DeMatha Catholic High School

DeMatha Catholic High School
Gentlemen & Scholars
Address
4313 Madison Street Hyattsville, Maryland, (Prince George's County), 20781  United States
Coordinates	38°57′29″N 76°56′32″W / 38.95806°N 76.94222°W / 38.95806; -76.94222Coordinates: 38°57′29″N 76°56′32″W / 38.95806°N 76.94222°W / 38.95806; -76.94222
Information
Type	Private, All Boys
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic
Established	1946
Rector	Fr. Thomas J. Burke, O.SS.T., S.T.D.
Principal	Daniel McMahon, Ph.D.
Asst. Principal	Thomas Burke, William Clark
Faculty	85
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	approx 1,000 (2008)
Average class size	22
Student:teacher ratio	12:1
Color(s)	Red, and Blue
Athletics	13 Varsity Teams
Athletics conference	Washington Catholic Athletic Conference
Mascot	stag
Team name	Stags
Accreditation(s)	Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools[1]
Average SAT scores	539 verbal 551 math 525 writing
Dean of Students	David Gardiner
Admissions Directors	Michael Jones, Patrick Smith
Athletic Director	Ed King
Director of Development	Thomas Ponton
Website	http://www.dematha.com

DeMatha Catholic High School is a four-year Catholic high school for young men located in Hyattsville, Maryland, USA. DeMatha is known for academic achievement, music, arts, service and athletics. DeMatha is a member of the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, and is under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.

History

DeMatha was founded by the Order of the Most Holy Trinity, or Trinitarians, in 1946. Originally, the school was designed to cater to the needs of Catholic seminarians from the Trinitarian order. Many local families, however, desired a Catholic secondary school for their children, and DeMatha's location in the Maryland suburbs of Washington proved ideal for this goal. As a result, the school began admitting more students, and expanded its academic and athletic programs while constructing the "old wing," or original school structure.

In addition to the original building, the school erected a state-of-the-art second wing, completed in 1990. The former band practice facility, known as "Fort Necessity," burned down in the 1970s. This building was refurbished and became the Anthony Fotos Arts Center, named for a beloved teacher of mechanical drawing and other architectural and engineering courses and a 30-year veteran of the school.

In 2001, the school purchased two acres adjacent to the original campus along Route 1, or Baltimore Avenue, in downtown Hyattsville. The additional property is now a Gateway on Route 1 and three parking lots. In 2009, the McCarthy Activity Center became the home of DeMatha's famed Music Department, and in early 2010, a new Convocation Center will open on Madison Street.

Athletic legacy

DeMatha's athletic teams, the Stags, have received national recognition for achievement in a variety of sports, from golf and baseball to basketball and football. The Stags first gained national recognition in 1962 with their initial national championship in basketball with a fabulous five led by John Austin and Johnny Jones, Gary Ward, John Carroll,"Big" Bill McDermott, coached by Morgan Wootten. In 1965, the DeMatha basketball team defeated Power Memorial High School of New York, with then Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar), for its second national championship in a game called "The Greatest High School Basketball Game Ever".

Sports Illustrated recognized DeMatha as the #2 high school athletic program in the United States in 2005, and again in 2007. In 2009, it was named the top athletic program in Maryland.

DeMatha's basketball program has produced many championships in the school's Washington Catholic Athletic Conference league, and the team often wins the City Title game against opposing schools from the District of Columbia. In addition, DeMatha's former head basketball coach, Morgan Wootten, earned a spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame for his achievements as the Stags' coach. In 2005, DeMatha's Varsity Basketball team finished with the #1 ranking in the Washington Post, and finished as the third-best high school squad in the country, according to USA Today.

The DeMatha varsity football team won the 2008 WCAC championship for the sixth consecutive year and finished ranked #1 in the DC area by the Washington Post. In 2004, Bill McGregor was named "High School Coach of the Year" by the NFL. He was nominated by his former player, Brian Westbrook '97 of the Philadelphia Eagles.

