Unaka High School

Last updated

Unaka High School
Location
Unaka High School
119 Robinson Lane
Elizabethton, Tennessee 37643
Coordinates 36°23′05″N82°08′42″W / 36.38478°N 82.14511°W / 36.38478; -82.14511
Information
Type Public
Established1922
School districtCarter County Schools
PrincipalBetsy Oliver
Faculty27.0 (on FTE basis) [1]
Grades 9 to 12
Enrollment332 (2018-19) [2]
Student to teacher ratio14.6 [1]
Color(s) Maroon and White [3]   
Athletics conference TSSAA District 1 Division 1 East [3]
MascotPark Ranger
Team nameRangers/Lady Rangers
Website Unaka High School
[4]

Unaka High School is a public high school located northeast of Elizabethton, Tennessee in the Hunter community.

Contents

History

Work on the school began in 1920 and the construction was finished in 1922. Mr. Cole, a forest ranger, arranged for the government to donate the lumber for the construction of the school which was to come from the Unaka mountains. Resulting in the source of the name and mascot: Unaka for the mountains and Rangers in honor of Mr. Cole. In the 1970s the vocational programs were expanded in all Carter County high schools, with a new building at Unaka High housing Auto Body Repair, Cosmetology, General Building and Trades, and Vocational Office Education. Also, students had the option of attending alternative vocation classes at Hampton, or Happy Valley: Auto Mechanics, Drafting, Health Occupations, Small Engines, and Electricity and Welding. There is also a meat processing class that was introduced by Mr. John Hardin and student, Bobby Campbell in 1982. It's the only one of this type of class offered in the whole United States. It is taught by Mr. Cody Ayers. [5]

Sports

Football

Unaka football: The Home Field is known as Goddard Field named after the school's first head coach, Robert Lynn Goddard. In August 1949, he became head coach at Unaka High School. Immediately, he organized the Watauga Conference in the spring of 1949-50 and was elected as its first President. His 1949 team won the first game in the history of Unaka football. During the next 10 years, the Rangers football team under Goddard's leadership won six championships and finished second four times with only one losing season. Years later, the school named the stadium in front of Unaka High School the "Goddard Field" in his honor. [6] The current head coach is O’Brien Bennet.

Basketball

Unaka basketball is rich in tradition. During the 1950s and 1960s Lynn Goddard coached boys basketball for seven years before leaving Unaka. Games are played in Ronnie L. Snavley Gymnasium after coach Ronnie Snavley who led the team to their first state tournament appearance in the 1980s then once more in the following years as a coach. Coach Snavley was succeeded by Coach Donald Ensor; Ensor had great success as the Rangers coach leading them to three state tournament appearances including a state championship in 2004 and sending numerous players to continue their careers in college basketball. Under coach Ensor the Rangers won 9 straight Conference Titles; after his resignation his younger brother took over for one year leading them to their 10th consecutive conference championship. The program is now run by coach Aaron Dugger, who played for Coach Ensor, until he graduated from Unaka in 2002. The Rangers have also compiled 12 district championships, 9 regional championships, and 6 sub-state appearances.

Baseball

Home games are played on Claude Hostlcaw "Field of Dreams." During Lynn Goddard's tenure at Unaka he coached the baseball team 4 years and won three Watauga championships. The Ranger baseball program has won or shared 15 straight conference titles, 12 district championships, 13 of the last 15 regional championships, and also won 7 of the last sub-state games to qualify them for 8 state tournament berths in 10 seasons. The Rangers have yet to lose a playoff game on their home field. Notable baseball alumni include Eddie Holly, who was drafted in the 5th round of the 1971 draft by the Chicago White Sox. As well as Josh Peterson who was drafted in the 40th round of the 2011 draft by the Texas Rangers and would later play professionally in Australia for the Perth Heat. [7]

Softball

Established in 1979, the Unaka Lady Ranger softball has won 25 District Championships, 19 Regional Championships, and 5 Sub-States. Appearing in 5 State Tournament quarter finals and 8 State Tournament final eights, places the program as one of the elite in Tennessee. The program was built from the ground up by Coach Ronnie Hicks, and it remained under his care and supervision until his retirement in May 2011.

Band

Originally formed in the 1950s the band was under direction of Mr. Melvin Kelley. Unfortunately due to a fire at the original Unaka High School (now the location of Unaka Elementary), the band suffered heavy loss and the program was dismantled. In 1995, Mr. Raymond Morton rebuilt the program from scratch starting a High School Band and feeder programs at Unaka Elementary, and Hunter Elementary. The first uniforms were purchased in 1998 and were debuted in November 1998 at the Johnson City Christmas Parade. Under Mr. Morton, the program flourished producing many music educators including its current director. Now under the direction of Christen Williams, the Unaka Band has won over 60 trophies. While with marching, the Band also takes part in many concerts. A spring and Christmas concert every year. Along with concerts and marching, they also go through parades and play in churches and nursing homes.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carter County, Tennessee</span> County in Tennessee, United States

Carter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 56,356. Its county seat is Elizabethton. The county is named in honor of Landon Carter (1760-1800), an early settler active in the "Lost State of Franklin" 1784-1788 secession from the State of North Carolina. Carter County is part of the Johnson City, TN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area, located in northeastern Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee Volunteers</span> University of Tennessee athletic teams

The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the 20 male and female varsity intercollegiate athletics programs that represent the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). In January 2021, Danny White was introduced as the Volunteers' Director of Athletics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seton Hall Preparatory School</span> Private high school in Essex County, New Jersey, United States

