Plano West Senior High School
Encyclopedia
Plano West Senior High School (commonly West, Plano West, or PWSH) is a public secondary school
in Plano
, Texas
(USA) serving high school juniors and seniors. The school is part of the Plano Independent School District
, with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes. Students at Plano West attended one of two high schools: Jasper
or Shepton
. Plano West is accredited by the Texas Education Agency
, which designates the school as "Recognized". The school colors are royal blue, black, and white, and the mascot is the Wolf.
Plano West operates on a 9:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. schedule, which includes seven periods and a break for off-campus lunch during which all students may leave campus to eat lunch. There is one period from 8:00 a.m. to 8:50 a.m. called "Zero Hour" which students can opt to attend, thus enabling an 8:00-to-3:19 school day.
Plano West offers 28 Advanced Placement courses out of the 31 possible courses, as well as concurrent enrollment courses through Collin College. 56% percent of Plano West students are enrolled in at least one Advanced Placement course, above the Plano ISD
average of 32% and Texas
average of 20%. The school currently offers many vocational courses in agriculture, early childhood education, home economics, journalism
, fashion design, advertising design, drafting
, automotive technology, criminal justice
, and clinical rotation.
In 2005-2006, students achieved an average composite SAT
score of 1158 out of 1600 and a mean ACT
score of 24.6 out of 36. Both scores are the highest out of all three PISD senior high schools. Many Plano West students received National Merit Scholarship
accolades in the 2005-2006 school year, including 30 finalists, 40 semi-finalists, and 59 commended students.
Plano West was ranked 98 in Newsweek's Top Public High Schools 2011.
. Annually, Plano West plays against the Plano Senior High School
Wildcats and the Plano East Senior High School
Panthers for the title of Plano City Champions.
, which was #1 in the nation at one point earlier that season. In 2009-2010, the Plano West Lady Wolves basketball team went undefeated in district to claim their second straight district title and third in the last four years. Despite only returning one starter from the 2008-2009 team, the Wolves advanced to the Region 1 finals before losing to Marcus High School of Flower Mound
In addition, the women's soccer team was ranked #1 in the nation and claimed the Texas state championship the first three years in the school's existence.
The men's lacrosse team for Plano West also won state title honors in 2005. Plano West completed a 10-3 season in the Texas Division 2 North conference with the only losses coming to Division 1 teams. West then went 5-0 in the playoffs, including two riveting games against rival Plano East. West defeated East 15-14 in overtime in the conference finals, and 13-12 in the state finals to capture its first state championship in only its fourth season of existence.
The Plano West Wolves have also competed in a UIL Record four consecutive State 5A High School Tennis Championships at the Lakeway World of Tennis, Austin, Texas, (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) winning the UIL State Championship 5A Title in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Plano West made it to the Final Four in each of its seven years of existence, to the State Championship Match five times, and won the championship title four of those years, 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
The Plano West Runnin Wolves Cross Country team swept the 9-5A district meet in 2002,2003,2006, 2007, and 2008 placing first in all four races. Both varsity teams advanced to regionals. The Plano West Girls Cross Country team qualified for state for the third time in school history. They placed first at regionals for the first time in 2006. The Plano West Boys Cross Country team qualified for the state meet for the first time in school history in 2006. The Girls team finished in 4th place, while the Boys team finished 6th. The Plano West Cross Country team won the district 9-5A again in 2007, placing first in all four races once again. In 2008 the Plano West Girl's cross country team came in third place at the state meet.
The Plano West Swim team completed a stellar 2006-2007 campaign with the guy's team finishing higher at state than ever before. Led by senior Jordan Hawley, the Wolves were able to place 8 swims at the state meet. Two unfortunate disqualifications in a second place and winning relay negated a chance to place in the top three overall for the boys team. The DQs were a result of Vadim K. leaving early on both relays, one of which was by .01 of a second. Sophomore Brendan McIntee was named by coach Kris Jones as Plano West Male Swimmer of the Year based on his leadership and performance throughout the season. The award follows up his award from the 2005-2006 academic year of Newcomer of the Year.
