Mount Olive High School (New Jersey)

Mount Olive High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Mount Olive Township, in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Mount Olive Township School District. The school is located in the Flanders section of the township.

Mount Olive High School
Address
18 Cory Road

Mount Olive Township
,
Morris County
,
New Jersey
07836

United States
Coordinates40.857621°N 74.710533°W / 40.857621; -74.710533
Information
TypePublic high school
Motto"First we will be best, then we will be first!"
Established1972 (as West Morris Mount Olive HS)
September, 1978 (as Mount Olive HS)
School districtMount Olive Township School District
NCES School ID341098004398[1]
PrincipalKevin Moore
Faculty116.5 FTEs[1]
Grades9-12
Enrollment1,468 (as of 2021–22)[1]
Student to teacher ratio12.6:1[1]
Color(s)  Red
  Black
  Vegas Gold[2]
Athletics conferenceNorthwest Jersey Athletic Conference (general)
North Jersey Super Football Conference (football)
Team nameMarauders[2]
Websitewww.motsd.org/mohs/

As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,468 students and 116.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.6:1. There were 106 students (7.2% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 28 (1.9% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

History

The original school opened in October 1972 and was operated as West Morris Mount Olive High School by the West Morris Regional High School District until voters from Mount Olive Township and the other constituent municipalities approved a refererendum to have Mount Olive leave the regional district effective with the start of the 1978–79 school year.[3][4] West Morris Mount Olive High School Class of 1978 was the last graduating class from this facility under the regional administration. The high school building and remaining faculty became part of the Mount Olive Township Schools.

Awards, recognition and rankings

In its listing of "America's Best High Schools 2016", the school was ranked 482nd out of 500 best high schools in the country; it was ranked 50th among all high schools in New Jersey and 33rd among the state's non-magnet schools.[5]

The school was the 97th-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.[6] The school had been ranked 69th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 90th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[7] The magazine ranked the school 107th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[8] The school was ranked 114th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.[9] Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 109th out of 381 public high schools statewide its 2011 rankings (an increase of 35 positions from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (85.9%) and language arts literacy (96.4%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[10]

Athletics

The Mount Olive High School Marauders[2] compete in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools located in Morris, Sussex and Warren counties, operating under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[11][12] Prior to the NJSIAA's 2010 realignment, the school had competed as part of the Iron Hills Conference, which included high schools in Essex, Morris and Union counties.[13] With 1,158 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.[14] The football team competes in the Freedom Blue division of the North Jersey Super Football Conference, which includes 112 schools competing in 20 divisions, making it the nation's biggest football-only high school sports league.[15][16] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group IV North for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 895 to 1,296 students.[17]

Students are eligible to participate in interscholastic sports offered in the fall, winter, and spring seasons. Fall sports include boys/girls soccer, girls tennis, boys/girls cross country, boys football, girls cheerleading, girls volleyball, and girls field hockey. Winter sports include boys/girls basketball, boys/girls indoor track, boys wrestling, and boys/girls swimming. Spring sports include boys/girls track, boys/girls lacrosse, boys baseball, girls softball, boys/girls golf, and boys tennis.[2]

The school participates as the host school / lead agency for a joint cooperative ice hockey team with Hopatcong High School, while Hopatcong is the host school for co-op boys / girls bowling teams. The ice hockey team also includes Hackettstown High School as a partner. These co-op programs operate under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.[18] The ice hockey partnership with Mount Olive started in the 2014-15 school year and plays under the Mount Olive name.[19]

Mount Olive High School added new athletic facilities constructed during the 2005-2007 school years. New facilities include a turf field, auxiliary gym, weight room, dance room, training room, and new offices for coaches. In 2017–18, additional facilities were added, including new stadium seating for the turf football field and a dome to be used over the soccer field in the winter.

