Morris Catholic High School

Morris Catholic High School
Address
200 Morris Avenue Denville Township , (Morris County) , New Jersey 07834 United States
Coordinates	40°54′20″N 74°29′26″W
Information
Type	Private, Coeducational
Motto	"Scientia Caritatis Christi"[1] ("Knowledge of the Love of Christ")
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic, Sisters of Christian Charity
Established	1957
Founder	Diocese of Paterson and the Sisters of Christian Charity
School district	Diocese of Paterson
NCES School ID	00866159[2]
President	Brian Vohden
Principal	Fr. Peter Clarke
Chaplain	Rev. Carmen Buono
Faculty	40.1 FTEs[2]
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	394 (as of 2021–22)[2]
Student to teacher ratio	9.8:1[2]
Campus size	33 acres (130,000 m^2)
Color(s)	Navy blue and   white[3]
Athletics conference	Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference (general) North Jersey Super Football Conference (football)
Team name	Crusaders[3]
Accreditation	AdvancED[4]
Publication	Scope (literary magazine)[5]
Yearbook	The Shield
School fees	$175 (2022–23)
Tuition	$15,700 (2022–23)[6]
Website	www.morriscatholic.org

Morris Catholic High School is a four-year comprehensive Roman Catholic regional high school located in Denville Township, in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school was founded in 1957 and operates as part of the Diocese of Paterson.^[7] Morris Catholic High School has been recognized by the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, the highest award an American school can receive.^[8][9]

As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 394 students and 40.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.8:1. The school's student body was 64.5% (254) White, 11.4% (45) two or more races, 10.4% (41) Hispanic, 9.4% (37) Black and 4.3% (17) Asian.^[2]

The school has been accredited by AdvancED.^[4]

Assumption College for Sisters

Assumption College for Sisters is a two-year Roman Catholic women's college. Founded in 1953 through an affiliation with Seton Hall University, Assumption is run by the Sisters of Christian Charity. Primarily designed to prepare women for work in religious vocations, Assumption specializes in theological studies and the liberal arts. It is the last remaining sisters' college, or college primarily designed to educate nuns, in the United States.^[10] In 2014, the school relocated to a convent on the Morris Catholic High School campus.^[11]

Awards, recognition and rankings

During the 1984–85 school year, Morris Catholic High School was awarded the National Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education.^[12]

During the 2012–13 school year, students from Morris Catholic drama classes won first place at the New Jersey Thespian Festival.^[13] It was the school's second win after taking the top prize for the main stage category the previous year.^[14]

Athletics

The Morris Catholic High School Crusaders^[3] compete in the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference, which is comprised of 39 public and private high schools in Morris, Sussex and Warren counties, and was established by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey.^[15][16] Prior to the NJSIAA's 2010 realignment, the school had participated in the Colonial Hills Conference which included schools in Essex, Morris and Somerset counties in west Central Jersey.^[17] With 328 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public B for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 37 to 366 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group I for public schools).^[18] The interscholastic sports that Morris Catholic offers are men's and women's soccer, football, women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, wrestling, ice hockey, winter and spring track and field, men's and women's lacrosse, baseball, softball, fencing, and golf.^[3] The football team competes in the United Blue division of the North Jersey Super Football Conference, which includes 112 schools competing in 20 divisions, making it the nation's biggest football-only high school sports league.^[19][20] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Non-Public Group B (equivalent to Group I/II for public schools) for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 140 to 686 students.^[21]

The school participates as the host school and lead agency for joint cooperative cross country running and ice hockey teams with the Academy of Saint Elizabeth, while the Academy of St. Elizabeth is the host school for a joint field hockey team. DePaul Catholic High School is the host school for a joint skiing team. All of these co-op programs operate under agreements scheduled to expire at the end of the 2023–24 school year.^[22][23]

The 1971 baseball team won the Parochial B state title with a 3–0 win against Gloucester Catholic High School in the playoff finals.^[24][25]

The 1974 and 1975 boys cross country team won the New Jersey Meet of Champions and finished the season ranked #1 in the state becoming the first team to win back-to-back titles.^[26][27] They were Parochial B champions in the five consecutive years from 1974 to 1978.^[28][29]

The softball team won the Non-Public A state championship in 1982 (defeating Camden Catholic High School in the finals) and won the Non-Public B title in 1986 (vs. Gloucester Catholic High School), 2021 (vs. St. Joseph Academy) and 2022 (vs. Gill St. Bernard's School).^[30] The 1982 team ended their season at 17–7 after winning the Parochial A state title with a 2–1 walk-off win against Camden Catholic in the championship game.^[31]