In 2007, both the Plano West Boys and Girls Soccer Teams advanced to the State Final. The Plano West Girls defeated previously undefeated Deer Park 3-0 to win its 4th state championship. Sophomore Lauren LaGro was named the Championship Match MVP. Meanwhile, the Boys team lost to undefeated Flower Mound Marcus in a shootout, 3-2, despite having the lead with less than 2 minutes remaining.
At the end of the 2007 school year, West was awarded with the Texas Dodge Dealers Lone Star Cup, given to the top sports high school in the state due to how far high schools went or final rank in all district, regional, and state playoff competitions. West tied with Humble Kingwood, but won the tie breaker with 2 overall state championships (Girls Soccer and Team Tennis) to Kingwood's 1 (Boys Swimming).
In 2007, Plano West won the Dallas Morning News SportsDay's All-Sports High School Award as the top athletic program in North Texas.
The boys baseball team finished #1 in the country after winning the Texas state championship in 2008, ending the season with a 40-2 record.
In June 2011, 223 Plano ISD teachers will be laid off at the end of the school year and another 121 members of the Plano ISD support staff will also be let go with speculation that extracurriculars will be cut back or eliminated all together.
, a student athlete at Plano West, committed suicide which many believed was connected to depression
caused by the use of steroids used for performance enhancement. This incident drew national focus to the issues of high school athletes and steroid use. Chris Wash was featured on the cover of the December 20, 2004, Newsweek
magazine wearing a Plano West Senior High School shirt in an article about the use of steroids in high schools. On March 10, 2005, Taylor's father, Don Hooton, testified before a Congressional Subcommittee about the use of steroids in high school. This was a widely covered event as several prominent baseball players including José Canseco
and Mark McGwire
testified as well.
The Plano West Mighty Wolf Band has a marching and concert season and also has a winterguard program. In the 2009–2010 school year, the band had approximately 95 members. The band's 2009 Marching show is "Rising Dragons" by the composer Robert W. Smith. Mr. Smith wrote this specific arrangement for the Plano West Marching Band. 2010-2011's show was based on the movie The Natural. The show for the 2011-2012 school year is called "Global Illuminations".
In 2011, The Plano West Music Program was named 'Gold' GRAMMY® Signature School. Plano West was one of only seven "Gold" level award recipients. The award recognizes top U.S. public high schools making an outstanding commitment to music education.
Past theatrical productions include Beauty and the Beast
, West Side Story, Les Misérables
, The Laramie Project
, To Kill a Mockingbird
, Little Shop of Horrors
, Spring Awakening, Into the Woods
, and Awesome 80s Prom
. In 2009, Plano West advanced to Zone for their performance The Imaginary Ivalid for the UIL One Act Play competition.
Mr. Grant Goble, the current director who started in the 2010-2011 school year, and has so far directed And Then There Were None, Jekyll & Hyde The Musical
, and Electra by Sophocles set in Nazi Germany.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in Plano
Plano, Texas
Plano is a city in the state of Texas, located mostly within Collin County. The city's population was 259,841 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth-largest city in Texas and the 71st most populous city in the United States. Plano is located within the metropolitan area commonly referred to as...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(USA) serving high school juniors and seniors. The school is part of the Plano Independent School District
Plano Independent School District
Plano Independent School District is a public school district in southeastern Collin County, Texas, with its headquarters in Plano. Plano ISD serves about of land, with of it within the City of Plano...
, with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes. Students at Plano West attended one of two high schools: Jasper
Jasper High School (Plano, Texas)
T. C. Jasper High School is a free co-educational secondary school in Plano, Texas serving grades nine and ten. Founded in 1996, the school is part of the Plano Independent School District. Rice and Robinson Middle Schools feed into Jasper. Students leaving Jasper will attend Plano West Senior...
or Shepton
Shepton High School
Shepton High School is a secondary school in Plano, Texas serving grades nine and ten. It is part of the Plano Independent School District. In Plano ISD, high school freshmen and sophomores attend one of six high schools...
. Plano West is accredited by the Texas Education Agency
Texas Education Agency
The Texas Education Agency is a branch of the state government of Texas in the United States responsible for public education. The agency is headquartered in the William B...
, which designates the school as "Recognized". The school colors are royal blue, black, and white, and the mascot is the Wolf.
Academics
Plano West offers 28 Advanced Placement courses out of the 31 possible courses, as well as concurrent enrollment courses through Collin College. 56% percent of Plano West students are enrolled in at least one Advanced Placement course, above the Plano ISD
Plano Independent School District
Plano Independent School District is a public school district in southeastern Collin County, Texas, with its headquarters in Plano. Plano ISD serves about of land, with of it within the City of Plano...
average of 32% and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
average of 20%. The school currently offers many vocational courses in agriculture, early childhood education, home economics, journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
, fashion design, advertising design, drafting
Technical drawing
Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....
, automotive technology, criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
, and clinical rotation.
In 2005-2006, students achieved an average composite SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
score of 1158 out of 1600 and a mean ACT
ACT (examination)
The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test...
score of 24.6 out of 36. Both scores are the highest out of all three PISD senior high schools. Many Plano West students received National Merit Scholarship
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...
accolades in the 2005-2006 school year, including 30 finalists, 40 semi-finalists, and 59 commended students.
Plano West was ranked 98 in Newsweek's Top Public High Schools 2011.
Championships
| Girls Soccer State Championship Games | ||||||
| Year | Winning Team | Losing Team | Location (all in Texas) | Class | ||
| 2000 | Plano West | 2 | Katy Taylor James E. Taylor High School James E. Taylor High School, also known as Katy Taylor High School, is a public high school in Harris County, Texas, in the city of Katy. The school, which serves grades 9 through 12, is part of Katy Independent School District... |
1 | Round Rock ISD Stadium, Round Rock Round Rock, Texas Round Rock is a city in Travis and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the metropolitan area. The 2010 census places the population at 99,887.... |
5A |
| 2001 | Plano West | 3 | Katy Taylor | 0 | Round Rock ISD Stadium, Round Rock | 5A |
| 2002 | Plano West | 3 | Humble Kingwood Kingwood High School Kingwood High School is a Humble ISD secondary school located in the Kingwood community of Houston, Texas, United States.Melissa Hayhurst is the current principal of Kingwood High School.... |
0 | Round Rock ISD Stadium, Round Rock | 5A |
| 2007 | Plano West | 3 | Deer Park | 0 | Round Rock ISD Stadium, Round Rock | 5A |
| Boys Soccer State Championship Games | ||||||
| Year | Winning Team | Losing Team | Location (all in Texas) | Class | ||
| 2007 | Flower Mound Marcus Edward S. Marcus High School Edward S. Marcus High School is one of five main high schools in the Lewisville Independent School District, Texas. The school opened in 1981 and was the second high school in the district. It services students who live in northern Flower Mound, Highland Village, Double Oak, Lewisville, and Copper... |
3 | Plano West | 2 (SO) | Round Rock ISD Stadium, Round Rock | 5A |
| Girls Basketball State Championship Games | ||||||
| Year | Winning Team | Losing Team | Location (all in Texas) | Class | ||
| 2006 | Plano West | 54 | Rockwall Rockwall High School Rockwall High School is a high school that is part of the Rockwall Independent School District located in Rockwall, Texas. The mission statement of Rockwall High School is "Rockwall High School values quality education and strives to be an exemplary school by providing students with the tools... |
47 | Frank Erwin Center Frank Erwin Center Frank C. Erwin, Jr. Special Events Center, commonly known as Frank Erwin Center or UT Erwin Center, is a multi-purpose arena on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin... , Austin Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in... |
5A |
| Hockey State Championship Games | |||||
