South River High School (New Jersey)

South River High School
Address
11 Montgomery Street South River , Middlesex County , New Jersey 08882 United States
Coordinates	40°26′18″N74°22′55″W / 40.438227°N 74.382054°W / 40.438227; -74.382054
Information
Type	Public high school
Established	Current location: 1961 High school program: 1891 [1]
School district	South River Public Schools
NCES School ID	341539003648 [2]
Principal	Edward J. Bucior
Faculty	58.4 FTEs [2]
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	762 (as of 2022–23) [2]
Student to teacher ratio	13.1:1 [2]
Color(s)	Maroon and   Gray [3]
Athletics conference	Greater Middlesex Conference (general) Big Central Football Conference (football)
Team name	Rams [3]
Rival	Spotswood Chargers
Newspaper	The Ram [4]
Yearbook	Oriflamme [4]
Website	hs.srivernj.org

South River High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from South River in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the South River Public Schools. South River High School is overseen by the New Jersey Department of Education.

As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 762 students and 58.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.1:1. There were 355 students (46.6% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 52 (6.8% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch. ^[2]

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was the 227th-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. ^[5] The school had been ranked 249th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 234th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. ^[6] The magazine ranked the school 186th in 2008 out of 316 schools. ^[7] The school was ranked 271st in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state. ^[8]

Athletics

The South River High School Rams ^[3] participates in the Greater Middlesex Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools located in the greater Middlesex County area and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). ^[9] With 504 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group II for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 486 to 758 students in that grade range. ^[10] The football team competes in Division 2B of the Big Central Football Conference, which includes 60 public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Union and Warren counties, which are broken down into 10 divisions by size and location. ^[11] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group II South for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 480 to 674 students. ^[12]

Interscholastic sports offered at South River High School include soccer, football, wrestling, basketball, track and field, cross-country, tennis, bowling, baseball, and softball. ^[3]

The school participates together with Spotswood High School in a joint ice hockey team in which East Brunswick High School is the host school / lead agency. The co-op program operates under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year. ^[13]

The football team won the Central Jersey Group II state championship in 1977-1979, and won the Central Jersey Group I title in 1980, 1983, 1991, 1995, 2000 and 2001. ^[14] After a 2-0 loss in their first game of the season, the 1977 won out the balance of their schedule, finishing with a 10-1 record after defeating Red Bank Regional High School by a score of 28-0 in the Central Jersey Group II playoff finals. ^[15] The 1978 team defeated previously unbeaten Shore Regional High School by a score of 21-7 to win the Central Jersey Group II state sectional title, scoring three touchdowns after being behind 7-0 at halftime. ^[16] A 23-3 win against North Brunswick High School in the championship game gave the 1979 team the Central Jersey Group II sectional title and a 10-0-1 record to bring the team to 32 games without a loss. ^[17] The 1980 team won the Central Jersey Group I sectional title with a 24-13 victory against Spotswood High School in the playoff finals. ^[18] The 1983 team finished the season with a 9-2 record and won its fifth sectional title in a seven year-span after defeating Dunellen High School by a score of 21-7 in the Central Jersey Group II sectional championship game. ^[19] The 1991 team won the Central Jersey Group I sectional title with a 14-0 win against Dunellen. ^[20] The 2001 team finished the season with a record of 10-0 after a 12-7 win against Shore Regional High School in the Central Jersey Group I sectional finals played at Kean University. ^[21]

The 1980 boys' basketball team finished the season with a record of 25-3 after winning the Group II state championship game by a score of 65-60 against a Berkeley Heights High School team that had come back to tie the game in the third quarter but fell behind when they couldn't hit critical foul shots. ^{[22] [23]}

The wrestling team won the Central Jersey Group I sectional title in 1988, 1991, 1995-1997 and 2002 ^[24]

The last team to win a sectional State Championship was Baseball in 2016. South River defeated Keyport 5-0 to win the Central Jersey Group 1 State Championship. South River finished with a record of 19-8-1 also winning the GMC Blue division title.

