West Warwick High School

West Warwick High School
West Warwick High School
Address
Map
1 Webster Knight Dr

West Warwick
,
Kent County
,
Rhode Island
02893

United States
Coordinates41°42′32″N 71°30′58″W / 41.709°N 71.516°W / 41.709; -71.516
Information
TypePublic high school
MottoChoose love[1]
Founded1905[2]
School districtWest Warwick Public Schools
NCES District ID4401140
SuperintendentKaren Tarasevich
CEEB code400265
NCES School ID440114000318
PrincipalKristen Hinson
Faculty88
Grades9–12
GenderCoeducational
Enrollment1,044 (2021–22)[3]
Student to teacher ratio13:1
Campus typeSuburban
Color(s)    Orange and Black
MascotWizard
NicknameWizards
RivalCoventry[4]
USNWR ranking7,534
NewspaperThe Magic Word
Websitesites.google.com/westwarwickpublicschools.com/westwarwickhighschool

West Warwick Senior High School (abbreviated as WWHS) is a public high school in West Warwick, Rhode Island, United States.[5] In 2023, West Warwick High School is ranked 21st of 62 within Rhode Island by US News. The total enrollment is 1044 students; the total minority enrollment is 31%, and 48% of students are economically disadvantaged. West Warwick High School is the only high school in the West Warwick.

Students have the opportunity to follow a traditional college preparatory program, join one of Tollgate High School's vocational program, or pursue a Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) Career-to-Education Pathway Program.

Athletics[edit]

Logo for the West Warwick Wizards sports teams

The school is a member of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League.[6] West Warwick High School's sports teams play in divisions II and III.

List of sports programs[edit]

Fall Sports

  • Boys' Cross Country
  • Girls' Cross Country
  • Football – Plays in Division III-B, finishing the 23-24 Fall season 6-1 and ranking second (of 8 teams).[7] They have won nineteen Division II championships in 1936, 1937, 1939, 1949, 1950, 1951–1954, 1956, 1957 , 1959, 1962, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1977, 1989, 1990, 1993, 2002,[8] and most recently in 2013.[9] They have won one Division I championship in 1983. Every year on Thanksgiving, West Warwick plays their rivals Coventry.[10] West Warwick currently leads the series all time with 45 wins, Coventry has 12 wins, and the teams have tied twice. Coventry has won the last four match-ups, most recently winning 34–0.[11]
  • Boys' Soccer – Plays in Division II, finishing the 23-24 Fall season 8-6-3 and ranking fifth (of 15 teams). They have won one Division IV championship in 2004.
  • Girls' Soccer – Plays in Division II, finishing the 23-24 Fall season 2-7-4 and ranking twelfth (of 14 teams).[12] They have won five Division III championships, winning in 1989, 2000, 2001, 2013,[13] and most recently in 2014.[14] They also have two Division II championships in 1990 and 1991.
  • Girls' Tennis – Plays in Division III, finishing the 23-24 Fall season 5-9 and ranking eleventh (of 15 teams).[15] They most recently won the Division IV championship in 2005.
  • Girls' Volleyball- Plays in Division I, finishing the 23-24 Fall season 1-15 and ranking sixth (of 6 teams).

