Clifton High School (New Jersey)

Clifton High School
Location
Main: 333 Colfax Avenue Annex: 290 Brighton Road Clifton, NJ 07013
Information
Type	Public high school
School district	Clifton Public Schools
CEEB Code	310245
Principal	Michael McGinley
Vice principal	North - Luginda Walker Central - Yvonne Cali South - Susan Peters East - John Lopez Annex - Peter Cumba
Faculty	203 (on FTE basis)[1]
Grades	9 - 12
Enrollment	3,336 (as of 2009-10)[1]
Student to teacher ratio	16.43[1]
Color(s)	Maroon and Gray
Athletics	Big North Conference
Mascot	Clifton Mustang
Team name	Mustangs
Website	clifton.k12.nj.us/hs clifton.k12.nj.us/hs/annex_default.asp

Clifton High School (CHS) is a four year public high school serving grades 9-12 for the city of Clifton in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Clifton Public Schools. It has the largest student body in a single facility amongst high schools in New Jersey; Elizabeth High School has more students, but its students are spread over multiple campuses.^[2]

As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of about 3,336 students and 203 classroom teachers (on a FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.43.^[1]

The school was the 259th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", after being ranked 223rd in 2008 out of 316 schools.^[3] The school was ranked 280th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.^[4]

Campus

Clifton High School is divided into four wings; North, Central, South and East. Between the South and East wings, the William F. Shershin Memorial Technology and Media Center provides students access to many books, music, movies and computers with internet access.

Due to overcrowding, recent additions were made to the campus. A walkway which runs alongside the four wings, and an annex was constructed in which a portion of the freshman body goes to class, in order to alleviate crowding.

Activities

Athletics

Clifton High School competes regionally in over 50 sport programs as part of the Big North Conference, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.^[5] Prior to the 2010 reorganization, the school had participated in the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) an athletic conference of twenty high schools located in Bergen County and Passaic County.

• Fall sports include Boys and Girls Cross Country, Girls Gymnastics, Football, Girls Volleyball, Girls Tennis, and Boys and Girls Soccer, and Marching Band^[6]
• Winter Sports include Hockey, Boy and Girls Indoor Track, Wrestling, Basketball, Swimming, and Bowling.
• Spring Sports include Baseball, Boys Volleyball, Boys and Girls Outdoor Track, Boys and Girls Lacrosse, Boys Tennis, Softball, and Golf.

The boys cross country team had won the NNJIL for eight years in a row (1998–2006) and the girls for three years (2004–2007).^{[citation needed]}

The Mustangs were the North I, Group IV Football State Champs 2006, even with the injury of Marcel "Tone" Masso 85 TE, and Mike Chefrin 7 QB defeating Eastside High School 26-0.^[7]

The 2007 girls softball team won the North I, Group IV Softball sectional championship with a 10-0 win over top-seeded Bloomfield High School.^[8][9] The team moved on to win the Group IV State Championship defeating North Hunterdon High School and then Toms River High School East in the final game, both by a score of 2-0.^[10]

The 2007 boys soccer team, under the direction of Coach Joe Vespignani, won the North I, Group IV state sectional championship with a 1-0 win over defending Group IV State Champion West Orange High School in the tournament final.^[11][12] In the state semi-final, Clifton defeated Columbia High School by an identical 1-0 score. The spectacular goal was scored by Manuel Caicedo with a brilliant Bicycle Kick from the penalty spot. Manny Caicedo was named Passaic County Player of the Year and Second Team All State. The team moved on to share the Group IV state championship with a 1-1 tie against Manalapan High School.^[13][14]

The 2008 boys soccer team repeated as the North I, Group IV state sectional champion with a 3-2 overtime win against North Bergen High School.^[15] In the state semi-final, Clifton defeated Elizabeth High School 2-1 in overtime in a match-up of the two largest high schools in the state, before falling in the state final to Rancocas Valley Regional High School by a score of 2-0.^[16]

The 2009 boys soccer team completed a threepeat as the North I, Group IV state sectional champion with a 3-0 win over Livingston High School.^[17] In the state semi-final, Clifton defeated Ridge High School 1-0 in double overtime, before falling in the state final to Toms River High School South by a score of 1-0, a goal was the only goal allowed through the five games of the state tournament, in a season in which Clifton had a record of 19-6-1, including 16 shutouts.^[18] The team averaged 20 wins a season over the three-year period. In Coach Vespignani's eight years at the helm, the team is a combined 149-36-7.