| Year | Winning Team | Losing Team | Location (all in Texas) | ||
| 2000 | Grapevine | 1 | Plano West | 2 | StarsCenter, Valley Ranch |
| 2002 | Southlake Carroll | 2 | Plano West | 3 | Aerodrome Aerodrome An aerodrome, airdrome or airfield is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo, passengers or neither... , Houston Houston, Texas Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ... |
| 2004 | Plano West | 2 | Clear Lake High School | 1 | Deja Blue Arena, Frisco Frisco, Texas Frisco is an affluent city in Collin and Denton Counties in the U.S. state of Texas and a rapidly growing suburb of Dallas. As of the 2010 Census, 116,989 people were living in Frisco up from 33,714 in the previous census. Frisco was the fastest growing city in the United States in 2009, and also... |
| 2005 | Plano West | 1 | Highland Park High School Highland Park High School (University Park, Texas) Highland Park High School is located in University Park, Texas.Highland Park is a part of the Highland Park Independent School District. It serves all of the city of University Park, most of the town of Highland Park, and portions of Dallas.-History:... |
0 | Deja Blue Arena, Frisco |
| 2007 | Allen Allen High School (Allen, Texas) -Athletics:-Football:The Allen Eagle football program has had five playoff berths and two bi-district championships in six seasons. In 2006 the varsity football team finished its season as the District 9-5A Champions by beating Plano East in the last game of the regular season, 22-17. Its only loss... |
1 | Plano West | 2 (OT) | Deja Blue Arena, Frisco Frisco, Texas Frisco is an affluent city in Collin and Denton Counties in the U.S. state of Texas and a rapidly growing suburb of Dallas. As of the 2010 Census, 116,989 people were living in Frisco up from 33,714 in the previous census. Frisco was the fastest growing city in the United States in 2009, and also... |
| 2011 | Plano West | 4 | Southlake Carroll | 2 | Starscenter, Farmers Branch |
| Team Tennis State Championship Matches | ||||||
| Year | Winning Team | Losing Team | Location (all in Texas) | Class | ||
| 2001 | Plano West | 10 | El Paso Coronado Coronado High School (El Paso) Coronado High School in El Paso, Texas is located on the west side of El Paso near the intersection of North Mesa Street and Resler Drive. It serves the southern part of west El Paso: east of Interstate 10, from the vicinity of Executive Center Boulevard north approximately three miles to around... |
8 | Lakeway World of Tennis, Austin Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in... |
5A |
| 2003 | Lubbock Coronado Coronado High School (Lubbock) Coronado High School is the second newest high school in the Lubbock Independent School District. Coronado, named for the great Spanish adventurer and explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, opened its doors in 1965 as the fourth high school in Lubbock, joining the list of Lubbock High, Monterrey... |
10 | Plano West | 6 | Fairway Oaks Country Club, Abilene | 5A |
| 2004 | Plano West | 10 | Austin Westlake Westlake High School (Texas) Westlake High School is a high school in West Lake Hills, Texas in the Eanes Independent School District. In 2011, it was ranked 72nd on Newsweek Magazine's list of America's top High Schools.... |
5 | Lakeway World of Tennis, Austin | 5A |
| 2005 | Plano West | 11 | San Antonio Churchill | 5 | Lakeway World of Tennis, Austin | 5A |
| 2006 | Plano West | 11 | Austin Westlake Westlake High School (Texas) Westlake High School is a high school in West Lake Hills, Texas in the Eanes Independent School District. In 2011, it was ranked 72nd on Newsweek Magazine's list of America's top High Schools.... |
6 | Lakeway World of Tennis, Austin | 5A |
| Baseball State Championship Games | ||||||
| Year | Winning Team | Losing Team | Location (all in Texas) | Class | ||
| 2008 | Plano West | 10 | Southlake Carroll | 8 | Dell Diamond Dell Diamond The Dell Diamond is the home stadium of the Round Rock Express, the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Texas Rangers major league baseball team... , Round Rock |
5A |
Football
The Plano West Wolves have made the state football playoffs in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. However, their only playoff win in school history occurred in 2004 against DeSoto High SchoolDeSoto High School (DeSoto, Texas)
DeSoto High School is a public school in DeSoto, Texas, United States. It is part of the DeSoto Independent School District. It is located at 600 Eagle Drive - History :...
