Archbishop Riordan High School
Encyclopedia
Archbishop Riordan High School is an Archdiocesan, all-boys Catholic
high school
run by members of the Society of Mary
in San Francisco, California
. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco
. Originally called Riordan High School, the school was named after Archbishop Patrick William Riordan
, the second Archbishop of San Francisco, and opened in the fall of 1949. In 1990, "Archbishop" was officially added to the school's name.
values in an environment of academic excellence that reflects the cultural diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area.
(The Marianists), an international religious congregation of men in the service of the Catholic Church. The society was founded by Father William Joseph Chaminade
in 1817 at Bordeaux
, France
. This society has a unique characteristic in the church. Its members - brothers and priests, teachers and non-teachers - belong to it on a plane of equality; there are differences in function, but none of rank, privilege, or prerogative. Education
is the principal work of the society, though a large number of members are in other works of the apostolate such as preaching, parish
work, orphanages, missions, and directing lay apostolate groups.
The Marianists were invited to California
in 1884 by Archbishop Patrick Riordan. In the summer of 1886, five Marianists from Saint Mary's Stockton began the many years of service in San Francisco. At St. Joseph's Parish, in the downtown district of the city, they began a grammar school for boys. In 1906, the Marianists opened a high school department at Saint James while also conducting Saint James Grammar School in the Mission District. With the increasing demands for another, still larger boys' high school in San Francisco, the Marianists closed the high school department at Saint James in 1949 and moved to the newly constructed Archbishop Riordan High School, a monument to the memory of Archbishop Patrick William Riordan
, D.D., second Archbishop of San Francisco, 1884-1914.
ARHS utilizes an "intensive block" schedule commonly known as the 4x4 schedule. The school year is split into two semesters, Fall and Spring, and students take four courses each semester. Each class lasts eighty minutes, providing time for students and teachers to delve more deeply and actively into topics and activities. This emphasis on depth promotes greater understanding of skills, concepts, and ideas than the traditional fifty-minute period allows.
In addition, the 4x4 allows ARHS students to take eight different ten-credit courses per school year rather than six, as is the norm in traditional school schedules. Therefore, throughout a four-year career ARHS students will be able to take eight more classes than students in schools with traditional schedules. A Riordan student’s academic courseload will not merely fulfill University of California
and California State University
requirements, it will exceed them, with ample room to spare to sample the expanded elective opportunities available.
One major criticism of the 4x4 schedule is in respect to Advanced Placement courses. Such AP courses taught in the Fall semester would end in December, but students take the actual AP Exam in May. Thus, the student is expected to retain the learned material for five months. In addition, because the AP exam is administered in early May, courses taught in the Spring semester are often cut short by three weeks. Three weeks, while seemingly a short amount of time, is very valuable in the 4x4 block schedule and often forces the instructor to "cram" the material in the weeks approaching the AP exam.
Archbishop Riordan High School offers a variety of Honors and Advanced Placement courses. Advanced Placement offerings include:
AP Calculus AB/BC
AP Chemistry
AP Environmental Science
AP Physics
AP English Language
AP English Literature
AP Spanish Language
AP European History
AP World History
AP United States History
AP United States Government
AP Psychology
AP Economics (Micro and Macro)
The AP Calculus
class, taught by Mr. Paul Arrigotti from the 1970s through 2009, is nationally recognized for its high passing rates and scholastic achievement. Archbishop Riordan has also been the home to five AP exam readers: (Paul Arrigotti - Calculus; Ed Borges - US History; Bob Dalton - English Language; Jeff Isola - US Government; Steve Flowers - Environmental Science).
, 22% Hispanic
, 20% Filipino
, 10% Chinese
, 10% Multi-Ethnic/Other, 7% African American
, and 6% other Asian ethnicities. In terms of religious affiliation, 81% of the student body is Catholic. 18% of the student body is a different Christian denomination, and 1% is another non-Christian group. 99% of Archbishop Riordan graduates go on to higher education.
