Loyola Blakefield
Encyclopedia
Loyola Blakefield is a Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

, college preparatory school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...

 established by the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...

, to educate men for others. The ideal Loyola graduate is a man of integrity who, because he strives "to find God in all things," is open to growth, dedicated to academic excellence, religious, committed to diversity, and loving. Loyola Blakefield is located in Towson
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...

, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

.

Students from Baltimore County
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...

, Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

, Harford County
Harford County, Maryland
Harford County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 244,826. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.-History:...

, Carroll County
Carroll County, Maryland
Carroll County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 167,134. It was named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton , signer of the American Declaration of Independence. Its county seat is Westminster....

, Howard County
Howard County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.2% White*17.5% Black*0.3% Native American*14.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*2.0% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

, Anne Arundel County
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state...

 and Southern Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

 attend the school.

History

In 1851, Archbishop Francis Kenrick
Francis Kenrick
Francis Patrick Kenrick was an Irish-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the third Bishop of Philadelphia and the sixth Archbishop of Baltimore .-Early life and education:...

 asked the Jesuits to oversee the formation of a school for laymen that would incorporate the Jesuit standards of excellence and build new men conscious of a religious purpose. His request was prompted by the 1852 closure of nearby St. Mary's College. The construction of Loyola High School began on Charles Street in Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

 in early 1852, and on September 15, 1852, the doors opened to young men.

In the early 1930s the growing and cramped high school began to look toward moving north of the city. In 1933, with the support of the Blake family, Loyola purchased the land known today as Blakefield in Towson, Maryland
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...

. In 1941, the students moved to the new campus. Between 1981 and 1988, a Middle School was gradually introduced, and in recognition of the two levels of education, Loyola High School officially became known as Loyola Blakefield.

Loyola Blakefield has seen many changes and enhancements these past few years, some of them striking, such as the construction of Knott Hall which houses the student commons and dining hall, athletic center, and alumni areas, the Burk Hall academic wing, the renovations to the 60-year-old science laboratories, and the construction of an additional section to Wheeler Hall.

The mission and philosophy remain the hallmarks of the Jesuit education at Blakefield, the benchmarks by which true educational success can be measured. There are over nine hundred students today at Loyola Blakefield in grades six through twelve.

Academics

Loyola Blakefield maintains a strong academic program, in keeping with Jesuit tradition. Among the Catholic schools in Baltimore it is the best in terms of its average graduating SAT scores, number of National Merit Finalists, AP exams taken, and other standard metrics of success. Loyola students frequently attend the nation's leading universities and undergraduate scholarship programs. Members of its alumni community have gone on to earn additional academic honors such as the Rhodes Scholarship.

While the curriculum, emphasizing liberal arts and holistic development, is standard for all students there is increasing flexibility in course selection as one moves from the sixth through the twelfth grades. Some extremely popular electives include Visual Arts, Classical Languages, History of Music, and a wide variety of AP courses.

The Loyola Forensics team is a standout club and team at the school. The team, which was led by English instructor Tom Durkin and is currently led by Science teacher Charles Donovan, was the champion of the National Catholic Forensic League
National Catholic Forensic League
The National Catholic Forensic League is a speech and debate league that was formed in 1951. It is organized into regions which correspond to Roman Catholic dioceses. Member schools include both public and parochial high schools. The CFL recruits member schools in both the United States and Canada...

 in 2005, and repeated the feat in 2010. The team has also garnered great success on the state and district levels- having captured the state title for the majority of the past two decades and the Chesapeake District title in 2011.

Athletics

The sports teams at Loyola Blakefield have been historically successful, most notably in football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...

, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...

, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

, and cross-country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

. Loyola Blakefield competes in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association
Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association is a boys' sports conference for private high schools generally located in the Baltimore metropolitan area but extending to various other regions, including the state's mostly rural Eastern Shore. The MIAA has 27 member schools and offers...

 (MIAA) for all interscholastic sports; in addition to the MIAA, the basketball team is also a member of the Baltimore Catholic League
Baltimore Catholic League
The Baltimore Catholic League , locally known as the Catholic League is a competitive basketball association composed of private Catholic high schools in the Baltimore, Maryland geographic area.- History :...

.

Recent MIAA championships for the Dons include a three-way title in 2006, a two-way tie in 2007, and an outright winner in 2003. Recently, Loyola's 2008 football team became the first undefeated team since 1960 and the first team to win 11 games in a single season. The Dons 2001 squad was able to beat nationally ranked Gilman
Gilman School
Gilman School is a private preparatory school for boys located in the Roland Park neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1897 as the Country School for Boys, it was the first country day school in the United States. Gilman enrolls approximately 978 students, ranging from kindergarten to...

 in Joseph Brune's final year as head coach. The football team also consists of a good student section.

