Matawan Regional High School

Matawan Regional High School
Excellence in education
Location
450 Atlantic Avenue Aberdeen, NJ 07747
Information
Type	Public high school
Established	1924
School district	Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District
Principal	Michele Ruscavage
Asst. Principal	Frank J. Liotti Patricia Phillips Debra Scesney
Faculty	92[1]
Grades	9 - 12
Enrollment	1,111 (as of 2009-10)[1]
Student to teacher ratio	12.08 (FTE basis)[1]
Color(s)	Maroon and steel gray
Athletics conference	Shore Conference
Team name	Huskies
Accreditation(s)	Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Newspaper	'Huskyview'
Yearbook	'The Pillar'
Website	School website

Matawan Regional High School is a four-year public high school located in Aberdeen Township, New Jersey, United States. The school is part of the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District and it is one of Monmouth County's largest schools. It has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools since 1951.^[2] The school mascot is a husky.

As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,111 students and 92 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 12.08.^[1]

The school was the 126th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 111th in 2008 out of 316 schools.^[3] The school was ranked 115th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.^[4]

History

When the State of New Jersey mandated graded school systems replace district schools in 1894, Matawan Township and Matawan Borough constructed an eight-room brick school building at the corner of Broad Street and South Street, which was completed and occupied in 1895.^[5]

A 1913 graduate described the school as having four rooms on the first floor, and four rooms and a long, wide hall on the second floor. There was no indoor plumbing until a major addition was made to the building about 1910, so outdoor toilets were used for about fifteen years. Sanitary facilities were added in the basement. The Class of 1913 consisted of 34 eighth graders, most of whom were expected to go to work after they finished school.^[6]

By 1923, the school was so overcrowded that it was running double sessions to teach its students in 12 rooms, so the township voted to build a new high school next door.^[5]

The first Matawan High School was completed and occupied in 1924 on 8 acres (32,000 m²) at the corner of Broad Street and South Street. The 2 ¹⁄₂-story brick building of Georgian design was constructed at a cost of $175,000. It contained 13 classrooms, a study hall, a cafeteria, an auditorium seating 527, and a gymnasium with capacity for 300. The school had 388 students and 14 teachers in 1936; 76 seniors graduated with the Class of 1936. The school had recently taken in students from Laurence Harbor, New Jersey, effectively doubling the graduating class between 1933 and 1936.^[5] The school, which included some middle school students in 1957, had 540 high school students and their 28 teachers.^[7] After it was replaced in 1962, consideration was given to making the old high school an elementary school ^[8] but it was eventually demolished.

A hallway at Matawan Regional High School

Matawan Regional High School was built in 1962 to deal with sharp population growth due to the construction of 2,300 new housing units in the area. Population nearly doubled between the 1960 census figure of 12,456 and the 1965 estimate of 21,177. The school had 1,780 students and 102 teachers in the 1964/1965 school year. The 62 rooms included 33 classrooms, 2 gymnasiums, an auditorium, a cafeteria, 2 music rooms, 2 industrial arts shops, 8 science rooms, and 2 fine arts rooms.^[8]

The school recently underwent major renovations including a new facade, new chemistry and oceanography laboratory classrooms, a new art wing, including a kiln, computer labs, as well as a new greenhouse.^[9] The sports department received a renovated artificial turf football field and stadium lighting. Streetside saw a new electronic sign.

Sports

The Matawan High School Huskies compete in the Shore Conference, an athletic conference made up of private and public high schools centered at the Northern Jersey Shore.^[10] All schools in this conference are located within Monmouth County and Ocean County. The league operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).^[11]

The Matawan High School baseball team (63-2) won the Central New Jersey Championship three consecutive years from 1922 to 1924 under Coach Benjamin W. Davis. Matawan's African-American pitcher Henry Schanck was edged out by Keyport High School in a 16-inning match in 1924. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) added a sports field at the high school in 1936.^[5]

The Matawan Catfish swim team competed against the Laurence Harbor Eels at nearby Lake Lefferts in the spring of 1936.^[5]

In 1958, the Matawan High School Huskies football squad, led by Coach Barry Rizzo, won the Shore Conference Championship, losing only to Neptune. More importantly, they defeated their hated rivals, the Keyport High Red Raiders in a hard fought Thanksgiving Day game, 6-2. Notable players on that Huskies team were their "Touchdown Twins", David Jones and Purvis Peeler.

The 1959 Huskies baseball team, coached by George Dietz, won the Shore Conference Championship and competed in the Group 1 State Championships, losing in the first round. Their star pitcher, Carl Stephens, threw three no hitters that season and was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers, playing in their minor league system until an arm injury ended his career.

In 2009, the football team won the Central Jersey Group II sectional title by a score of 28-12 against Manasquan High School in a game played at The College of New Jersey, marking the program's first sectional title since 1992.^[12]

In 2009, the boys indoor and outdoor Track and Field teams took the Central Jersey Group II titles, marking the first time since 1996 since the boys team took the outdoor title, and the first time the indoor team had ever taken a state title.^[13] The indoor team won a second consecutive title in 2010, defeating second place Summit Senior High School by 56-42.^[14] In 2011, the outdoor track and field team won its third consecutive Central Jersey, Group II sectional title, edging Long Branch High School 80-77 for the victory.^[15]

Music

Music has deep roots at Matawan. In 1895, the New York Press ran a statewide competition to determine the most popular new school in the budding New Jersey school system. Matawan returned the most coupons, defeating its nearest competitor by 40,000 votes, thereby winning a Chickering and Sons piano.^[5]

Marching Band

Matawan is also well known for its marching band. The Matawan Marching Huskies band won the national championships in Jacksonville, Florida in 1977 with Anthony DeVizia as drum major. They are currently led by band director Chris Hensel with drum majors Uzo Amuzie and Michaela Marte.

