Athletics
The Governor Livingston High School Highlanders competes in the Union County Interscholastic Athletic Conference, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Previously, the school had been part of the Mountain Valley Conference. The school fields teams in varsity, junior varsity, and freshman football, boys and girls soccer, cross country, cheerleading, wrestling, basketball, indoor and outdoor track, baseball, softball, golf, swimming, tennis, field hockey, bowling, lacrosse, fencing and ice hockey.
In 1965, the Governor Livingston Regional High School football team, coached by Jack Bicknell, won the school's first state championship, Group II title for a team that was undefeated, untied and nearly unscored on.
In 1977, the Boys Varsity Soccer team, led by Chaz Sutherland won the school's first State Championship, Group II title, defeating Lawrence High School. The team won the Group II title for a second time in 1979, defeating Freehold High School. In 1984, the Boys Varsity Soccer team won the State Championship, Group II title and was ranked by The Star-Ledger as high as number 4 in the State of New Jersey. In 1994, the Highlanders Boys' Soccer team won Mountain Valley Conference, Union County and the New Jersey Group II State Championships with a 2-0 win over Hopewell Valley Central High School. The Star-Ledger ranked them as high as number 3 in the State of New Jersey.
In 1985, the Highlander Girls' Varsity Soccer team won the school's first girls' State Championship, Group II title over Delran High School.
In 1989, the Highlander Football team, coached by Joe Hubert, won the Mountain Valley Conference and advanced to the North Jersey Section 2 Group I Championship Game.
In 1993, Ricky Ortega won the state championship in wrestling at 130 lbs.
In 2004, Mike Carmody won the state championship in the 800m.
In 2005, Anthony Abitante won the state championship in the pole vault.
In 2007, the women's field hockey team had a triumphant and victorious breakthrough as the team made the state playoffs for the first time in 30 years. The 2007 record was also the highest it had been in the past decade. In the 2005 season, they carried a total of five wins and equal ties, after the 2004 season which had only one win.
In 2006, the school finished installing a FieldTurf on its football field. It is used primarily for football, soccer, lacrosse and field hockey.
The Governor Livingston boy's cross country team won the Mountain Valley Conference in 2007-08 and 2008-09.
The 2008-09 ice hockey team qualified for the 2009 UCIHL playoffs and finished second in the county. The team also qualified for the New Jersey Public High School State Championship and went on to the school's first state playoff victory over Sparta with a score of 1-0.
The softball team won the 2007 Central, Group II state sectional championship with a string of shutout wins over Roselle Park High School (10-0), Shore Regional High School (6-0) and Delaware Valley Regional High School (1-0) in the tournament final. The team moved on to win the Group II State Championship with wins over James Caldwell High School (4-2) and Pascack Hills High School (2-0) in the final game.
In 2008, the football team qualified for the playoffs and reached the state sectional final, where it lost to James Caldwell High School at Giants Stadium by a score of 22-7.
In 2009, the girls fencing team won the state title, as well as the state sabre title, while the boys fencing team placed second in the state. The team also has several individuals who are now competing at national fencing events.
In 1999, the Highlander baseball team won the Group II state championship. The program won its second title in 2011, winning the Group II State Championship against the West Essex High School Knights by a score of 8-2.
In 2011, the track team won their fourth state sectional championship in the previous seven years.
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