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Mesa High School (Mesa, Arizona)

Mesa High School is a public high school in Mesa, Arizona, United States. Mesa High School currently accommodates grades 9–12 as part of Mesa Public Schools. Mesa High School is the oldest high school in Mesa, Arizona, and is home of the Jackrabbits. Mesa High has more than 3,200 students and boasts award-winning athletics, music, theatre programs and more.

History

In early 1898,[3][4][5] citizens in the Mesa area petitioned for and voted to establish a high school district. Its first classes began in September 1899[6] on the second floor of the red brick north elementary school, later rebuilt and known as Irving School.

On December 26, 1907, the high school district in Mesa was reorganized into the Mesa Union High School District.[7] The Town Council had leased all of Block 20 to the University of Arizona for 99 years to use as an experimental farm. This was the land bounded by Center St and MacDonald, Second and Third Avenues. It didn't take long to discover that the block was not large enough. On January 4, 1908, they sold it to the school district for $75. Construction began immediately on the building known as "Old Main". The class of 1909 graduated from that original twelve room building. The school had a main floor auditorium with a swimming pool in the basement. The auditorium was used for assemblies, with folding chairs for the early comers and standing room only for the rest. Ten years later, eight more rooms were added plus a small auditorium-gymnasium. During basketball games, spectators sat in the balcony (above the freshman section) or on the stage because the gym was not wide enough for sideline bleachers.[8]

Entrance to the school, adorned by a sign donated by the Class of 1998

In September 1932, a football player, named Zedo Ishikawa, was accidentally killed with a shotgun blast to the chest while attempting to break up a fight between two dogs. As he neared death he said, "Tell Coach Coutchie and the boys to carry on." As time went on, students began repeating the theme "Carry On" to one another. Eventually, it became the school's official motto.[9][10][11]

In 1936, the WPA and PWA provided funds for new construction, and the New Building was constructed west of the Main Building with an arcade in between. The land for this was purchased from Harvey Bush, for $4,000. A new gymnasium building, which included an agriculture shop and auto shop, was also built south of the Main Building — the new site for school dances and basketball games.[8]

In 1967, Mesa won their homecoming football game against rival Westwood High. Then, on Sunday night, October 1, 1967, a disastrous fire started in the science lab, completely destroying the sixty-year-old "Old Main."[12] Classes continued to graduate from the old campus until 1972 when the new Mesa High was built, at a different location (farther east and south). The original Mesa High campus, minus the destroyed Old Main, would be reused in the 1970s as Mesa Central High School, which became the district's vocational school in the 1980s and closed in 1991.

In summer 2015, an aquatic center was added to the campus; it was run by the City of Mesa.

In 2016, the boys basketball team won state championship for Division 1, ending their 12-year championship drought.

Academics

In the 1983–84 school year, it was honored as a Blue Ribbon school.[13]

AIMS test scores for MHS were below the state average in reading, math, and writing for 2002 through 2004, but they improved to substantially above average for 2005.[14]

Athletics

The school won the 5A state championships in 2004 for boys basketball, and three straight 5A-I titles in wrestling from 2006 to 2008. Anthony Robles, who was born without a right leg, won individual state championships in 2005 and 2006. He later went on to win the 2006 Senior Nationals' and wrestled at Arizona State University on a full scholarship. Robles finished fourth at the 2009 NCAA Division I Championships at 125 pounds, seventh at the 2010 tournament, and was national champion in 2011.[15] Home to the Ordaz brothers; Mayk (160) and John Ordaz (130). The only two-time state champion siblings that both recorded undefeated seasons; twice in their high school career, (2009–2012), on the top ten wrestler list from Arizona. [citation needed][16]

*The Arizona Interscholastic Association recognized these sports and the regular season games thereof as official during these years but did not conduct playoffs to determine AIA state champions for them until 1959 for football and 1983 for soccer. In such times, the press declared state champions (and state runners-up), similar to how the Associated Press independently crowns national champions for some sports at the college level.

Performing Arts

Mesa High School has won many Marching Band titles.

Demographics

During the 2020–2021 school year, the demographic break of the 3,460 students enrolled was:

Feeder schools

Junior high schools that feed into Mesa High School (and the elementary schools that feed into the junior high schools):[36]

Kino Junior High School:

Charles D. Poston Junior High School:

Harvey L. Taylor Junior High School

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ "Mesa High School » Staff". Archived from the original on August 4, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Mesa High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  3. ^ "The Mesa Free Press". The Mesa Free Press. February 11, 1898. There is a movement on foot, or being talked of, at least, for the establishment of a high school district to embrace the school districts of Mesa, Alma, Nephi, Jordan, Lehi, and Highland.
  4. ^ "The South Side". The Arizona Republican. February 26, 1898. A petition will be circulated next week for signatures praying for the establishment of a high school district to include the seven districts east of the Tempe canal, as follows: Mesa, Alma, Watrous, Barkley, Lehi, Crismon and Nephi.
  5. ^ "The South Side". The Arizona Republican. March 2, 1898. The citizens of Nephi held a mass meeting last night, ratifying the high school proposition.
  6. ^ "Report of the Mesa High School from Principal John D. Loper". The Mesa Free Press. May 5, 1902. In the autumn of 1899 when the ninth grade was added to the Mesa school, the English course of the territorial course was taken up and in 1900 the tenth grade was added and the same course was carried on another year.
  7. ^ Long, Robert (June 30, 1908). Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. p. 8. Mesa, which was a single high school district, has joined with districts numbered 10, 19, 26, 29, 41 and 57, and now forms part of a union high school district.
  8. ^ a b "'Old Main' Mesa Union High School Mesa, AZ" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 14, 2014. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  9. ^ TONYA COOMBS. "Mesa High Class of 63 50th Reunion". mesahighclassof63.com. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  10. ^ "Mesa Athletics » Coaches » Zedo Ishikawa". Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  11. ^ "Photos: Mesa High football players honor Zedo Ishikawa". East Valley Tribune. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  12. ^ "Which high school holds title of state's oldest." Arizona Republic September 25, 2011: B3.
  13. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 30, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. ^ Mesa Public Schools: AIMS Test Scores: 2002–2003 through 2008–2009
  15. ^ "Unstoppable From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion". penguingroup.com.
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  24. ^ Sollenberger, Barry; Kukulski, David, eds. (Fall 2005). "600 Victories – A Tradition to 'Carry On'". Phoenix Metro Football Magazine. Phoenix Metro Publications. p. 6.
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  26. ^ "AIA Boys Golf Team State Champions Archive".
  27. ^ "Mesa to Honor a Pioneer in AZ Soccer". The Arizona Republic.
  28. ^ "Mesa to Honor its Inaugural Soccer Team". East Valley Tribune. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011.
  29. ^ "AIA Softball State Champions Archive".
  30. ^ "AIA Boys Tennis Team State Champions Archive".
  31. ^ "AIA Boys Track & Field Team State Champions Archive".
  32. ^ "AIA Wrestling Team State Champions Archive".
  33. ^ "AIA Girls Basketball State Champions Archive".
  34. ^ "AIA Girls Cross Country State Champions Archive".
  35. ^ "AIA Girls Tennis Team State Champions Archive".
  36. ^ "Feeder Schools". mpsaz.org. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  37. ^ "Jeremy Accardo Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  38. ^ "Former Mesa Mayor Wayne Brown dies at age 76". The Arizona Republic. May 15, 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
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  40. ^ "Jahii Carson international stats". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  41. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (May 8, 2020). "Nýi Þórsarinn hoppaði hærra en Vince Carter og McGrady í nýliðabúðum NBA". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  42. ^ "2007 Mesa City Sports Hall of Fame Inductees". mesasports.org. 2007. Retrieved January 16, 2021. [Carter] helped Mesa High to state golf title his senior year [1979].
  43. ^ "Lee Cummard". Daft Express. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  44. ^ "Packers take linebacker Kyler Fackrell in third round". ESPN. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
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  50. ^ "Mickey Hatcher Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  51. ^ "Mesa High's all-time greatest football players". AZCentral.com. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  52. ^ "Casa Grande wins title". The Arizona Republic. May 22, 1978. p. D-3. Retrieved January 16, 2021. Mesa's Dan Janicki set a state record in winning the mile run in 4:09.95
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  55. ^ Kaye, Mike (December 18, 2013). "Getting to know the Eagles: Safety Keelan Johnson". Bleeding Green Nation. Retrieved January 16, 2021. The Eagles added some depth to their secondary on Tuesday with the promotion of safety Keelan Johnson to the active roster. … A Mesa High School sports star that played basketball and both sides of the ball in football…
  56. ^ "Jessi Colter - Country Music's Lady Outlaw Comes Home". Archived from the original on September 5, 2009. I immediately went from Mesa High to American Bandstand...
  57. ^ "Jack Lind Stats". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  58. ^ "Andy Livingston". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
  59. ^ "Warren Livingston". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2012.
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  64. ^ "Rudy Owens". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved January 16, 2021. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 28th round of the 2006 MLB June Amateur Draft from Mesa HS
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  66. ^ "Matt Salmon Biography". Official U.S. House website. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  67. ^ "Vai Sikahema profile". Official BYU Cougars Athletics Site. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
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  71. ^ Obert, Richard (May 27, 2020). "Forever Five: Finding Mesa High School's all-time greatest athletes". azcentral.com. Retrieved January 17, 2021. In 1960, [Willard] qualified for the Summer Olympics in Rome and placed fourth in the springboard diving. Four years later, she won an Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo in the 3-meter springboard.
  72. ^ "11/21: Latin pop star Yuridia talks Mesa High, stardom". AZCentral.com. Retrieved October 27, 2016.

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