In addition to football and basketball success, the DeMatha soccer and wrestling programs have also enjoyed critical acclaim. The varsity soccer team have won several WCAC championships and recently had their 67-game undefeated streak broken. The DeMatha wrestling team is known as a national powerhouse, with 23 consecutive WCAC championships. DeMatha has produced several All-American wrestlers.

DeMatha also fields very competitive teams, each with a number of conference titles, in other sports, such as swimming, tennis, hockey, golf, lacrosse, cross country, rowing (crew), rugby, and track. The lacrosse team have won several championships in an area known for an abundance of talent in the sport, particularly at schools such as the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University, both of which have recruited DeMatha lacrosse players in the past.

DeMatha's athletic championships

Academics

In addition to these athletic achievements, DeMatha's academic record ranks highly among all-male Catholic high schools. The school offers a variety of honors and Advanced Placement courses, as well as various academic clubs and societies. Also offered are opportunities for study abroad and service within local Maryland communities, in keeping with Trinitarian tradition. The school emphasizes the importance of being both "a gentleman and a scholar".

The U.S. Department of Education recognized the school as a National School of Excellence twice, in 1984 and 1991. In DeMatha's 63-year history, the school has graduated over 8,000 young men. The school supports the Valois chapter of the National Honor Society, with a large percentage of upperclassmen participating in the group. The DeMatha chapter assists with food drives, fundraisers, and cleaning efforts of local parks, including the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C.

DeMatha fields competitive scholastic competition teams. For example, DeMatha routinely appears on It's Academic, the Washington-based television quiz show. DeMatha has emerged victorious several times during their television appearances. Outside of the DC area, DeMatha won the Myrtle Beach Ball Classic competition in 1998, and has also finished as champions or semi-finalists in many local quiz bowl competitions.

DeMatha routinely fields a strong Mock Trial team. Consisting of academically talented students, and coached by faculty and alumni mentors, the team has enjoyed great success and exposure over the years, being featured in publications such as the "Catholic Standard" and arguing before the Maryland Court of Appeals. The team regularly makes a showing in Maryland state semifinals, winning the statewide Maryland championship in 2001.

While DeMatha continues its tradition of all-male secondary education, when Regina Catholic High School, an all-girls school in Adelphi, Maryland, closed in 1989, DeMatha welcomed 21 members of the junior class who expressed a desire to finish their last high school year at DeMatha. Therefore, the class of 1990 contains the only female graduates in school history.

Music program

DeMatha's music program was founded in 1970 by John Mitchell. The school's Wind Ensemble was named the top Catholic High School Band in 18 of 20 years by the National Catholic Bandmaster's Association. In addition, DeMatha performing groups have received 50 gold medals at international festivals in Chicago, Toronto, Orlando, Atlanta, Nashville, Myrtle Beach, Virginia Beach, and Daytona Beach. Each year, the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Concert Band II, the Voices of DeMatha, DeMatha Harmonics and the DeMatha Singers perform at a major music festival. The bands and choruses have received consistent superior ratings for the past 25 years at District, Archdiocesan, and State Band festivals. In 2007, the DeMatha Choruses, under the direction of Jim Turk, won Grand Champion in the 2007 Atlanta Festi-val. In 2008, the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band combined to give DeMatha the Instrumental Grand Championship and the Voices of DeMatha and DeMatha Harmonics earned the Choral Grand Championship in competition. Over 500 students have been chosen to perform in All-State bands since 1974.

DeMatha's music programs feature both academic and extracurricular performing groups including the Pep Band, Jazz Lab, Jazz Ensemble, Advanced Percussion Ensemble, Intermediate Percussion Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, String Ensemble, Chamber Strings, Concert Band II, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Ensemble. In addition, the school maintains a choral program focusing on performance music, which includes the DeMatha Singers, the DeMatha Harmonics, the Voices of DeMatha, and Power of the Cross (Gospel Choir). Many graduates continue to perform with major symphony orchestras and Washington, DC-based service bands.

