Destrehan High School
| Destrehan High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
 | |
1 Wildcat Lane , 70047 United States | |
| Coordinates | 29°57′53″N 90°22′58″W / 29.964805°N 90.382693°W[1] |
| Information | |
| School type | Public |
| School district | St. Charles Parish Public School System |
| CEEB code | 190685 |
| Principal | Stephen Weber |
| Teaching staff | 104 (as of 2009-10)[2] |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Gender | Co-Ed |
| Enrollment | 1402 (as of 2009-10)[2] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 13.49 (as of 2009-10)[2] |
| Campus type | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Garnet and Gray |
| Athletics conference | Louisiana High School Athletic Association District 7-5A |
| Mascot | Wildcats |
| Rival | Hahnville High School |
| Website | http://www.stcharles.k12.la.us/destrehan.cfm |
Destrehan High School is a public high school located in Destrehan, Louisiana. The St. Charles Parish school serves all students on the East bank of the Mississippi River in grades 9 through 12.
History
Destrehan High School, a public secondary school, is located on the east bank of St. Charles Parish in Destrehan, Louisiana, approximately twenty-five miles west of New Orleans.
In 1923, St. Charles Parish approved a bond issue for school construction. On September 15, 1924, the Destrehan High School facility received 234 pupils in grades one through eleven. Destrehan's first graduating class consisted of Placide Hotard and Eldridge Gervais.[3]
In 1969, then all-black Bethune High School was closed, bringing an end to racially segregated schools and forcing the two student bodies to be combined. Elementary-aged children attended schools directed by court guidelines, and high school students were moved to Destrehan High School.
The process of integrating the two student bodies caused several disruptions. On Oct. 7, 1974, students were sent home early after racially-motivated fights broke out in the school.[4] Another incident between a bus full of black students and white parents and students resulted in 13-year-old Timothy Weber, who was standing outside with his mother, being shot.[4] Gary Tyler, a black student, was arrested and later convicted of the murder.[4] At the time, the case garnered considerable national attention. Since the conviction, Amnesty International has twice identified the case as a miscarriage of justice.[5] A federal appeals court ruled Tyler did not receive a fair trial, but he has never been retried and remains in prison.
The original high school located on River Road closed after the completion of the 1974 school year. The new campus located at its current location on Wildcat Lane opened with the start of the 1975 school year.[3]
As of April 2002 the school had 1,500 students.[6]
In 2014, instructors Shelley Dufresne and Rachel Respess were arrested for having illegal amorous relations with a 16 year old student.[7]
Athletics
The Destrehan High School athletic teams, known as the Fighting Wildcats and Lady Cats, compete in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA).
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cheerleading
- Dance team (Desty Darlings)
- Football
- Golf
- Powerlifting
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Track and Field
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
Athletic facilities
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-
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Destrehan Gymnasium -
Fighting Wildcats Baseball Field -
Lady Cats Softball Field
Football
The Destrehan Fighting Wildcats football team competes in District 7 5-A in the LHSAA. The Fighting Wildcats play their home games at 5,000-seat Wildcat Stadium. They are coached by Stephen Robicheaux.
State championships
The Fighting Wildcats have won five LHSAA state championships.[8]
The 2007 state championship team finished the season ranked 22nd in the nation[9] and the 2008 state championship team finished the season ranked 18th in the nation.[10] Those teams were part of a 30-game winning streak from 2007 to September 2009.[11][12]
| Year | Winning Team | Losing Team | Location | Class | Record | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Destrehan | ||||||
| 1949 | Destrehan | 14 | Dequincy | 6 | 1A | 12-1 | |
| 1973 | Destrehan | 27 | Lutcher | 0 | 3A | 12-0-1 | |
| 1993 | West Monroe | 28 | Destrehan | 21 | Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans | 5A | 12-3 |
| 2007 | Destrehan | 41 | Acadiana | 21 | Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans | 5A | 15-0 |
| 2008 | Destrehan | 14 | West Monroe | 3 | Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans | 5A | 14-0 |
| 2014 | Acadiana | 23 | Destrehan | 7 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans | 5A | 14-1 |
District championships
The Fighting Wildcats have won eighteen LHSAA district championships.
1949, 1958, 1963, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1981, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2014
Playoffs
The Fighting Wildcats have made the LHSAA playoffs thirty-six times.[13]
1941, 1949, 1958, 1963, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014
Notable alumni
- Paul F. Boudreau, Assistant Coach for the St Louis Rams
- Joel Chaisson, District Attorney and Louisiana State Senate President
- Burnell Dent, Linebacker for the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants
- Shelley Hennig, Actress and Miss Teen USA
- Jordan Jefferson, Quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Mike Jennings, Graduate Assistant for Arkansas Razorbacks Women's basketball
- Damaris Johnson, Wide receiver/Punt returner for the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans
- Beau Jones, Minor-league pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics and Miami Marlins
- Charlie Jones, Vanderbilt University Men's tennis player and assistant coach (2012 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year)
- Rondell Mealey, Running Back for the Green Bay Packers
- Jerico Nelson, Safety for the New Orleans Saints
- Jeremy Parquet, Offensive Lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers
- Rusty Rebowe, Linebacker for the New Orleans Saints
- Tim Rebowe, Head Football Coach at Nicholls State University
- Ed Reed, Safety for the Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans and New York Jets
- Darryl Richard, Defensive Tackle for the New England Patriots
- Randy Roth, Minor-league baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals
- Mike Scifres, Punter for the San Diego Chargers
- Damian Scioneaux, Minor-league baseball player for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
- Gary Smith, Jr., Louisiana state senator
- Josh Victorian, Cornerback for the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans
- Darius Vinnett, Cornerback for the St. Louis Rams and Atlanta Falcons
- Devon Walker, Safety for Tulane University and New Orleans Saints
- Billy Micheal Wallace, Country music recording artist and songwriter
References
- ^ "Destrehan High School". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2009-10-01.
- ^ a b c "School Detail for Destrehan High School". National Center for Education Statistics.
- ^ a b "DHS History - destrehan.cfm". Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ a b c http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/05/opinion/05herbert.html
- ^ "Free Gary Tyler!". Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ Kamerick, Megan. "Seven area schools create academies for Freshmen." New Orleans CityBusiness. Monday April 1, 2002. Retrieved on March 17, 2013. Available on LexisNexis. "At Destrehan High School, which has 1,500 students, Assistant Principal Linda Lowry sees a change in attitude among ninth graders. "The kids are so much more relaxed, and we feel like they're ready to go on.""
- ^ "Police: Destrehan teachers had a threesome with a student". WGNO. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ "Louisiana High School Football State Champions". 14-0productions. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ "Destrehan 2007 Football Rankings". maxpreps.com. Retrieved 2014-11-24.
- ^ "Destrehan High School Finishes 18th". maxpreps.com. Retrieved 2014-11-24.
- ^ "Just enough, just right for Destrehan". Retrieved 3 October 2014.
- ^ http://www.wwltv.com/sports/stories/wwl091209bhdestrehanloses.1724d6289.html%7CThibodaux ends Destrehan's 30-game win streak with a 31-21 win
- ^ "Louisiana High School Football All-time Playoff List". 14-0productions. Retrieved 3 October 2014.