Rock Island High School
Rock Island High School, also known as "Rocky",[2] is a public four-year high school located in Rock Island, Illinois, United States. Rocky is within the Rock Island–Milan School District 41, and the school colors are crimson and gold.
| Rock Island High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
1400 25th Ave Rock Island, Illinois 61201 United States | |
| Coordinates | 41.486937°N 90.577544°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Motto | Excellence Every Day |
| Established | 1936 |
| School district | Rock Island–Milan School District 41 |
| Dean | Ivory Clark Katie Kartzler Melody Oswald |
| Principal | Jeff Whitaker |
| Assistant principals | Carmen Woods Dan Logan |
| Faculty | 96.40 (FTE)[1] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Number of students | 1,612 (2019-20)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 16.72[1] |
| Campus type | High School |
| Color(s) | Crimson, Gold |
| Athletics conference | Western Big 6 |
| Mascot | Rock |
| Website | rihs.rimsd41.org |
Administration
Principals
- Jeff Whitaker, Principal
- Carmen Woods, Assistant Principal
- Dan Logan, Assistant Principal
Deans
- Ivory Clark
- Katie Hartzler
Other administrators
- Robert Smith, President, RIEA
- Michelle Lillis, Athletic Director
Activities
Rock Island High School participates in the Illinois High School Association and is a member of the Western Big 6 Conference. Rock Island High School seeks to provide an array of activities to engage each student in finding their true passion.
Sports
The Lady Rocks Swim Team won its first Western Big 6 Conference title in 21 years in November 2017. The Rocks won the IHSA 3A boys' basketball championship on March 19, 2011. They defeated the Centralia Orphans by a score of 50–40 in double overtime. The Lady Rocks softball team also won their first state title in 2018. The boys' soccer team won their first regional and conference titles in 2019.
The Rocks have also won the IHSA Speech sectional for 11 years in a row, which has qualified them for the Illinois State Championship in speech, a contest that has no class divisions. The speech team has been recognized as one of the key players in the state tournament for more than 20 years.
Music
The band was named an Illinois All-State Honor Band in 2013 by the Illinois Music Education Association. Under the direction of Peter Carlin, the Pride of Rock Island Marching Band has ranked among the best in the state and represented themselves as the premier marching band of the Quad Cities. The program consistently produces more ILMEA All-State musicians than any other in the immediate region.
Of the three choirs, the Chamber Singers are recognized throughout the Quad Cities for their Christmas tour. Further, the Chamber Singers are requested at many charitable events. Under the direction of Scott Voigt, the program constantly produces high numbers of ILMEA District 2 choir members and All-State singers.
Furthermore, Rock Island High School boasts two Orchestra classes due to the large number of enrollment in the program. The chamber orchestra, previously Rock Group performs at events and gigs. Mr. Matthew Manweiler serves as head of the program.
Parents of students and members of the local community support the music programs through The Rock Island Music Accossiation or RIMA for short. The group host many fundraising events and helps with anything the musical directors need.
Campus
Rock Island Public Schools Stadium and Almquist Field
Rock Island High School has an on-campus stadium, the Rock Island Public Schools Stadium, with a seating capacity of nearly 16,000, the highest of any high school football stadium in the state. Within the stadium, Almquist Field is surfaced with an AstroTurf artificial turf.
The Rock Island High School Auditorium
The community has a 1930s art deco auditorium. The lower seating capacity is 1000 persons. The upper capacity is 500 persons. The proscenium measures 50 feet.
Notable alumni
- Brea Beal (2019), 24th overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2023 WNBA draft to the Minnesota Lynx
- Ken Bowman (1960) was an NFL center with the Green Bay Packers for ten seasons, then practiced law.
- Charles Carpenter: highly decorated Second World War artillery observation pilot nicknamed Bazooka Charlie; destroyed several German armored vehicles in his bazooka-equipped Piper L-4 Cub/Grasshopper light observation aircraft, christened Rosie the Rocketeer.[3][4]
- Joel D. Collier (1949) is a former head coach for the Buffalo Bills and defensive coordinator, most notably with the Denver Broncos.[5]
- Steve Decker - former MLB catcher. Manager of the Connecticut Defenders (AA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants-Eastern League)
- Therese Fowler (1985) - author, including of Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald (2013).
- Alan M. Garber, MD, PhD (1973) Provost of Harvard University, Mallinckrodt Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School, Professor of Economics in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Professor of Public Policy in the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management in the Harvard School of Public Health. http://www.provost.harvard.edu/people/bio_agarber.php
- Courtney Lindsey (2016) is a professional track and field athlete.[6]
- Marcus Ward Lyon, Jr. (1893): zoologist, bacteriologist, and pathologist; president of the American Society of Mammalogists (1931–1933)[7]
- Susann McDonald (1953) is a classical harpist and professor of music. In 1989, she founded the USA International Harp Competition.