In addition to the Marching band the school also has a lively Pep Band that is well known at WCAL sporting events, A Jazz Combo that regularly participates in California Musical Educators competitions, a drumline that has grown in size and stature under the direction of Mr. Lacayo-Valle and a Color Guard team, featuring girls from [Mercy High School San Francisco] and ICA, under the direction of Mr. Mark Lieuw that performs with the band during parades. The band travels each year and visited Disneyland in 2009, Hawaii for the Hawaiiaan invitational in 2010 and has been invited to play the Independence Day Parade in the nations Capital in 2011
The band website is http://riordanhsband.com
(WCAL), one of the most highly competitive leagues in California. Sports that Riordan fields include football
, cross-country, wrestling
, basketball
, soccer, track
, tennis
, baseball
, and golf
. Riordan's most notable championship seasons include a WCAL Championship in football in 2000 and a 2007 Division II CCS championship, a CIF State Championship in basketball in 2002, a WCAL championship in track in 2004, a CCS title in track in 2005, and a Division III CCS championship in basketball in 2006 and in 2007.
. Participating in the newly created Catholic League for high schools around San Francisco, the Crusaders experienced immediate success in a multitude of areas. The student body enthusiastically supported the program, as Riordan fielded new sports every few years. Notable events of the decade include the first football
game at Riordan (September 18, 1951), the first homecoming
night rally (November 10, 1955), the Riordan versus St. Ignatius College Preparatory
football
game at Seals Stadium
(November 3, 1956), the Faculty versus Seniors basketball
game (April 4, 1957), and the Block Society's sponsoring of Fight Night, which featured eight boxing matches as well as wrestling and judo (March 28, 1958).
Sports at Riordan were initially shaped by Mr. Edward Fennelly, a then 24-year-old graduate of St. Joseph's High School in Alameda
. He coached the basketball
and track
teams, but would expand his influence on the Riordan teams in the years to come. To many he is a symbol of the origins and development of Riordan, and to thousands of alumni was the epitome of sportsmanship
and gentlemanly behavior. He would coach, teach, and serve as an administrator for 40 years. ?
in 1967, the Crusaders became successful in a number of athletic endeavors. The victory bell was introduced, which still resides in the junior hallway of the school. It was put to good use, as basketball
won varsity championships in '60, '68, and '69; cross country won championships in '65, '66, '68, and '69); football
in '66; and Track in '67 and '68.
As the CAL divided, and Riordan joined the WCAL, Ed Fennelly became commissioner. This coincided with the 1966 football team's dramatic championship win against league powerhouse Bellarmine
. Under "Doc" Erskine
, the Crusaders battled the Bellarmine Bells under the lights of Kezar Stadium
to come out on top, 13-10. In their exuberance after the game, students tore down the goalposts at Kezar, fashioning trophies of the wood. These trophies, signed by the team, reside in the Crusader Forum today, memorializing their legendary upset for the first WCAL championship.
and cross country, 2 in football
and baseball
, 3 in basketball
, and 4 in soccer. Soccer soared at Riordan during this decade. The varsity won four consecutive WCAL titles and the Central Coast Section championship in 1976. Never before or since has soccer reached the same heights, but during those years achievement came from talent, enthusiasm, and hard work under the guide of Coach Tom Carroll.
Riordan saw the birth of Camp Crusader, a summer camp for the Riordan athletes of the future. Mr. Ron Isola inaugurated the camp in 1974 for boys in 4th through 8th grades. Consisting of two three week sessions, hundreds of youngsters swarmed to Riordan. Original organized leagues included baseball
, football
, soccer, basketball
, pee-wee golf
, tennis
, track
, field hockey
, tumbling, wrestling
, and bowling
. Participants received a camp polo shirt and a trip to see the Giants
at Candlestick Park.
juggernaut, winning six straight championships from 1985 to 1990. A legend in his own time, Isola ushered in an era of Riordan dominance in basketball
, going to sectional and state championships several times.
Another feature of the '80s would be the wrestling
program. Started in 1979 under Coach Steve Swanson, the sport caught fire among the student body, and matches were a highlight of the week. Although the Crusaders never won a championship, Swanson guided ten individual league champion wrestlers and six CCS placers. Among these was Adam Cohen, two-time CCS champion and an eventual NCAA finalist at Arizona State University
. Wrestlers competed abroad as well, carrying the Crusader banner to Las Vegas
, Honolulu, and Russia
.
Note that prior to 1995 Archbishop Riordan did not have a fight song. The band director at the time, Mr. Thompson, decided to use the Alma Mater played faster as the fight song. This is the origin of the "Fight! Fight!" often sung in the middle of the Alma Mater. As written, the Alma Mater does not have this addition and has been omitted above.
