Palos Verdes High School
Encyclopedia
Palos Verdes High School (PVHS) is one of three public high school
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....

s on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Southern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, USA (the others being Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
Palos Verdes Peninsula High School is one of three public high schools on the Palos Verdes Peninsula...

 (formerly Rolling Hills High School) and Rancho Del Mar High School
Rancho Del Mar High School
Rancho Del Mar High School is one of three public high schools on the Palos Verdes Peninsula . Located on Crest Road in Rolling Hills, the school is part of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District.Rancho Del Mar was opened in 1984 on the former site of La Cresta Elementary School...

). Located by the ocean in Palos Verdes Estates
Palos Verdes Estates, California
Palos Verdes Estates is a city, incorporated in 1939, in Los Angeles County, California, USA on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The city was masterplanned by the noted American landscape architect and planner Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. The population was 13,438 at the 2010 census, up from 13,340 in the...

, the school is part of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District is a school district headquartered in Palos Verdes Estates, California.-Governance:The district is headed by a superintendent - Walker Williams - and governed by a five-person, publicly elected school board.The current board members are:* Malcolm S...

.

Originally opened in 1961, the school earned many awards for academic and athletic excellence before declining enrollments due to demographic changes led the District to close PVHS in 1991, combining three existing high schools into Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
Palos Verdes Peninsula High School is one of three public high schools on the Palos Verdes Peninsula...

 (PVPHS). The campus remained in use as Palos Verdes Intermediate School
Palos Verdes Intermediate School
Palos Verdes Intermediate School is one of three public middle schools in the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District . The school is located on the campus of the former Margate Intermediate School, which closed in 1985...

, with the former intermediate schools having been closed as part of the reorganization. In 2002, climbing enrollments and overcrowding at Peninsula High School led the district to reopen Palos Verdes High School. By the first year, enrollment reached 470 students.

Notable organizations and clubs

PVHS is home to the Palos Verdes Sea Kings, the only high school team in the nation to have participated in the DARPA Grand Challenge
DARPA Grand Challenge
The DARPA Grand Challenge is a prize competition for driverless vehicles, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the most prominent research organization of the United States Department of Defense...

.

The school also has an award-winning drama program that was chosen to represent the United States in the Edinburgh Theatre Festival
Edinburgh International Festival
The Edinburgh International Festival is a festival of performing arts that takes place in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, over three weeks from around the middle of August. By invitation from the Festival Director, the International Festival brings top class performers of music , theatre, opera...

 in 2009.

The school is also known for its broadcast journalism program Live from 205 (referring to the program's room number), which has won several awards at the STN National Convention from 2005 through 2011, including the Excellence Award for best high school weekly news show in the country in the 2007,2008, 2009 and 2010 competitions. At the recent 2011 STN convention, Live From 205 won 10 awards in various categories, this is more awards than any other school has ever won at the convention.

The Cal-Nev-Ha KIWIN'S organization on campus has made remarkable gains. Not only does it have the largest amount of students involved in community service, but it has made notable gains in leadership both on a divisional (Diamond Division) level and district level. As of 2009 there have been three Lieutenant Governors from PVHS, 4 executive board members, 2 appointed board members. The Governor for California-Nevada-Hawaii KIWIN'S District for the 2008-2009 service year was also from Palos Verdes High.

The school's science olympiad team, coached by Eva Stamper, typically advances to the state competition each year, and in 2008 achieved fourth place in the competitive Los Angeles Regionals.

Palos Verdes High School also has an award winning yearbook program lead under Susan Pavelka. The yearbook is also competes with college level yearbboks.

Sports


Palos Verdes Sea Kings Sports
Fall Winter Spring
Football Girls Basketball Softball
Cross Country Boys Basketball Baseball
Boys Water Polo Girls Soccer Boys Lacrosse
Girls Tennis Boys Soccer Girls Lacrosse
Girls Golf Girls Water Polo Boys Golf
Girls Volleyball Surf Team Track
Equestrian Equestrian Boys Volleyball
Rowing Boys Swimming
Girls Swimming
Boys Tennis
Equestrian



The athletic teams (known as the Sea Kings) are represented by the colors red, black, and white, and compete in the Bay League for most sports. The nickname comes from the Greek god Poseidon
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...

, the school's official mascot. Their cross-town rival is the PVPHS Panthers, whom they battle in various sports for the "King of the Hill". This is a recent development coming a few years after the reopening in 2002, as the teams were not closely aligned or regularly matched up immediately thereafter due to sizeable differences in enrollment. The original cross-town rival was the Rolling Hills High School Titans, the original school housed on the PVPHS campus before district wide consolidation took effect.

