Lake Zurich High School (Lake Zurich, Illinois)
Encyclopedia
Lake Zurich High School, or LZHS, is a public four-year high school
located in Lake Zurich
, Illinois
, a northwest suburb of Chicago
, in the United States
. It is part of Community Unit School District 95
, which is home to five elementary schools and two middle schools, primarily taking students from Lake Zurich Middle School North and Lake Zurich Middle School, but it also can take students from parochial schools such St. Francis de Sales and St. Matthew as well.
. In 1964, area residents built a second high school which was to be called Ela-Vernon East. A series of disagreements between Vernon Township residents and Ela Township residents led to the split of the school district and Stevenson High School
opened in nearby Lincolnshire
drawing students from the eastern half of Ela Township and all of Vernon Township. As a result of the split, a rivalry existed between the schools, and each fall the football teams competed for what was known as "The Cannon". The Cannon was a miniature steel replica of the real thing, and fired a blank shotgun shell when teams entered the field, and or scored a touchdown. The Cannon was retired in 1982, after Stevenson and Lake Zurich discontinued their football rivalry, as a result of a differing enrollment and different athletic conference affiliations. Lake Zurich won the last game involving the cannon in 1982. Students from Lake Zurich, Deer Park, Hawthorn Woods, portions of Kildeer, North Barrington and unincorporated areas such as Forest Lake and Echo Lake attend Lake Zurich High School.
(IHSA). The school's teams are stylized as the Bear
s.
The school has won two IHSA state championships, one in football (2007–08) and the other in cheerleading (2010–11).
In 2006, the school installed artificial turf
for its stadium.
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....
located in Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich, Illinois
Lake Zurich is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States, a suburb of Chicago. The population was 18,104 at the 2000 census. A 2003 special census put the village's population at 19,005....
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, a northwest suburb of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of Community Unit School District 95
Community Unit School District 95
Community Unit School District 95 is the school district that covers Lake Zurich, Illinois, USA, which is located in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois...
, which is home to five elementary schools and two middle schools, primarily taking students from Lake Zurich Middle School North and Lake Zurich Middle School, but it also can take students from parochial schools such St. Francis de Sales and St. Matthew as well.
History
Lake Zurich High school first opened its doors to students in 1926 as Ela-Vernon High School, serving Ela and Vernon Townships in Lake County, IllinoisLake County, Illinois
Lake County is a county in the northeastern corner of the state of Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 703,462, which is an increase of 9.2% from 644,356 in 2000. Its county seat is Waukegan. The county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area...
. In 1964, area residents built a second high school which was to be called Ela-Vernon East. A series of disagreements between Vernon Township residents and Ela Township residents led to the split of the school district and Stevenson High School
Adlai E. Stevenson High School (Lincolnshire, Illinois)
Adlai E. Stevenson High School , commonly called Stevenson High School , is a public four-year high school located 3/4 of a mile west of the corner of Milwaukee Avenue and Half Day Road in Lincolnshire, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, serving Lincolnshire, Long Grove, larger portions of...
opened in nearby Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire, Illinois
Lincolnshire is a village in the Vernon Township region of Lake County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The village is a suburb of Chicago, a city in the adjacent Cook County. Its population was 6,108 at the time of the 2000 census. Lincolnshire was incorporated on August 5, 1957, from the...
drawing students from the eastern half of Ela Township and all of Vernon Township. As a result of the split, a rivalry existed between the schools, and each fall the football teams competed for what was known as "The Cannon". The Cannon was a miniature steel replica of the real thing, and fired a blank shotgun shell when teams entered the field, and or scored a touchdown. The Cannon was retired in 1982, after Stevenson and Lake Zurich discontinued their football rivalry, as a result of a differing enrollment and different athletic conference affiliations. Lake Zurich won the last game involving the cannon in 1982. Students from Lake Zurich, Deer Park, Hawthorn Woods, portions of Kildeer, North Barrington and unincorporated areas such as Forest Lake and Echo Lake attend Lake Zurich High School.
Athletics
Lake Zurich competes in the North Suburban Conference and is a member of the Illinois High School AssociationIllinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
(IHSA). The school's teams are stylized as the Bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s.
The school has won two IHSA state championships, one in football (2007–08) and the other in cheerleading (2010–11).
In 2006, the school installed artificial turf
Artificial turf
Artificial turf is a surface manufactured from synthetic fibers made to look like natural grass. It is most often used in arenas for sports that were originally or are normally played on grass. However, it is now being used on residential lawns and commercial applications as well...
for its stadium.
Activities
The Lake Zurich High School's (LZHS) Drama Department performance of "Urinetown" was selected by USA Weekend Magazine as a state winner (Illinois) for "Best High School Musicals in America". The cast and crew performed the play twice Jan 5–6, 2007 at the University of Illinois during the Illinois High School Theatre Festival. Other shows performed by Lake Zurich at the Festival include "The Wedding Singer" in 2009, "The Diviners" in 2005.Notable alumni
- Anthony CastonzoAnthony CastonzoAnthony Salvatore Castonzo is an American football offensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts. After a college career at Boston College, Castonzo was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with their first round draft pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.-High school career:Castonzo attended Fork Union...
, NFL Football player, 1st round draft pick (2011) - Adam "Boots" Wilk, Collegiate Football player, University of Illinois (2003-2006). Also a Golden Gloves participant in 2009.