. Annually, Plano West plays against the Plano Senior High School
Plano Senior High School
Plano Senior High School is a public secondary school in Plano, Texas, USA, serving students in grades 11–12. The school is part of the Plano Independent School District, with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes...
Wildcats and the Plano East Senior High School
Plano East Senior High School
Plano East Senior High School is a secondary school in Plano, Texas serving high school juniors and seniors. It is part of the Plano Independent School District....
Panthers for the title of Plano City Champions.
Basketball
Under coach Anthony Morgan, the Plano West Wolves boys' basketball team has won district titles back to back in 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. The 2008-2009 won 30 games, more than any other in school history, but ended up falling in the area round to Duncanville High SchoolDuncanville High School
Duncanville High School is a secondary school located in Duncanville, Texas, United States. The school is a part of the Duncanville Independent School District....
, which was #1 in the nation at one point earlier that season. In 2009-2010, the Plano West Lady Wolves basketball team went undefeated in district to claim their second straight district title and third in the last four years. Despite only returning one starter from the 2008-2009 team, the Wolves advanced to the Region 1 finals before losing to Marcus High School of Flower Mound
Other
The Plano West hockey team won back-to-back state championships in the Southwestern Bell High School Hockey League for the years of 2004 and 2005. However, during the 2004 Southwestern Bell High School Hockey Championship (Texas Cup) Plano West had to forfeit all games due to ineligible players. The 2004 Texas Cup was not awarded to any team. The team has played in the state championship game in four of the six years of its existence.http://stats.drpepperstarcenter.com/highschool/04varsitystate.htmIn addition, the women's soccer team was ranked #1 in the nation and claimed the Texas state championship the first three years in the school's existence.
The men's lacrosse team for Plano West also won state title honors in 2005. Plano West completed a 10-3 season in the Texas Division 2 North conference with the only losses coming to Division 1 teams. West then went 5-0 in the playoffs, including two riveting games against rival Plano East. West defeated East 15-14 in overtime in the conference finals, and 13-12 in the state finals to capture its first state championship in only its fourth season of existence.
The Plano West Wolves have also competed in a UIL Record four consecutive State 5A High School Tennis Championships at the Lakeway World of Tennis, Austin, Texas, (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) winning the UIL State Championship 5A Title in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Plano West made it to the Final Four in each of its seven years of existence, to the State Championship Match five times, and won the championship title four of those years, 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
The Plano West Runnin Wolves Cross Country team swept the 9-5A district meet in 2002,2003,2006, 2007, and 2008 placing first in all four races. Both varsity teams advanced to regionals. The Plano West Girls Cross Country team qualified for state for the third time in school history. They placed first at regionals for the first time in 2006. The Plano West Boys Cross Country team qualified for the state meet for the first time in school history in 2006. The Girls team finished in 4th place, while the Boys team finished 6th. The Plano West Cross Country team won the district 9-5A again in 2007, placing first in all four races once again. In 2008 the Plano West Girl's cross country team came in third place at the state meet.
The Plano West Swim team completed a stellar 2006-2007 campaign with the guy's team finishing higher at state than ever before. Led by senior Jordan Hawley, the Wolves were able to place 8 swims at the state meet. Two unfortunate disqualifications in a second place and winning relay negated a chance to place in the top three overall for the boys team. The DQs were a result of Vadim K. leaving early on both relays, one of which was by .01 of a second. Sophomore Brendan McIntee was named by coach Kris Jones as Plano West Male Swimmer of the Year based on his leadership and performance throughout the season. The award follows up his award from the 2005-2006 academic year of Newcomer of the Year.