In 1965 the Sea Kings captured their first CIF championship in any sport as the undefeated (11-0-1) football team defeated Tustin Foothill 20-7 to capture the CIF AA Championship. Earlier that season marked the first meeting ever on the gridiron between the Sea Kings and their cross-town rivals the Rolling Hills Titans (Peninsula Panthers.) The Sea Kings won that first-ever game 28-7.

In 1975, a notable date in the school's sports history, the Sea Kings won the CIF
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...

 Boys Basketball Championship, defeating perennial champion Verbum Dei High School
Verbum Dei High School
Verbum Dei High School, colloquially referred to as "the Verb", is an all-male Catholic high school combining college-preparatory academic courses and immersion in corporate work environments. It is operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles with the sponsorship of the of the...

 in the semi-finals in one of the biggest upsets in California high school basketball history. Palos Verdes was led by future NBA all-star Bill Laimbeer
Bill Laimbeer
William "Bill" Laimbeer, Jr. is a retired National Basketball Association player for the Detroit Pistons. Playing at center, the 6'11" Laimbeer was a four-time All-Star and integral part of the Pistons teams that won two championships...

, while Verbum Dei's biggest star was David Greenwood
David Greenwood
For the football player of the same name see David Greenwood .Dave Kasim Greenwood is a retired American professional basketball player whose NBA career spanned 12 years from 1979 to 1991. A forward/center, he played for the Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons...

, who became Laimbeer's teammate on the 1990 Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...

 NBA championship team.

The Sea Kings have won many CIF titles over the years in several other boys and girls sports, and a few teams have even been recognized at the state or national level. Circa 1990, it claimed a national championship in both girls basketball as well as boys soccer, as recognized by USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...

. Most recently, the school has claimed CIF titles in baseball (2005), boys lacrosse, and in boys soccer for the 2006-07 season.

The Red Tide, is a student-run spirit organization that supports the sports teams. Started specifically to cheer for boys basketball, the Red Tide is a major presence at most games, where an entire section of the bleachers is often a sea of red. Their taglines include "Roll Tide," "Tritons Up," and "Red Tide Nation."

Cross country

The Palos Verdes Cross Country Team is a cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

 team from Palos Verdes High School in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

.

History

Palos Verdes fielded a varsity boys cross country team in 1961, the year the school opened. The boys' varsity team has won a total of six CIF
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...

 titles. They were champions in 1967, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1990, 2009, their first CIF title after the school reopened and most recently, in 2011. The boys have also won 17 Bay League titles, most recently in 2007 and 2009. The boys' team also won their first state championship in 2009, qualifying for the Nike Cross Nationals.

Girls cross country did not compete as a team until 1977. The girls varsity team won 14 consecutive Bay League titles from 1977 to 1991. The girls' team has won six California Interscholastic Federation
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...

 titles. The girls won CIF
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...

 titles in 1979, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1989. The 1987 girls' team was named National Champions. They were also state champions in 1987, 1988, and 1989.

Coaches

The cross country program was founded in 1961 by coach Bill O'Rourke and then followed by Terry Wallace
Terry Wallace
Terry Wallace is a former professional Australian rules football player and coach.As a player, his career spanned three VFL/AFL clubs; most notably Hawthorn where he played in three premierships as well as achieving All-Australian selection, and two Best and Fairests with the Footscray Football Club...

. The leader of the cross country program during the 70‘s was coach Bob Latham. Coach Latham was in charge from 1972 until 1979 when he left Palos Verdes. Sue Scully was the coach for the 1980 season followed by Joe Kelly. Coach Kelly was in charge at Palos Verdes High School from 1981 until the school closed in 1991.

The team is currently coached by Brian Shapiro, Jeff Atkinson
Jeff Atkinson (athlete)
Jeffrey Patrick Atkinson is a male former middle distance runner from the United States. He currently holds the mile record at Stanford University. He competed at the Summer Olympics in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea and came in tenth place in the 1500m race...

, and Alex Broughton.

Notable alumni

  • Dylan Firshein, Acting student as a freshman and later moved into large screen credits. Reference : http://movies.nytimes.com/person/779246/Dylan-Firshein
  • Billy Martin
    Billy Martin (tennis)
    Billy Martin , is a former professional tennis player from the United States. During his career he won 1 singles titles and 3 doubles titles. He achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 32 in 1975.-Singles titles :-Runner-ups :-Doubles titles :-Runner-ups :-External links:...

    , Tennis Pro & long time UCLA Tennis Head Coach, Class of 1974
  • Matt Wuerker, Political cartoonist, Pulitzer Prize finalist 2009, Class of 1975
  • Former Senator George Felix Allen (R-VA), Class of '70
  • Bill Laimbeer
    Bill Laimbeer
    William "Bill" Laimbeer, Jr. is a retired National Basketball Association player for the Detroit Pistons. Playing at center, the 6'11" Laimbeer was a four-time All-Star and integral part of the Pistons teams that won two championships...