It should also be noted that following all sports events, the Alma Mater
is sung not only by the team, but members of the crowd and especiall Riordan alumni, who are all accompanied by the ARHS pep band. The Alma Mater is always sung with the pointer finger pointing up.
The students always sing the alma mater when approaching the back gates of Riordan from any field trip, retreat, or athletic event.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
run by members of the Society of Mary
Society of Mary (Marianists)
The Society of Mary, a Roman Catholic Marian Society, is a congregation of brothers and priests called The Marianists or Marianist Brothers and Priests. The Society was founded by Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, a priest who survived the anti-clerical persecution during the French Revolution. ...
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the northern California region of the United States. It covers the City and County of San Francisco and the Counties of Marin and San Mateo...
. Originally called Riordan High School, the school was named after Archbishop Patrick William Riordan
Patrick William Riordan
Patrick William Riordan was a Canadian-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of San Francisco from 1884 until his death in 1914.-Early life and education:...
, the second Archbishop of San Francisco, and opened in the fall of 1949. In 1990, "Archbishop" was officially added to the school's name.
Mission statement
Archbishop Riordan High School, an Archdiocesan Catholic High School in the Marianist Tradition, develops the character of young men and instills ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
values in an environment of academic excellence that reflects the cultural diversity of the San Francisco Bay Area.
History
Archbishop Riordan High School was opened in September 1949 and was entrusted to the direction of the Society of MarySociety of Mary (Marianists)
The Society of Mary, a Roman Catholic Marian Society, is a congregation of brothers and priests called The Marianists or Marianist Brothers and Priests. The Society was founded by Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, a priest who survived the anti-clerical persecution during the French Revolution. ...
(The Marianists), an international religious congregation of men in the service of the Catholic Church. The society was founded by Father William Joseph Chaminade
William Joseph Chaminade
William Joseph Chaminade or Guillaume-Joseph Chaminade, now called by his liturgical title of Blessed Chaminade , was a French Roman Catholic priest who survived persecution during the French Revolution. He founded the Society of Mary, also called the Marianists, in 1817...
in 1817 at Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. This society has a unique characteristic in the church. Its members - brothers and priests, teachers and non-teachers - belong to it on a plane of equality; there are differences in function, but none of rank, privilege, or prerogative. Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
is the principal work of the society, though a large number of members are in other works of the apostolate such as preaching, parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
work, orphanages, missions, and directing lay apostolate groups.
The Marianists were invited to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1884 by Archbishop Patrick Riordan. In the summer of 1886, five Marianists from Saint Mary's Stockton began the many years of service in San Francisco. At St. Joseph's Parish, in the downtown district of the city, they began a grammar school for boys. In 1906, the Marianists opened a high school department at Saint James while also conducting Saint James Grammar School in the Mission District. With the increasing demands for another, still larger boys' high school in San Francisco, the Marianists closed the high school department at Saint James in 1949 and moved to the newly constructed Archbishop Riordan High School, a monument to the memory of Archbishop Patrick William Riordan
Patrick William Riordan
Patrick William Riordan was a Canadian-born clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of San Francisco from 1884 until his death in 1914.-Early life and education:...
, D.D., second Archbishop of San Francisco, 1884-1914.
The Marianists
The Marianist Organization has remained a guiding force throughout Riordan's existence and follows several specific "Characteristics of Education in the Marianist Tradition." They are:- Educate for formation in faith.
- Provide an integral quality education.
- Educate in family spirit.
- Educate for service, justiceJusticeJustice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
& peacePeacePeace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
. - Educate for adaptation & change.
Academics
All full time faculty, librarians, and counselors are represented by a labor union and have a collective bargaining agreement with the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The CBA governs the terms of their employment. The labor union's official name is The San Francisco Archdiocesan Federation of Teachers, Local 2240, which is an affiliate of the California Federation of Teachers (AFT, AFL-CIO).ARHS utilizes an "intensive block" schedule commonly known as the 4x4 schedule. The school year is split into two semesters, Fall and Spring, and students take four courses each semester. Each class lasts eighty minutes, providing time for students and teachers to delve more deeply and actively into topics and activities. This emphasis on depth promotes greater understanding of skills, concepts, and ideas than the traditional fifty-minute period allows.
In addition, the 4x4 allows ARHS students to take eight different ten-credit courses per school year rather than six, as is the norm in traditional school schedules. Therefore, throughout a four-year career ARHS students will be able to take eight more classes than students in schools with traditional schedules. A Riordan student’s academic courseload will not merely fulfill University of California
University of California
The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
and California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
requirements, it will exceed them, with ample room to spare to sample the expanded elective opportunities available.
