Allen D. Nease Senior High School
Encyclopedia
Allen D. Nease High School is a public high school
in the St. Johns County School District
, located in Ponte Vedra, Florida that was established in 1981. The school is a member of the International Baccalaureate program. The principal is Mr. Kyle Dresback.
, a pioneer in Florida's reforestation efforts, and donor of the land on which the school was built. Nease also served on the St. Johns County School Board for 24 years, 17 of which as chairman.
opened in the Fall of 2000 to alleviate overcrowding. Due to further growth in Northwest St. Johns County area, Ponte Vedra High School
was built and opened in the Fall of 2008.
Nease is currently zoned to serve the communities of Palm Valley, World Golf Village, and Orangedale. The main feeder school is Pacetti Bay Middle School, while some students also come from Landrum Middle School.
.
Nease High School has the International Baccalaureate Program
(IB) as well as the Advanced Placement Program
.
In 2010, nine students from Nease were finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program
.
There were eight in 2011.
Nease has staged productions such as Grease
, Annie
, Little Shop of Horrors
, Evita, Oklahoma!
, Lend Me a Tenor
, and Our Town
.
At District Festival 2007, Drama Troupe 4641 claimed six Critic's Choice Awards and two of four State Playwright selections along with double-digit Superior and Excellent ratings respectively. Every year for the past four, Nease has won an Ensemble Acting Critic's Choice. Districts 2007 became the first time in recent memory that one talented individual has won the Critic's Choice for all of their events. The Thespian Society at Nease includes six officer positions (President, Vice President, Secretary, Scribe, Historian, and Publicist) along with an active and diverse membership. 2009 they proudly were home to district Best-of-the-Best out of District 2.
Each year, the theater program produces two main-stage productions: one musical and one full-length play. Additionally, a one-act is taken to District Festival, later to be showcased at the school's Night of Stars and an IB Comprehensive Theater III/IV is produced during the school year.
Nease's band program is currently directed by Michael Johnson (University of Florida). Since Mr. Johnson's arrival in 2006, the band has grown from a 48 member marching band to 140 in 2009. The Nease "Panther Pride" Marching Band is considered to be one the top performing in Northeast Florida, winning numerous class awards at local competitions. Nease's two concert ensembles continue to perform at local Florida Bandmasters Association
Music Performance Assessments. Notable previous directors include Mrs. Madeline Huffman (University of Florida), Ms. Sheila Harris (University of North Florida), Mr. Douglas Carroll (University of Florida), and Mr. Nick Albanese (University of Florida).
Alongside the band program, Nease boasts an Indoor Percussion Ensemble and several Winter Guard
Teams. In the 1999 season, under the instruction of Jill (Moser) Brennan, Robby DuFresne and Chris Savoy, the Winter Guard A team was ranked 1st in the Scholastic A division at WGI World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. In 2010, the Winter Guard A team was ranked 17th in the world, and the Indoor Percussion Ensemble was ranked 4th in the Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit Scholastic Marching A class. In 2011, the Winter Guard A team was ranked 13th in the world, and the Indoor Percussion Ensemble was ranked 1st in the Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit Scholastic Marching A class.
Nease currently competes in FHSAA Class 4A. The mascot is the panther and the school colors are green and gold.
The football team was televised on ESPN High School Showcase
when they played the Hoover Buccaneers
in the first ever high school football game televised on ESPN on August 28, 2005.
The Nease Panthers football team were FHSAA Class 4A State Champions in 2005, as they beat the Armwood Hawks
44-37, led by Tim Tebow
. The football team was also FHSAA Class 4A State Runner-Ups in 2006 and 2007, losing to the Plant Panthers
25-21 in 2006 and Washington Tornadoes, the #4 team in the country, 23-15 in 2007.
The state championship game in 2007 was at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando. That game was the highest rated high school football game in television history with about one million viewers.
From 2003 to 2007, the football team was coached by Craig Howard and had a record of 56-12 with four straight playoff appearances and a Class 4A State Championship win in 2005. Nease Football has also produced 67 college football players since 2004, which is the most in Florida during this time. On January 12, 2008, Coach Howard resigned as head coach and was hired by Columbia High School
in Lake City, Florida
as their new head coach.
The girls team were Class 4A State Runners-up for the year 2007.
The boys team were Class 4A State Champions in 2007 and 2008, and State runner-ups in 2003 and 2009.
The girls team was Class 5A State Champions in 1999, led by Kelly Stevenson.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in the St. Johns County School District
St. Johns County School District
St. Johns County School District is the public school district for St. Johns County, Florida. St. Johns County is home to three of the nation's best high schools according to Newsweek Magazine in 2008 .-History:*1866 - St...
, located in Ponte Vedra, Florida that was established in 1981. The school is a member of the International Baccalaureate program. The principal is Mr. Kyle Dresback.
