New Bedford High School
Encyclopedia
New Bedford High School is a public high school
located at 230 Hathaway Boulevard in the West End of New Bedford, Massachusetts
. The school has approximately 3,200 students, and is one of the largest schools in the state. New Bedford is also one of the largest high schools in the country, being ranked in the Top 200 high schools in the country based on enrollment.
The school's athletic teams are named the Whalers, in honor of the city's whaling history. The New Bedford High School teams wear red and white, and compete in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
's Division I.
of Pawtucket, Rhode Island
69-66. Rodrigues ended his tenure at the school with a career record of 435-157. He continues to be a teacher at the school, is still heavily involved with the basketball program and the entire athletic department, and is currently an assistant men's basketball coach at UMass Dartmouth. In 2009, New Bedford High School's basketball court was officially dedicated in Rodrigues' name.
Long-time boys assistant/junior varsity coach Tom Tarpey took over as head coach at the start of the 2007-08 season. In his first season, the Whalers went 11-9 in the regular season and made the state tournament. They lost in the first round of the Division I South Sectional on the road to the Framingham Flyers
69-62. The following season (2008–09), the boys finished with a record of 8-12 and did not qualify for the tournament. They also did not qualify in 2009-10 with a 7-13 record. With the experience of the underclassmen, plus the brief addition of a highly-touted prospect
transferred from Division III State champions the Wareham Vikings
, a huge turnaround occurred in the 2010-11 season. The Whalers returned to prominence and finished the regular season with a record of 16-3, earning the 3rd seed in the Division I South Sectional tournament. They lost in the sectional semifinals to the Newton North Tigers
67-44.
In the 2007-08 school year, the girls' basketball team captured the Division I South Sectional title by defeating the Sandwich High Blue Knights
65-62 at UMass Boston, giving them the opportunity to compete in the Eastern Massachusetts Finals at the TD Banknorth Garden
in Boston; they lost to the Division I North champion Andover High Golden Warriors 66-34. Head coach Mickey Gonsalves was named Division 1 Girls' Basketball Coach of the Year by the Boston Globe. In the 2010-11 season, the Lady Whalers completed an undefeated regular season at 20-0 when they defeated the visiting Barnstable Red Raiders
63-44. They earned the top seed in the Division I South Sectional tournament and won their second South Sectional title by defeating the Mansfield Hornets
47-46 at the now TD Garden. The Lady Whalers lost in the Eastern Mass Finals to North Sectional champion Andover 54-46, also at the Garden.
. Dartmouth College
-bound Maura Manley was named Gatorade Massachusetts Volleyball Player of the Year for the 2010-11 school year.
in Washington
. The school fight song, On, New Bedford!, is sung to the tune of On, Wisconsin!
, which is primarily performed during football games and the annual pep rally
.
23-21, followed by a 21-7 Thanksgiving Day victory over Fall River's B.M.C. Durfee High School
, to earn its first Big Three Conference title since 1999 and earn a spot in the Division I Eastern Massachusetts Super Bowl for the first time since 2001. They lost in the semifinals to Catholic Conference
champion St. John's Prep by a score of 35-7. Head coach Dennis Golden was named New England Patriots
High School Coach of the Week following the victory over Brockton. In the following season, the Whalers finished the regular season at 5-5 overall and 1-1 in the Big Three. Although they were defeated by Brockton 38-9 for the conference title, a conference by-law states that the playoff representative must have a record of .500 or better. On Thanksgiving, New Bedford defeated Durfee 18-16 while Brockton lost to Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School
14-8 to finish the season at 5-6, giving the Whalers the right to represent the Big Three in the Division I Super Bowl for a second consecutive year. They will face the Bay State Conference's Carey Division champion Needham High School
in the semifinals on Tuesday, November 29. Traditionally, New Bedford High School has had an intense rivalry with Durfee, with their Thanksgiving Day match-up, as the highlight of the season.
in the Division I State final, their first since 1978. They lost to Ludlow by a score of 4-1. Head coach John Macaroco was named a Coach of the Year by the Boston Globe.
The school is also the home of another show choir "Charisma". This group is made up of only females and consists of about 30 members. They have recently won Copper Trophy award at the New England Show Choir Classic and in the past have won Grand Champion in their division.