In the 2011 season, the Marching Huskies reached new heights of success, claiming 1st in the Tournament of Bands (TOB) Group II Chapter X Championships with a score of 93.0. The chapter title was the first for the band since 2006. They ended the season with a 3rd place finish at the TOB Atlantic Coast Championships in Hershey, PA with a score of 95.5, earning the Marching Huskies not only their highest ever placement at the ACCs, but their highest ever score in school history to date.

Administration

Core members of the school's administration are:^[16]

• Principal - Michele Ruscavage
• Assistant Principals - Frank J. Liotti, Patricia Phillips and Debra Scesney

Notable alumni

• Jay Bellamy (born 1972), NFL safety.^[17]
• Michael Davino, pro baseball player 89-92 Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers- graduated class of 86' ^[18]
• Mark D. Hellenack, 2004 NJ Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame inductee^[19] (part of US Lacrosse)
• Jim Jeffcoat (born 1961), professional football player for the Dallas Cowboys and the Buffalo Bills from 1983 to 1997.^[20]
• Charlie Rogers (born 1976), NFL running back and wide receiver ^[21]
• J. Michael Straczynski (born 1954), writer for television, film and comics, attended 1970.^[22]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Matawan Regional High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed June 12, 2011.
2. ^ Matawan Regional High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools. Accessed June 12, 2011.
3. ^ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed April 5, 2011.
4. ^ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Federal Writers' Projects: Matawan, 1686–1936, pp 70-71.
6. ^ Donnell, Genevieve, When American Legion Hall Served as School, Bayshore Independent, 13 March 1973, contained in booklet entitled Matawan Memories.
7. ^ Tiemann, Alice M., Township of Matawan, 1857–1957, pg 35
8. ^ ^{a b} League of Women Voters, Know Your Town: Matawan Borough and Township, 1965, pp 40-46
9. ^ Schooldesigns.com provides a description of the renovation project and concept drawings. [1]
10. ^ School Info, Shore Conference. Accessed March 9, 2008.
11. ^ League Memberships – 2011-2012, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 4, 2011.
12. ^ Rappeleye, Warren. "Huskies savor victory, look to 2010 season", Holmdel Independent, December 10, 2009. Accessed July 7, 2011. "No sooner had the Matawan High School football team completed its victory over Manasquan in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II championship on Friday when talk began about a repeat in 2010.... Coach Joe Martucci's team deserves to savor the school's first sectional title in football since 1992.... Matawan won a 28-12 decision in the game played at The College of New Jersey. The victory capped an outstanding 10-1 season for Martucci's team, which also brought home the Shore Conference's Liberty Division crown."
13. ^ Morris, Tim. "Matawan wins CJ II indoor track crown", Independent, February 12, 2009. Accessed July 7, 2011. "Whether it was sprinting, running distance, throwing or soaring vertically, the Huskies scored points in all areas to capture the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II State Sectional Indoor Track and Field Championship. The Huskies beat another Shore Conference team, Monmouth Regional, for the title, 59-43."
14. ^ Lambert, Jim. "NJ Boys Winter Track: Matawan edges Summit for Central 2 title", The Star-Ledger, February 14, 2010. Accessed July 7, 2011. "Summit, which received a remarkable performance from Mark Jones, left the meet in frustration, while Dylan Spadaccini of Matawan earned redemption at the NJSIAA/Star-Ledger Central Jersey, Group 2 Championships at the Bennett Center yesterday in Toms River.... Summit finished second to Matawan, 56-42, as Matawan won its second straight sectional title."
15. ^ Staff. "Matawan edges Long Branch to win CJ II track championship", Independent, June 2, 2011. Accessed July 7, 2011. "Matawan High School’s boys track and field team captured its third straight NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II sectional title on Saturday. The win didn’t come easy as the Huskies had to overcome a Long Branch team that was led by triple winner Miles Shuler-Foster. Matawan beat Long Branch by three points, 80-77."
16. ^ Administration, Matawan Regional High School. Accessed April 5, 2011.
17. ^ Jay Bellamy, database Football. Accessed June 21, 2008.
18. ^ Michael Davino. Baseball Cube. Accessed June 21, 2008.
19. ^ 2004 Inductees
20. ^ Jim Jeffcoat, database Football. Accessed November 27, 2007.
21. ^ Charlie Rogers, database Football. Accessed March 26, 2010.
22. ^ Plume, Kenneth. "Interview with J. Michael Straczynski", IGN, September 5, 2000. Accessed September 15, 2007. "No. I attended four different high schools: St. Benedict's High School in Matawan, New Jersey, Matawan Public School, Lennox High School in Lennox, California, and Chula Vista High School in Chula Vista, California."

External links

• Matawan Regional High School website
• Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District
• Matawan Regional High School's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District, National Center for Education Statistics
• DigitalSports Matawan Homepage
• Matawan Football Alumni Foundation
• Huskies Sports Online
• Huskies football statistics

Coordinates: 40°24′33″N 74°13′27″W / 40.409064°N 74.224036°W / 40.409064; -74.224036