Notable alumni

1960s

• Stephen Greene, 1961, former Acting Chief for the United States Drug Enforcement Administration
• Michael Mewshaw, 1961, critically acclaimed author
• John Austin, 1962, former NBA and American Basketball Association player
• John Jones, 1962, former NBA player
• Bernard Williams, 1965, former NBA player, former ABA player
• Ernie Austin; Bob Whitmore; Sidney Catlett; Mickey Wiles; Bernard Williams, 1965, the "Fabulous Five" who defeated Lew Alcindor's unbeaten Power Memorial at Cole Field House.
• Bill Collins, 1968, telecommunications executive
• James Brown, 1969, sportscaster for CBS Sports
• Billy Hite, 1969, Assistant Football Coach, Virginia Tech

1970s

• Adrian Dantley, 1974, former All-Star with the Utah Jazz during 15-year NBA career, member of 1976 gold medal-winning United States Olympics team, inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.
• Kenny Carr, 1974, former NBA player, member of 1976 gold medal-winning United States Olympics team
• Peter Bay, 1974, conductor/music director of the Austin Symphony Orchestra
• Steve Farr, 1974, former Major League Baseball pitcher 1984-1994
• Mike Brey, 1977, current men's head basketball coach at University of Notre Dame
• Jeff Hathaway, 1977, Athletic Director at University of Connecticut
• Sidney Lowe, 1979, point guard on 1983 NCAA Champion NC State Wolfpack, former NBA player and coach, current men's head basketball coach at North Carolina State University
• Dereck Whittenburg, 1979, shooting guard on of 1983 NCAA Champion NC State Wolfpack, current men's head basketball coach at Fordham University

1980s

• Ron Everhart, 1980, head basketball coach at Duquesne University
• Mike Johnson, 1980, former NFL player
• Tony Paige, 1980, former NFL player
• Jim Nelson, 1981, Editor in Chief, GQ
• Adrian Branch, 1981, former NBA player
• Terence "Terry" Jackson, 1981, former NFL player
• David Aldridge, 1983, NBA reporter affiliated with television's TNT, writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer
• JB Brown, 1985, former NFL player
• Danny Ferry, 1985, former NBA player with the Cleveland Cavaliers and NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs
• Mark Maske, 1986, writer for The Washington Post, reporter for the NFL
• Major Mark Smith, 1987, former pilot for the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, White House Fellow
• Jason Bishop, 1988, Sports Junkies radio personality
• Eric Bickel, 1988, Sports Junkies radio personality
• Steve Hood, 1986, former professional basketball player overseas

1990s

• Heath Schroyer, 1990, head basketball coach at University of Wyoming
• Derek Mills, 1990, Olympic Gold Medalist, Track and Field
• Coy Gibbs^[2], 1991, former NASCAR driver and assistant coach for the Washington Redskins; son of former Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs
• Brian Westbrook, 1997, running back for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles since 2002
• John Owens, 1998, tight end for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks
• Keith Bogans, 1999, current NBA player with the Milwaukee Bucks
• Joseph Forte, 1999, Former University of North Carolina basketball player

2000s

• Cameron Derek Wake, 2000, NFL Player with the Miami Dolphins. Two time CFL Defensive Player of the Year.
• Byron Westbrook, 2002, defensive back for the NFL's Washington Redskins
• Brett Cecil, 2004, Current MLB pitcher with the Toronto Blue Jays

Notable faculty and staff

• Morgan Wootten,^[3] History, Former Varsity Basketball Coach, inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame
• Lou Amico
• John L. Moylan
• Ray Smith
• Dr. Charles Buck Offutt
• Tony Fotos
• Dr. Daniel McMahon
• Vaughn Holsey
• Rick Reeves
• John L. Mitchell
• Richard Macheski
• Douglas Tschiffely
• Joe Carroll
• Neal R. Murphy

References

External links

• DeMatha Catholic High School official website
• Trinitarian Order official website
• Sports Illustrated Names DeMatha #2 High School Athletic Program 05/11/2005
• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame entry for Morgan Wootten
• Sports Illustrated Names DeMatha #2 High School Athletic Program 06/19/2007