National Honor Society

The National Honor Society (NHS) includes students who have proved their dedication to education with their outstanding grades. Initially, a person is required a GPA (grade point average) of 3.5 or higher. This is only available to grades 10, 11, and 12. They must complete another requirement either by essay or an activity sheet. The National Honor Society emphasizes that "Selection to NHS is a privilege, not a right. Students do not apply for membership in the National Honor Society; instead, they provide information to be used by the local selection committee to support their candidacy for membership." (National Honor Society Handbook, 15th edition)

In addition to scholarship (as demonstrated by the GPA), there are three other, equally weighted areas in which potential NHS inductees must excel. These are leadership, service, and character. Academically eligible students who are interested in seeking selection into the NHS are expected to participate in activities, both in and out of school, which will enable them to exhibit these elements. According to the National Honor Society Handbook, "Leadership roles in both the school and community may be considered, provided they can be verified ... In considering service, the contributions [the] candidate has made to school, classmates, and community, as well as the student's attitude toward service can be reviewed ... [and] the society supports and recommends the use of a multi-faceted definition of character known as the `Six Pillars of Character' ... A person of character demonstrates the following six qualities: respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring, and citizenship."

Each year the Faculty Council reviews the information provided by each candidate, as well as faculty evaluation forms in order to make consistent, equitable selection determinations. An individual interview may be offered in an effort to afford candidates an additional opportunity to provide the Faculty Council with relevant information and clarify any questions that may arise.

Notable alumni

See also: Category:South River High School (New Jersey) alumni

Notable alumni of South River High School include:

• Patty Casazza, one of the Jersey Girls, instrumental in the creation of the 9/11 Commission.^{[ citation needed ]}
• Janet Evanovich (born 1943), author. ^[25]
• John H. Froude (born 1930), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1972 to 1980. ^[26]
• Kenny Jackson (born 1962), former wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles and collegiate All-American at Penn State University. ^[27]
• Frank Mula (1950–2021), writer for The Simpsons . ^[28]
• Drew Pearson (born 1951), former wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. ^[29]
• Elmer Stout (1929–2013), football player. ^[30]
• Joe Theismann (born 1949), former quarterback who played in the NFL for the Washington Redskins. ^[29]
• Alex Wojciechowicz (1915–1992), offensive lineman and linebacker who played for the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles. ^[29]