The field hockey team won the North II Group II state sectional championship in 1981, won the North II Group III title in 1988, 1995 and 1998, and won the North I Group III title in 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004.[20] The 2003 field hockey team won the North I, Group III sectional title with a 1–0 win against High Point Regional High School.[21] The 2004 team repeated the title with a 3–0 win over Wayne Hills High School.[22]

The girls cross country team won the Group III state championship in 1989 and 2013.[23] The team has won the North Jersey sectional title 11 times in their history starting with five in a row from 1977 - 1981.[24]

The soccer team won the North I, Group III state sectional championship in 1999 with a 2–1 win against Northern Highlands Regional High School in the tournament final.[25]

In 2002, the football team finished the season with an 11-1 record after winning the North II, Group III sectional championship with a 14–13 victory against Jefferson Township High School in the championship game, after holding off a late rally by Jefferson.[26][27][28]

The wrestling team won the North II Group III state sectional title in 2002 and the North I Group IV title in 2020[29]

In 2008, the softball team won the NJSIAA/Blue Ribbon Awards North I, Group III sectional tournament with a 1–0 shutout of Montville Township High School.[30]

In 2011, the basketball team won their first conference championship in school history. In 2012, the Marauders won their second straight conference title, sharing it with Sparta High School and Pope John XXIII Regional High School. They also made it to the finals for their County Tournament for just the second time in school history. However, after tying the game up with 11 seconds to play, they lost by 2 points when Chatham scored a layup with 5 seconds left.[31] The following season, in 2013, the Marauders made it to the Morris County Championship once again, this time defeating Chatham High School. The 2014 team went on to another MCT Championship with a victory over Morristown, being told as the greatest basketball game ever in Morris County history.

The ice hockey team won the Haas Cup in 2014 with a 3-2 overtime win against Madison High School in the championship game.[32][33]

Arts

Members of the Mount Olive High School Choirs have many outside performing opportunities. Members have sung with Essential Voices USA at Symphony Space in NYC for a concert tribute to Leonard Bernstein as well the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall presenting a program featuring the music of Lerner and Loewe. The MOHS Concert Choir has sung on the PBS special Celebrate America with composer Tim Janis which aired in March 2010.[34] In November 2011, members sang with Neil Diamond at the Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony on NBC Television as part of EVUSA. Members have also been a part of the annual "American Christmas Carol" (also featuring Tim Janis) concert in December at Carnegie Hall where Mr. Vanzini is the Choirmaster of a 230-voice choir and made his second conducting appearance at Carnegie Hall on December 2, 2011.[35]

The Mount Olive High School Drama Club competes in the Bucks County Playhouse competition annually as well as performing two shows a year. The fall show is either a comedy or drama and in the spring, Mount Olive has a musical. In addition to a spring and fall production, each year, the club puts on a cabaret style show titled, "Broadway Night", which features members of the club performing various Broadway numbers.

In 2009, the school's marching band received 1st place in all competitions they competed in, including the United States Scholastic Band Association Northern Allstates Championships. The show they performed was entitled, "Next Stop...", featuring themes from New York, such as Beethoven's Fifth in Lincoln Center, variations on "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" for Yankee Stadium, "Clair De Lune" for Central Park, and "New York, New York", "Auld Lang Syne", and a medley of the songs performed in the show for the fourth movement, Times Square/Broadway.

In 2013, the decision was made to leave the United States Scholastic Band Association, and take a more independent track. In 2018, the marching band decided to reorganize itself to also contain a rock band. Part of this decision was to stop competing, and instead focus on creating the most entertaining halftime show possible. In 2022, the marching band decided to perform at select away shows and begin competing again.

FIRST Robotics

The Mount Olive Varsity FIRST Robotics Competition Team is MORT Team 11.[36] MORT was founded in the fall of 1996, and started competing in the 1997 season. The Junior Varsity team, which competes at the same level as Team 11, is MORT BETA Team 193. This team, which first competed in 2013, consists of only freshmen. Classes have been offered in the district since the year 2000.[37]

In 2005 Team 11 won the Chairman's Award at the NJ Regional Competition. This award is the highest honor achievable at a regional competition by a FIRST robotics team. In 2004 and 2006 MORT won the Palmetto Regional and in 2008 they won the Chesapeake regional.