The girls soccer team was Group I state champion in 1988 (defeating Metuchen High School in the final game of the playoffs), 1989 (vs. Pitman High School), 1990 (vs. Metuchen), 1991 (vs. Bordentown Regional High School), 1992 (vs. Pingry School), 1993 (vs. Pitman), 1994 (vs. Montgomery High School), 1995 (vs Pitman) and 1997 (as co-champion with Haddonfield Memorial High School), and won the Non-Public B state title in 1999 (vs. St. Rose High School), 2001 (vs. Gloucester Catholic High School), 2003 (vs. Eustace Preparatory School), 2012 (vs. St. Rose High School), 2013 (vs. St. Rose) and 2016 (vs. Holy Spirit High School). The 15 state titles won by the program are the most of any school in New Jersey.^[32] The team won its first title in 1988 with a 6–1 win against Metuchen in the finals at Trenton State College.^[33] The 1990 team finished the season 20–1–1 and won its third consecutive Group III title with a 3–0 win against Metuchen in the finals.^[34] The 1990 team won a record fourth straight title and ended the season 24–1 after a 4–0 win against Bordentown in the championship game.^[35] A 1–0 win in 1993 against Pitman in the Group I final extended the program's streak to six consecutive state championships.^[36] The 2000 girls' soccer team won the Parochial North B state sectional championship, defeating Kent Place School in the tournament final.^[37] In 2012, the girls' soccer team won the NJSIAA Non-Public B state championship with a 1–0 win against St. Rose High School to give the program their 13th state championship, the most of any team in the state.^[38] In 2013, the team captured its second consecutive NJSIAA/Sports Authority Non-Public B state championship with a 3–1 victory over St. Rose.^[39]

The girls spring / outdoor track team won the Non-Public B state championships in 1992-1994, 1999, 2017-2020 and 2022; the program's eight group titles are tied for fourth-most in the state.^[40] In 2010, the spring track and field team won the Non-Public B North state sectional title.^[41] The girls track team won the winter / indoor track Group I state championship in 1994 and 1995, and won the Non-Public B title in 2019, 2020 and 2022. The program's five state group titles are tied for seventh-most in the state.^[42]

The boys' soccer team won the 2005 NJSIAA North Group B state championship with a 1–0 win against St. Rose High School.^[43]

In 2007, the girls' basketball team won the NJSIAA North Group A state championship with a 53–32 win against Immaculata High School.^[44] In 2014, the team "captured their 3rd NJSIAA state sectional championship in a row, their 10th since 2002" in a 58–48 win over Lodi Immaculate.^[45][46]

Notable alumni

See also: Category:Morris Catholic High School alumni

• John Fassel (born 1974), special teams coach and interim head coach of the Los Angeles Rams.^[47]
• Gerry Gallagher (born 1951, class of 1969), head college football coach.^[48]
• Stella Johnson (born 1998), professional basketball player for the Washington Mystics of the WNBA.^[49]
• Al Krevis (born 1952), former American football offensive tackle who played in the NFL for the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals.^[50]
• Marisa Lago (born 1955, class of 1973), New York City government official and former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.^[51]
• Joe McHale (born 1963), former American football linebacker who played in the NFL for the New England Patriots.^[52]
• Peter and Paul JJ Payack (born 1950), authors.^[53][54] Paul JJ Payack is founder of Global Language Monitor.^[55][56]
• Michael Pitt (born 1981), American actor.^{[57][unreliable source?]}
• Karen Ann Quinlan (1954–1985), figure in the history of the right to die debate in United States.^[58]
• Roseann Quinn (1944–1973), schoolteacher whose murder inspired Judith Rossner's 1975 novel Looking for Mr. Goodbar as well as the 1977 film adaptation directed by Richard Brooks^[59]
• Erik Storz (born 1975), American football linebacker who played in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars.^[60]

