Rochester Area High School (Pennsylvania)

Infobox_School
name = Rochester Area High School


motto =
established =
type = Public
affiliation =
district = Rochester Area School District
grades = 9–12
president =
principal = Mr. Walt Gaida
superintendent = Dr. C. Dean Galitsis
dean =
faculty =
staff =
students =
enrollment =
athletics = football, men's & women's basketball, baseball, softball, women's tennis, track & field
conference =WPIAL Class A Big Seven/Big Eight (depending on the number of schools in conference)
colors =Navy blue & white
mascot =Rams
free_label =
free_text =
free_label2 =
free_text2 =
location =
information = 724-775-7500
website = [http://www.rasd.org Rochester Area School District]

Rochester Area High School is a secondary education school located in Rochester, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1890, it is one of the oldest high schools in the entire state of Pennsylvania.

Notable Moments

My Fair Lady

The high school is noted for being the first in the United States to show the musical "My Fair Lady" in a high school in 1964. Reportedly, the high school auditorium was standing-room only for the musical's opening night.

Athletics

Rochester is also known for its success in athletics, particularly football. The high school football team won the WPIAL Class A Championship in 1916, 1991, 1992, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2004, and went on to win the PIAA Class A Championship in 1998, 2000, and 2001. The 1998 season is best remembered, as the team finished the season undefeated 15-0.

The football team plays in one of the most notable rivalries in Western Pennsylvania high school football with rival Monaca High School, located in Monaca just across the Ohio River. The two schools play in the annual Battle of the Bridge, in which the winner gets their name listed first on the Rochester-Monaca Bridge for a year. Rochester recently lost against Monaca [ [http://post-gazette.com/pg/07300/829068-365.stm WPIAL Class A Roundup: Monaca spans Rochester in the 'Battle of the Bridge' ] ] , snapping a four-game winning streak in the rivalry. As a result, the bridge will be called the Monaca-Rochester Bridge for at least one year.

The school, whose mascot is the Rams, also share a smaller rivalry with intracounty school South Side Beaver High School, since both schools use the ram as a mascot, known as the "Battle of the Rams". This rivalry is more one-sided, with Rochester usually winning over the consistently weaker South Side team.

The school is also known as the home to Olympic track star Lauryn Williams, who set many school and state records in track.

The school also won the 1983 PIAA Class AA Men's Basketball Championship.

Notable Alumni

*Babe Parilli - 195? graduate, former American Football League player and Arena Football League coach
*Kris Griffin - 1999 graduate, current linebacker of the Cleveland Browns, member of the undefeated 1998 state championship football team.
*Lauryn Williams - 2001 graduate, Olympic silver medalist in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Will likely compete in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

References