Athletics
The school's mascot is the Owl. The colors of HPHS and their various sports teams are maroon and white. Highland Park High School competes in the Greater Middlesex Conference, which operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). The school is in the Blue division in most of its sports, and competes in the Blue division in football. Its main sports rival is Metuchen High School. With 308 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2011-12 school year for most sports as Central Jersey Group I, a category that included schools with enrollment of 117 to 490.
HPHS is well known for the performance of its football team, under the leadership of only four coaches during the program's entire history. Starting with Bus Lepine, then Jay Dakelman, the football team was led by its former all-state quarterback Joe Policastro (class of 1959),the team is now led by head coach Richard McGlynn. L.J. Smith, now with the Baltimore Ravens, was a star of both the HPHS football and basketball teams in the 1990s. The football team won the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I state sectional championship in 1974, 1977–78, 1986, 1989-90. The Highland Park Football team was four-time Gold Division champions (2006-2009).
HPHS is also known for its long-time success in track and field and baseball, with more recent successes in Boys' and Girls' soccer, Girls' Basketball, Girls' Tennis, there is also a cheer leading and dance team that performs and football and basketball games. HPHS is also home to an Ultimate Frisbee team, the Enforcers, although the team is not affiliated with the school's varsity sports program.
The boys varsity soccer team, under the direction of Keith Roig, won seven consecutive Gold Division titles before moving up to the Blue Division in the 2006-07 season.
The girls basketball team won the 2007 Central, Group I championship, topping Dunellen High School, 50-35 in the final.
The girl's tennis team went undefeated in the 2010 spring season.
In 2011, the boy's tennis team won the New Jersey Group I championship for the first time.
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