One major criticism of the 4x4 schedule is in respect to Advanced Placement courses. Such AP courses taught in the Fall semester would end in December, but students take the actual AP Exam in May. Thus, the student is expected to retain the learned material for five months. In addition, because the AP exam is administered in early May, courses taught in the Spring semester are often cut short by three weeks. Three weeks, while seemingly a short amount of time, is very valuable in the 4x4 block schedule and often forces the instructor to "cram" the material in the weeks approaching the AP exam.
Archbishop Riordan High School offers a variety of Honors and Advanced Placement courses. Advanced Placement offerings include:
AP Calculus AB/BC
AP Chemistry
AP Environmental Science
AP Physics
AP English Language
AP English Literature
AP Spanish Language
AP European History
AP World History
AP United States History
AP United States Government
AP Psychology
AP Economics (Micro and Macro)
The AP Calculus
Calculus
Calculus is a branch of mathematics focused on limits, functions, derivatives, integrals, and infinite series. This subject constitutes a major part of modern mathematics education. It has two major branches, differential calculus and integral calculus, which are related by the fundamental theorem...
class, taught by Mr. Paul Arrigotti from the 1970s through 2009, is nationally recognized for its high passing rates and scholastic achievement. Archbishop Riordan has also been the home to five AP exam readers: (Paul Arrigotti - Calculus; Ed Borges - US History; Bob Dalton - English Language; Jeff Isola - US Government; Steve Flowers - Environmental Science).
Student body
The 100% male student population ranges from 560 to 630 at Archbishop Riordan High School. The student body is currently 25% CaucasianCaucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
, 22% Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
, 20% Filipino
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
, 10% Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
, 10% Multi-Ethnic/Other, 7% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, and 6% other Asian ethnicities. In terms of religious affiliation, 81% of the student body is Catholic. 18% of the student body is a different Christian denomination, and 1% is another non-Christian group. 99% of Archbishop Riordan graduates go on to higher education.
Marching band
Riordan is the only high school in San Francisco to have its very own marching band. The band is under the direction of Scott Souza and assistant director, Emilio Lacayo-Valle. The band program consists of marching, concert, jazz, and pep bands. At Riordan, the majority of musicians pick up their instruments in their freshman year while enrolled in the Instrumental Music Ensemble (Beginning Band). Students then move up into the Intermediate Band as sophomores and join the marching band in their junior and senior years. The band program is one of the few high school music programs that starts students with no musical experience. The band competes in the Northern California Band Association (NCBA) along with many other bands from all over the Bay Area and Nevada. The band competes in the small schools division (Class D or E) and is one of the biggest bands in its division with 90 members in 2009/2010. The band appears in every San Francisco city parade (Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, Chinese New Year, St. Patrick's Day) and is a consistent winner in these parades. In 2010, the band was invited to perform as part of the San Francisco Giants Victory Parade down Market Street following their first ever World Series Championship.In addition to the Marching band the school also has a lively Pep Band that is well known at WCAL sporting events, A Jazz Combo that regularly participates in California Musical Educators competitions, a drumline that has grown in size and stature under the direction of Mr. Lacayo-Valle and a Color Guard team, featuring girls from [Mercy High School San Francisco] and ICA, under the direction of Mr. Mark Lieuw that performs with the band during parades. The band travels each year and visited Disneyland in 2009, Hawaii for the Hawaiiaan invitational in 2010 and has been invited to play the Independence Day Parade in the nations Capital in 2011
The band website is http://riordanhsband.com
Athletics
The Riordan Crusaders field a variety of team and individual sports in the West Catholic Athletic LeagueWest Catholic Athletic League
The West Catholic Athletic League or WCAL is a highly competitive high school athletic conference in the Central Coast Section of the California Interscholastic Federation. The boys division is made up of seven private Catholic schools and one Christian school in the Western and Southern portions...
(WCAL), one of the most highly competitive leagues in California. Sports that Riordan fields include football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, cross-country, wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, soccer, track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
. Riordan's most notable championship seasons include a WCAL Championship in football in 2000 and a 2007 Division II CCS championship, a CIF State Championship in basketball in 2002, a WCAL championship in track in 2004, a CCS title in track in 2005, and a Division III CCS championship in basketball in 2006 and in 2007.