     (Detroit Pistons
    Detroit Pistons
    The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...

     star and current WNBA coach), Class of '75 and leader of the 1975 CIF championship basketball team.
  • Craig Hogan
    Craig Hogan
    Craig Hogan is a Professor of Astronomy and Physics at the University of Chicago and he is the director of the Fermilab Center for Particle Astrophysics....

    , Director of Fermilab Center for Particle Astrophysics, Class of 1972
  • Todd Q Mason, Composer and Documentary Film-maker (producer, writer, and director of 'The Journey to Palomar', a PBS documentary on George Ellery Hale
    George Ellery Hale
    George Ellery Hale was an American solar astronomer.-Biography:Hale was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was educated at MIT, at the Observatory of Harvard College, , and at Berlin . As an undergraduate at MIT, he is known for inventing the spectroheliograph, with which he made his discovery of...

    ), Class of 1973
  • Bo Barrett
    Bo Barrett
    Bo Barrett is the current winemaker of Chateau Montelena. He is the son of Jim Barrett, under whose ownership the 1973 vintage Chardonnay won first place among white wines at the Judgment of Paris wine tasting. Barrett was an assistant during that vintage, working under the tutelage of Mike Grgich...

    , Current wine-maker of Chateau Montelena. In the movie Bottle Shock Bo was a primary character portrayed by actor Chris Pine and the movie was about the Judgement of Paris. Class of 1972
  • Christopher Boyce (convicted of espionage, subject of the movie The Falcon and the Snowman
    The Falcon and the Snowman
    The Falcon and the Snowman is a 1985 film directed by John Schlesinger about two young American men, Christopher Boyce and Daulton Lee , who sold U.S. security secrets to the Soviet Union...

    , from Robert Lindsey's book of the same name), Class of '70
  • Andrew Daulton Lee
    Andrew Daulton Lee
    Andrew Daulton Lee is an American who was convicted of espionage for his involvement in the spying activities of his childhood friend, Christopher Boyce.Lee was the adopted eldest son of Dr. Daulton Lee, a wealthy California physician...

     (convicted of espionage, subject of the movie The Falcon and the Snowman
    The Falcon and the Snowman
    The Falcon and the Snowman is a 1985 film directed by John Schlesinger about two young American men, Christopher Boyce and Daulton Lee , who sold U.S. security secrets to the Soviet Union...

    , from Robert Lindsey's book of the same name), Class of '70
  • Dana Rohrabacher
    Dana Rohrabacher
    Dana Tyron Rohrabacher is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 45th and 42nd, serving since 1989. He is a member of the Republican Party...

     (U.S. House of Representatives), Class of '65
  • Evan C. Kim
    Evan C. Kim
    Evan C. Kim is an American actor. He is best known for playing Loo in the 1977 comedy The Kentucky Fried Movie's "A Fistful of Yen" segment, the interpreter Cowboy in the 1978 Vietnam War film Go Tell the Spartans, the erudite caveman Nook in the cult 1981 comedy Caveman, Suki in the 1982 B movie...

     (actor), Class of '71
  • John Philbin
    John Philbin
    John Philbin is an American surfer who has appeared in television and film.John first began acting in high school, around the same time he began surfing. Choosing acting over wrestling, John joined a drama team that went on to win awards throughout his high school career. Upon leaving high school,...

     (actor)
  • Pete Sampras
    Pete Sampras
    Pete Sampras is a retired American tennis player and former world no. 1. During his 15-year tour career, he won 14 Grand Slam singles titles and became recognized as one of the greatest tennis players of all time....

     (tennis great) (attended 1985-88 but did not graduate)
  • Brian Ball
    Brian Ball
    Brian Ball was a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He competed in only one Grand Prix race during the 1968 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, finishing the year in 12th place in the 500cc world championship. At the 1968 Isle of Man TT, he finished second to Giacomo Agostini in the Senior...

     (Philanthropist and Social Activist) Class of '71
  • Ian Needham (Frisbie Golf Expert) Class of '75
  • Rick Griffin
    Rick Griffin
    Richard Alden Griffin was an American artist and one of the leading designers of psychedelic posters in the 1960s. As a contributor to the underground comix movement, his work appeared regularly in Zap Comix. Griffin was closely identified with the Grateful Dead, designing some of their best known...

     (artist and illustrator), Class of '62
  • Daniel Levitin
    Daniel Levitin
    Professor Daniel J. Levitin, Ph.D. is a prominent American cognitive psychologist, neuroscientist, record producer, musician, and writer...