- Pete Mickeal (1996) is a professional basketball player, currently playing for Regal FC Barcelona.[8][9]
- Don Nelson is a former professional basketball player and coach. His 1335 victories as a head coach is the all-time record for a head coach in NBA history. Nelson was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in [10][11][12]
- Gary Payton (1966) is a former astronaut who flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery as a part of mission STS-51-C.[13][14]
- Chasson Randle, a professional basketball player and former college basketball player for Stanford University.[15]
- Mark Schwiebert (1968) is the former mayor of Rock Island (1989–2009).[16]
- Jonathan Tweet class valedictorian in 1983, game designer, author of Grandmother Fish, blogger[17]
- Austin Wheatley (1995) is a former professional football player who briefly played for the New Orleans Saints in 2000.[18][19]
- Derrick Willies (2013) is an NFL football player
- Sol Butler (1915) played in the NFL for the Rock Island Independents
References
- "Rock Island High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- "School Info & Schedule".
- What's New in Aviation: Piper Cub Tank Buster, Popular Science, Vol. 146 No. 2 (February 1945) p. 84
- Carpenter, Leland F., Piper L-4J Grasshopper Archived 2011-09-04 at the Wayback Machine, Aviation Enthusiast Corner, retrieved 21 October 2011
- Bell, Taylor (19 August 2010), "Laying Down Roots", Chicago Sun-Times (Chicago, IL, USA), archived from the original on 31 October 2010, retrieved 7 November 2010,
Many others had successful careers in college and the NFL, including ... Joe Collier (Rock Island, 1949)
- Jones, Tony. "Courtney Lindsey: From Rock Island To NCAA D1 100m Champion". MileSplit Illinois.
- Just, T. (1942). "Marcus Ward Lyon, Jr. 1875–1942". American Midland Naturalist. 27 (3): ii–xv. JSTOR 2420912.
- Batterson, Steve (26 June 2009), "Rock Island's Mickeal gets his own day", Quad City Times (Davenport, IA, USA), retrieved 7 November 2010,
Mickeal was an all-state player at Rock Island, a national junior college player of the year during the second of two national championship seasons at Indian Hills and an honorable mention all-American after a standout senior season at Cincinnati in 2000.
- "MICKEAL, PETE". statistics & biographical info. Euroleague Basketball. 6 November 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
played high-school basketball at Rock Island HS ...
- Doxsie, Don (7 April 2010), "Rock Island grad Nelson surprises old friends with NBA record run", Quad City Times (Davenport, IA, USA), retrieved 7 November 2010,
When Don Nelson was starring on the basketball court for three seasons at Rock Island High School from 1955 to '58 ... They certainly never imagined that Nelson someday would win more games in the NBA than anyone who came before him.
- "Don Nelson". statistical and biographic info. Basketball Reference.com. 6 November 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
High School: Rock Island in Rock Island, Illinois
- Dyer, Bob (3 September 1983), "Don Nelson, University of Iowa, 1983", Des Moines Register (Des Moines, IA, USA), retrieved 7 November 2010,
Don Nelson has been surprising the so-called experts throughout his playing and coaching career. After his senior year in high school at Rock Island, Ill., no major basketball powers beat a path to his door.
- "BIOGRAPHICAL DATA: Gary E. Payton (Major, USAF)". biographical sketch. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). January 1985. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
Graduated from high school in Rock Island, Illinois, in 1966
- Turner, Jonathan (1999). "Payton recalls heady days in space program". Quad Cities Online (service of Moline Dispatch/Argus, Moline, IL, USA). Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
After graduating from Rock Island High School in 1966, and spending a year at Bradley University, Mr. Payton entered the U.S. Air Force Academy ...
- "Chasson Randle Stanford bio". Stanford Cardinal. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
- "Announcement: Guests Welcome at our next meeting Weds., August 15, Noon at the Fortune Garden FEATURING: Mark Schwiebert, Mayor of Rock Island" (PDF). newsletter. Rotary Club of Bettendorf, IA, USA. 8 August 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
Mark was born in Moline, Illinois to Lloyd A. and Olive E. Schwiebert. He attended Rock Island public schools, graduating from Rock Island High School in 1968.
- Turner, Jonathan. "RI native raising money for kids' book on evolution". QConline. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
- "NFL All-Time Players: Austin Wheatley". National Football League. Retrieved 19 June 2010.
- "86 - Austin Wheatley". statistics & biographic sketch. Hawkeyesports.com/CBS Sports Interactive. 7 November 2010. Archived from the original on 4 August 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
High School: Rock Island HS