Junípero Serra High School (Gardena, California)
Junípero Serra High School is a private, Roman Catholic High School in Gardena, California, a suburban city located 14 miles southwest from Downtown Los Angeles. Honored as a State School of the Year, Serra is operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Junípero Serra High School | |
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Address | |
14830 South Van Ness Avenue , , 90249 | |
Coordinates | 33°53′48″N 118°19′3″W |
Information | |
School type | Private, Coeducational Private |
Motto | "You Shall Be My Witnesses." (Acts 1:8) |
Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic; Marianists (1950–1994) (2014–present) |
Patron saint(s) | St Junipero Serra |
Established | 1950 |
School code | 051025 |
Dean | McKinsey Hadley |
Principal | Angela Mastantuono |
Grades | 9–12 |
Campus | Suburban |
Color(s) | Royal Blue and Scarlet |
Slogan | Cavaliers have faith and integrity.
Cavaliers are humble and accountable. Cavaliers are scholars that lead and serve. Cavaliers are soldiers for Christ. We are cavaliers! All Hail! |
Fight song | Hail to the Red & Blue |
Athletics conference | CIF Southern Section Camino Del Rey Association |
Nickname | Cavaliers & Lady Cavaliers |
Rival | Chaminade College Preparatory |
Accreditation | Western Association of Schools and Colleges[1] |
Newspaper | The Cavalier |
Yearbook | El Padre |
Annual tuition | $10,000 |
Vice Principal | Nadi Wissa M.A. Ed. |
Athletic Director | Kirk Bertrand |
Director of Advancement | Joe Cormier |
Alumni Relations and Development Director | Joseph D. Cormier '81 |
Website | www.la-serrahs.org |
Background
Junípero Serra High School was founded by James Francis Cardinal McIntyre in 1950.[2] It is named for founder of the California Missions, Saint Junipero Serra. The school, which was largely staffed by the Society of Mary graduated its first class in 1953.[2]
Religious of the Sacred Heart and Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and archdiocesan priests have also helped to staff the school at various times in its history. The Marianists left in 1994 due to lack of members to staff all their schools but they came back in 2014.[3]
The current administration and faculty are predominantly lay women and men. Their dedication to the Catholic philosophy of education and values of the Gospel serves as an example for today's youth.[2]
In addition to Gardena, the school also serves Carson, Compton, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lennox, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, and Torrance.[2] The students from the above places brings a diverse cultural and ethnic background which continues to enrich the traditions which begun in 1950.[2]
Athletics
CIF and State Championships
Serra athletic programs have earned numerous California State and CIF-Southern Section titles. In the spring of 2013 the boys' track and field team set a record with 148 team points enroute to winning their 20th CIF Southern Section title, taking twelve out of the last fourteen. After narrowly missing the title in 2010 and 2012, the boys' track & field team finished a historic season by capturing the California Division 1 State Championship. The team finished with several individual state champions, making it their team second California Division 1 State Championship. In the Spring of 2012 the girls won the California Division 1 State Championship and their 4th consecutive CIF-Southern Section title.
Serra placed five top-20 records in California State High School Track & Field history in the 4 × 100-meter relay according to DyestatCal and ESPN,[4] along with all-time marks in the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter sprints, 300 intermediate hurdles, discus, and 4X400 relay. The track program has also produced three (Division 1) State Coaches of the Year since the year 2000, and 19 individual (Division 1) State Champions in recent school history.[5]
In December 2012, the Serra Cavaliers football team won the Division 2 California State title. They also won a Division 3 California State title in 2009, making that a total of two titles in four years.[6][7]
This victory adds to the three CIF- Southern Section Championship titles that the Serra Cavaliers earned in football during the same four-year period.[8] In the 2011-2012 academic year, Serra won four CIF Southern Section-Ford championships.[9]
In 2010, Serra Basketball claimed the CIF-Southern Section and California State Boys' Basketball titles.[10] The Boys' Basketball team has earned 2 California State titles in all-time school history. In 2014-2015, Serra competed in their first-ever CIF-Southern Section Swimming Championships meet and in the 2015-2016 swim season, Serra Swimming competed in their very first CIF-Southern Section State Championship meet. The Serra Cavalier Swim Team has been competing at CIF-Southern Section Swimming Championships since 13-14 swim season.
Since 1980, the school has won numerous state and CIF Championships, in addition to dozens and dozens of league titles:[11]
- 1980: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
- 1981: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
- 1982: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
- 1989: CIF-SS Football
- 1993: State Champs Boys' Basketball, CIF-SS Boys' Basketball
- 1994: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
- 1996: State Champs Boys' Track & Field (4x100), CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
- 1997: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
- 1998: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
- 1999: CIF-SS Boys' Basketball, CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
- 2000: Division 1 State Champs Boys' Track & Field, State Champs Boys' Track & Field (100-meter dash, 4x100 relay, 4x400 relay), CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field, CIF Regional Boys' Basketball, CIF-SS Boys' Basketball
- 2002: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
- 2003: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field, CIF-SS Girls' Track & Field (first CIF Title for girls; was all-boys school until 1991)
- 2004: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
- 2005: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
- 2006: CIF-SS 'Basketball
- 2007: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
- 2008: CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
- 2009: State Champs Football (Division III), State Champs Girls' Track & Field (4x400 relay) (400-meter sprint), State Champs Boys' Track (4x100 relay) CIF-SS Football (Northwest Division), CIF-SS Girls' Track & Field, CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field
- 2010: State Champs Boys' Basketball, State Champs Girls' Track & Field (400-meter dash), State Champs Boys' Track and Field (Boys' 4x400 relay), CIF-SS Boys' Track & Field, CIF-SS Girls' Track & Field, CIF-SS Boys' Basketball, CIF-SS Girls' Basketball, CIF-SS Football (Western Division),
- 2011: State Champs Girls' Track (4x400 relay), CIF-SS Boys' Track and Field, CIF-SS Girls' Track and Field, CIF-SS Boys' Basketball, CIF-SS Girls' Basketball,
- 2012: State Champs Girls' Track, State Champs Girls' Track (4x100 relay, 4x400 relay, 400-meter dash, Long Jump), State Champs Boys' Track and Field (110-meter hurdles, Long Jump), State Champs Football (Division II), CIF-SS Football (Western Division), CIF-SS Girls' Track, CIF-SS Boys' Track
- 2013: Division 1 State Champs Boys' Track, State Champs Boys' Track & Field:(Boys' 4x100 relay, Boys' 300 hurdles, Boys' 4x400 relay), State Champs Girls' Basketball, CIF-SS Boys' Track, CIF-SS Boys' Baseball
- 2016: Division 4AA CIF-SS Boys Basketball Champs
- 2018: Division 1 state Champs Girls’ Basketball, State Champs Girls’ Track & Field, Division 4 CIF Champs Girls’ Track & Field, Division 7 CIF Champs Girls’ Softball
School of the Year
In the 2009–2010 academic year, the Serra Cavaliers, who compete in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), became the first school in California history to win state football and basketball titles in the same academic year. For this achievement, Serra was named "2009–2010 State School of the Year" by Cal-Hi Sports. Based on school enrollment, Serra is the smallest school to ever receive this honor and the first State School of the Year recipient from the South Bay region of Los Angeles in 44 years.[12][13][14]
Notable alumni
- Brigadier General Michael J. Aguilar, (USMC) (ret.), Federal Security Director, San Diego International Airport
- Bené Benwikere, NFL cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys
- Kerry Boagni, former professional basketball player, Utah Jazz
- Joseph D. Cormier, former professional football player, Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Raiders
- George Farmer, NFL cornerback
- Skeme, rapper, performer
- Deon Figures, former NFL defensive back, Pittsburgh Steelers; first round draft selection, 1993; winner of the Jim Thorpe Award
- Dana Gioia, former Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts; and poet
- Dwan Hurt, Serra basketball coach
- Duke Ihenacho, former NFL strong safety, Washington Redskins
- Adoree Jackson, 2016 Jim Thorpe Award winner at USC, selected in the first round (18th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft to the Tennessee Titans
- Pooh Jeter, professional basketball player, Sacramento Kings point guard
- Montell Jordan, hip hop, R&B recording artist
- Jordan Lasley, NFL wide receiver, Baltimore Ravens
- Marqise Lee, NFL wide receiver for Jacksonville Jaguars; 2012 winner of Biletnikoff Award at USC
- Gary E. Liebl, Chair (ret.), QLogic; Chairman Emeritus, Chaminade University of Honolulu; Life Governor, Chapman University
- William D. McCann (Class of 1964 -SBP) Founder, Mount Diablo National Bank, Danville, CA, Founder, Go-Ped Europa Teoranta, Bunbeg, Gweedore, Ireland, Vice Chairman of the Board, ValleyCare Medical Systems, Livermore, CA, Poet Laureate, Bohemian Club of California
- William Melville, founder, president and CEO (retired), Mayfair Plastics [15]
- Myron Montgomery, Former Soul Train Dancer from 1976-1995
- Maalik Murphy, college football player at the University of Texas
- Dave Nelson, Major League Baseball All-Star infielder and FSN broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers
- Milt Palacio, NBA point guard, currently plays in Greek League
- Jemeel Powell, former NFL player
- Arabian Prince, rapper, former N.W.A. member
- Eugene Profit, CEO, Profit Investment Management; former NFL cornerback, New England Patriots, Washington Redskins
- Terrence Quaites, R&B recording artist with Cash Money Records, musical artist
- Kris Richard, NFL defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks; former NFL defensive back, Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers
- Paul Richardson, wide receiver, selected 45th overall by Seattle Seahawks in 2014 NFL Draft
- Dominic Smith, first baseman for the Washington Nationals
- Jashon Sykes, NFL linebacker (ret.), Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins
- Sione Tuihalamaka, American football player
- Jarrett Theragood, American Businessman
- Theo Viltz, former NFL player
- David Williams, played for the National Football League and the Canadian Football League
- Marcus Wilson, MLB outfielder for the Seattle Mariners organization
- Robert Woods, wide receiver, Tennessee Titans; track & field, 400 meter sprint; (2010) IAAF World Rank (Senior)[16]
Notable faculty
- Dwan Hurt, Serra basketball coach
References
- WASC-ACS. "WASC-Accrediting Commission for Schools". Archived from the original on 2009-08-14. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
- JSHS. "About Us". Junípero Serra High School website. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- JSHS. "School History". Junípero Serra High School website. Retrieved 2007-08-01.
- "All-Time California Track & Field Records". Espn.go.com. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- "Serra-Gardena Championships" (PDF). La-serrahs.org. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- "HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Serra overwhelms Oakdale to win CIF State Division II Bowl - the Daily Breeze". www.dailybreeze.com. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- "Serra's speed is too much for Oakdale to handle - Sports - Modbee.com". www.modbee.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
- Galuzzo, Steve (30 November 2012). "Serra outlasts Chaminade for Western Division title". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- "CIFSS". www.cifss.org. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
- "Gardena Serra Wins D3 State Title". iHigh.com. 2010-03-29. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
- "Junipero Serra High School". Serrahighschool.com. 1999-12-31. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
- "A Nod For Small Schools Everywhere - Espn Rise | High School Sports News, Training For Performance And College Recruiting | How To Be A Better Athlete". Rise.espn.go.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
- Gittelson, Gerry (2010-07-19). "Serra named Cal-Hi Sports state school of year; H.W. also honored - Daily News High School Spotlight". Insidesocal.com. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
- "Serra wins Cal-Hi Sports State School of the Year honor". The Daily Breeze. 2010-03-09. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
- "Memorial service held for blow molder Melville". Plastics News. Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2010-11-05.
- "IAAF: 400 Metres - men - senior - outdoor - 2010". Iaaf.org. Retrieved 16 December 2017.