Founder Bill McGowan was awarded the FIRST New Jersey Regional Woodie Flowers Award in 2008, the highest commendation that FIRST awards a team coach or mentor.[38]

Mount Olive Robotics Team also was a charter team in the inaugural FIRST LEGO League season in 2002 and received an at-large bid as one of only 17 teams to compete at the FIRST Championship at EPCOT that year.

Administration

The school's principal is Kevin Moore. His core administration team includes three vice principals and the athletic director.[39]

Notable alumni

References
  1. School data for Mount Olive High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.
  2. Mount Olive High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  3. Day in the Life: Mt. Olive HS, Daily Record, accessed January 3, 2007
  4. Roman, Linda. "Split School District Finds Advantages", Daily Record, August 31, 1980. Accessed March 25, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Voters from the Mendhams, the Chesters, Washington Township and Mount Olive the communities which comprised the 130-square-mile district, with three high school buildings overwhelmingly approved a referendum for Mount Olive's withdrawal from the regional district in December 1977. This made Mount Olive the first district in the state to do so. Deregionalization became effective July 1, 1978.... West Morris Central High School became the district's first school in 1958. In 1970, a second school was built in Mendham. In 1972, the third high school was built in Mount Olive."
  5. Staff. "America's Best High Schools 2016", Newsweek. Accessed November 11, 2016.
  6. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  7. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed August 26, 2012.
  8. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 26, 2011.
  9. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  10. New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011 Archived October 21, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Schooldigger.com. Accessed March 4, 2012.
  11. Home Page, Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference. Accessed August 27, 2020. "The Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference prides itself on being one of New Jersey's premier high school conferences and is comprised of 39 high schools located in Northwest New Jersey."
  12. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  13. Home Page, Iron Hills Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive as of February 2, 2011. Accessed December 3, 2014.
  14. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  15. Cooper, Darren. "Here's what we know about the new Super Football Conference 2020 schedule", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference (SFC) is a 112-team group, the largest high school football-only conference in America, and is comprised of teams from five different counties."
  16. Cooper, Darren. "NJ football: Super Football Conference revised schedules for 2020 regular season", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference has 112 teams that will play across 20 divisions."
  17. NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2022–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  18. NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  19. Corbett, Kayla. "Hopatcong's New Hockey Team", Hopatcong Arrow, January 2015. Accessed December 12, 2015. "This year HHS did something new—we collaborated with Mount Olive HS to bring a sport to Hopatcong students. Beginning with this winter season, Hopatcong High School now has a hockey team."
  20. History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  21. 2003 Field Hockey - North I, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  22. 2004 Field Hockey - North I, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 29, 2007.
  23. NJSIAA Girls Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  24. NJSIAA Sectional Cross Country Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  25. State Semifinals - North I, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 29, 2007.
  26. 2002 Football - North II, Group III, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 29, 2007.
  27. NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
