth and contains 97% of Earth's water. An ocean can also refer to any of the large bodies of water into which the wor ...

counties in

Central Jersey Central Jersey is the central region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation of Central New Jersey is a distinct administrative toponym. Geographic area and descriptions While the State of New Jersey is often divided into North an ...

, and operates under the supervision of the

(NJSIAA). With 221 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public B for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 37 to 366 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group 1 for public schools). The football team competes in the Classic Division of the 94-team West Jersey Football League superconference and was classified by the NJSIAA as Non-Public Group II for football for 2018–2020. The football team won the Non-Public A state championship in 1977, 1982, 1991 and 1992; won the Non-Public Group IV state sectional title in 2000 and won the Non-Public Group II championship in 2007 and 2008. The team won the Parochial A South title in 1977 after a 14-6 win against Red Bank Catholic High School in the tournament final. The 2000 team finished the season with a 10-2 record after coming back from a 41-20 deficit in the third quarter to win the Non-Public Group IV championship game by a score of 41-40 over Don Bosco Preparatory High School on a field goal kicked as time espired. In 2007, the team won the Non-Public Group II state championship with a 17–0 win over

Gloucester Catholic High School Gloucester Catholic High School is a co-educational six-year Roman Catholic high school located in Gloucester City, in Camden County, New Jersey. The school is managed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. The school serves students in se ...

in the tournament final. In 2008, the team repeated as Non-Public Group II state champion with a 7–0 win over Hudson Catholic High School. The softball team won the Non-Public A state championship in 1985 and 1989, defeating

Paramus Catholic High School Paramus Catholic High School is a co-educational Roman Catholic high school located in Paramus in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school, founded in 1965, under Archbishop Thomas A. Boland, and Superintendent of Schools, M ...

in the final game of the tournament in both seasons. The 1989 team finished the season with a record of 14-8 after winning the Non-Public A state championship, defeating Paramus Catholic by a score of 3-0 in the tournament championship game played at

Trenton State College The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) is a public university in Ewing Township, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. Established in 1855 as the New Jersey State Normal School, TCNJ was the first normal school, or ...

. The boys soccer team won the Non-Public A state championship in 1989, as co-champion with Delbarton School. The 2007 boys soccer team won the South B state sectional championship with a 1–0 win over

Bishop Eustace Preparatory School Bishop Eustace Preparatory School is a Catholic high school in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey. Founded in 1954 by the priests and brothers of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (The Pallottines), the school operates under the auspices of th ...

in the tournament final. The girls spring track team won the Non-Public A state championship in 1991 and the Non-Public B title in 2008. In 2008, the team won the Patriot Division championship, the South Jersey Non-Public B championship, and the Non-Public B state championship for their first state title since 1991. The girls' soccer team won the Group IV state championship in 1993 (against runner-up Randolph High School in the tournament final) and in Group III in 1995 (vs. Ramapo High School). The 1993 team defeated Randolph by a score of 2-0 in the championship game to win the Group IV title at

. The wrestling team won the Non-Public A state sectional championship in 1993, and won the Non-Public B title in 2005 and 2015. The girls tennis team won the Non-Public A state championship in 1994, defeating runner-up

Academy of the Holy Angels The Academy of the Holy Angels is an all-female private middle school and college preparatory high school located in Demarest, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in sixth through twelfth grade. The school is a spo ...

by a score of 3-2 in the final match of the tournament 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 s ...

. The field hockey team won the Central Jersey Group I state sectional championship in 2007 and 2009. In 2007, the field hockey team won the sectional title with a 2–1 win over

Haddonfield Memorial High School Haddonfield Memorial High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Haddonfield, in Camden County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary scho ...

in the tournament final. During the 2007-08 sports season, Holy Cross sports teams won a total of six state championships. The school was awarded the ShopRite Cup for Group B in 2007-08 in recognition of first place finishes in football, both boys and girls spring track and both boys and girls winter track individuals; second place in field hockey, boys soccer; third place in boys golf and girls soccer (tied), plus bonus points for having no disqualifications in any season. A team representing Holy Cross High School competes in the South Jersey High School Ice Hockey League. In 2007, the Lancers Ice Hockey team won the S.J.H.S.H.L. Championship defeating Cherry Hill High School West, the school's first ice hockey championship since 1993. In 2008, the boys' spring track team won the Patriot Division championship, the South Jersey Non-Public B championship, and the Non-Public B state championship for the first time in program history.Lewis, John A
"Holy Cross has historic day on track"
''

Burlington County Times The ''Burlington County Times'' is a daily newspaper located in Westampton, New Jersey, U.S. The paper, which is part of the Gannett chain of newspapers, covers municipal and county issues in Burlington County, New Jersey as well as local and pr ...

'', June 1, 2008. Accessed July 26, 2011. "The sight of the Holy Cross High School boys and girls track teams celebrating together, near the close of yesterday's Non-Public B state championship meet yesterday demonstrated what it really was; two great efforts. The Lancers brought home both team trophies. Harper, who coaches the boys team, saw his squad capture the first state championship in school history. The Holy Cross girls captured their first state crown since 1991 when the Lancers won the Non-Public A title". The baseball team won the Non-Public B state championship in 2016, defeating runner-up St. Mary High School in the finals and finishing the season with a record of 25-7-1.

Administration

Core members of the school's administration include:Faculty
Holy Cross Preparatory Academy. Accessed December 20, 2022. *Alex Pracher, President *David Moffa, Principal *Alice Penza, Dean of Students

Notable alumni

* Mark Adamo (born 1962), composer and librettist with New York City Opera. *

Lance Bangs Lance Bangs (born September 4, 1972) is an American filmmaker and music video director. He has created videos for Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Neutral Milk Hotel, Green Day, Arcade Fire, The Shins, The Thermals, Belle & Sebastian, Menomena, Yeah Y ...

