South Gwinnett High School
Encyclopedia
South Gwinnett High School (SGHS) is a public high school
in the United States
for students in grades 9–12. The school is located in Snellville, Georgia
and is part of the Gwinnett County Public Schools
system, one of the 15 largest public school systems in the country. South Gwinnett is home to about 2,800 students.
The oldest of the four high schools in southeastern Gwinnett County, South Gwinnett was formed by the merger of Snellville High School and Grayson High School in 1957. As Gwinnett County saw extremely rapid population growth in the 1980s, Shiloh High School
and Brookwood High School
were each opened to accommodate the rapid growth in South Gwinnett's school district. As Gwinnett County continued to see more and more students enter its system, South Gwinnett's district was split in half in 2000, when Grayson High School
was "re-opened" at a new facility in Grayson, Georgia
.
The school's mock trial
team won the National High School Mock Trial Championship
in 1995, held in Denver, Colorado
.
In 2002, South Gwinnett HS Engineering Education program was awarded the National Program of Excellence by the ITEEA.
The school's literary magazine, The Myriad, won Best Literary Magazine in Georgia in 2006-2007.
The school's Odyssey of the Mind
Team won first place at the Georgia State competition and qualified for the OM World Competition in 2003.
South Gwinnett High School made AYP in 2009. Under No Child Left Behind, a school makes Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) if it achieves the minimum levels of improvement determined by the state of Georgia in terms of student performance and other accountability measures. See South Gwinnett High School's test results to learn more about school performance.
The South Gwinnett High School Theatre Dept. won Runner-Up in the Regional 8-AAAAA One-Act Competition, also bringing home the awards for Best Actor and Best Actress in 2011 with the show "For Whom The Southern Belle Tolls" by Christopher Durang
. This show starred Joseph Johnson, recipient of the Best Actor Award, Danielle Reid, recipient of the Best Actress Award, William Bates, and Briana Reid.
standout, David Greene (class of 2000) at the helm, the Comets again made it deep into the Georgia High School AAAAA State Playoffs upsetting many state perennial powerhouses along the way. However, the 2000 season saw an unpromising future for McFerrin and the Comet Program; the top ten team from just one year earlier ended up finishing the 2000 season with a 3-7 record, which was McFerrin's lowest during his time at South Gwinnett. Parents and staff members alike were unsure what to think about the upcoming 2001 season, but with a strong finish, the 2001 football season gained McFerrin and the Comets their respect back as they went back to the AAAAA State Playoffs, losing to Stephenson High School
in the first round. The 2001 season ended with a 7-3 record. McFerrin again came back and surprised the Gwinnett football community when the 2002 season came around, this timelow reaching the second round of the AAAAA State Playoffs, upsetting the Cobb County powerhouse, Walton High School
in the first round and losing again to Stephenson High School the following week, bringing the Comets overall record to 10-2. The 2003 season saw yet another successful year for T. McFerrin and the Comets. Returning not many starters from the previous year, the Comets captured the Region 8 AAAAA title after going undefeated in the regular season, beating crosstown rival Brookwood High School
. This team would reach the quarterfinal round of the GHSA AAAAA State Playoffs, eventually losing to Westside High School
from Macon
, Georgia
(not to be confused with Westside High School
in Augusta
). The 2003 season finished with a 12-1 record. The 2004 season would prove to be yet another one of McFerrin's great seasons, where again the top 10 team from the year before graduated many of its starters. McFerrin and the Comets ended the season 5-5. However during the season the Comets presented McFerrin with his 300th win, a huge honor for the legendary coach. McFerrin retired at the end of that 2004 season. Taking over his position would be John Small, former defensive coordinator for Oconee County High School
, and former defensive ends coach at South Gwinnett.South Gwinnett comets opened their 2010 season against number two lowndes county
Band director Dr. Arvold handed the band down to Erik Mason who led it to win several competitions.
Mason, after four years moved to Mill Creek High School and the head passed on to William Owens.
Only a short time had passed when Owens was offered a position in the new opening school of
Mountain View High. Currently, Jimmie McKinley now heads the band program with his new slogan "Sound. Style. Sophistication."
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 United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for students in grades 9–12. The school is located in Snellville, Georgia
Snellville, Georgia
Snellville is a city in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States, east of Atlanta. The population was 15,351 at the 2000 census. The city's mayor, Jerry Oberholtzer, was elected to a 4-year term in 2007. The city's commercial and residential development has grown enormously in recent years...
and is part of the Gwinnett County Public Schools
Gwinnett County Public Schools
Gwinnett County Public Schools is a school district operating in Gwinnett County, Georgia, USA. GCPS is the largest school system in Georgia, with 123 schools and an estimated enrollment of 161,000 students for the 2010-2011 year. GCPS is estimated to be the 14th largest school district in the...
system, one of the 15 largest public school systems in the country. South Gwinnett is home to about 2,800 students.
