Athletics
The Montclair High School Mounties compete in the Super Essex Conference, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Prior to the 2010 realignment, the school had competed in the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League, which comprised high schools located in Bergen County, Passaic County and Essex County. With 1,440 students in grades 10-12, the school is classified by the NJSIAA as North I Group IV, a category that includes schools with enrollment of 1,120 to 2,479. The Mounties have an abundance of successful sports programs, including baseball, football, lacrosse, soccer, ice hockey, basketball, volleyball, softball, track and field, crew, fencing, golf, cross country, field hockey, gymnastics, swimming, wrestling, tennis, and bowling.
MHS recently expanded and refurnished their field house which is located at Woodman Field in Essex Park. The field house houses restrooms, locker rooms and meeting areas for many of the Montclair sports teams, in particular, football. Finished for the 2008-2009 school year at an estimated cost of $5 million, the field house accommodates a new, state-of-the-art weight lifting gym with glass walls looking over Woodman Field, a film screening room for the Montclair Mounties football team, observation rooms looking over Woodman Field, and more. After receiving a pledge from the Furlong family of $3 million towards the project, the Furlong Field House at Montclair High School was constructed, with a ribbon cutting ceremony held in October 2008.
Towards the end of every hockey season, the Montclair Mounties host the "Montclair Cup". This competition is highly anticipated by the players and students. Every year, at Clary Anderson Arena (the Mounties home hockey arena), Montclair High School faces off against in town rival, Montclair Kimberley Academy. The MKA team won the 2011 game, the 19th in the competition, though Montclair High School retains a 14-5 edge in the series overall.
The football team won the North II Group IV state sectional championships in 1983, 1994, 1996, and 2002.
In October 2008, a Montclair High School football player, Ryne Dougherty, died as a result of a brain hemorrhage in a football game.
Read more about this topic: Montclair High School (New Jersey)