Namesake
Nease High School is named after Allen NeaseAllen Nease
Allen Dowling Nease was a pioneer of Florida’s reforestation and conservation efforts in the mid-20th century.-Early career:Allen was actually born Allen Dowling, but was adopted when he was ten and kept his birth name as his middle name....
, a pioneer in Florida's reforestation efforts, and donor of the land on which the school was built. Nease also served on the St. Johns County School Board for 24 years, 17 of which as chairman.
History
Growth in the northeast corner of St. Johns County, primarily the Ponte Vedra/Palm Valley areas during the 1970s had warranted the construction of a new school. The school, which opened in 1981, was the second public high school built in St. Johns County. While Nease was designed to accommodate 1,500 students, enrollment has historically been at above capacity. Bartram Trail High SchoolBartram Trail High School
Bartram Trail High School is a public high school in the St. Johns County School District, located in northwest St. Johns County, Florida that opened in 2000...
opened in the Fall of 2000 to alleviate overcrowding. Due to further growth in Northwest St. Johns County area, Ponte Vedra High School
Ponte Vedra High School
Ponte Vedra High School is a public high school in the St. Johns County School District, located in northeast St. Johns County, Florida. The high school was constructed to relieve overcrowding at Allen D. Nease Senior High School.-Overview:...
was built and opened in the Fall of 2008.
Nease is currently zoned to serve the communities of Palm Valley, World Golf Village, and Orangedale. The main feeder school is Pacetti Bay Middle School, while some students also come from Landrum Middle School.
Academics
Nease High School was rated the 81st best high school in 2007, 91st in 2008, 93rd in 2009 , and 185th in 2010 by NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
.
Nease High School has the International Baccalaureate Program
IB Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...
(IB) as well as the Advanced Placement Program
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
.
In 2010, nine students from Nease were finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program
National Merit Scholarship Program
The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and college scholarships administered by National Merit Scholarship Corporation , a privately funded, not-for-profit organization. The program began in 1955...
.
There were eight in 2011.
Special programs
Special programs at the school include the following:- Communications Academy
- NavalUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) - Stellar Academy of Mechanical Engineering (sponsored by the Stellar construction company)
- International Baccalaureate
- Advanced Placement Program
Fine Arts Programs
Nease Choir and Drama department is currently directed by Mrs. Laura Adkison.Nease has staged productions such as Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
, Annie
Annie (musical)
Annie is a Broadway musical based upon the popular Harold Gray comic strip Little Orphan Annie, with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and the book by Thomas Meehan. The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years with a blonde Annie as the poster...
, Little Shop of Horrors
Little Shop of Horrors (musical)
Little Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman...
, Evita, Oklahoma!
Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
, Lend Me a Tenor
Lend Me a Tenor
Lend Me a Tenor is a comedy by Ken Ludwig. The play was produced on both the West End and Broadway . Although it received seven Tony Award nominations, it won only one, for Best Actor. A Broadway revival opened in 2010. Lend Me a Tenor has been translated into sixteen languages and produced in...
, and Our Town
Our Town
Our Town is a three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder. It is a character story about an average town's citizens in the early twentieth century as depicted through their everyday lives...
.
At District Festival 2007, Drama Troupe 4641 claimed six Critic's Choice Awards and two of four State Playwright selections along with double-digit Superior and Excellent ratings respectively. Every year for the past four, Nease has won an Ensemble Acting Critic's Choice. Districts 2007 became the first time in recent memory that one talented individual has won the Critic's Choice for all of their events. The Thespian Society at Nease includes six officer positions (President, Vice President, Secretary, Scribe, Historian, and Publicist) along with an active and diverse membership. 2009 they proudly were home to district Best-of-the-Best out of District 2.
Each year, the theater program produces two main-stage productions: one musical and one full-length play. Additionally, a one-act is taken to District Festival, later to be showcased at the school's Night of Stars and an IB Comprehensive Theater III/IV is produced during the school year.
Nease's band program is currently directed by Michael Johnson (University of Florida). Since Mr. Johnson's arrival in 2006, the band has grown from a 48 member marching band to 140 in 2009. The Nease "Panther Pride" Marching Band is considered to be one the top performing in Northeast Florida, winning numerous class awards at local competitions. Nease's two concert ensembles continue to perform at local Florida Bandmasters Association
Florida Music Educators Association
The Florida Music Educators Association, or FMEA, is the Florida state-level affiliate of MENC: The National Association for Music Education. FMEA is a not-for-profit, professional association that serves and supports music educators across Florida...
Music Performance Assessments. Notable previous directors include Mrs. Madeline Huffman (University of Florida), Ms. Sheila Harris (University of North Florida), Mr. Douglas Carroll (University of Florida), and Mr. Nick Albanese (University of Florida).
Alongside the band program, Nease boasts an Indoor Percussion Ensemble and several Winter Guard
Winter guard
Winter guard is an indoor color guard activity, derived from marching band or drum & bugle corps. Unlike traditional color guard, winter guard is performed indoors, usually in a gymnasium or an indoor arena...