The oldest of the four high schools in southeastern Gwinnett County, South Gwinnett was formed by the merger of Snellville High School and Grayson High School in 1957. As Gwinnett County saw extremely rapid population growth in the 1980s, Shiloh High School
Shiloh High School
Shiloh High School is a public high school located in Snellville, Georgia in southern Gwinnett County. The school is part of the Gwinnett County Public Schools system and opened in 1984...
and Brookwood High School
Brookwood High School (Snellville, Georgia)
Brookwood High School is an American public secondary school in Snellville, Georgia with a student body of over 3,500. Brookwood serves several areas of Gwinnett County, Georgia, including Lawrenceville and Lilburn.-Layout:...
were each opened to accommodate the rapid growth in South Gwinnett's school district. As Gwinnett County continued to see more and more students enter its system, South Gwinnett's district was split in half in 2000, when Grayson High School
Grayson High School
Grayson High School is located on the edge of Loganville, Georgia and Grayson, Georgia, and has a population of over 3,000 students. Grayson High School pulls from many areas of southern Gwinnett County, mainly Grayson, Lawrenceville,and Loganville....
was "re-opened" at a new facility in Grayson, Georgia
Grayson, Georgia
As of 2010 Grayson had a population of 2,666. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 62.8% white, 23.8% black or African American, 0.4% native American, 9.0% Asian, 1.8% from some other race and 2.2% from some other race...
.
Awards and recognition
South Gwinnett was ranked as the 11th best high school in the State of Georgia in 2002, by the Georgia Public Policy Foundation. South Gwinnett is currently ranked 159th in the state and 12th (of 16) in Gwinnett County in the 2010 GPPF Report Card.The school's mock trial
Mock trial
A Mock Trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers as role players to test theories or...
team won the National High School Mock Trial Championship
National High School Mock Trial Championship
The National High School Mock Trial Championship is an American nationwide competition of high school mock trial teams. The competition debuted in 1984 in Des Moines, Iowa, with teams representing Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin....
in 1995, held in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
.
In 2002, South Gwinnett HS Engineering Education program was awarded the National Program of Excellence by the ITEEA.
The school's literary magazine, The Myriad, won Best Literary Magazine in Georgia in 2006-2007.
The school's Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind, often called OM , is a creative problem-solving competition involving students from kindergarten through college. Team members work together at length to solve a predefined problem ; and present their solution to the problem at a competition...
Team won first place at the Georgia State competition and qualified for the OM World Competition in 2003.
South Gwinnett High School made AYP in 2009. Under No Child Left Behind, a school makes Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) if it achieves the minimum levels of improvement determined by the state of Georgia in terms of student performance and other accountability measures. See South Gwinnett High School's test results to learn more about school performance.
The South Gwinnett High School Theatre Dept. won Runner-Up in the Regional 8-AAAAA One-Act Competition, also bringing home the awards for Best Actor and Best Actress in 2011 with the show "For Whom The Southern Belle Tolls" by Christopher Durang
Christopher Durang
Christopher Ferdinand Durang is an American playwright known for works of outrageous and often absurd comedy. His work was especially popular in the 1980s.- Life :...
. This show starred Joseph Johnson, recipient of the Best Actor Award, Danielle Reid, recipient of the Best Actress Award, William Bates, and Briana Reid.
South Gwinnett Football
Between the 1998 football season and the 2004 football season, the South Gwinnett High School Football program saw very successful seasons. Brought on mainly by the legendary Head Coach T. McFerrin who took over the failing program in 1998, turning it into an almost overnight powerhouse. In the first season McFerrin and the Comets went from having a previous 0-10 season to making the Georgia High School AAAA State Playoffs. The team went deep into the playoffs and surprised a lot of the surrounding Gwinnett talent. The following season (1999) was to see yet another successful season. Along with having UGAUniversity of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
standout, David Greene (class of 2000) at the helm, the Comets again made it deep into the Georgia High School AAAAA State Playoffs upsetting many state perennial powerhouses along the way. However, the 2000 season saw an unpromising future for McFerrin and the Comet Program; the top ten team from just one year earlier ended up finishing the 2000 season with a 3-7 record, which was McFerrin's lowest during his time at South Gwinnett. Parents and staff members alike were unsure what to think about the upcoming 2001 season, but with a strong finish, the 2001 football season gained McFerrin and the Comets their respect back as they went back to the AAAAA State Playoffs, losing to Stephenson High School
Stephenson High School
Stephenson High School is a public school located in DeKalb County, Georgia. The school is located in the city of Stone Mountain, Georgia.Stephenson High School, located in historic Stone Mountain, opened in 1996. The campus consists of a beautiful five-acre facility, located on forty acres...
in the first round. The 2001 season ended with a 7-3 record. McFerrin again came back and surprised the Gwinnett football community when the 2002 season came around, this timelow reaching the second round of the AAAAA State Playoffs, upsetting the Cobb County powerhouse, Walton High School
George Walton Comprehensive High School
George Walton Comprehensive High School, usually referred to simply as "Walton High School," is public high school located in suburban Marietta, Georgia in the United States. It resides in eastern Cobb County and is a charter school in the Cobb County School District. It is a School of Excellence...