The Clifton boys soccer team won the Passaic County Championship for nine consecutive years, from 1997 to 2005, before their streak was ended by Wayne Valley, which had lost to Clifton in the tournament finals in both 2004 and 2005 before defeating Clifton in both 2006 and 2007.^[19]

In addition, the girls soccer team at Clifton, under Coach Dan Chilowicz, shared the Passaic County Championship title with Wayne Valley High School in 2007 with a deadlocked score of 0-0. The girls team, led by Stan Lembryk, was declared county co-champion again in 2009 after a 1-1 tie with Wayne Hills High School.^[20]

Clubs

Clifton High School has over 60 clubs. In its auditoriums, many plays and dance performances are held, many occurring annually. The Chemistry II 'Dream Team' members came in second out of 127 schools in the state science competition in 2011.^[21]

Band

The Clifton High School Mustang Marching Band, "The Showband of the Northeast", is modeled after the fast paced, high stepping, Big-10 bands, under the leadership of band director Robert D. Morgan since 1972.^[22] The group forms a script C-H-S, similar to the script O-H-I-O of The Ohio State University Marching Band, the Marching Band unravels from a tight block, following one another, forming the school's initials in cursive. The band is showcased in many venues within the city of Clifton, it appears annually in the North Jersey Band Festival, (formally known as the Clifton Band Festival, or Herald News Band Festival) the West Milford Military Tattoo, all Clifton High School football games, and city parades. The Clifton High School Mustang Band has traveled extensively across the United States, The United Kingdom, Europe, and Canada. The Clifton High School Mustang Marching Band recently won 1st palace in "Best in Parade" during the 2007 and 2008 Columbus Day Parade in New York City, and 2nd Place in the 2009 Columbus Day Parade and then won first place again in 2010. Among the other activities in Clifton High School, the city of Clifton placed the Marching Band on its list of the most recognized activities in the city of Clifton.

Administration

Core members of the school's administration include:^[23]

• Michael McGinley – Principal^[24]
• Luginda Walker – Vice Principal (North Wing)
• Michael Doktor – Administrative Intern (Central Wing)
• Steven Anderson – Vice Principal (South Wing)
• Patricia Delotto – Vice Principal (East Wing)
• Peter Cumba - Vice Principal (Annex)