References

1. Program of Studies, Morris Catholic High School. Accessed December 23, 2020.
2. School data for Morris Catholic High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed November 1, 2023.
3. Morris Catholic High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
4. Morris Catholic High School, AdvancED. Accessed August 28, 2017.
5. Scope Literary Magazine, Morris Catholic High School. Accessed March 28, 2023.
6. Tuition & Fees, Morris Catholic High School. Accessed March 28, 2023.
7. Morris County Schools, Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. Accessed March 28, 2023.
8. Staff. "CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department", Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
9. Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school. It has its own student ministry team, which runs events for the school."
10. About, Assumption College for Sisters. Accessed June 4, 2018.
11. Westhoven, William. "NJ’s smallest college moving to Denville", Daily Record, November 3, 2014. Accessed June 4, 2018. "The Assumption College for Sisters is moving operations — and many of its students — to the unoccupied convent at Morris Catholic Regional High School in Denville. The only 'sister-formation' college of its kind still operating in the United States and the smallest degree-granting institution in New Jersey, Assumption is moving from the 112-acre campus in the middle of the borough as part of a reorganization and consolidation of the properties owned by Sisters of Christian Charity."
12. U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982 Through 2018 (PDF), United States Department of Education. Accessed October 1, 2020.
13. Walsh, Deborah (May 6, 2013). "Kinnelon and Butler youths win prestigious acting awards". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
14. Giannantonlo, Christina (April 15, 2012). "School Notebook: Morris Catholic takes top thespian honor". NJ.com. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
15. Home Page, Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference. Accessed August 27, 2020. "The Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference prides itself on being one of New Jersey's premier high school conferences and is comprised of 39 high schools located in Northwest New Jersey."
16. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020–2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
17. Home Page, Colonial Hills Conference, backed up by the Internet Archive, as of November 19, 2010. Accessed December 15, 2014.
18. NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
19. Cooper, Darren. "Here's what we know about the new Super Football Conference 2020 schedule", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference (SFC) is a 112-team group, the largest high school football-only conference in America, and is comprised of teams from five different counties."
20. Cooper, Darren. "NJ football: Super Football Conference revised schedules for 2020 regular season", The Record, July 23, 2020. Accessed March 22, 2021. "The Super Football Conference has 112 teams that will play across 20 divisions."
21. NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
22. NJSIAA Fall Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
23. NJSIAA Winter Cooperative Sports Programs, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed December 1, 2020.
24. Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
25. Rowe, John. "Fiore's strong left arm places Morris Catholic on Prep throne", Herald News, June 14, 1971. Accessed February 18, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Fiore, a senior lefthander, helped Morris Catholic achieve the heights of its athletic history Saturday as he pitched the Crusaders to a 3–0 win over Gloucester Catholic in the Parochial B state championship baseball game. The two-hit pitching of Fiore and a three-run fifth inning gave Morris Catholic the first state title in the history of the school."
26. NJSIAA Boys Cross-Country Meet Of Champions Winners (1972–2018), New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 1, 2020.
27. Staff. "Three Teams From The Area Qualify For Meet Of Champions", Daily Record, November 17, 1999. Accessed July 17, 2012. "Mount Olive has the only Morris County Girls Meet of Champions title. Morris Catholic won consecutive boys crowns in 1974 and 1975."
28. NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
29. Staff. "Cross Country Notebook", Daily Record, November 11, 2000. Accessed July 17, 2012. "The Morris Catholic boys lead local schools with five straight titles from 1974–79 under coach Tom Donahue."
30. Softball Championship History 1972–2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated July 2023. Accessed April 1, 2024.
31. "Luck runs out for the Irish in loss to Morris Catholic", Courier-Post, June 1, 1982. Accessed February 20, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The end came Sunday when Morris Catholic beat the Irish, 2–1, in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association's Parochial A championship game. Camden Catholic scored in the second inning and the run held up until Morris tied the score in the sixth. The North Jersey champions went on to get the deciding tally with two out in the last half of the seventh on an RBI hit by Dede Rampone.... Camden Catholic, the South Jersey champion which finished its season with a 17–7 record, scored when Nancy Lenaghan walked, stole second and came home on a double by Lisa Brown."
32. NJSIAA History of Girls Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
33. "Morris Catholic girls are champs; Aluotto scores 5 goals in finale", Daily Record, November 20, 1988. Accessed December 23, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "It wasn't perfect, but the Morris Catholic girls soccer team made it 'Christa clear' that they were the Group I state soccer champions. Christa Aluotto scored five goals and added an assist while the Crusaders' defense totally shutdown Metuchen's offense in Morris Catholic's 6–1 victory at Trenton State College yesterday. The victory gives Morris Catholic a 20-win season and its first girls state soccer title."