in the first round and losing again to Stephenson High School the following week, bringing the Comets overall record to 10-2. The 2003 season saw yet another successful year for T. McFerrin and the Comets. Returning not many starters from the previous year, the Comets captured the Region 8 AAAAA title after going undefeated in the regular season, beating crosstown rival Brookwood High School
Brookwood High School (Snellville, Georgia)
Brookwood High School is an American public secondary school in Snellville, Georgia with a student body of over 3,500. Brookwood serves several areas of Gwinnett County, Georgia, including Lawrenceville and Lilburn.-Layout:...
. This team would reach the quarterfinal round of the GHSA AAAAA State Playoffs, eventually losing to Westside High School
Westside High School (Macon, Georgia)
Westside High School is a public high school located in Macon, Georgia. Opened in 1997, it is the largest school in the Bibb County school district. They educate students in grades 9-12. Pat Coxsey was the school's principal from Westside's establishment in 1997 until her retirement in 2006....
from Macon
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
(not to be confused with Westside High School
Westside High School (Augusta, Georgia)
Westside High School is a public high school located in the West Augusta area of Augusta, Georgia. It is operated by the Richmond County School System...
in Augusta
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
). The 2003 season finished with a 12-1 record. The 2004 season would prove to be yet another one of McFerrin's great seasons, where again the top 10 team from the year before graduated many of its starters. McFerrin and the Comets ended the season 5-5. However during the season the Comets presented McFerrin with his 300th win, a huge honor for the legendary coach. McFerrin retired at the end of that 2004 season. Taking over his position would be John Small, former defensive coordinator for Oconee County High School
Oconee County High School
Oconee County High School is a public secondary school located at 2721 Hog Mountain Road in Watkinsville, Georgia, USA. It is a public high school that hosts grades 9–12. Its mascot is the Warrior, and its colors are blue and white...
, and former defensive ends coach at South Gwinnett.South Gwinnett comets opened their 2010 season against number two lowndes county
Marching band
The long-time marching band of over twenty years is known as the South Gwinnett "Band of Stars".Band director Dr. Arvold handed the band down to Erik Mason who led it to win several competitions.
Mason, after four years moved to Mill Creek High School and the head passed on to William Owens.
Only a short time had passed when Owens was offered a position in the new opening school of
Mountain View High. Currently, Jimmie McKinley now heads the band program with his new slogan "Sound. Style. Sophistication."
Notable alumni
- David Bruckner (1996), Co-Director of The SignalThe Signal (film)The Signal is an independent psychological horror-comedy film written and directed by David Bruckner, Dan Bush, Jacob Gentry and produced by Alexander A. Motlagh—four filmmakers who have been collaborating since 1999 in Atlanta, Georgia...
, a major motion picture released in Winter 2008. - Adam SelzerAdam SelzerAdam Selzer is an author, primarily of young adult and middle grade novels. His first novel was How To Get Suspended and Influence People, a 2007 Random House novel which was included on the Chicago Public Schools 2007 Summer Reading List...
(1999), author of several books - David Greene (2000), former quarterback in the NFL
- Mike Mercer (2005), former college basketball player for the University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaThe University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
and the University of South FloridaUniversity of South FloridaThe University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA... - Louis WilliamsLouis WilliamsLouis "Lou" Tyrone Williams is an American professional basketball player with the Philadelphia 76ers, who selected him with the 45th pick of the 2005 NBA Draft...
(2005), pro basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia 76ersThe Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA... - Rodgeriqus SmithRodgeriqus SmithRodgeriqus Smith is an American Football wide receiver for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He was signed on OCtober 27, 2009.-College career:...
(2004), Wide Receiver for the Auburn TigersAuburn TigersAuburn Tigers is the name given to Auburn University athletic teams. The University is a member of the Southeastern Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 19 varsity teams in 13 sports:* Men's sports** Baseball** Basketball... - Jennifer Roseberry (2007), Miss Teen Georgia American Queen April 2007
- Larry HighbaughLarry HighbaughLarry Highbaugh is a former defensive back for the British Columbia Lions from 1971-1972 and the Edmonton Eskimos from 1972-1983 of the Canadian Football League...
, 6-time CFL Grey Cup Champion with the Edmonton EskimosEdmonton EskimosThe Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895... - Clay CookClay CookDouglas "Clay" Cook is a songwriter, producer and musician who co-wrote several songs with Grammy-winner John Mayer including "No Such Thing", "Comfortable", and "Neon"...
, singer songwriter and Zac Brown BandZac Brown BandZac Brown Band is an American country music, southern rock, and folk band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown , Jimmy De Martini , John Driskell Hopkins , Coy Bowles , Chris Fryar and Clay Cook...
guitarist