Notable alumni

• Chris Karcz (born 1983), former professional soccer midfielder/forward.^[25]
• Ernest Mario (born 1938), pharmaceutical executive.^[26]
• Ronald F. Maxwell (born 1949), director and producer of several movies, including the 2003 American Civil War film Gods and Generals.^[27]
• Giuseppe Rossi (born 1987), American-born Italian soccer player, who currently plays for Villareal CF.^[28]
• Jon Seda (born 1970), actor best known for his role as Detective Paul Falsone on NBC's Homicide: Life on the Street.^[29]
• Dave Szott (born 1967), offensive lineman who played for the New York Jets.^[30][31]
• Dave White (born 1979), Derringer Award-winning mystery writer.^{[citation needed]}
• Ivan Wilzig (born 1956), techno mix musician known as Peace Man.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Clifton High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed May 24, 2011.
2. ^ Clifton High's hallway gridlock, The Record (Bergen County), December 6, 2006. Accessed August 26, 2007. "Clifton High School, circa 1962, is the largest single high school in the state. Only Elizabeth High School has more students, but they are spread out over five campuses."
3. ^ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed March 17, 2011.
4. ^ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
5. ^ League Memberships – 2011-2012, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 16, 2011.
6. ^ http://www.cliftonmustangband.com
7. ^ 2006 Football Tournament – North I, Group IV, NJSIAA, accessed December 4, 2006.
8. ^ 2007 Softball – North I, Group IV, NJSIAA. Accessed June 12, 2007.
9. ^ Zagoria, Adam. "Clifton hits double digits, cruises to title", Herald News, June 1, 2007. Accessed June 1, 2007. "Sam Litchfield didn't use any of her tae kwon do maneuvers on the softball field at Pulaski Park, but she certainly helped deliver the knockout blow to Bloomfield in the North 1, Group 4 final. Litchfield, a black belt in the martial art and the right fielder for Clifton, went 2-for-3 with four RBIs and also made an eye-popping running grab in the outfield to lead the No. 2-seeded Mustangs to an emphatic 10-0 victory over the No. 1 Bengals in five innings before an estimated 750 fans."
10. ^ 2007 Softball - Public Semis/Finals, NJSIAA. Accessed June 12, 2007.
11. ^ 2007 Boys Soccer – North I, Group IV, NJSIAA. Accessed November 13, 2007.
12. ^ Bondy, Stefan. "They did it! Mustangs take title North 1, Group 4 Clifton 1, West Orange 0", Herald News, November 10, 2007. Accessed November 13, 2007.
13. ^ 2007 Boys Soccer - Public Semis/Finals, NJSIAA. Accessed November 24, 2007.
14. ^ Bondy, Stefan. "Mustangs finish state champions", Herald News, November 17, 2007. Accessed November 24, 2007.
15. ^ Staff. "Clifton 3, North Bergen 2", The Star-Ledger, November 13, 2008. Accessed June 21, 2011. "Milton Gutierrez scored with three minutes remaining in the second overtime period to secure Clifton's 2-1 victory over North Bergen and the NJSIAA/MAC Testing North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 championship yesterday in North Bergen."
16. ^ Staff. "Red Devils fulfill season of promise, Ryan Finley scored both goals to give Rancocas Valley the state Group 4 crown.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 22, 2008. Accessed June 21, 2011. "With Ryan Finley scoring both goals, Rancocas Valley beat Clifton, 2-0, last night at the College of New Jersey for the state Group 4 championship. Ranked No. 1 in South Jersey since the preseason, Rancocas Valley won its second state title after earning a co-championship in Group 4 in 2004."
17. ^ Staff. "Boys Soccer - 2009 NJSIAA Tournament - North 1, Group 4 - Round 4 - Game 1 - Boys Soccer", The Star-Ledger, November 13, 2009. Accessed June 21, 2011. "Victor Manosalvas, a senior midfielder, scored twice and junior midfielder Oscar Gonzalez also scored as Clifton won its third consecutive NJSIAA/Investors Savings Bank North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 championship with a 3-0 victory over Livingston yesterday in Clifton."
18. ^ Karn, Jeff. "Toms River South 1, Clifton 0", The Star-Ledger, November 20, 2009. Accessed June 21, 2011. "Chrashewsky scored the winning goal with 24:55 on the clock in the second half and O’Neill made 10 saves to lead Toms River South to a 1-0 victory over Clifton in the final of the NJSIAA/Investors Savings Bank Group 4 final in front of 500 at The College of New Jersey in Ewing.... On the other hand, Clifton (19-6-1) entered the group final having posted 16 shutouts, including all four of state playoff games... Clifton was appearing in its third straight Group 4 final after tying Manalapan, 1-1, in 2007 and dropping a 2-0 decision to Rancocas Valley a year ago."
