St. Joseph High School (Hammonton, New Jersey)

St. Joseph High School is a four-year co-educational Catholic high school located in Hammonton, New Jersey, United States, serving students in grades 9–12, under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden.[5] The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 1990.[3] In 2020, the school has it will be closing permanently because of financial problems made worse by the coronavirus pandemic and the request from the Diocese of Camden. [6]

St. Joseph High School
Address
St. Joseph High School
St. Joseph High School
St. Joseph High School
328 Vine Street

Hammonton
,
NJ
08037

United States
Coordinates39.637115°N 74.800189°W / 39.637115; -74.800189
Information
TypePrivate, Coeducational
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Established1942
School districtDiocese of Camden
PresidentRev. Allain B. Caparas
PrincipalRev. Allain B. Caparas
Vice principalAnne Marie Mercado
Faculty23.9 FTEs[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment371 (as of 2013-14)[1]
Student to teacher ratio15.5:1[1]
Color(s)     Red and
     white[2]
Athletics conferenceCape-Atlantic League
Team nameWildcats[2]
RivalHammonton High School
AccreditationMiddle States Association of Colleges and Schools[3]
NewspaperThe Voice
School fees$475[4]
Tuition$9,400 (2018-19)[4]
Athletic DirectorAnn Marie Mercado
Websitehttp://www.stjoek12.org

After being established in 1935 as a combination preparatory school and seminary in 1935, the high school was opened to all attendees in 1942.[7]

As of the 2013-14 school year, the school had an enrollment of 371 students and 23.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 15.5:1. The school's student body was 81.4% White, 8.6% Black, 5.7% Asian, 2.4% Hispanic, 0.3% American Indian / Alaska Native and 1.6% two or more races.[1]

On April 17, 2020, the Diocese of Camden announced that despite its status as a football powerhouse, St. Joseph was one of five Catholic schools in New Jersey which would close permanently at the end of the school year on June 30, 2020 due to financial problems caused by lack of enrollment in recent years and lack of community fundraising, which the school reliant on less significant diocesan and parish fundraising.[8][9]

Athletics

The St. Joseph High School Wildcats[2] compete in the National Division of the Cape-Atlantic League, an athletic conference consisting of both parochial and private and public high schools located in Atlantic County, Cape May County, Cumberland County, and Gloucester County, that operates under the aegis of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.[10] The football team competes in the Independence Division of the 95-team West Jersey Football League superconference[11] and was classified by the NJSIAA as Non-Public Group II for football for 2017-18.[12]

St. Joseph's football team has won 27 state championships in the playoff era that started in 1974, including in 1977, 1983, 1985, 1989–93, 1996–97, 1999-2006, 2009-15 and 2017.[13][14] The team won its seventh consecutive sectional title in 2015 with a 19-6 win against Hudson Catholic Regional High School in the Non-Public Group II playoff championship game.[15] In 2017, the team finished the season with a 12-0 record and won the Non-Public Group II state championship with a 30-14 win against third-seeded Mater Dei High School in the tournament final; the victory was the program's eighth in nine seasons, the only exception being in 2016, when Mater Dei won its first state championship with a 26-0 win against St. Joseph.[16][17]

The field hockey team has been the second most successful team in school history. Under Coach John DeMarco, [18], the team has won the Cape Atlantic League title for over 16 years, while also winning 5 South Jersey Non-Public state titles, and also making a state championship appearance 3 times. In 2013, the team had a string of victories including beating both state powerhouses including Camden Catholic High School [19] and Bishop Eustace Prep.

The wrestling team won the Non-Public, South B sectional title in 2006 with a 45-31 win over Sacred Heart High School in the tournament final.[20]

The softball team won the 2007 Non-Public South B state sectional championship with a string of shutout victories over Timothy Christian School (15-0) in the first round, St. Rose High School (6-0) n the semifinals and Gloucester Catholic High School (2-0) in the tournament final.[21]

The boys' track team won the South Jersey Non-Public B sectional title in 2011 for the first time in school history, edging the Pingry School by a single point after winning the 4x400-meter relay, the final event held at the meet.[22] One week later, the boys won the state championship for the first time ever at South Plainfield High School.[23]

In 2014 both the varsity baseball and softball teams won the South Jersey Non-Public B title.

Teacher controversy

In June 2005, religion teacher and athletics coach Michael McColgan was arrested on charges brought against him in relation to child pornography traced back to his online account. Upon searching his home, authorities discovered dozens more images on his personal computer and also copied onto disk.[24] McColgan pleaded guilty and was sentenced in a federal court in May 2006 to 48 months in prison for possession of child pornography.[25]