In 2007, both the Plano West Boys and Girls Soccer Teams advanced to the State Final. The Plano West Girls defeated previously undefeated Deer Park 3-0 to win its 4th state championship. Sophomore Lauren LaGro was named the Championship Match MVP. Meanwhile, the Boys team lost to undefeated Flower Mound Marcus in a shootout, 3-2, despite having the lead with less than 2 minutes remaining.
At the end of the 2007 school year, West was awarded with the Texas Dodge Dealers Lone Star Cup, given to the top sports high school in the state due to how far high schools went or final rank in all district, regional, and state playoff competitions. West tied with Humble Kingwood, but won the tie breaker with 2 overall state championships (Girls Soccer and Team Tennis) to Kingwood's 1 (Boys Swimming).
In 2007, Plano West won the Dallas Morning News SportsDay's All-Sports High School Award as the top athletic program in North Texas.
The boys baseball team finished #1 in the country after winning the Texas state championship in 2008, ending the season with a 40-2 record.
In June 2011, 223 Plano ISD teachers will be laid off at the end of the school year and another 121 members of the Plano ISD support staff will also be let go with speculation that extracurriculars will be cut back or eliminated all together.
2003 steroids controversy
In July 2003, Taylor HootonTaylor Hooton
Taylor Hooton was a student and baseball player at Plano West Senior High School in Plano, Texas, who, in July 2003, committed suicide.Taylor Hooton, a 16-year old, 6' 2", 180 pound, with a history of depression, was on several anti depressants....
, a student athlete at Plano West, committed suicide which many believed was connected to depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
caused by the use of steroids used for performance enhancement. This incident drew national focus to the issues of high school athletes and steroid use. Chris Wash was featured on the cover of the December 20, 2004, Newsweek
Newsweek
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...
magazine wearing a Plano West Senior High School shirt in an article about the use of steroids in high schools. On March 10, 2005, Taylor's father, Don Hooton, testified before a Congressional Subcommittee about the use of steroids in high school. This was a widely covered event as several prominent baseball players including José Canseco
José Canseco
José Canseco Capas, Jr. is a Cuban-American professional baseball manager, outfielder, and designated hitter for the Yuma Scorpions of the North American League and former Major League Baseball player. He is the identical twin brother of former major league player and current teammate Ozzie Canseco...
and Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire , nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball player who played his major league career with the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently the hitting coach for the St...
testified as well.
Music
The Plano West Chamber Orchestra has been named the outstanding string orchestra for the state of Texas by the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) 5 consecutive times. Directed by Mrs. Jo Wallace-Abbie, the orchestra is made up of approximately 40 musicians. TMEA rules prohibit a school from entering the competition the year after it has won, so the title of Texas "Honor Orchestra" was won in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010. The orchestra has been featured on the Disney Channel series "Totally in Tune" which aired in 2001. In 2005, the orchestra won a Cappie Award for Outstanding Pit Orchestra in a musical, (for the school production of) Les Misérables.The Plano West Mighty Wolf Band has a marching and concert season and also has a winterguard program. In the 2009–2010 school year, the band had approximately 95 members. The band's 2009 Marching show is "Rising Dragons" by the composer Robert W. Smith. Mr. Smith wrote this specific arrangement for the Plano West Marching Band. 2010-2011's show was based on the movie The Natural. The show for the 2011-2012 school year is called "Global Illuminations".
In 2011, The Plano West Music Program was named 'Gold' GRAMMY® Signature School. Plano West was one of only seven "Gold" level award recipients. The award recognizes top U.S. public high schools making an outstanding commitment to music education.
Theatre
The Plano West Theatre Department was previously under the direction of Ms. Carla Ford-Rich, who has been named the Secondary Teacher of the Year by the Texas Educational Theater Association.Past theatrical productions include Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (musical)
Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical...