Teams. In the 1999 season, under the instruction of Jill (Moser) Brennan, Robby DuFresne and Chris Savoy, the Winter Guard A team was ranked 1st in the Scholastic A division at WGI World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. In 2010, the Winter Guard A team was ranked 17th in the world, and the Indoor Percussion Ensemble was ranked 4th in the Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit Scholastic Marching A class. In 2011, the Winter Guard A team was ranked 13th in the world, and the Indoor Percussion Ensemble was ranked 1st in the Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit Scholastic Marching A class.
Athletics
The Nease Athletics program was rated the #1 athletic program in the State of Florida in 2008.Nease currently competes in FHSAA Class 4A. The mascot is the panther and the school colors are green and gold.
Football
The current coach of the Nease Football Team is Danny Cowgill. The assistant coach is David San Juan.The football team was televised on ESPN High School Showcase
High School Showcase
High School Showcase, known under its corporate sponsored name as the GEICO High School Showcase, is a presentation of high school football and high school basketball on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU.. Since debuting in 2005, it primarily airs on Friday at 8pm ET on ESPNU, following ESPNU Recruiting...
when they played the Hoover Buccaneers
Hoover High School (Alabama)
Hoover High School is a public high school in Hoover, Alabama, USA, serving grades 9-12. It was built as a replacement for W. A. Berry High School. It is currently one of the two International Baccalaureate schools in the Greater Birmingham Area...
in the first ever high school football game televised on ESPN on August 28, 2005.
The Nease Panthers football team were FHSAA Class 4A State Champions in 2005, as they beat the Armwood Hawks
Armwood High School
Armwood High School, located in Seffner, Florida, on U.S. Highway 92 opened in August 1984. The school is named after Blanche Armwood, a longtime Tampa resident, educator and activist. The school's mascot is the Hawk. The principal is Mike Ippolito.-Athletics:...
44-37, led by Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow
Timothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft...
. The football team was also FHSAA Class 4A State Runner-Ups in 2006 and 2007, losing to the Plant Panthers
Henry B. Plant High School
H.B. Plant High School was opened in 1927 on South Himes Avenue in Tampa, Florida, United States. The school is named in honor of railroad and hotel tycoon Henry B. Plant. The school mascot is the Panther. The school motto is "Strength Through Unity." Plant High School currently has enrolled more...
25-21 in 2006 and Washington Tornadoes, the #4 team in the country, 23-15 in 2007.
The state championship game in 2007 was at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando. That game was the highest rated high school football game in television history with about one million viewers.
From 2003 to 2007, the football team was coached by Craig Howard and had a record of 56-12 with four straight playoff appearances and a Class 4A State Championship win in 2005. Nease Football has also produced 67 college football players since 2004, which is the most in Florida during this time. On January 12, 2008, Coach Howard resigned as head coach and was hired by Columbia High School
Columbia High School (Lake City, Florida)
Columbia High School is a four-year public high school located in Lake City, Florida. The school's mascot is the Fighting Tigers and the colors are purple and gold...
in Lake City, Florida
Lake City, Florida
Lake City is the county seat of Columbia County, Florida, in the United States. In 2009, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 12,614. In addition, it is the Principal City of the Lake City Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is composed of Columbia County, and had an...
as their new head coach.
Golf
The boys team were Class 4A State Champions for the years 1995, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, and 2007.The girls team were Class 4A State Runners-up for the year 2007.
Soccer
The girls team were Class 4A State Champions in 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2008.The boys team were Class 4A State Champions in 2007 and 2008, and State runner-ups in 2003 and 2009.
Basketball
The boys team was Class 3A State Champions in 2002The girls team was Class 5A State Champions in 1999, led by Kelly Stevenson.
Notable alumni
- Tim TebowTim TebowTimothy Richard "Tim" Tebow is an American football player who is currently the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Broncos as the 25th overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft...
, (played football, basketball, and baseball for the school, was homeschooled) professional football player (Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
), 2007 Heisman TrophyHeisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner - Len MattiaceLen MattiaceLeonard Earl "Len" Mattiace is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour.Mattiace was born in Mineola, New York. He attended Nease High School in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. He graduated from Wake Forest University in 1990 with a degree in Sociology. While at Wake Forest, he played on the...
, professional golfer - Jeff KlaukJeff KlaukJeffrey Michael Klauk is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour.-Amateur career:Klauk was born in Boynton Beach, Florida. He played golf at Nease High School. He played collegiately at Florida Southern College where his team won the NCAA Division II Championship three...
, professional golfer - Ben NowlandBen NowlandBen Nowland,born May 27, 1980 in Jacksonville, Florida is an American football offensive lineman with the Georgia Force of the Arena Football League.-High school years:...
, professional arena football player (Georgia Force) - Nathan SturgisNathan SturgisNathan Sturgis is an American soccer player who currently plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
, professional soccer player (Toronto FC)