Winter Sports

  • Boys' Basketball – Plays in Division III, finishing the 23-24 Winter season 14-10 and ranking sixth (of 18 teams).[16] They have won six Division II championships in 1969, 1971, 1978, 1983, 1984, and most recently in 1994.[17] They will be celebrating their 100th season in 2023–2024.[citation needed]
  • Girls' Basketball – Plays in Division II, fishing the 23-24 Winter season 16-8 and ranking fifth (of 15 teams).[18] They were Division II champions 2023 after finishing as runner-ups in 2022.[19][20] They have won two Division II championship in 1989 and most recently in 2023. They have also won two Division I championships in 1991 and 1992.
  • Competition Cheerleading – In 2015 they were Medium School champions. In 2016 and 2017 they were Large School champions. In 2019 and 2020 they have won the state championship and the Co-Ed Division championship. Also in 2019 they were New England Co-Ed champions. In 2021, the cheerleading team won the Division III championship, Co-Ed Division championship, Division II championship, and Fall State champions.[21] In 2022, they won the Winter Co-Ed Division championship, Winter State championship, New England Co-Ed Division championship, Division II championship, and Fall State championship.
  • Gymnastics – They have won three Division II championships in 2004, 2012, and most recently in 2019.[22]
  • Ice Hockey – Plays on a joint team with Exeter-West Greenwich in Division II, finishing the 23-34 Winter season 10-15 and ranking eighth (of 11 teams).[23] They have won four Division III championships in 1982, 1988, 2013, and most recently in 2020.[24]
  • Boys' Indoor track – Competes in the "Suburban" division, finishing the 23-34 Winter season 4-7 and ranking eighth (of 12 teams).[25] They were the 2016 and 2017 Division II champions.
  • Girls' Indoor track – Competes in the "Headley" division, finishing the regular 23-24 Winter season 3-5 and ranking fifth (of 9 teams). At the state championships, they won the Medium Class division in 2023.[26]
  • Swimming
  • Wrestling – Competes in Division II, finishing the 23-24 Winter season 2-4 and ranking eighth (of 11 teams).[27] They have won two Division III championships in 1992 and 1993.
  • Unified basketball – Play in the Central Division, most recently finishing 1–3 in 2021.[28]

Spring Sports

  • Baseball - Plays in Division III, finishing the 22-23 Spring season 19-4-1 and ranking third (of 13 teams).[29] They have won two Division I championships in 1938 and 1961. They have won five Division II championships, winning in 1945, 1946, 1949, 2001, and most recently in 2002.
  • Softball – Plays in Division II, finishing the 22-23 Spring season 9-6 and ranking seventh (of 16 teams).[30] They were State champions in 1989 and 1992, they also won the Division II championship in 2003.
  • Golf – Plays in the "central" division, finishing the 22-23 Spring season +427 Total to Par Gross and ranking fifth (of 7 teams).[31] They have won 10 State championships in 1940, 1948, 1950, 1951, 1959, 1961–1963, 1969, and most recently in 1970.
  • Boys' Outdoor track – Competes in the "Southern" division, finishing the 22-23 Spring season 8-1 and ranking second (of 10 teams).[32] They have won three Division III championships, winning in 1999, 2016, and most recently in 2017.
  • Girls' Outdoor track – Competes in the "Southern" division, finishing the 22-23 Spring season7-2 and ranking third (of 10 teams).[33] At the 2023 RIIL State Outdoor Track & Field, they won their first state championship.[34]
  • Boys' Tennis – Plays in Division II, finishing the Spring 22-23 season 4-7 and ranking seventh (of 10 teams). They have won one Division III championship in 2015,[35] and they have also won one Division II championship in 2017.[36]
  • Boys' Volleyball – Plays in Division II, finishing the 22-23 Spring season 3-13 and ranking seventh (of 9 teams).

Hazing allegations[edit]

On November 16, 2022, reports were released about hazing allegations regarding the West Warwick football team and the school itself, mainly having to due with the junior varsity players and team.[37][38] The superintendent was notified of the alleged incident and suspended seven football players as a result on November 10.[39] It was in question whether or not the team would be able to play in their next, and final, football game. The school had hired a private investigator.[40] The current head coach of the team has been connected to the North Smithfield High School's hazing allegations as well, as he was previously the head coach for the team prior to the reports being released.[41][42] A closed-door parent meeting held on November 17, 2022, proved to not be beneficial as parents were left with more questions than answers.[43] The annual Thanksgiving day game against the Coventry Oakers was played despite ongoing investigations being conducted on both teams.[44] The game resulted in a 34–0 win for the Oakers.[45] As of January 2023, no formal charges have been pressed and all parties involved have returned to school.