, West Side Story, Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
, The Laramie Project
The Laramie Project
The Laramie Project is a play by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project about the reaction to the 1998 murder of University of Wyoming gay student Matthew Shepard in Laramie,...
, To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It was instantly successful, winning the Pulitzer Prize, and has become a classic of modern American literature...
, 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...
, Spring Awakening, Into the Woods
Into the Woods
Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
, and Awesome 80s Prom
Awesome 80s prom
The Awesome 80s Prom is an interactive off-Broadway show at Webster Hall described as a "blast-from-the-past party in the style of Tony n' Tina's Wedding and The Donkey Show set at Wanaget High's Senior Prom.....
. In 2009, Plano West advanced to Zone for their performance The Imaginary Ivalid for the UIL One Act Play competition.
Mr. Grant Goble, the current director who started in the 2010-2011 school year, and has so far directed And Then There Were None, Jekyll & Hyde The Musical
Jekyll & Hyde (musical)
Jekyll & Hyde is a musical based on the novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The original stage conception was by Steve Cuden and Frank Wildhorn. The music is by Wildhorn and the lyrics and book are by Leslie Bricusse.The musical ran on Broadway for 1,543...
, and Electra by Sophocles set in Nazi Germany.
Notable alumni
- David LoftonDavid LoftonDavid Lofton is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football at Stanford....
(Class of 2002) — NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
defensive backDefensive backIn American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
with the Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, formerly at Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. - Vickiel VaughnVickiel VaughnVickiel Vaughn is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arkansas...
(Class of 2002) — NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
defensive backDefensive backIn American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
with the 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...
, formerly at the University of ArkansasUniversity of ArkansasThe University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
. - Taylor HootonTaylor HootonTaylor Hooton was a student and baseball player at Plano West Senior High School in Plano, Texas, who, in July 2003, committed suicide.Taylor Hooton, a 16-year old, 6' 2", 180 pound, with a history of depression, was on several anti depressants....
- drew national attention due to steroid use and suicide. - Spencer WadsworthSpencer WadsworthSpencer Wadsworth is an American professional soccer player from Houston, Texas. He is currently without a club.-College:A four-year starter at Duke, Wadsworth saw his time in the starting lineup limited as a senior after off-season microfracture surgery on his right ankle...
(Class of 2004) — Soccer player for FC DallasFC DallasFC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
of Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, formerly at Duke UniversityDuke UniversityDuke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
. - Jordan PughJordan PughJordan Alexander Pugh is an American football defensive back for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He played college football at Texas A&M.-College career:...
(Class of 2006) — NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
defensive backDefensive backIn American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
with the Carolina PanthersCarolina PanthersThe Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. Drafted in the 6th round out of Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
. - Jackson JeffcoatJackson JeffcoatJackson Jeffcoat is an American football defensive end. He currently attends the University of Texas at Austin in his freshman year...
(Class of 2010) — Current defense lineman for the Texas LonghornsTexas Longhorns footballThe Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
. Formerly the number one high school football player in the nation.
See also
- Plano East Senior High SchoolPlano East Senior High SchoolPlano East Senior High School is a secondary school in Plano, Texas serving high school juniors and seniors. It is part of the Plano Independent School District....
- Plano Senior High SchoolPlano Senior High SchoolPlano Senior High School is a public secondary school in Plano, Texas, USA, serving students in grades 11–12. The school is part of the Plano Independent School District, with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes...
- Shepton High SchoolShepton High SchoolShepton High School is a secondary school in Plano, Texas serving grades nine and ten. It is part of the Plano Independent School District. In Plano ISD, high school freshmen and sophomores attend one of six high schools...
- Jasper High SchoolJasper High School (Plano, Texas)T. C. Jasper High School is a free co-educational secondary school in Plano, Texas serving grades nine and ten. Founded in 1996, the school is part of the Plano Independent School District. Rice and Robinson Middle Schools feed into Jasper. Students leaving Jasper will attend Plano West Senior...