The Loyola Blakefield football team also plays every Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...

 in one of the oldest continual national Catholic high school football rivalries against cross-town rival Calvert Hall College. The game, known as the Turkey Bowl, is held at M&T Bank Stadium
M&T Bank Stadium
M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. Served by the Hamburg Street station of...

 in Baltimore. Loyola had won the last six contests before being defeated by Calvert Hall in 2009 and 2010. The game is broadcast on television and radio by WMAR-TV
WMAR-TV
WMAR-TV, channel 2, is the ABC affiliate television station in Baltimore, Maryland, owned by the broadcasting division of the E.W. Scripps Company...

.

The Loyola lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...

 program is among the school's most recognized. The lacrosse team won eight championships in the 1980s and recently won championships in 2001, 2007, and 2008. In 2007, they defeated Boys' Latin
Boys' Latin School of Maryland
Boys' Latin School of Maryland is an all-boys, college-preparatory school located in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1844, it is the oldest independent, non-sectarian secondary school in the state of Maryland. The school is divided into Lower, Middle and Upper Schools...

 10-6 in the MIAA championship game. In 2008, they defeated previously undefeated Gilman
Gilman School
Gilman School is a private preparatory school for boys located in the Roland Park neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1897 as the Country School for Boys, it was the first country day school in the United States. Gilman enrolls approximately 978 students, ranging from kindergarten to...

 12-11 in the championship game at Towson University
Towson University
Towson University, often referred to as TU or simply Towson for short, is a public university located in Towson in Baltimore County, Maryland, U.S...

's Johnny Unitas Stadium in front of over 8,000 spectators. Loyola has produced numerous players who have continued on to play collegiate lacrosse, including National Lacrosse Hall of Famer John Stewart, and Peter Kimmel. Recent alumni Matt Pinto and Tim Sullivan are now amongst a talented teaching staff.

The soccer program won the Maryland Championship in 2001 and has produced Division I talent. Loyola soccer is currently coached by Lee Tschantret
Lee Tschantret
Lee Tschantret is a retired defender who plays in the National Indoor Soccer League for the Philadelphia KiXX. Prior to joining the KiXX, he spent most of his career in the National Professional Soccer League and its successor, the Major Indoor Soccer League...

, a former longtime player in the Major Indoor Soccer League who won several championships with the Baltimore Blast
Baltimore Blast (current)
Baltimore Blast is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Founded in 1992, the team plays in the Major Indoor Soccer League....

.

The Loyola basketball program reached regional prominence in the 1970s when it was led by head coach Jerry Savage, who has won over 600 games from 1969 to 2003. He produced several Division I players. Savage also coached the 1997 MIAA Championship team, the last championship of any sort for the Dons basketball program. Loyola has been in the most Baltimore Catholic League finals with 13 total and 6 championships. More recently, the program had several disappointing seasons and experienced a four-year period with four different head coaches. Currently, Josh Davalli, a former All-Metro player at Cardinal Gibbons in the mid-90's, serves as varsity head coach while also teaching in the Middle School.

The swimming and diving team, led by coach Keith Schertle, completed its 16th straight MIAA Championship season and top 10 national ranking in 2009. The program has produced numerous All-Americans (including seven in 2007), multiple Olympians and NCAA Division I competitors. Most notable are Patrick Kennedy of the 1984 U.S. Olympic team.

After years of unsuccessful efforts, the water polo team finally won its first MIAA A Conference Championship in 2009, defeating rival Calvert Hall 7-6 in the championship game at the United States Naval Academy.

Loyola's up-and-coming rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...

 program won the second ever MIAA A Conference Championship in 2008 against John Carroll 14-7. The Dons ended the season with only one MIAA loss, which they avenged against Spalding in the semifinal, 17-10.

Cross country running
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

 and Track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...

 have recently gotten a turn in the spotlight, with some of the best athletes in the United States for high school.

Notable alumni

  • Tom Clancy
    Tom Clancy
    Thomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...

    , author
  • Jim McKay
    Jim McKay
    James Kenneth McManus , better known by his professional name of Jim McKay, was an American television sports journalist....

    , Emmy-winning Olympic sports caster and host of the Wide World of Sports
  • Ephraim Francis Baldwin
    Ephraim Francis Baldwin
    Ephraim Francis Baldwin was an American architect, best known for his work for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and for the Roman Catholic Church.-Personal life:...

    , architect for B&O Railroad.
  • J. Joseph Curran, Jr.
    J. Joseph Curran, Jr.
    J. Joseph Curran, Jr. is an American politician and the longest serving elected Attorney General in Maryland history. His son-in-law, Martin J. O'Malley, is the Governor of Maryland.-Background:...

