Central Regional High School

Central Regional High School is a four-year regional comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Central Regional School District. The high school serves students from the municipalities of Berkeley Township, Island Heights, Ocean Gate, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park.[4]

Central Regional High School
Address
509 Forest Hills Parkway

Berkeley Township
,
Ocean County
,
New Jersey
08721

United States
Coordinates39.892912°N 74.204367°W / 39.892912; -74.204367
Information
TypePublic high school
EstablishedSeptember 1956
School districtCentral Regional School District
NCES School ID340291004604[1]
PrincipalIrene P. Marousis
Faculty108.4 FTEs[1]
Grades9 - 12
Enrollment1,619 (as of 2021–22)[1]
Student to teacher ratio14.9:1[1]
Color(s)  Garnet and
  Gold[2]
Athletics conferenceShore Conference[2][3]
Team nameGolden Eagles[2]
RivalLacey Township High School
Websitecentralreg.finalsite.com/our-schools/high-school

As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,619 students and 108.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.9:1. There were 433 students (26.7% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 118 (7.3% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

History

Students from the six constituent municipalities had previously attended the Toms River Regional Schools, before the new district completed its school building that was constructed on a site covering 87 acres (35 ha) at a cost of $1,430,000 (equivalent to $15.6 million in 2022).[5] The school opened in September 1956 as Central Regional Junior-Senior High School with students in grades 7-12 from the six constituent municipalities of Berkeley Township, Lacey Township, Island Heights, Ocean Gate, Seaside Park and Seaside Heights, along with students from Brick Township, who attended as part of a sending/receiving relationship. The formal dedication was deferred to late February 1957 due to construction delays.[6]

In October 1973, the Lakehurst School District announced that its students would be shifted from Central Regional High School to the new Manchester Township High School, which opened in September 1976.[7][8]

Students from Lacey Township had attended Central Regional as part of a sending/receiving relationship, which ended when Lacey Township High School opened in September 1981.[9]

Controversy

A 14-year-old female student committed suicide in February 2023 after videos of her being physically attacked in a hallway of the school surfaced online. The student's father believes that public humiliation and continued online bullying after this event spurred his daughter to end her own life.[10] Later that month, Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides resigned after it was revealed that he had disclosed private information about the student to a UK newspaper, blaming the student's family and marijuana for her suicide, while downplaying the role and prevalence of bullying. The father of the deceased has described Parlapanides as a "piece of shit."[11][12]

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was the 239th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology.[13] The school had been ranked 264th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 257th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[14] The magazine ranked the school 273rd in 2008 out of 316 schools.[15] The school was the 272nd-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 316 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2006 cover story on the state's Top Public High Schools.[16] Schooldigger.com ranked the school 240th out of 376 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (an increase of 6 positions from the 2009 rank) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the language arts literacy and mathematics components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[17]

Athletics

The Central Regional High School Golden Eagles[2] compete in Division A South of the Shore Conference, an athletic conference comprised of public and private high schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties along the Jersey Shore.[3][18] The conference operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[19] With 1,060 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,060 to 5,049 students in that grade range.[20] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group IV South for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 893 to 1,296 students.[21]

Baseball

The 1984 baseball team, led by Al Leiter, finished the season with a record of 25-5-1 after winning the Group III state championship by defeating Indian Hills High School by a score of 8-1 in the tournament final.[22][23]

Field hockey

The field hockey team won the South Jersey Group III state sectional championship in 1986 before falling to Northern Highlands Regional High School in the Group III finals.[24]

Softball

The softball team defeated Paramus High School in the final of the playoffs to win the 1996 Group III state championship.[25]

Football

Central Regional High School is coached by Jarrett Pidgeon, who replaced Justin Fumondo to become the school's football coach for the 2020 season. He is the 7th head coach in 15 years. Since 2015, the Golden Eagles have been playing on a FieldTurf home field.

The Eagles were Class B-South co-champions in 1988, defeating arch-rival and state champion Lacey Township High School, 18-15. They finished the '88 season with a record of 6-2-1. In 1994 the Eagles won Class B-South outright and played in the Group III, South Jersey state final vs. Brick Township High School. They finished the year 9-2 and ranked in the State Top 20.

