O'Fallon Township High School
Encyclopedia
O'Fallon Township High School is a public secondary school in O'Fallon, Illinois
. In 2009, OTHS was ranked 49th out of the top 100 high schools in Illinois by the Chicago Sun Times.
In 1901, the city had built a new building to serve as the elementary school. One room, Room 10, was set aside for the high school studies.
In 1903, the first graduating class of O’Fallon had only five people.
O’Fallon’s high school officially became OTHS of District 203 in 1920, and the original school song, “Blue and Old Gold” was first sung at graduation in 1925.
The school's mascot is the Panthers, which the 1934 basketball team takes credit for choosing. According to Mr. George Bender, class of 1937, the basketball team visited a sports store in 1934 and was impressed by the large picture of a panther in the store’s display window. The team, not having a mascot of their own yet, liked the idea of using the panther. By November 1934, the team was nicknamed the 'Panthers,' a name which would eventually represent the entire school.
The district completed construction on the strictly 9th grade or Freshman campus (Milburn) in the summer of 2009. The two campuses are approximately 5 minutes apart.
.
O'Fallon Winter Guard 2011 claimed the National title at Winter Guard International World Championships.
The Varsity Cross Country Team placed 5th in the 2010 State Meet with a team average of 14:59 for 3 miles. The team finished the season ranked 25th in the Nation.
The Varsity baseball team earned the school's first team state trophy in school history by placing third in the IHSA State Tournament in 2006 and 2009. That years team also made the school as the highest winning baseball team in Illinois.
The Junior ROTC Drill Team placed 1st overall at the Gateway International Drill Competition held at Alton High School, Illinois.
The Varsity Cheerleading team placed 2nd at state in 2007 and 4th at state in 2008 and second again in 2009.
The boys' basketball team finished second at the 2007 State Basketball Tournament held annually in Peoria, Illinois
at Bradley University
and finished fourth in 2010.
The Golden Girls dance team placed first in state competition in March 2008.
The O'Fallon Hockey Panthers won the MVCHA league 2A championship in the 1998-99 season, and also the 2A south division in 98-99, 99-00, and 01-02 seasons.
The JV Hockey Panthers won the south division in 03-04 and the JV 2A championship in 96-97, 97-98, 02-03, and 2010-11
The Marching Panthers have won the veiled Prophet Parade for 16 consecutive years.
The Winter Guard placed 3rd at MCCGA Championships and 1st in state in 2009-2010.
The competitive Journalism Team placed 2nd in the IHSA State competition in April
The 2009 Girls' Volleyball team won regionals for the first time in 17 years and advanced on to the sectional finals
The 07-08 Scholar Bowl team went 37-4 and went to the IHSA class AA tournament for the first time in the school's history
O'Fallon, Illinois
O'Fallon is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States, and one of the fastest-growing communities in the Metropolitan St. Louis area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 28,281. The city is the third largest city in the Metro-East and Southern Illinois...
. In 2009, OTHS was ranked 49th out of the top 100 high schools in Illinois by the Chicago Sun Times.
History
The first high school was founded in 1901 as a two-year school by William R. Dorris, who became the first principal, according to Brian Keller of the O’Fallon Historical Society.In 1901, the city had built a new building to serve as the elementary school. One room, Room 10, was set aside for the high school studies.
In 1903, the first graduating class of O’Fallon had only five people.
O’Fallon’s high school officially became OTHS of District 203 in 1920, and the original school song, “Blue and Old Gold” was first sung at graduation in 1925.
The school's mascot is the Panthers, which the 1934 basketball team takes credit for choosing. According to Mr. George Bender, class of 1937, the basketball team visited a sports store in 1934 and was impressed by the large picture of a panther in the store’s display window. The team, not having a mascot of their own yet, liked the idea of using the panther. By November 1934, the team was nicknamed the 'Panthers,' a name which would eventually represent the entire school.
Campuses
The current main campus, which houses grades 10-12 (Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors) was built and opened in 1958. Also, the district expanded the main campus by extending the street-side hallway, thus adding another hallway stretching the length of the school along with multiple new classrooms.The district completed construction on the strictly 9th grade or Freshman campus (Milburn) in the summer of 2009. The two campuses are approximately 5 minutes apart.
Sports
The Panthers compete in the Southwestern ConferenceSouthwestern Conference (Illinois)
The Southwestern Conference is a high school conference in southern Illinois. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association. The conference comprises large public high schools in the Metro East region of suburban St. Louis.-Current...