19. ^ Schutta, Gregory. "Clifton, Wayne Valley advance to Passaic County final", The Record (Bergen County), October 17, 2010. Accessed June 21, 2011. "It will be the first time the two teams meet in the final since playing each other in four straight from 2004 through 2007. Wayne Valley won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007, ending Clifton’s streak of nine straight County titles."
20. ^ Stamboulian, Rich. "Wayne Hills shares Passaic County title with Clifton", Wayne Today, October 29, 2009. Accessed June 21, 2011. "In a result that seemingly pleased no one, Wayne Hills and Clifton battled to a 1-1 overtime tie in Saturday's Passaic County final and were declared Co-Champions. It was the sixth time in tournament history that the championship game went to overtime with two of those ending in ties. Clifton was a part of two of those games having tied Wayne Hills in a scoreless battle at Hawthorne in 2003 and having tied Wayne Valley in 2007."
21. ^ Gicas, Tony (May 27,2011). "CHS chemistry 'dream team' makes district proud". Clifton Journal. http://www.northjersey.com/news/122611549_CHS_chemistry__dream_team__makes_district_proud.html. Retrieved 07/15/2011. 
22. ^ Staff. "Mustang Band orientation scheduled for June 6", Clifton Journal, June 3, 2011. Accessed June 20, 2011. "The Mustang Marching Band performs at all high school football games as well as at various parades and special events. Known as the Showband of the Northeast and The Pride of Clifton, the band will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2013."
23. ^ Administration, Clifton High School. Accessed July 6, 2011. Source still shows Pasquale Orsini as interim principal as of date accessed.
24. ^ Gicas, Tony. "New CHS principal discusses experience", Clifton Journal, June 3, 2011. Accessed July 6, 2011. "Last week, the district officially appointed a new head administrator to helm New Jersey's largest single-campus high school, replacing former Clifton High School principal, Jimmie Warren, who recently resigned amid sexual harassment allegations. Last week, Garfield High School Principal Michael McGinley received unanimous approval from the Clifton Board of Education to become Warren's permanent replacement at CHS."
25. ^ "Clifton's Karcz joining Red Bulls", The Record (Bergen County), July 3, 2007. Accessed July 28, 2007. "Clifton native Chris Karcz, who played at Rutgers, has been signed by the Red Bulls.... The midfielder/forward was a three-time All-Big East Conference selection at Rutgers and was a first-team All-American in his senior year at Clifton High School."
26. ^ Ratish, Robert. "PHARMACY GRADUATE PLEDGES $5M SHOT IN ARM FOR RUTGERS -- SCHOOL TO BE RENAMED FOR FORMER CLIFTON MAN, The Record (Bergen County), December 16, 2001. Accessed May 13, 2007. "...graduated from Clifton High School when he was 16 years old..."
27. ^ Biography: Ronald F. Maxwell - Narrator, Horses of Gettysburg. Accessed June 17, 2007. "Ronald F. Maxwell is the son of a World War II veteran and a French war bride. He grew up in New Jersey where he graduated from Clifton High School."
28. ^ Bergeron, Tom. "Clifton's Rossi does it again, scores for Italy in men's soccer", The Star-Ledger, August 10, 2008. Accessed June 21, 2011. "The U.S. team has dreamed of having Giuseppe Rossi in its international pool of players.... Rossi, who played at Clifton High School but was born in Italy, scored his second goal in two games to help Italy clinch a quarterfinal berth with a 3-0 victory over South Korea."
29. ^ Moss, Linda. "Actor Jon Seda felt special connection to World War II hero John Basilone, in HBO’s ‘The Pacific’", NewJerseyNewsroom.com, May 30, 2010. Accessed June 21, 2011. "Seda himself was especially moved by the reaction of Charles Tatum, who actually served with Basilone and was on Iwo Jima with him. Tatum, who is portrayed in The Pacific, visited the set of the miniseries when it was shooting in Los Angeles. Seda said that Tatum shook his hand and said, 'We're all in agreement: You're John.' The actor, a graduate of Clifton High School, was left speechless by Tatum's praise."
30. ^ Eskenazi, Gerald. "PRO FOOTBALL; JETS TURN ATTENTION TO OFFENSE", The New York Times, March 13, 2002. Accessed June 21, 2011. "The Jets met yesterday with Bob Hallen of the Falcons, who was a second-round pick in 1998; will meet later this week with Chris Naeole, a first-round pick of the Saints in 1997; and Dave Szott, a 31-year-old who started 16 games last year with the Redskins. Szott, who played at Clifton High School in New Jersey, knows Jets General Manager Terry Bradway from their days together at Kansas City."
31. ^ 1985-86 WRESTLING USA MAGAZINE'S HIGH SCHOOL All-AMERICA TEAM, Wrestling USA Magazine, accessed February 20, 2007.

External links

• Clifton High School
• Clifton Public Schools
• Clifton Mustang Marching Band – The Showband of the Northeast
• Clifton Public Schools's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for the Clifton Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics

Coordinates: 40°52′17″N 74°09′47″W / 40.871253°N 74.163167°W / 40.871253; -74.163167