A majority of the choir members also participate in the school's award-winning drama club.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located at 230 Hathaway Boulevard in the West End of New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
. The school has approximately 3,200 students, and is one of the largest schools in the state. New Bedford is also one of the largest high schools in the country, being ranked in the Top 200 high schools in the country based on enrollment.
Extracurricular activities
Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association , comprising 365 high schools in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, is an organization that sponsors activities in more than thirty sports. The MIAA is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations , which writes the rules...
's Division I.
Basketball
The boys basketball program at New Bedford High School has long been one of the most successful in the state. Ed Rodrigues coached the varsity team for 27 years (1980–2007). During his tenure as head coach, the Whalers were one of the state's top-performing teams year after year and made numerous appearances in the state tournament, winning back-to-back Division I State titles in 1993 and 94. His teams also won two additional Eastern Massachusetts Finals and two additional South Sectional titles. There were only two losing seasons in his career. On February 21, 2007, Rodrigues coached his final game at New Bedford High School. The Whalers lost to the visiting St. Raphael Academy SaintsSt. Raphael Academy
Saint Raphael Academy is a Roman Catholic, coeducational, college preparatory school in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA. It was founded in the tradition of Saint John Baptist de Lasalle and rooted in the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Academy welcomes students that are academically, economically,...
of Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:...
69-66. Rodrigues ended his tenure at the school with a career record of 435-157. He continues to be a teacher at the school, is still heavily involved with the basketball program and the entire athletic department, and is currently an assistant men's basketball coach at UMass Dartmouth. In 2009, New Bedford High School's basketball court was officially dedicated in Rodrigues' name.
Long-time boys assistant/junior varsity coach Tom Tarpey took over as head coach at the start of the 2007-08 season. In his first season, the Whalers went 11-9 in the regular season and made the state tournament. They lost in the first round of the Division I South Sectional on the road to the Framingham Flyers
Framingham High School
Framingham High School, or FHS, is an urban/suburban public high school in the town of Framingham, Massachusetts, United States, located approximately 20 miles west of Boston...
69-62. The following season (2008–09), the boys finished with a record of 8-12 and did not qualify for the tournament. They also did not qualify in 2009-10 with a 7-13 record. With the experience of the underclassmen, plus the brief addition of a highly-touted prospect
Prospect (sports)
In sports, a prospect is any player whose rights are owned by a professional team, but who has yet to play a game for the team, or isn't established with the team yet. Prospects can sometimes be assigned to farm teams...
transferred from Division III State champions the Wareham Vikings
Wareham High School
Wareham High School is a public high school located in Wareham, Massachusetts. The school is a part of the Wareham Public School system, and serves roughly 900 students in grades 9-12....
, a huge turnaround occurred in the 2010-11 season. The Whalers returned to prominence and finished the regular season with a record of 16-3, earning the 3rd seed in the Division I South Sectional tournament. They lost in the sectional semifinals to the Newton North Tigers
Newton North High School
Newton North High School, formerly Newton High School, is the larger and longer-established of two public high schools in Newton, Massachusetts, with about 2,000 students, the other being Newton South High School. It is located in the village of Newtonville...
67-44.
In the 2007-08 school year, the girls' basketball team captured the Division I South Sectional title by defeating the Sandwich High Blue Knights
Sandwich High School
Sandwich High School is a public high school located in East Sandwich, Massachusetts. The school serves the students of Sandwich, Massachusetts. Enrollment at the school is 1,129 students as of 2010-2011, and employs 83 faculty members...
65-62 at UMass Boston, giving them the opportunity to compete in the Eastern Massachusetts Finals at the TD Banknorth Garden
TD Banknorth Garden
TD Garden is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is named after its sponsor, TD Bank, N.A. and is often simply referred to by local Bostonians as, The Garden, The Fleet Center, or the traditional Boston Garden...
in Boston; they lost to the Division I North champion Andover High Golden Warriors 66-34. Head coach Mickey Gonsalves was named Division 1 Girls' Basketball Coach of the Year by the Boston Globe. In the 2010-11 season, the Lady Whalers completed an undefeated regular season at 20-0 when they defeated the visiting Barnstable Red Raiders
Barnstable High School
Barnstable High School is a public high school in the village of Hyannis, Massachusetts, USA, Town of Barnstable. It is the largest high school in Barnstable County on Cape Cod. It is divided into 5 "houses", described as "schools within a school". In the 2010–2011 school year, it had...
63-44. They earned the top seed in the Division I South Sectional tournament and won their second South Sectional title by defeating the Mansfield Hornets
Mansfield High School (Mansfield, Massachusetts)
Mansfield High School is a four-year, comprehensive public high school located in Mansfield, Massachusetts. MHS is the only high school in the Mansfield Public Schools system and it serves 1,481 students in grades nine though twelve.-Administration:...
47-46 at the now TD Garden. The Lady Whalers lost in the Eastern Mass Finals to North Sectional champion Andover 54-46, also at the Garden.
- Boys Basketball D-I State Champions - 1993, 1994
Volleyball
In the 2009-10 school year, the girls' volleyball team completed an undefeated season (23-0), culminating in the state championship for Division I. Junior outside hitter Maura Manley led the state with 408 kills on the season and received numerous honors, including a nomination for the Gatorade Player of the Year in Massachusetts and a MaxPreps/AVCA Player of the Week nod. At the end of the season, the team was the number 1 team in the state and 48th in the nation according to MaxPreps.com and was ranked 50th on the site's "final Xcellent 50 High School Girls Volleyball National Rankings". 26-year head coach Neil Macedo was inducted into the 2009 Massachusetts Girls Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Only one senior, Kiana Raposo, was featured on this squad. The following year's team was heavily favored to repeat as state champions but were defeated in the Division I South Sectional final by rejuvenated 13-time Division 1 state champion powerhouse and archrival Barnstable High SchoolBarnstable High School
Barnstable High School is a public high school in the village of Hyannis, Massachusetts, USA, Town of Barnstable. It is the largest high school in Barnstable County on Cape Cod. It is divided into 5 "houses", described as "schools within a school". In the 2010–2011 school year, it had...
. Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
-bound Maura Manley was named Gatorade Massachusetts Volleyball Player of the Year for the 2010-11 school year.
- Girls Volleyball D-I State Champions - 1994, 2009
- Boys Volleyball D-I State Champions - 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999
Baseball
The school's baseball team won 3 State Championships in the 1990s. In 1858 New Bedford High School fielded a team making them the first high school or secondary school in the country to do so.Music
The school has an award-winning marching band, winning several regional and state championships. On January 20, 1997, the marching band had the honor of performing in the inaugural parade during the second inauguration of Bill ClintonSecond inauguration of Bill Clinton
January 20, 1997 signified both the second inauguration of Bill Clinton as President of the United States as well as being the last inauguration of a president in the 20th century. Born August 19, 1946 in the town of Hope, Arkansas, Bill Clinton had a long career in law before his first...
in Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. The school fight song, On, New Bedford!, is sung to the tune of On, Wisconsin!
On, Wisconsin!
"On, Wisconsin!" is the fight song of the Wisconsin Badgers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. With modified lyrics, it is also the official state song of Wisconsin....
, which is primarily performed during football games and the annual pep rally
Pep rally
Pep rallies are events that occur primarily in the United States and Canada. A pep rally is a gathering of people, typically students of middle school, high school and college age, before a sports event. The purpose of such a gathering is to encourage school spirit and to support members of the...
.
Football
In 2010-11 school year, the football team upset football powerhouse Brockton High SchoolBrockton High School
Brockton High School, established in 1871, is a high school located in Brockton, Massachusetts and is the largest high school in Massachusetts and New England. Although it is smaller by approximately 200 students than Reading High School, Brockton is one of the largest high schools east of the...
23-21, followed by a 21-7 Thanksgiving Day victory over Fall River's B.M.C. Durfee High School
B.M.C. Durfee High School
B.M.C. Durfee High School is an historic former high school building at 289 Rock Street in Fall River, Massachusetts.The school was built in 1886 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981...
, to earn its first Big Three Conference title since 1999 and earn a spot in the Division I Eastern Massachusetts Super Bowl for the first time since 2001. They lost in the semifinals to Catholic Conference
Catholic Conference (MIAA)
The Catholic Conference is Massachusetts' premier High School Sports League in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. The teams in the league are:* Boston College High School Eagles Nickname: BC High* St...
champion St. John's Prep by a score of 35-7. Head coach Dennis Golden was named New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
High School Coach of the Week following the victory over Brockton. In the following season, the Whalers finished the regular season at 5-5 overall and 1-1 in the Big Three. Although they were defeated by Brockton 38-9 for the conference title, a conference by-law states that the playoff representative must have a record of .500 or better. On Thanksgiving, New Bedford defeated Durfee 18-16 while Brockton lost to Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School
Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School
Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School, founded in 1960, is a regional high school in Bridgewater, Massachusetts shared by the towns of Bridgewater and Raynham. The high school, commonly referred to as B-R, relocated to a new building at 415 Center Street in 2007...
14-8 to finish the season at 5-6, giving the Whalers the right to represent the Big Three in the Division I Super Bowl for a second consecutive year. They will face the Bay State Conference's Carey Division champion Needham High School
Needham High School
Needham High School is a public high school in Needham, Massachusetts, USA, educating grades 9 through 12. Its principal is Dr. Johnathan Pizzi, who was previously the Assistant Academic Superintendent in the Boston Public Schools System. Its two assistant principals are Mr. Jonathan Bourn and Ms...
in the semifinals on Tuesday, November 29. Traditionally, New Bedford High School has had an intense rivalry with Durfee, with their Thanksgiving Day match-up, as the highlight of the season.
- Football D-I A Eastern Mass Champions - 1993, 1994
- Football D-I Eastern Mass Finalists - 1995, 1997, 1999
- Football D-III Eastern Mass Finalists - 1985
Soccer
In 2010, the Whalers' boys soccer team played against powerhouse the Ludlow LionsLudlow High School
Ludlow High School is the public high school of Ludlow, Massachusetts, United States, located at 500 Chapin Street. It is next to Ludlow Town Hall. The high school is the only public high school in the town and services all of its residents...
in the Division I State final, their first since 1978. They lost to Ludlow by a score of 4-1. Head coach John Macaroco was named a Coach of the Year by the Boston Globe.
- Boys Soccer D-I State Champions - 1971
- Boys Soccer D-I State Finalists - 1978, 2010
Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps
New Bedford High School is also home of the Whaler JROTC. New Bedford's JROTC program is notable for being the longest in continuous operation since inception. The Army JROTC at New Bedford has received many awards.Show Choir & Drama Club
New Bedford High School also has a mixed show choir "Pure Energy." They have won many awards, the most recent being the 2009 Grand Champions at the New England Show Choir Classic. The group varies between 40 and 50 members.The school is also the home of another show choir "Charisma". This group is made up of only females and consists of about 30 members. They have recently won Copper Trophy award at the New England Show Choir Classic and in the past have won Grand Champion in their division.
A majority of the choir members also participate in the school's award-winning drama club.
Notable alumni
- André Bernier, 1977: Television meteorologist.
- A Wilhelm ScreamA Wilhelm ScreamA Wilhelm Scream is a melodic hardcore band from New Bedford, Massachusetts. Many people have referenced Strung Out, Hot Water Music, Propagandhi, and Strike Anywhere as the band's similar artists. Their name is a reference to the Wilhelm Scream, a famous stock sound effect which mainly is used in...
, 1990s: Punk band. - Brian HelgelandBrian HelgelandBrian Thomas Helgeland is an American screenwriter, film producer and director. He is most known for writing the screenplays for L.A...
, 1980: Screenwriter/Director. - Marques HoutmanMarques HoutmanMarques Houtman is a Cape Verdean American basketball point guard. He is an alumnus of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, where he played college basketball for four years...
, 1997: Basketball player for the national team of Cape VerdeCape VerdeThe Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
. - Sean NelsonSean NelsonSean Nelson is an American singer, songwriter, and keyboardist, notable as the frontman for the alternative rock group Harvey Danger.- Career :...
, 1987: Front man for Harvey DangerHarvey DangerHarvey Danger was an American indie rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1993, and rose to prominence in 1998 with the single "Flagpole Sitta." On August 29, 2009, the band played its final show at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle....
and percussionist for Superhoney. - TavaresTavares (band)Tavares are a successful American R&B, funk and soul music group, composed of five Cape Verdean-American brothers from New Bedford, Massachusetts.-Band members:...
: R&B/Soul band.
External links
- New Bedford High School website
- New Bedford Public Schools website
- New Bedford High School/WIMC-TV page on HighSchoolSports.com
- http://scvbb.wordpress.com/2008/04/01/new-bedford-high-school-baseball-150-years-ago/