     (musician and neurologist), Class of '75
  • Blair Bush
    Blair Bush
    Blair Walter Bush was a center who played 17 seasons in the National Football League for four different teams. He started in Super Bowl XVI as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals....

     (former center in the NFL), Class of '74
  • Heather Burge
    Heather Burge
    Heather Marie Quella is a former professional basketball player and is the twin sister of Heidi Horton.-Growing up:...

     and Heidi Burge
    Heidi Burge
    Heidi Ann Horton is a former professional basketball player and is the twin sister of Heather Quella.-Growing up:...

     (basketball players, subject of the movie Double Teamed
    Double Teamed
    Double Teamed! is a Disney Channel Original Movie based on the life stories of twin sisters, Heather and Heidi Burge. The film was released on VHS but is now out of print.-Plot:...

    ) (attended but did not graduate)
  • Todd Witteles
    Todd Witteles
    Todd Witteles is an American professional poker player. A former computer scientist, Witteles made poker his full-time pursuit in 2003.-Poker career:...

    , World Series of Poker
    World Series of Poker
    The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...

     bracelet winner, and CardPlayer Magazine's 2005 World Series of Poker Player of the Year, Class of '90
  • John Welbourn
    John Welbourn
    John Welbourn is an American football offensive tackle and guard who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at California...

    , NFL offensive lineman, formerly with the Philadelphia Eagles
    Philadelphia Eagles
    The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...

     and Kansas City Chiefs
    Kansas City Chiefs
    The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...

     (attended 1990-1991)
  • Mark Acres
    Mark Acres
    Mark Richard Acres is a retired American professional basketball player who spent most of his career in the NBA...

    , (pro basketball; Boston Celtics 1987-1989, Orlando Magic 1989-1992, Houston Rockets 1992, Washington Bullets 1993), Class of '81
  • John Erickson
    John Erickson (golfer)
    John Erickson is an American professional golfer who played the Canadian Tour from 1987 to 1994 and the PGA Tour of Australasia Tour from 1987 to 1992.-Competition:...

     (pro golfer) Windsor Charity Classic Champion 1991, Class of '81
  • Justine Greiner (Playboy centerfold) Miss February 1984, Class of 81
  • Grant Heslov
    Grant Heslov
    Grant Heslov is an American actor, film producer, screenwriter and director.-Early life:Heslov was born in Los Angeles, into a Jewish family and was raised in the Palos Verdes area of Los Angeles. He attended Palos Verdes High School, the University of Southern California along with friend Tate...

    , (actor, writer, producer), Class of '81
  • Michael Moloney
    Michael Moloney
    Michael C. Moloney is a Decorator and television personality who makes regular appearances on the reality television series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition...

     (designer), TV's Extreme Home Makeover, Class of '82
  • Joey Burns, (musician), with Calexico, Class of '85
  • Wyatt Caldwell (Major League Pitcher, 1994–2001, All-Star (1997), 3.41 career era, 1094k's, 78-57 career record, Class of '86
  • Brooke Theiss
    Brooke Theiss
    Brooke Theiss-Genesse is an American actress who has starred in film and on television.Her first film role was in 1988's Little Nikita, but later that year, Brooke's big role came in the hit horror movie A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master as Debbie Stevens, where the character was...

     (actress), Class of '87
  • Kevin Hartman
    Kevin Hartman
    Kevin Hartman is an American soccer player who currently plays for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer-Youth and College:...

    , American Soccer Player, (attended 1990-1991)
  • Natalie Pack contestant on Cycle 12 of America's Next Top Model, Class of '07
  • Christopher Schotts, MMA Fighter in the 1990s; Instructional Tape Producer, Renowned Martial Arts instructor
  • Kellogg S. Booth (Professor of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia), Class of '64(?)
  • Rush Rehm
    Rush Rehm
    Rush Rehm is an Associate Professor of Drama and Classics at Stanford University, California, in the United States. He also works professionally as an actor and director. He has published many works on classical theatre.- Bibliography :...

     (Associate Professor of Drama and Classics at Stanford University), Class of '67
  • Richard C. Wolbers (Associate Professor and Coordinator of Science and Adjunct Paintings Conservator, University of Delaware), Class of '67
  • Dave Demarest (High School Baseball Coaching Legend at La Quinta High School, Long Beach State Hall of Fame, career record of 753-213), Class of '68

External links

  • http://www.pvhigh.com
  • http://www.livefrom205.com
  • http://palosverdeshigh.net
  • http://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/DNNqdsKakUahjKcpW5V3DQ/palos-verdes-sea-kings/home.htm
  • http://www.pvhsdrama.com
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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