34. Mayer, John. "Ramapo settles for tie in final", The Record, November 18, 1990. Accessed January 23, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Morris Catholic won the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 1 title for the third straight year with a 3–0 win over Metuchen."
35. McGurk, Tom. "Bordentown falls to Morris Cath.", Courier-Post, November 24, 1991. Accessed January 27, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The Bordentown High School girls' soccer team heard the rumors about how Morris Catholic had dominated other small schools the past three years and Saturday morning the Scotties found those rumors to be true. A powerful Morris Catholic squad played a near-perfect game en route to a 4–0 win over Bordentown in the Group 1 state final at Trenton State College. It marked the fourth consecutive state title, a new record, by Morris Catholic, which finished the season 24–1 overall."
36. Shwalb, Bob. "Morris Catholic girls win states 6th straight time", Daily Record, November 21, 1993. Accessed December 7, 2020. "Morris Catholic senior Dina DaCosta looked at the big picture after yesterday's 1–0 win over Pitman in the girls soccer Group I finals.... After all, yesterday's victory at Trenton State College gave the Crusaders their sixth straight Group I state championship."
37. 2000 Soccer – Parochial North B, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 20, 2007.
38. Bevensee, Rich. "Morris Catholic (1) at St. Rose (0), NJSIAA Group Tournament, Final Round, Non-Public B – Girls Soccer", The Star-Ledger, November 28, 2012. Accessed November 29, 2012. "With 3:04 left in a scoreless battle with St. Rose in the NJSIAA Non-Public B championship match, Sobierajski curled a bending corner kick into the box, where freshman Rachel Mills crashed in to head it home and send Morris Catholic to a 1–0 victory at The College of New Jersey in Ewing. The title was Morris Catholic's 13th overall, a mark which now leads the state after the Denville program was tied with Ramapo."
39. Holcomb, Dave (November 20, 2013). "Girls soccer: Morris Catholic repeats as Non-Public B state champion, downs St. Rose, 3–1". highschoolsports.nj.com. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
40. NJSIAA Girls Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
41. Havsy, Jane. "Boys Track And Field: Boonton, Morris Catholic run down titles"^{[dead link‍]}, Daily Record, May 23, 2010. Accessed April 11, 2012. "Morris Catholic earned the inaugural North Non-Public B team title with 83 points, six more than Montclair Immaculate."
42. Girls Winter Track and Field Championship History: 1981-2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated November 2023. Accessed February 1, 2024.
43. 2005 Boys Soccer – Non-Public Finals, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 4, 2007.
44. 2007 Girls Basketball – North A, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 20, 2007.
45. "Girls Basketball Captures Sectional Championship-State Group Championship Game Saturday". Morris Catholic High School. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
46. Greco, Richard (March 12, 2014). "Girls basketball: Charlotte Schum leads Morris Catholic past Lodi Immaculate for North Jersey, Non-Public B crown". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
47. Greenspan, Dan via Associated Press. "Morris Catholic grad to lead Los Angeles Rams", Daily Record, December 13, 2016. Accessed October 25, 2017.
48. Havsy, Jane. "Safety is goal of new state guidelines", Daily Record, August 26, 2007. Accessed February 4, 2011. "When Gallagher played at Morris Catholic in the 1960s, coaches would give players salt tablets."
49. Feinberg, Doug, via Associated Press. "Morris Catholic alumna Stella Johnson has stellar night in first start for Mystics", Daily Record, August 20, 2020. Accessed October 1, 2020.
50. Al Krevis Stats, Pro-Football-Reference.com. Accessed January 20, 2020. "High School: Morris Catholic (NJ)"
51. Hearing before the Committee on Finance (PDF). U.S. Senate. p. 22. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
52. Joe McHale, Pro-Football-Reference.com. Accessed January 20, 2020. "Born: September 26, 1963 (Age: 56-116d) in Passaic, NJ... High School: Morris Catholic (NJ)"
53. Payack, Paul J. J. (May 1, 2008). A Million Words And Counting. ISBN 978-0806528571.
54. Payack, Peter (May 1, 1988). No Free Will In Tomatoes. ISBN 0944072003.
55. Staff. "Giants fan puts Glossary online", Daily Record, January 25, 2001. Accessed December 17, 2012. "Just because the Boonton native has moved around a lot and now lives in the Bay Area, that doesn't mean he's given up on the Big Blue. Payack, the president and CEO of yourDictionary.com, is one of the minds behind the New York Giants Football Glossary and Baltimore Ravens Fan Glossary."
56. Peter Payack is Poet Populist of Cambridge, Massachusetts 2007–2009.
57. "ancestry.com". Ancestry.com.
58. Staff. "The Law: A Life in the Balance", Time (magazine), November 3, 1975. Accessed October 25, 2017. "Friends from Morris Catholic High School, from which Karen graduated in 1972, describe her as a quiet person."
59. Kaufman, Michael T. "Teacher, 28, Slain In Her Apartment On West 72d Street", The New York Times, January 5, 1973. Accessed October 25, 2017. "After graduating from Morris Catholic High School, she attended Newark State College, graduating in 1966."
60. "Morris Catholic grad to join Boston College Hall of Fame", Daily Record, October 3, 2017. Accessed January 20, 2020. "A Rockaway native, Storz played football at Morris Catholic."

External links

• School Website
• Data for Morris Catholic High School, National Center for Education Statistics