    , former Attorney General of Maryland
    Attorney General of Maryland
    The Attorney General of Maryland is the chief legal officer of the State of Maryland in the United States and is elected by the people every four years with no term limits...

  • Nathaniel Fick
    Nathaniel Fick
    Nathaniel C. "Nate" Fick is a veteran United States Marine Corps officer and CEO of the Center for a New American Security, a national security think tank based in Washington, D.C. He came to public notice for his writing on military life and the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq...

    , former USMC captain and author of One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer
    One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer
    One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer is an autobiography by Nathaniel Fick, published by Houghton-Mifflin in 2005...

  • Michael U. Gisriel
    Michael U. Gisriel
    Michael U. Gisriel was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates.-Background:Delegate Gisriel served a single term in the Maryland House of Delegates before losing in his reelection bid in 1990 to Martha Klima, John Bishop and Gerry Brewster.-Education:Delegate Gisriel graduated from Loyola...

    , former member of the Maryland House of Delegates
    Maryland House of Delegates
    The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...

  • Jason La Canfora
    Jason La Canfora
    Jason La Canfora is an American sports writer and television analyst. He joined NFL Network and NFL.com prior to the 2009 season and serves as an NFL insider and reporter. La Canfora appears on NFL Total Access, NFL GameDay Morning, NFL GameDay Final and Thursday Night Kickoff Presented by Sears....

    , NFL Network analyst
  • Brendan Hines
    Brendan Hines
    Brendan Hines is an American actor and singer-songwriter. He has had a number of small television roles and leading roles in a handful of independent films.-Biography:...

    , actor in Fox's Lie to Me
    Lie to Me
    Lie to Me is a 2009-2011 American television series.Lie to Me may also refer to:* Lie to Me , a South Korean drama series* "Lie to Me" , an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer...

    .
  • James Cardinal Stafford, Apostolic Penitentiary
    Apostolic Penitentiary
    The Apostolic Penitentiary, formerly called the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary, is one of the three tribunals of the Roman Curia. The Apostolic Penitentiary is chiefly a tribunal of mercy, responsible for issues relating to the forgiveness of sins in the Catholic Church.The...

    , former President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity
    Pontifical Council for the Laity
    The Pontifical Council for the Laity has the responsibility of assisting the Pope in his dealings with the laity in lay ecclesial movements or individually, and their contributions to the Church. The Cardinal President of the Council is Cardinal Stanisław Ryłko. The Secretary is Bishop Josef...

     and former Archbishop of Denver
    Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver
    The Archdiocese of Denver is the Roman Catholic Archdiocese for Denver, Colorado and the Colorado counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Jefferson, Larimer, Logan and Weld in the northern part of the state. The Archdiocese's home is at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate...

  • Thomas F. Monteleone
    Thomas F. Monteleone
    Thomas F. Monteleone is an American science fiction author and horror fiction author. His first novel, Seeds of Change was the lead-off title in the critically unsuccessful Laser Books line of science fiction titles , but he went on to become a popular writer of supernatural thrillers...

    , author
  • Bruce McGonnigal
    Bruce McGonnigal
    Joseph Bruce McGonnigal is a former American football tight end on the University of Virginia football team, and was a starter at the position in 1989 and 1990...

    , former National Football League player
  • Carl Stokes
    Carl Stokes (Baltimore)
    Carl Stokes is an American politician who represents the 12th district on the Baltimore City Council.He is a former member of the Baltimore City Board of school commissioners and ran for Mayor of Baltimore in 1999.-Background:...

    , member of the Baltimore City Council
    Baltimore City Council
    The Baltimore City Council is the legislative branch that governs the City of Baltimore and its nearly 700,000 citizens. Baltimore has fourteen single-member City Council districts and representatives are elected for a four-year term. To qualify for a position on the Council, a person must be...

  • Bill Stromberg
    Bill Stromberg
    William "Bill" Stromberg is a former American football player. He attended Loyola Blakefield for high school. He is considered as one of the best wide receivers in NCAA Division III history as the holder of six national and 13 school records...

    , College Football Hall of Fame
    College Football Hall of Fame
    The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...

     wide receiver
  • Bradley M. Kuhn
    Bradley M. Kuhn
    Bradley M. Kuhn is a free software activist from the United States.Kuhn is currently Executive Director of the Software Freedom Conservancy. Until 2010 he was the FLOSS Community Liaison and Technology Director of the Software Freedom Law Center . He previously served as the Executive Director of...

    , free software
    Free software
    Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...

    activist
  • Jack Casey, Christian Dior designer
  • John Moag, former head of the Maryland Stadium Authority, was instrumental in bringing NFL football back to Baltimore
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