Seneca Valley High School is a public high school (grades 9-12) in Germantown, Maryland, United States. It is part of the Montgomery County Public Schools. As of 2005, its enrollment was 1,700 but with the opening of new schools in the area it has dropped to a little less than 1400 students.
| Seneca Valley High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
19401 Crystal Rock Drive , | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public Secondary |
| Motto | Soaring Towards Excellence |
| Established | 1974 |
| School district | Montgomery County Public Schools |
| Principal | Marc Cohen (as of July 2010) |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Number of students | 1,349 (2008) |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Green and Gold |
| Mascot | Screaming Eagle |
| Rival | Northwest High School |
| Newspaper | The Talon |
| Website | http://senecavalleyhighschool.com/ |
History
Seneca Valley High School opened in 1974 as the first high school in Germantown and remained the only one until 1998, when Northwest High School opened. In its first year of operation (1974-75 school year) under Principal Nathan Pearson, Seneca Valley hosted students Grades 7-10. In the following 1975-76 school year, the school operated Grades 9-11, with 8th graders transferring to the newly opened Ridgeview Junior High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland. During the 1976-77 school year, Seneca Valley transformed into what was then a senior high school (Grades 10-12) graduating its first class in June 1977. Finally in 1988, Seneca Valley changed to the present state of full-fledged high school with grades 9-12. The class of 1992, was the first to graduate all upper high school years in one facility.
Programs
As of 2010, Seneca Valley was deemed an IB school, meaning that they offer the rigorous International Baccalaureate program. SVHS previously used to offer the Cambridge program, which was linked to Cambridge University in England, but that program was phased out with the Class of 2011.
Sports
The school colors are green and gold, and the mascot is the Screaming Eagle. Seneca Valley's football biggest rivalry is with fellow Germantown neighbor, Northwest High School.
Seneca Valley's football team is one of the most accomplished public school programs in Maryland history.[citation needed] They have a record 12 state football championships, with the most recent title coming in 2002. Seneca Valley won the state title in 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2002.
The Battle for The King's Trophy
| Year | NWHS | SVHS | Winner | Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 13 | 42 | Seneca Valley | 1-0 Seneca Valley |
| 2000 | 19 | 14 | Northwest | 1-1 Tied |
| 2001 | 7 | 26 | Seneca Valley | 2-1 Seneca Valley |
| 2002 | 22 | 0 | Northwest | 2-2 Tied |
| 2003 | 37 | 34 | Northwest | 3-2 Northwest |
| 2004 | 35 | 36 | Seneca Valley | 3-3 Tied |
| 2005 | 7 | 14 | Seneca Valley | 4-3 Seneca Valley |
| 2006 | 21 | 19 | Northwest | 4-4 Tied |
| 2007 | 13 | 34 | Seneca Valley | 5-4 Seneca Valley |
| 2008 | 0 | 6 | Seneca Valley | 6-4 Seneca Valley |
| 2009 | 6 | 37 | Seneca Valley | 7-4 Seneca Valley |
| 2010 | 0 | 37 | Seneca Valley | 8-4 Seneca Valley |
| 2011 | 8 | 16 | Seneca Valley | 9-4 Seneca Valley |
The Battle for the King's Trophy or the Battle for Germantown is an annual football game between Northwest High School's main rival, Seneca Valley High School. Located only 1 mile apart, the rivalry started in 1999 when Northwest first opened. The rivalry has been recognized as one of the fiercest in Maryland by local media, including all 4 major news networks, The MD Examiner, The Gazette, The Washington Post and several other media stations in the area.[citation needed] The Battle for Germantown is the cause of pep rallies, tailgating parties, and intense hype at the two schools and among fans in Montgomery County. Every year, the winner of the game receives the King's Trophy, and is deemed the "Kings" of Germantown.[1]
Fight song
When green and gold together meet,
They field a team that can't be beat!
All others shake and quake with fear,
When the Screaming Eagles' call they hear!
Seneca Valley is the best!
We will arise above the rest!
Come on, team, let's raise that score
And see the Screaming Eagles soar!
Words by John Scott, Music by James Heier, the original Vocal and Instrumental instructors at the school.
Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (NJROTC) unit at Seneca Valley High School was established in 1983. The NJROTC unit at Seneca Valley is a recipient of the Distinguished Unit Award and the award of "Most Improved Unit" for the 2006-2007 school year.[citation needed]
Notable alumni
Mike Muller/'77: University of Maryland LB, USFL Washington Federals
Bobby Allen/'77: Virginia Tech QB, Arkansas Razorbacks Assistant Football Coach
Eric Drain/'82: University of Missouri RB, NFL Arizona Cardinals
Paula White/'84, Televangelist and Pastor, Paula White Ministries
Mark Bryan/'85: Lead Guitar, Hootie and the Blowfish
Dean Felber/'85: Bass Guitar, Hootie and the Blowfish
Neil Fallon/'89: Vocals, Clutch (band)
Dan Maines/'89: Bass Guitar, Clutch (band)
Jean-Paul Gaster/'89: Drums, Clutch (band)
Mary Alice Yeskey/'94: Television Personality, Ace Of Cakes
References
External links
- Seneca Valley High School
- Seneca Valley Football
- Seneca Valley Lacrosse
- Seneca Valley Class of 1979 Alumni