References

1. "SRHS Alumni" . Retrieved June 13, 2011.
2. School data for South River High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 1, 2024.
3. South River High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 2, 2016.
4. Program of Studies 2022-2023, South River High School. Accessed December 30, 2022.
5. Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly , September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
6. Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly , August 16, 2012. Accessed September 7, 2012.
7. Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly , August 16, 2010. Accessed March 20, 2011.
8. "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly , September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
9. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
10. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
11. Kinney, Mike. "Big Central revises 2020 football schedule for its shortened inaugural season", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 12, 2020. Accessed April 18, 2021. "The newly formed Big Central Football Conference has released a revised 2020 schedule for its inaugural season.... the BCFC is comprised of schools from Middlesex, Union, Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren counties."
12. NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2022–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
13. NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
14. NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
15. Edwards, Bill. "Red Bank falls to Rams' tradition", Asbury Park Press , December 4, 1977. Accessed February 16, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Having personally directed the Rams to a 28-0 decision over Red Bank Regional yesterday in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II championship, their 10th consecutive victory since a 2-0 loss to North Brunswick on opening day, Hudak Is thereby assured of his own special place in South River football annals."
16. Foxworth, Bob. "South River Wins 2nd Straight Title; Shore Handed First Defeat of Season, 21-7", Asbury Park Press , December 3, 1978. Accessed December 31, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "Bill Csatari, South River High School football coach, stood at midfield, his eyes appeared glazed, his voice unsteady. 'I'm emotionally drained,' he said after the final gun had sounded and his Rams had collected their second consecutive NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II championship with a Ken Jackson-led, come-from-behind 21-7 victory over Shore at Middletown High School North yesterday afternoon."
17. "Williams No. 1 as Somerville Rolls", New York Daily News , December 2, 1979. Accessed January 16, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "South River 23, North Brunswick 3 - South River extended its unbeaten streak to 32 by winning its third consecutive Central Jersey, Group 2 championship game with three second-half touchdowns in South River.,.. South River finished at 10-0-1 and North Brunswick 9-2."
18. Haley, John. "History of Spotswood-South River rivalry", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 1, 2013, updated August 25, 2019. Accessed December 29, 2020. "But South River turned the tables that season by posting a 24-13 victory in the Central Jersey, Group I championship in Spotswood's one and only appearance in a sectional final (South River is 9-7 in state finals)."
19. "Passaic (11-0) Tops North Bergen, 24-13", The New York Times , December 4, 1983. Accessed December 24, 2020. "South River (9-2) won its fifth sectional title in seven consecutive playoff appearances when it handed Dunellen (8-3) a 21-7 setback in the Central Jersey, Group 1 final in South River. South River won four consecutive state titles from 1977 through 1980."
20. "Union ends Randolph streak", The Record , December 8, 1991. Accessed December 29, 2020. "Nelson Bonilla scored on short runs and ran for a two-point conversion as South River avenged a regular-season loss to Dunellen, 14-0, to capture the Group 1 Central Jersey title."
21. Aiello, John. "Tradition rings true; Rams' defense delivers to wrap up 2nds straight CJ I title", Home News Tribune , December 2, 2001. Accessed March 21, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "A football program steeped in tradition relied on a rather traditional cliché to capture its 24th state sectional championship.... The Rams' gritty defense, forgotten for most of the season in the wake of an offensive maelstrom, helped secure their second straight NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I crown yesterday with a 12-7 victory over Shore Regional at Kean University's Alumni Stadium.... Earvin's 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter provided South River (10-0) with a 6-0 halftime cushion, but his costly fumble late in the third gave the Blue Devils a chance to take the lead."
22. NJSIAA Boys Basketball Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022.
23. Balkun, John. "Clayton, South River capture cage titles", Herald News , March 23, 1980. Accessed February 22, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "In the second afternoon encounter, the Group 2 finale, Berkeley Heights missed some key foul shots in the final minutes and bowed to South River, 65-60."
24. NJSIAA Wrestling Team Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2021.
25. Nussbaum, Debra. "In Person; Imagine Trenton. One Author Did.", The New York Times , November 3, 2002. Accessed June 13, 2011. "Not bad for a 59-year-old writer who loves tomato pies and Tastykakes -- a taste in junk food that betrays her South Jersey roots. She graduated from South River High School, married her high school sweetheart and attended Douglass College."
26. "To Live in Georgia", Central New Jersey Home News, December 10, 1952. Accessed December 30, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Mr. and Mrs. Froude are graduates of South River High School and he holds a bachelor of science degree in education from Rutgers University."
27. Penn State coaches profile Archived December 17, 2000, at the Wayback Machine , Penn State University. Accessed October 11, 2010. "A football, basketball, baseball and track standout at South River High School, the school retired his uniform number 21 in October, 1994."
28. Hart, Jolene. "Doh! TV writer one of two grads honored: Co-producer of ABC shows, TV writer returns to South River" Archived July 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine , Old Bridge Suburban, November 13, 2003. Accessed February 6, 2011. "The entrance to South River may not yet post signs heralding, 'Birthplace of Frank Mula,' but there are more than a few ways Mula has earned recognition as a local celebrity."
29. "Al's got your number", Home News Tribune , April 25, 2002. "Former Rams include Theisman, a star at the University of Notre Dame and Super Bowl champion with the Washington Redskins; Drew Pearson, a favorite target of Roger Staubach on the Dallas Cowboys' Super Bowl winners in the 1970s; Alex Wojciechowicz, a member of the pro and college football halls of fame."
30. Tufaro, Greg. "All-Pro Drew Pearson highlights South River football homecoming", USA Today , October 20, 2016. Accessed September 29, 2017. "They are among five former South River greats – including Alex Wojciechowicz, Kenny Jackson and Elmer Stout – to have their numbers retired."

External links

• South River High School
• South River Public Schools
• School Performance Report for South River High School , New Jersey Department of Education
• School Data for the South River Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics