Whitehall High School (Pennsylvania)
Whitehall High School is a public high school, based in Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley region, in the United States. It is the only high school in the Whitehall-Coplay School District. As of the 2006-2007 academic school year, 1,393 students attend the school.
Whitehall High School | |
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Location | |
3800 Mechanicsville Road Whitehall, PA 18052 United States | |
Information | |
Type | Public high school |
School district | Whitehall-Coplay School District |
Principal | Nathan Davidson |
Teaching staff | 88.53[1] |
Grades | 9 - 12 |
Enrollment | 1,490 (2018-19)[1] |
Student to teacher ratio | 16.83[1] |
Color(s) | Maroon Vegas Gold |
Athletics conference | Eastern Pennsylvania Conference |
Team name | Zephyrs |
Website |
Whitehall High School is located at 3800 Mechanicsville Road. The school's mascot is the Zephyr, a train that used to travel through Whitehall Township, and school colors are maroon and vegas gold.
Whitehall's primary athletic rivals are Parkland High School, located in South Whitehall Township, Emmaus High School, located in Emmaus, and Northampton Area High School, located in Northampton.
Academics
In 2007, Whitehall High School earned second place in the Scholastic Scrimmage final.
Arts
Whitehall High School has won several Freddy Awards for their play and musical productions, including:
- In 2016, a Freddy Award for the production of Guys and Dolls: "Outstanding Stage Crew".
- In 2015, Whitehall High School won two awards for their production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying: "Outstanding Use of Scenery" and "Outstanding Stage Crew," both of which are the second consecutive year that Whitehall has won these awards.
- In 2014, Whitehall High School won three Freddy Awards for its production of South Pacific, including "Outstanding Use of Scenery," "Outstanding Stage Crew," and "Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role".
- In 2011, Whitehall High School won one Freddy Award for :Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical" for the production of Li'l Abner.
- In 2007, Whitehall High School won five Freddy Awards, including "Best Overall Production," "Best Actor," "Best Solo Vocal Performance," "Best Costume Design," and "Best Small Ensemble Performance" for the production of The Scarlet Pimpernel.
- In 2006, Whitehall High School won three Freddy Awards, including "Best Actor," "Best Featured Dancer," and "Best Costume Design" for the production of Barnum.
Athletics
Whitehall High School is one of 18 high schools that comprise the East Penn Conference, generally considered one of the highest quality athletic conferences in Pennsylvania. Prior to 2014 the 12 Lehigh Valley schools in this conference were in the Lehigh Valley Conference. Whitehall is in District XI of the PIAA.
Whitehall alumni in the NFL
Whitehall High School has graduated three notable NFL players: Dan Koppen, a former starting offensive center for the New England Patriots, Matt Millen, a former defensive linebacker with three Super Bowl-winning teams, and Saquon Barkley, a running back who was taken 2nd overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Giants, to which he is their current starting running back, and winner of the 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Millen's career as President and General Manager of the Detroit Lions has been a subject of criticism.
Between them, Whitehall alumni have won six Super Bowls, with Koppen winning two with the Patriots and Millen winning two with the Oakland Raiders, one with the San Francisco 49ers and one with the Washington Redskins. Both players' Whitehall jerseys (Koppen's #77 and Millen's #83) have been permanently retired in honor of their football accomplishments.
State and national championships
Whitehall has distinguished itself nationally and in the state of Pennsylvania with the following state and national championships:
- Boys Basketball: 1982 (Pennsylvania state champions).
- Cheerleading: 2001 (National champions).
- Wrestling: 2001 and 2002 (Christian Franco, Pennsylvania state champion at 140 lb. weight class, 2002).
- Indoor Percussion: 2003 Concert Percussion Champions; 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 World Class Champions.
- Marching Zephyr Band: 2006 State and All-State Champions, 2007 State Champions. The Marching Zephyr Band has recently become 2017, 2018, and 2019 Cavalcade of Bands American Open Class Champions.
Conference championships
Whitehall has won many conference championships, including the following sports and years (Eastern Pennsylvania Conference since 2014, Lehigh Valley Conference 2002-2014, Mountain Valley Conference 1997-2002, East Penn Conference 1976-1997, Lehigh Valley League prior to 1976):
- Baseball: 1966, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 2004, 2005 and 2008.
- Boys Basketball: 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004 and 2005.
- Cheerleading: 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 2001.
- Football: 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981 (tri-champions with Dieruff High School and Emmaus High School), 1982, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2005.
- Girls Basketball: 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989 and 2000.
- Girls Softball: 1979, 1988 and 1989.
- Boys Volleyball: 2010.
- Girls Soccer: 2011.
Whitehall holds the record for the most Lehigh Valley Conference championships in boys basketball.[2]
Notable alumni
- Saquon Barkley, professional football player, New York Giants, 2018 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
- Kailyn Lowry, Reality TV star, 16 and pregnant, Teen Mom.
- Brian Knobbs (Brian Yandrisovitz), former professional wrestler
- Dan Koppen, former professional football player, Denver Broncos and New England Patriots and two-time Super Bowl champion
- Peter Lisicky, former college basketball player, Penn State Nittany Lions
- Matt Millen, former professional football player, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins, 4-time Super Bowl champion, former President and General Manarger of Detroit Lions and current broadcaster, ESPN, NFL Network and Big Ten Network
- Jerry Sags (Jerome Saganowich), former professional wrestler
- Dave Schneck, professional baseball player
- Curt Simmons, former professional baseball player, California Angels, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals, 3-time All-Star, 1964 World Series champion
References
- "Whitehall HS". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
- LVIAC Historical Stats.