(born 1972, class of 1990), filmmaker, known for the Jackass movies as well as '' The Lazarus Effect''. *

Avon Cobourne Avon Cobourne (born March 6, 1979) is an American former professional gridiron football running back who was most recently a running back coach for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was a running back for the Wes ...

(born 1979),

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player for the

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.Staff
"Lundy Wins Matchup of Holy Cross High Alums"
''

The Roanoke Times ''The Roanoke Times'' is the primary newspaper in Southwestern Virginia and is based in Roanoke, Virginia, United States. It is published by Lee Enterprises. In addition to its headquarters in Roanoke, it maintains a bureau in Christiansburg, ...

'', December 29, 2002. Accessed February 14, 2011. "A postgame conversation between Wali Lundy and fellow Holy Cross High School alumnus Avon Cobourne was cordial but brief Saturday." *

Phil Costa Phillip John Costa (born 24 July 1949) is an Australian politician. He was a Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 2007 until 2011, representing the electorate of Wollondilly. He served as Minister for Water and M ...

(born 1987), NFL player for the

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. *

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(born 1974), former

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punter who played for the

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of the NFL and the

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NFL Europe NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa League) was a professional American football league that functioned as the developmental minor league of the National Football League (NFL). Originally ...

. * Keith Garagozzo (born 1969), former MLB pitcher who played for the

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. * Anthony Giacchino (born 1969), filmmaker and producer. *

Michael Giacchino Michael Giacchino (; born October 10, 1967) is an American composer of music for films, television and video games. He has also served as a director for television. He has received many awards, including an Oscar for his work on '' Up'' (2009), ...

(born 1967), composer and Academy Award winner for '' Up''."Lancers working in radio, television and the movies"
Holy Cross High School. Accessed March 28, 2008. * Kevin Hickman (born 1971), former football

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

who played in the NFL for the

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from 1995 to 1998. * Joe Hudson (born 1970), former MLB pitcher who played for the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

and the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

. * Stephen Kasprzyk (born 1982, class of 2000),

rower Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is ...

who competed in the Men's eight event at the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, th ...

. * Michelle Kosinski (born 1974),

NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, a division of NBCUniversal, which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's v ...

Emmy-award-winning foreign correspondent, based in London. *

Dennis Landolt Dennis Patrick Landolt (born October 15, 1986) is a former American football offensive tackle. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at the Pennsylvania State University. Landolt has ...

(born 1986), football player for the

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. *

Kevin Landolt Kevin Joseph Landolt (born October 25, 1975) is an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League. Landolt was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1999 NFL Draft with the 121st pick overall. Landolt attended and playe ...

(born 1975),

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the l ...

who played in the NFL for the

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. * Todd Lehmann, basketball player. *

Wali Lundy Wali Sultan Lundy (born September 8, 1983) is a rapper and former American football running back who played for the National Football League. Lundy was drafted in round six, pick 1 of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at the Univer ...

(born 1983), running back for the

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their home games at NR ...

. * Gregg Murphy (born 1971), sportscaster on

Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia NBC Sports Philadelphia is an American regional sports network owned by the NBC Sports Group unit of NBCUniversal, which in turn is owned by locally based cable television provider Comcast (and owns a controlling 75% interest), and the Philadelp ...

who has been a broadcaster for the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

. * Jerry Penacoli (born 1956), correspondent on ''

Extra Extra or Xtra may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film * ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film Literature * ''Extra'' (newspaper), a Brazilian newspaper * ''Extra!'', an American me ...

''. * Ryan Peters (born c. 1982), politician who has represented the 8th Legislative District in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...

since 2018. *

Gervase Peterson Gervase Peterson (; born November 2, 1969 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American television personality and actor who was a contestant on '' Survivor: Borneo'', the first edition of the popular CBS reality television series '' Survivor'', ...

(born 1969), contestant on '' Survivor: Borneo''. *

John Rickert John "JR" Rickert (born July 8, 1970) is an American sports agent who represents players in the National Football League, Major League Baseball, and the National Basketball Association, as well as boxing, boxers. He is the chief operating officer ...

(born 1970), sports agent for NFL, MLB, and NBA players. * Keith Saunders (born 1984), linebacker who has played for the

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. * Scott Semptimphelter (born 1972),

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player. *

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(born 1993; class of 2011), professional baseball player. * Jeff Zaun (born 1971), former professional soccer player who played at Holy Cross for three seasons before transferring out for his senior year.

Notable faculty

Greg Luzinski Gregory Michael "The Bull" Luzinski (born November 22, 1950) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a left fielder from to , most prominently as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies where he wa ...

(born 1950), former MLB

left fielder In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering sys ...

for the

and

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

, who coached baseball and football at Holy Cross from 1985 to 1992.Roncace, Kelly
"Former Phillies slugger to be inducted into SJ sports museum"
NJ Advance Media for

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 ...

, March 31, 2016. Accessed November 28, 2017. "Luzinski retired from the MLB in February 1985, and began coaching baseball at Holy Cross High School in Delran in March of the same year. 'I started with baseball, then moved to football when the former coach went to Moorestown High School,' he said. He continued coaching until January 1992 when he retired from the position and moved to Florida."

References

External links

Holy Cross Academy
official website
Data for Holy Cross High School

{{Authority control 1957 establishments in New Jersey Delran Township, New Jersey Educational institutions established in 1957 Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools Private high schools in Burlington County, New Jersey Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton Catholic secondary schools in New Jersey