Seton Hall Preparatory School, generally called Seton Hall Prep, SHP, or "The Prep", is a Roman Catholic all boys' high school located in the suburban community of West Orange in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating under the supervision of the Archdiocese of Newark. Founded in 1856 with an original enrollment of five boys, Seton Hall Prep was originally located on the campus of Seton Hall University, where it became commonly known as "The Prep" as a way to distinguish it from "The University." In 1985, the school moved to its present location which was, at the time, West Orange High School. Seton Hall is the oldest Catholic college preparatory school in New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanderbilt Commodores</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Vanderbilt University

The Vanderbilt Commodores are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt fields 16 varsity teams, 14 of which compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Vanderbilt's women's lacrosse team plays in the American Athletic Conference. The bowling team plays in Conference USA (C-USA), which absorbed Vanderbilt's former bowling home of the Southland Bowling League after the 2022–23 season. The University of Tennessee Volunteers are Vanderbilt's primary athletic rival, and the only other SEC team in Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School</span> Public school in Pennsylvania, United States

Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School is a secondary school located on 500 South Broad Street in the borough of Mechanicsburg, west of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The school is part of the Mechanicsburg Area School District.

Bethel High School is a public high school located in the northwestern section of Hampton, Virginia, United States. Bethel is the third of four public high schools in Hampton City Schools along with Kecoughtan, Hampton, and Phoebus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UConn Huskies</span> College athletic program of the University of Connecticut, US

The UConn Huskies are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Connecticut, located in Storrs. The school is a member of the NCAA's Division I and the Big East Conference. The university's football team plays at Rentschler Field, and the men's and women's basketball teams play on-campus at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion and off-campus at the XL Center.

Dumont High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Dumont, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as the lone secondary school of the Dumont Public Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ball State Cardinals</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Ball State University

The Ball State Cardinals are the athletic teams that represent Ball State University, located in Muncie, Indiana. The Cardinals are part of the NCAA Division I Mid-American Conference. Charlie Cardinal is the team mascot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Overton High School</span> Comprehensive high school in Nashville, Tennessee, United States

John Overton High School is a public high school located in Oak Hill, Tennessee. It is named after prominent Judge John Overton (1766–1833), advisor to President Andrew Jackson. The school opened in September 1958 and was renovated and expanded in 1995. The school most recently underwent a US$30,000,000.00 renovation, approved for FY 2015–2016, which strategically expanded school classrooms and other spaces. The school has won 14 state championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunwoody High School</span> Public school in Dunwoody, Georgia, United States

Dunwoody High School is a public high school in Dunwoody, an incorporated city in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Dons</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of University of San Francisco

The San Francisco Dons is the nickname of the athletic teams at the University of San Francisco (USF). The Dons compete in NCAA Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the West Coast Conference (WCC), of which USF is a charter member.

Liberty High School is a high school in Henderson in the U.S. state of Nevada. It is part of the Clark County School District. Liberty considers itself to be a "classical school." This is because through Liberty's curriculum, one can study Latin, as well as focus on the history and society of ancient Rome and Greece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Totino-Grace High School</span> Private Catholic high school in Fridley, Minnesota, USA

Totino-Grace High School is a private Catholic high school in Fridley, Minnesota. It is an archdiocesan co-educational Catholic high school in the Lasallian tradition.

Virginia High School is a high school located in Bristol, Virginia. In 1999, Virginia High started offering the Tri-Cities area's first International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Classes from the Advanced Placement program are also offered to help students who are headed to college. A career and technical wing was added to the main school building to help students who wish to go into a trade straight from high school. Courses offered for this path include: culinary arts, cybersecurity, engineering and manufacturing, coding, business, horticulture, auto-mechanics, building trades, and nursing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tulane Green Wave baseball</span> College baseball team

The Tulane Green Wave baseball team represents Tulane University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The Green Wave baseball team competes in the American Athletic Conference and play their home games on campus at Greer Field at Turchin Stadium. They are coached by head coach Jay Uhlman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kansas State Wildcats baseball</span>

The Kansas State Wildcats baseball team is a member of the NCAA and the Big 12 Conference. The program's first official game was in 1897.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Carolina Catamounts</span> Athletic teams of Western Carolina University

The Western Carolina Catamounts are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent Western Carolina University. The Catamounts compete in the NCAA Division I as members of the Southern Conference. Western Carolina fields 16 varsity sports teams. The men's and women's teams are called the Catamounts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Middle Tennessee State University

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are the men's and women's athletic teams at Middle Tennessee State University, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. MT athletic teams participate in NCAA Division I in Conference USA. MT competed in the Ohio Valley Conference until 2000, and the Sun Belt Conference until 2013.

Lake County High School is a secondary school in Tiptonville, Tennessee. Established in 1963, the school serves students in grades 9-12.

References

  1. 1 2 Unaka High School. National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved on July 31, 2008. "Students: 395 (2005-2006)"
  2. ↑ "Unaka High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  3. 1 2 School Directory. Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. Retrieved on July 31, 2008.
  4. ↑ Unaka High School website. Retrieved on July 31, 2008.
  5. ↑ School History. Unaka High School. Retrieved on July 31, 2008.
  6. ↑ Lynn Goddard Obituary
  7. ↑ The success Unaka has achieved in baseball over the last decade has made their program one of the premier single A baseball programs in East Tennessee as well as statewide.School web-site
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.