Volleyball

Both the boys and girls programs are led by former professional volleyball player Jeff Mangold.

Soccer

The Central Regional boys' soccer program is coached by Troy Van Hise, Robert Bechtloff, and Cody Ertle. Coach Bechtloff had been the head coach for over 30 years before coach Van Hise took over the program in 2018. Both Ertle and Van Hise had played under Bechtloff during their high school careers. Bechtloff is now the varsity assistant coach, while coach Ertle runs the Junior Varsity program.

Central's boys have found much success in soccer, winning Shore Conference divisional championships in 1993, 1998, 2007, and 2010. They won the NJSIAA South Jersey Group III sectional championship in 1980, 1988, 1994, and 1996.

The girls' soccer program at Central is led by Meredith Parliman, who is assisted by Lauren Stoltzfus and Brianne Toomey.

Wrestling

The Central Regional wrestling team has enjoyed several successful seasons and has produced some outstanding individuals as well. In 1968, Alan Hess became Central's first ever New Jersey state medalist finishing in fourth place (out of four) without winning a match. In 1973, Mike Baeli became the first wrestler to win a match at the state level, finishing fourth after defeating Art Kubo in the first round. In 1985, Central Regional crowned its first NJSIAA state champion, the late Darnell Myers, under the guidance of coach Paul Mueller.[26] Brothers Mark and Maurice Worthy won a combined five NJSIAA Championships, with Mark Worthy becoming one of only two dozen wrestlers to have won three state titles, winning in 1996 (112 lbs.), 1998 (140 lbs.) and 1999 (145 lbs.), while his brother Maurice Worthy won titles in 1996 (152 lbs.) and 1997 (160 lbs.)[27] Maurice went on to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Division I Championships while attending the United States Military Academy at West Point. The team had a successful run in the mid-1990s under long-time head coach Pat Lynch who crowned 4 Region Champions and was named Region Coach of the Year.

Mike Bischoff, took over the reins of the program upon Lynch's retirement in 2003. For his efforts, Bischoff would twice (2006 & 2009) be recognized as District 24 Coach of the Year. In 2005, the team won its first ever South Jersey Group III State Sectional title in thrilling fashion over four-time defending champion Kingsway Regional High School.[28] The following season brought a second South Jersey Group III title after dispatching Kingsway for the second straight year, taking five of the final six matches to win 34-27.[29]

In all, the wrestling program has produced six state champions, 23 region champions, and 51 district champions. It has earned two South Jersey Group III state sectional championships (in 2005 and 2006 in South Jersey Group III[30]), two district championships, and seven Shore Conference divisional championships in its 46-year history. Central's last state place winner was senior, Jalen Ramos (now wrestling at Rutgers), who placed 8th at the NJSIAA Championships at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall in 2012. Ramos's 126 career wins are second only to Hall of Famer, Mark Worthy's 128 victories.

Marching band

Central Regional High School's marching band, the Marching Eagles, are a Group II Band in the Tournament of Bands circuit.

Administration

The school's principal is Irene P. Marousis. Her core administration team includes four assistant principals.[31]

Notable alumni

References
  1. School data for Central Regional High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  2. Central Regional High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 26, 2015.
  3. Shore Conference Realignment for 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.
  4. Central Regional School District 2015 School Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 5, 2016. "The Central Regional School District is located in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township and draws from the constituent districts of Berkeley Township, Island Heights, Ocean Gate, Seaside Heights, and Seaside Park."
  5. "Board Okays Finance Plans", Asbury Park Press, February 25, 1955. Accessed March 11, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The Board of Local Government yesterday approved financial plans for the proposed $1,430,000 Ocean County Central Regional High School.... The board is shooting for a target date of September 1956, for the school opening. This is the date beyond which the Toms River Consolidated School District will no longer accept high school pupils from Seaside Park, Seaside Heights, Island Heights, Ocean Gate, and Berkeley and Lacey Townships.... The proposed six-year junior-senior high school is to be located on the 87-acre site of the former Pinewald Golf Course in Berkeley Township."
  6. "Set Central Regional Dedication for Feb. 27", Asbury Park Press, January 29, 1957. Accessed March 11, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The new Central Regional Junior-Senior High School at Pinewald will be officially dedicated at open house ceremonies Feb. 27. the Regional Board of Education decided last night. The building, however, has been in use since last September for the six member-districts, and Brick Township, a sending district. The high school has not been accepted by the board from the general contractor because of numerous minor details in constructs that were not approved by the board. A program for the celebration will be prepared and circulated among residents in Seaside Park, Seaside Heights, Island Heights, Ocean Gate, and Lacey, Berkeley and Brick Townships."
  7. "Correction", Asbury Park Press, October 20, 1973. Accessed March 12, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "John Mizvesky, Board of Education president, said local high school students will be phased out in orderly fashion from Central Regional High School, Berkeley Township, to the Manchester Township High School when it opens in September 1975."
  8. "Manchester Schools Expected To Spur Many New Residents", Asbury Park Press, September 13, 1976. Accessed March 12, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The school system here will attract many new residents during the next two or three years, William F. White, Ocean County superintendent of schools, predicted yesterday. White spoke before about 500 persons at the dedication of the new, $6.3 million Manchester Township High School, which opened its doors Wednesday to 781 students from here and Lakehurst."
  9. Williams, Kevin. "A Renewal of the Lacey-Central Regional Rivalry", WOBM-FM, September 20, 2019. Accessed December 31, 2020. "I’m sure there are many who don’t know that for many years Lacey Township was a sending district to Central Regional High School. Until 1981 if you lived in Forked River, Lanoka Harbor or Bamber Lakes you attended Central and many of my friends from my high school days lived in Lacey. However in 1981 they got their own high school and as you might expect an immediate rivalry was born, especially when it came to athletics."
  10. Charlesworth, Michelle. "Father demands justice for daughter who took her life after video of school bullying surfaced", KABC-TV, February 9, 2023. Accessed February 27, 2023.
  11. Schemmel, Alec. "N.J. superintendent resigns after pinning bullied student's suicide on 'poor choices'", WCIV, February 13, 2023. Accessed February 27, 2023. "The teen's father, Michael Kuch, contested the superintendent's claims that the school had offered his daughter any drug counseling to TheDailyMail.com. Rather, he told the outlet that he and his wife had sought help for Adriana's marijuana use, which he noted was common among students at the school. 'I don't know how to respond to this insane deflection,' Michael Kuch reportedly told TheDailyMail.com in response to the superintendent's remarks. 'This guy is a piece of s***.'"
  12. Liu, Olivia; and Strupp, Joe. "Central Regional superintendent resigns following comments over student death", Asbury Park Press, February 11, 2023. Accessed February 11, 2023. "Central Regional School District Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides resigned a day after the Daily Mail published comments from him that appear to divulge information on the private life of a 14-year-old student who died by suicide this past week. A statement on the Central Regional district website said the school board accepted Parlapanides' resignation without saying why he resigned. It said Douglas Corbett, assistant superintendent of Central Regional, has been appointed the acting superintendent."
  13. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  14. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed August 22, 2012.
  15. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 15, 2011.
  16. Top High Schools 201-316, New Jersey Monthly, September 2006, posted January 28, 2008. Accessed August 11, 2008.
  17. New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2009-2010, Schooldigger.com. Accessed January 15, 2012.
