Damascus High School

Damascus High School
Established	1950
Type	Public Secondary
Principal	Mr. Robert Domergue
Students	1461 (2008)
Grades	9–12
Location	25921 Ridge Road, Damascus, Maryland, USA
Coordinates	39°16′56″N 77°12′38″W / 39.28222°N 77.21056°W / 39.28222; -77.21056Coordinates: 39°16′56″N 77°12′38″W / 39.28222°N 77.21056°W / 39.28222; -77.21056
District	Montgomery County Public Schools
Campus	Suburban
Colors	Green, White, and Gold
Mascot	Swarmin' Hornets
Newspaper	The Buzz
Website	http://www.damascushs.org

Damascus High School is a high school located at 25921 Ridge Road in Damascus, an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland.

The school principal is Mr. Robert Domergue and assistant principals are Ms. Karen Rose, Dr. Andrei Ghelman, and Dr. Gregory Pleasant.

Its feeder schools are John T. Baker Middle School and Rocky Hill Middle School.

Damascus High School was built in 1950 (26,600 square feet) with major additions added in 1951 (11,790 square feet), 1958 (21,339 square feet), 1963 (33,852 square feet), 1964 (30,297 square feet), 1971 (2,126 square feet), 1975 (40,017 square feet), 1977 (35,700 square feet) 1993 (32,892 square feet) and 2004 (1,373 square feet addition and 2,025 square feet (188.1 m²) of renovation of the original 1950 building). The building now totals 235,986 square feet (21,923.8 m²).

Traditions

Press Box

Every year in early or mid-August before the school year begins, members of the DHS senior class will gather for the annual Press Box Painting. The senior class constructs some form of slogan or saying which will rhyme with the senior class's year of graduation.

Past sayings have been "Proud to Bee 2003", "Forever More, 2004", "Outta the Hive, 2005", "The Best Class to Hit D-Mass, 2006", "Ready N Revin, 2007", "Dominate, 2008", "We Define 2009", and "Perfect10n".

During the 2005-2006 school year, the school added a second story to its Press Box, and the DHS class of 2007 was the first class to paint the new Press Box addition.

Currently the message on the Press Box reads "It Feels So Nice To Bee Number 1 Twice".

On-Site Graduation

Every year for several decades now, Damascus graduations have been held on campus either on the football field (weather permitting) or indoors in the auditorium or gym. This is a time honored tradition that has proven itself overwhelmingly popular with students and families, and was favored by over an 80% majority of families in the Class of 2011. The tradition keeps the ceremony at a location with great sentimental meaning to many students, and keeps travel time low for their families.

Homecoming

Damascus High School is very school spirited during Homecoming Week. Every day of Homecoming Week consists of a different theme, in which each grade level is assigned a different topic under that theme. For example, on color day, the senior class usually picks red, the junior class would select blue, the sophomore class assigned white and the freshman class wears purple.

On the night of the Homecoming football game, about an hour before the game begins, there is a parade starting from the end of Bethesda Church Road, and ending in the DHS parking lot. The parade consists of the Damascus High School Hornet Marching Band, the cheerleading and pom squad, members of the DHS Homecoming Court, and each grade level's Homecoming float.

During halftime of the football game, the winning grade levels of Homecoming Week are announced, and the Homecoming Court is also announced, with the members walking across the middle of the football field between the members of the DHS Marching Band.

Athletics

Damascus High School has a strong history in athletics, and is regarded as having one of the top athletic programs in the D.C. Metro area. Some notable achievements include:

• Football- 7 state championships (1981, 1992, 1993, 1996, 2003, 2005, 2007), 3 finalists (1989, 1990, 2004)
• Maryland Poms State Champions (2003)
• Boys Cross Country- 3 state championships (1961, 1965, 2009), 3 second place finishes (1960, 1995, 1996)
• Girls Cross Country- 1 state championship (1994), 1 second place finish (1995)
• Golf- 1 state championship (1993), 2 second place finishes (1990, 1991)
• Volleyball- 2 finalists (1978, 2006)
• Wrestling (Tournament)- 3 state championships (1994, 1996, 1999), 2 second place finishes (1995, 2000)
• Wrestling (Dual)- 2 state championships (1995, 1999), 3 finalists (1994, 2006, 2007)
• Boys Basketball- 1 state championship (1949)
• Boys Indoor Track- 1 second place finish (1990)and Wil Zahorodny ran the fastest 500 m in the U.S in 2008(boys regional champs 2009), state champions 2009
• Girls Indoor Track- 1 state championship (1997)(girls regional champs 2009), 2nd place state championship by 1 point
• Baseball- 2 state championships (1998, 2000), 1 finalists (1978)
• Softball- 3 state championships (1987, 1992, 1994), 6 finalists (1982, 1991, 1993, 2000, 2005, 2007)
• Boys Track and Field- 1 finalist (1959)
• Girls Track and Field - 2 finalists (1979, 1997)

Since 1990, Damascus teams have won a total of 19 state championships, more than almost any other school in the state.

Rivalries

Damascus High School's most heated rivalries (stemming primarily from football) are with Seneca Valley High School of Germantown, Quince Orchard High School of Gaithersburg, Sherwood High School of Sandy Spring, and Clarksburg High School of Clarksburg. Other rivals in years past were Northwest High School of Germantown and Linganore High School of Bartonsville.

Notable alumni

• Christian M. M. Brady, Class of 1986, Dean of the Schreyer Honors College, Penn State University.
• Brian Stelter, Class of 2003, media reporter for the New York Times.

• Kevin Thompson (football), played in the NFL for Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, and New York Giants, played in college for Penn State University.

• Casandra Tressler, Class of 2003, Miss Maryland USA 2008.

External links

• Damascus High School