Notable alumni

References
  1. School data for St Joseph High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed August 15, 2017.
  2. Saint Joseph High Hammonton, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 8, 2016.
  3. Saint Joseph High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools. Accessed November 7, 2017.
  4. Tuition and Fees, Saint Joseph High School. Accessed November 7, 2017.
  5. Catholic Schools Directory, Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden. Accessed October 20, 2016.
  6. " Schools Closing", NJ. Accessed August 13, 2020.
  7. Our History, Saint Joseph High School. Accessed September 10, 2012. "Saint Joseph High School came into being in September of 1935 when the Pallottine Fathers opened a Prep-Seminary in Hammonton. The first Freshman Class consisted of five boys-Joseph Mungari, Guido Carcich, Vincent Campi, Raymond Fiume and Louis Del Vecchio-all of whom were ordained priests. The high school served seminarians exclusively until 1942 when the Prep-Seminary was transferred to Sag Harbor, Long Island."
  8. "Five Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Camden to close at end of school year". Diocese of Camden. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  9. Yates, Riley (17 April 2020). "5 N.J. Catholic schools to close, including South Jersey football powerhouse". NJ.com. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  10. League & Conference Affiliations 2016-2017, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 10, 2017.
  11. Divisions, West Jersey Football League. Accessed September 25, 2017.
  12. NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2017-2018, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, finalized August 2, 2017. Accessed September 25, 2017.
  13. Goldberg, Jeff. NJSIAA Football Playoff Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 10, 2011.
  14. Friedman, Josh. "Championship preview: St. Joseph faces Mater Dei in Non-Public 2 final", Courier-Post, November 30, 2017. Accessed December 7, 2017. "Sectional titles: St. Joseph 25 (1977, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015); Mater Dei 1 (2016)"
  15. Zedalis, Joe. "St. Joseph (Hamm.) wins 7th straight sectional title; tops Hudson Cath. in NP2 final", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 6, 2015. Accessed December 7, 2017. "St. Joseph (10-2) played solid defense from start to finish then used its powerhouse, off-tackle, downhill running game to wear down Hudson Catholic and the Wildcats won their seventh straight sectional title with a 19-6 victory in the NJSIAA/Sports Care Institute Non-Public Group 2 championship."
  16. Evans, Bill. "Townsel, Byers rush for 431 yards as St. Joseph (Hamm.) finishes 12-0", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 3, 2017. Accessed December 7, 2017. "After a 26-0 loss to Mater Dei in last year's Non-Public Group 2 championship ended a 7-year run of state championships, the St. Joseph (Hamm.) football team bounced back in a big way.The Wildcats capped a 12-0 season by avenging the defeat to Mater Dei a year ago with a 30-14 win on Sunday. St. Joseph (Hamm.) avenged all four losses from last season as it also defeated Holy Spirit, Cedar Creek and St. Augustine."
  17. "Football - 2017 NJSIAA Non-Public, Group 2 Playoffs", NJ.com. Accessed December 7, 2017.
  18. "Coach John DeMarco", The Press of Atlantic City. Accessed August 13, 2020.
  19. Camden Catholic High School, The Philadelphia Inquirer. Accessed August 13, 2020.
  20. 2006 Team Wrestling - Non-Public, South B, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 17, 2007.
  21. 2007 Softball - South B, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 12, 2007.
  22. McGarry, Michael. "Bridgeton, St. Joseph win South Jersey track and field team championships at Buena Regional", The Press of Atlantic City, May 29, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2011. "While Bridgeton has a strong tradition, the St. Joseph boys are just building one.The Hammonton school won its first South Jersey title, edging second-place Pingry 102-101. The Wildcats clinched the championship by winning the meet's last event - the 4x400-meter relay."
  23. Iezzi, Bill. "Timber Creek, Haddonfield, and St. Joseph of Hammonton win state boys' track titles", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 5, 2011. Accessed June 5, 2011. "Timber Creek won its fourth consecutive Group 3 crown, Haddonfield defended its Group 2 title, and St. Joseph of Hammonton won its first team championship.... Carl Watson was the key to St. Joseph's winning its first state team title. The junior won the 100, 200, and 400, and anchored the victorious 4x400 relay."
  24. "Catholic Religion Teacher Accused Of Possessing Child Pornography", WCAU, June 8, 2005, backed up by the Internet Archive as of September 22, 2007. Accessed March 10, 2011.
  25. "Former High School Teacher Sentenced to 48 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography", The United States Attorney's Office: District of New Jersey press release dated May 12, 2006. Accessed March 10, 2011.
  26. Tyler Bellamy, St. Bonaventure University. Accessed September 27, 2017. "Scored 68 goals over his high school career, including 21 tallies in his senior season ... St. Joseph's second all-time leading scorer"
  27. Dave Calloway, Monmouth Hawks men's basketball. Accessed July 3, 2019. "Calloway was one of Szoke's prize recruits as a sharpshooting guard from St. Joseph's High School."
  28. "Kellyanne Conway, St. Joe's graduate, takes over Donald Trump's campaign", The Press of Atlantic City, August 17, 2016. Accessed November 9, 2016. "Conway was born Kellyanne Elizabeth Fitzpatrick and was raised in the Hammonton area. She graduated from St. Joseph's High School in 1985 and serves on the school's board of trustees."
  29. Weinberg, David. "St. Joseph grad Gordon Hill signs with Chargers", The Press of Atlantic City, May 3, 2015. Accessed September 27, 2017. "Gordon Hill and Max Valles grew up together in Winslow Township and were teammates at St. Joseph High School in Hammonton."
  30. Weinberg, David. "St. Joseph grad Max Valles is NFL's youngest draft prospect", The Press of Atlantic City, April 25, 2015. Accessed September 27, 2017. "Max Valles plans to watch the NFL draft next week with friends and family from his home in the Sicklerville section of Winslow Township. When the 2012 St. Joseph High School graduate does get picked - the outside linebacker/defensive end is projected to be selected in the middle rounds - his celebration will be subdued."
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