  18. Member Schools, Shore Conference. Accessed November 15, 2020.
  19. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  20. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  21. NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2022–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  22. NJSIAA Baseball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  23. Brennan, John. "Title eludes grasp of Indian Hills", The Record, June 10, 1984. Accessed March 6, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Reese was referring to his team's six errors, all of which figured in the scoring as Central Regional whipped the Braves, 8-1, yesterday to win the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 3 baseball championship. Al Leiter again was the hero for Central, allowing just two hits and fanning 10 in running his record to 13-0.... The Braves (23-5-1) fell apart in the fourth, committing three errors to help Central (25-5-1) take a 4-0 lead."
  24. History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  25. NJSIAA Softball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  26. Strunsky, Steve. "Toms River police investigate death of former N.J. high school wrestler", The Star-Ledger, May 2, 2010. Accessed January 15, 2012. "Myers was a state wrestling champion in 1984 while at Toms River High School South, and then again in 1985 while at Central Regional High School in Berkeley."
  27. State Champions Archived April 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Wrestling. Accessed January 15, 2012.
  28. Christopher, Chris. "Central claims 1st sectional Eagles earn semifinal berth against Ocean", Asbury Park Press, February 18, 2005. Accessed July 4, 2011. "The top-seeded Golden Eagles Thursday night won their first state team sectional title in history pinning a 37-26 loss on Kingsway in the South Jersey Group III championship match."
  29. Lawrence, Ryan. "Central topples Kingsway", Asbury Park Press, February 17, 2006. Accessed July 4, 2011. "Visiting Central took five of the final six bouts Thursday night to derail Kingsway, ranked eighth in the Gannett New Jersey Top 20 poll, for the second straight season and claim the sectional title with a 34-27 victory."
  30. NJSIAA Wrestling Team Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  31. 2021-2022 Student Handbook, Central Regional High School. Accessed March 11, 2022.
  32. Adelizzi, Joe. "Jersey Shore Hall to add 16 members", Asbury Park Press, April 29, 2000. Accessed February 12, 2012. "Pam Boyd-Petroski, Central Regional: As a high school standout at Central, Boyd-Petroski starred in basketball and field hockey."
  33. Golden Eagles Athletics Hall of Fame: Pam Boyd Petroski ('74), Central Regional High School. Accessed February 12, 2012.
  34. Williams, Kevin. "Central Regional Inducts More Greats Into Its Sports Hall of Fame", WOBM-FM. Accessed February 14, 2018. "Tom DeBlass graduated in 2000 as the school record holder in the long jump where he also won county and state sectional titles. He was also part of the high jump relay team that set a school record and currently is one of the most respected Jiu-Jitsu figures in the world and owner of Ocean County Jiu-Jitsu."
  35. Rushin, Steve. "World Series: 1993 - Home Sweet Homer", Sports Illustrated, November 1, 1993, accessed April 26, 2007. "'I don't give a —— how it feels,' said a laughing Leiter, whose last hit came for Central Regional High in Bayville, N.J., where he batted .220 in 1984."
  36. Golden Eagles Athletics Hall of Fame: Al Leiter ('84) Archived July 31, 2012, at archive.today, Central Regional High School. Accessed February 12, 2012.
  37. Adelizzi, Joe. "Leiter side of baseball", Asbury Park Press, August 31, 2005. Accessed February 12, 2012. "It's been a while between autograph sessions for Mark Leiter, the former Central Regional star who put together an 11-year major league career."
  38. Golden Eagles Athletics Hall of Fame: Mark Leiter ('81) Archived July 23, 2012, at archive.today, Central Regional High School. Accessed February 12, 2012.
  39. Trutor, Clayton. Mark Leiter, Society for American Baseball Research. Accessed July 30, 2019. "Raised on the Jersey Shore, Leiter graduated from Central Regional High School in Bayville, New Jersey, in 1981. He starred on the baseball team along with his brother Al, who was a freshman during Mark’s senior year, and classmate Jeff Musselman, who later pitched for the Blue Jays and Mets (1986-1990)."
  40. "Coach", Daily Record, December 13, 1988. Accessed September 15, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Longo, 30, was born in the Jersey Shore community of Red Bank and grew up in Bayville, where he attended Central Regional High. He quarterbacked the first Central team to make the playoffs, in 1986."
  41. "Darling author returns to Berkeley", Asbury Park Press, September 25, 2007. "Berkeley: Author Megan McCafferty, a 1991 Central Regional High School graduate, will visit the township branch of the Ocean County Library at 7 pm today."
  42. Kay, Michael. "Yanks Deal Leiter for Barfield", New York Daily News, May 1, 1989. Accessed February 12, 2012. "[Al Leiter] is expected to step right into the Jays' starting rotation, replacing Jeff Musselman, who is undergoing alcohol rehabilitation. Leiter was a teammate of Mussleman's at Central Regional in Bayville, N.J."
  43. Golden Eagles Athletics Hall of Fame: Jeff Musselman ('81) Archived August 4, 2012, at archive.today, Central Regional High School. Accessed February 12, 2012.
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