.
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Bowling
- Cross Country
- Cheerleading
- Ice Hockey
- Football
- Golden Girls Dance Team
- Golf
- Intramurals: Softball, Ultimate Frisbee
- Lacrosse
- Marching Band
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Track and Field
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
School rivals
- Edwardsville High School
- Belleville East
- Belleville West
- East St. Louis
- York Community High School
- Naperville North
- Roxana High School
Other extracurricular activities
- Art Club
- Astronomy Club
- BETA Club
- Bleachermaniacs
- Broadcast Staff
- Camera Club
- Comics and Drawing Team
- Chess Team
- Chamber Choir
- Cross Country
- Concert Choir
- Culture Mix
- Drama Club
- Ecology Club
- Endeavours Literary Magazine
- Fall Play
- Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)
- French Club
- French Honor Society
- Freshman Choir
- Future Educators of America (FEA)
- Gay Straight Alliance (GSA)
- Geology Club
- German Club
- German Honor Society
- Government Club
- History Club
- Hockey
- International Action (Interact) Club
- Jazz Band
- Jazz Choir
- Orchestra
- Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)
- Lifesavers
- Madrigals
- Marching Band
- Math Team
- Mock Trial Club
- Model United Nations
- National Honor Society
- Newspaper Staff (Prowler)
- Odyssey of the Mind
- Otaku Club
- Players with a Passion
- Prom Planning Committee
- Religions United Interfaith Mosaic (RUIM)
- Robotics Team
- Saturday Scholars
- Scholar Bowl Team
- Science Olympiad Team
- Show Choir
- Speech Team
- Spanish Club
- Spanish Honor Society
- Spring Musical
- Sports Medicine Club
- Sport Psychology Club
- Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)
- Student Council
- Thespian Society
- (Varisity) Winter Guard
- (Junior Varsity) Winterguard
- Woman's Choir
- Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (WYSE) Team
- Yearbook Staff
Team achievements
The O'Fallon track team's 4x1mile relay placed 6th in the nation at New Balance Outdoor Nationals 2011 attaining All-American Status.O'Fallon Winter Guard 2011 claimed the National title at Winter Guard International World Championships.
The Varsity Cross Country Team placed 5th in the 2010 State Meet with a team average of 14:59 for 3 miles. The team finished the season ranked 25th in the Nation.
The Varsity baseball team earned the school's first team state trophy in school history by placing third in the IHSA State Tournament in 2006 and 2009. That years team also made the school as the highest winning baseball team in Illinois.
The Junior ROTC Drill Team placed 1st overall at the Gateway International Drill Competition held at Alton High School, Illinois.
The Varsity Cheerleading team placed 2nd at state in 2007 and 4th at state in 2008 and second again in 2009.
The boys' basketball team finished second at the 2007 State Basketball Tournament held annually in Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
at Bradley University
Bradley University
Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
and finished fourth in 2010.
The Golden Girls dance team placed first in state competition in March 2008.
The O'Fallon Hockey Panthers won the MVCHA league 2A championship in the 1998-99 season, and also the 2A south division in 98-99, 99-00, and 01-02 seasons.
The JV Hockey Panthers won the south division in 03-04 and the JV 2A championship in 96-97, 97-98, 02-03, and 2010-11
The Marching Panthers have won the veiled Prophet Parade for 16 consecutive years.
The Winter Guard placed 3rd at MCCGA Championships and 1st in state in 2009-2010.
The competitive Journalism Team placed 2nd in the IHSA State competition in April
The 2009 Girls' Volleyball team won regionals for the first time in 17 years and advanced on to the sectional finals
The 07-08 Scholar Bowl team went 37-4 and went to the IHSA class AA tournament for the first time in the school's history
Notable alumni
- Bob CryderBob CryderRobert "Bob" Cryder is a former American football offensive guard who played in the NFL from 1978–1986. He played college football for the University of Alabama.-References:...
, Former NFL player - Ron SteinRon SteinRonald Arthur "Ron" Stein was an American athlete who competed at the inaugural Summer Paralympic Games held in Rome in 1960.-Early life:...
, sports - Dawn SternDawn SternDawn Stern is an American film and television actress; she is also a model.-Early life and education:She was born on a military base near Tokyo, but was raised in O'Fallon, Illinois, where she attended EK and O'Fallon Township High School....
, American actress