Clubs and activities[edit]

Below is a list of all clubs and extra curricular activities (as of 2023):[46]

Performing arts[edit]

The performing arts, have helped to bring national status to the school in recent years. The West Warwick High School Jazz Ensemble "A" Band has won numerous awards including placing third in the National Jazz Festival in 2024. They have also been in the Finals of the Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival in 2002 to 2007, 2009, and 2012 to 2014; winning the prestigious festival in 2007 and 2014.[47] The Concert Band and Concert Chorale have competed and won local and national awards and titles the past twenty years.

The West Warwick High School Players produce musical productions and have performed since 2009.[48] In 2015, they were the first and only Rhode Island high school to participate in the Connecticut High School Theater Awards, the regional division of the National High School Musical Theater Awards (NHSMTA). In 2019, senior Myranda Silva won regionals and advanced to The Jimmy Awards in New York City.

In 2022, West Warwick High School won the nationwide "Love Is An Open Door" contest by the Disney Theatrical Group[49] and was chosen as the Rhode Island representative in the 50 States of Frozen. This gave the school exclusive rights to perform Disney's Frozen in spring 2023. They earned 26 nominations and 13 wins for the production in the inaugural year of the Ocean State Star Awards.[50]

Alumni[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ GRAVELLE, KENDRA (22 September 2019). "WWHS rolls out Choose Love social and emotional learning program". RICentral.com. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  2. ^ "Warwick keeps the Town Hall after the Separation of 1913". warwickhistory.com. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  3. ^ "West Warwick High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
  4. ^ "Coventry vs. West Warwick". rihssports.com. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  5. ^ "WWHS". WWPS.
  6. ^ "RI Interscholastic League".
  7. ^ "rST Standings - Football - Rhode Island Interscholastic League". www.riil.org. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  8. ^ "Division II Football Champions". www.rihssports.com. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  9. ^ Staff Report (2013-12-09). "Rhode Island Football Playoff Brackets for 2013 - MaxPreps". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  10. ^ Costa, Lauren (November 26, 2013). "2013 Thanksgiving Football Preview: Coventry vs. West Warwick". Coventry, RI Patch. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  11. ^ Eric, Rueb (November 24, 2022). "Here are the final scores from Thursday's busy day of Thanksgiving Day football across Rhode Island". providencejournal.com. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  12. ^ "rST Standings - Girls Soccer - Rhode Island Interscholastic League". www.riil.org. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  13. ^ Thornton, Carolyn (November 10, 2013). ""Faith" wins it for West Warwick in DIII girls soccer championship". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  14. ^ Benevides, Eric (November 11, 2014). "Upsetting! - West Warwick stuns NP girls' soccer team in Div. III finals". The Valley Breeze. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  15. ^ "rST Standings - Girls Tennis - Rhode Island Interscholastic League". www.riil.org. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  16. ^ "Rhode Island Division 3 High School Basketball Rankings Basketball". www.maxpreps.com. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  17. ^ "Boys Basketball Team W\L Records". www.rihssports.com. Retrieved 2023-03-05.
  18. ^ "Rhode Island Division 2 High School Girls Basketball Rankings Girls Basketball". www.maxpreps.com. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  19. ^ NEWS, NBC 10 (2023-02-26). "West Warwick defeats Moses Brown for Division II title". WJAR. Retrieved 2023-02-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ Juanita Sanchez wins DII girls basketball title over West Warwick, retrieved 2023-02-26
  21. ^ Steele, Ian (2021-11-07). "West Warwick Wins Grand Championship at State Cheerleading Competition". ABC6. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  22. ^ Perry, Rachael (2019-02-24). "Mount Hope, West Warwick Earn State Gymnastics Titles". ABC6. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  23. ^ "Rhode Island Division 2 High School Ice Hockey Rankings Ice Hockey". www.maxpreps.com. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  24. ^ "West Warwick/EWG wins D-III boys hockey title over Pilgrim". WPRI.com. 2020-03-11. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  25. ^ "rST Standings - Boys Indoor Track - Rhode Island Interscholastic League". www.riil.org. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  26. ^ "Girls indoor track: Chariho's vonHousen breaks school record in 3,000 at Class Medium meet". Westerly Sun. February 5, 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  27. ^ "rST Standings - Wrestling - Rhode Island Interscholastic League". www.riil.org. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  28. ^ "2022 Unified Basketball League Standings". rihssports.com. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  29. ^ "Rhode Island Division 3 High School Baseball Rankings Baseball". www.maxpreps.com. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  30. ^ "Rhode Island Division 2 High School Softball Standings". www.maxpreps.com. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  31. ^ "2022 RIIL Golf League League :: Team & Individual Scoring Page". www.golfgenius.com. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  32. ^ "rST Standings - Boys Outdoor Track - Rhode Island Interscholastic League". www.riil.org. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  33. ^ "rST Standings - Girls Outdoor Track - Rhode Island Interscholastic League". www.riil.org. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  34. ^ "Hendricken Boys Take Home Program's 27th Title, West Warwick Girls Earn First Track & Field Crown". ABC6. 2023-06-04. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  35. ^ "Gallery: West Warwick Wins Div III Boys Tennis Team Championship Over St. Raphael". www.providencejournal.com. May 23, 2015. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  36. ^ Gillooly, John (May 28, 2017). "Boys Tennis D-II championship: A magical finish for the Wizards". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  37. ^ Pitts, Amanda (2022-11-17). "Allegations against West Warwick football players under investigation". WPRI.com. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  38. ^ NEWS, NBC 10 (2022-11-17). "West Warwick parents frustrated with investigation into hazing allegations". WJAR. Retrieved 2022-11-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  39. ^ NEWS, NBC 10 (2022-11-16). "Several West Warwick football players suspended from team amid hazing allegations". WJAR. Retrieved 2022-11-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  40. ^ Coates, Dan (2022-11-18). "West Warwick addresses hazing allegations against football team behind closed doors". ABC6. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  41. ^ Rebello, Mikie (2021-11-02). "West Warwick High School hires 2019 D3 Superbowl winner Wes Pennington". 247 News Around The World. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  42. ^ "Incident sparks investigation of West Warwick football players. Here's what we know". The Providence Journal. November 17, 2022. Retrieved 2022-11-17.
  43. ^ Pitts, Amanda (2022-11-18). "Parents frustrated with investigation into West Warwick football players". WPRI.com. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
  44. ^ Benoit, Katie (2022-11-24). "Coventry-West Warwick football rivalry goes on despite investigations". WJAR. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
  45. ^ Sponseller, Alex (November 19, 2022). "No surprises on Thanksgiving". Warwick Beacon. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
  46. ^ "WWHS Handbook". www.westwarwickpublicschools.com. p. 16. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  47. ^ "Berklee HS Jazz Festival".
  48. ^ "WWHS Players".
  49. ^ Gravelle, Kendra (September 29, 2022). "WWHS Players chosen to present Rhode Island premier of 'Frozen'". RICentral.com. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  50. ^ "In the News". WWHS PLAYERS. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  51. ^ Langone, Matt (April 28, 2018). "Garrick brings no-nonsense approach, intense work ethic to UML hoop job". Lowell Sun. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  52. ^ Lennon, Frank (September 19, 2022). "Veterans Voice: NFL player, Navy pilot 'Monk' Maznicki left a mark as local sports legend". The Providence Journal. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  53. ^ Daigle, Katy (June 1, 2006). "MELLO, JAMES ANTHONY". Hartford Courant. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  54. ^ Elsworth, Peter C. T. (April 19, 2014). "R.I. native Chuck Palumbo finishing first season of TV's 'Lords of the Car Hoards'". The Providence Journal. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  55. ^ "Rhode Island baseball icon Mike Roarke dies at 88". WPRI.com. July 29, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  56. ^ Gravelle, Kendra (April 29, 2020). "Teachers take to the streets to celebrate WWHS seniors". RICentral.com. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  57. ^ McGair, Brendan (September 4, 2018). "SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS: Local coaching legend Bob Wylie gets star turn on HBO show". RICentral.com. Retrieved March 8, 2023.

External links[edit]

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