  28. "It's 'Title Town' For Mount Olive; Marauders capture first state football championship with 14-13 thriller over Jefferson in the cold", New Jersey Hills Media Group, December 12, 2002. Accessed December 22, 2020. "The final 2:25 of Mount Olive's 14-13 victory over Jefferson in last Friday night's New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association North Jersey Section 2, Group 3 championship game had to be the most harrowing of Marauder coach Jimm Kramer's football career.... Kramer's team was ahead 14-7 when Jefferson drove 85 yards and pulled to within one point at 14-13 when Antonio Irizarry threw a seven-yard scoring pass to Ryan McCarney with 21 seconds left in regulation. But Mount Olive dodged a bullet and captured the first title in school history when the potential game-tying PAT kick by Jefferson's Wayne Guarino was pulled low and to the left. Mount Olive (11-1) appeared to have the game and the title in hand up after Jefferson (9-3) was flagged with a 15-yard penalty for blocking below the waist, a setback that left the Falcons with a second-and-23 on their own 21 with 1:20 to play."
  29. NJSIAA Wrestling Team Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2021.
  30. Staff. "Mount Olive 1, Montville 0", The Star-Ledger, May 29, 2008. Accessed June 28, 2011. "Mount Olive pitcher Hannah Ensel was easily motivated for her team's game against Montville yesterday for the championship of the NJSIAA/Blue Ribbon Awards North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 tournament.... Mount Olive (23-4) captured its first sectional title since 1996 and will play Iselin Kennedy, No. 11 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, in a state semifinal on Tuesday at J.P. Stevens in Edison."
  31. Kitchin, Mark. "Cheers for Chatham this year's MCT champs", Morris County Varsity Boys Basketball, February 26, 2012. Accessed November 25, 2012.
  32. NJSIAA Ice Hockey State Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  33. "Mount Olive wins Haas Cup in OT thriller", USA Today High School Sports, February 22, 2014. Accessed January 24, 2021. "Mount Olive’s Jordan Bustard remembers all too well the feeling of losing in overtime to Park Regional in the Haas Cup final last season.... Sophomore winger Matt Sanchez scored at 2:27 of overtime off a slick rush and setup from senior Ethan Hendrickson (2 goals, 1 assist), and Bustard stopped 30 shots to lead the Marauders to a thrilling 3-2 victory over Madison and the Marauders’ first-ever Haas Cup championship."
  34. "Thirteen New Jersey High School Choirs Celebrate America on NJN". Archived from the original on January 4, 2011., New Jersey Network, February 25, 2010. Accessed February 7, 2012.
  35. Tim Janis: The American Christmas Carol Archived August 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Carnegie Hall. Accessed February 7, 2012.
  36. Home Page, MORT Team 11. Accessed July 27, 2014.
  37. FIRST Impact on School Curriculum Archived July 15, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, New York City / New Jersey FIRST Newsletter, July 2007. Accessed April 12, 2013. "According to Bill McGowan, teacher-coach of Mount Olive's FIRST Robotics team (Team #11), a curriculum using FIRST that involves not only their high school, but also junior high and elementary-aged students will be in use starting with the 2007-2008 school year. The high school curriculum is a 4-year program that uses mainly FIRST resources, was first offered back in 2000."
  38. Knapp, Claire. "Robotics team coming on strong", Mount Olive Chronicle, April 1, 2008. Accessed April 12, 2013. "Their director and program founder, Bill McGowan, also was named recipient of the Woodie Flowers Award. The prestigious award is named for Woodie Flowers, chair of the mechanical engineering department at MIT, and recognizes a teacher or engineer who has helped kids seek out math, science and technology through robotics."
  39. Administrative Team, Mount Olive High School. Accessed January 26, 2022.
  40. Keturah Orji, United States Olympic Committee. Accessed August 9, 2016. "Birthplace: Hoboken, N.J.; Hometown: Mount Olive, N.J.; High School: Mount Olive High School (Mount Olive, N.J.) '14"
  41. Ryan Peterson, Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's soccer. Accessed October 2, 2022. "Hometown: Budd Lake, N.J. High School: Mount Olive"
  42. Lambert, Jim. "Steve Slattery, a NJ distance running legend, is headed into the Mount Olive Hall of Fame", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 24, 2012. Accessed November 6, 2017. "I haven't covered many runners blessed with the kind of talent or who ran with the kind of heart that Steve Slattery showed during his days at Mount Olive High.... After graduating from Mount Olive in 1998, Slattery took that same drive and passion to Colorado with him where he flourished under Jersey native Mark Wetmore, especially in the grueling steeplechase."
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