1950s
Riordan athletics began in the 1950s, a time when many high schools, both public and private, were rapidly expanding due to the Baby BoomBaby boom
A baby boom is any period marked by a greatly increased birth rate. This demographic phenomenon is usually ascribed within certain geographical bounds and when the number of annual births exceeds 2 per 100 women...
. Participating in the newly created Catholic League for high schools around San Francisco, the Crusaders experienced immediate success in a multitude of areas. The student body enthusiastically supported the program, as Riordan fielded new sports every few years. Notable events of the decade include the first football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game at Riordan (September 18, 1951), the first homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
night rally (November 10, 1955), the Riordan versus St. Ignatius College Preparatory
St. Ignatius College Preparatory
St. Ignatius College Preparatory is a preparatory school in the Jesuit tradition serving the San Francisco Bay Area since 1855. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco, in the Sunset District of San Francisco, St. Ignatius is one of the oldest secondary schools in the U.S. state...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
game at Seals Stadium
Seals Stadium
Seals Stadium was a minor league baseball stadium that stood in San Francisco from 1931 through 1959.Built during the depression, Seals Stadium opened on April 7, 1931, It cost $600,000 to construct, and Seals President "Doc" Strub described how laborers would leap onto the running boards of his...
(November 3, 1956), the Faculty versus Seniors basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
game (April 4, 1957), and the Block Society's sponsoring of Fight Night, which featured eight boxing matches as well as wrestling and judo (March 28, 1958).
Sports at Riordan were initially shaped by Mr. Edward Fennelly, a then 24-year-old graduate of St. Joseph's High School in Alameda
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
. He coached the basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
teams, but would expand his influence on the Riordan teams in the years to come. To many he is a symbol of the origins and development of Riordan, and to thousands of alumni was the epitome of sportsmanship
Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors...
and gentlemanly behavior. He would coach, teach, and serve as an administrator for 40 years. ?
1960s
During the 1960s, Riordan athletics would blossom into a major force in the Bay Area. Joining the new West Catholic Athletic LeagueWest Catholic Athletic League
The West Catholic Athletic League or WCAL is a highly competitive high school athletic conference in the Central Coast Section of the California Interscholastic Federation. The boys division is made up of seven private Catholic schools and one Christian school in the Western and Southern portions...
in 1967, the Crusaders became successful in a number of athletic endeavors. The victory bell was introduced, which still resides in the junior hallway of the school. It was put to good use, as basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
won varsity championships in '60, '68, and '69; cross country won championships in '65, '66, '68, and '69); football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
in '66; and Track in '67 and '68.
As the CAL divided, and Riordan joined the WCAL, Ed Fennelly became commissioner. This coincided with the 1966 football team's dramatic championship win against league powerhouse Bellarmine
Bellarmine
Bellarmine can refer to:*Robert Bellarmine , a Cardinal and saint of the Catholic Church*The schools named after him:**Bellarmine University, in Louisville, Kentucky**Bellarmine College Preparatory, in San Jose, California...
. Under "Doc" Erskine
Robert Erskine (coach)
Robert H. "Doc" Erskine was an American college football and basketball coach. He served at Loyola University of New Orleans as the head football coach from 1933 to 1934 and as the head basketball coach from 1924 to 1925 and 1933 to 1939.-Biography:...
, the Crusaders battled the Bellarmine Bells under the lights of Kezar Stadium
Kezar Stadium
Kezar Stadium is a stadium located adjacent to Kezar Pavilion in the southeastern corner of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. It is the former home of the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL, and of the San Francisco Dragons of MLL. It also served as the home of the...
to come out on top, 13-10. In their exuberance after the game, students tore down the goalposts at Kezar, fashioning trophies of the wood. These trophies, signed by the team, reside in the Crusader Forum today, memorializing their legendary upset for the first WCAL championship.
1970s
The '70s saw the most varsity championships (13 in all) and the greatest varsity record (6 sports). They included: One each in trackTrack and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
and cross country, 2 in football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, 3 in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and 4 in soccer. Soccer soared at Riordan during this decade. The varsity won four consecutive WCAL titles and the Central Coast Section championship in 1976. Never before or since has soccer reached the same heights, but during those years achievement came from talent, enthusiasm, and hard work under the guide of Coach Tom Carroll.
Riordan saw the birth of Camp Crusader, a summer camp for the Riordan athletes of the future. Mr. Ron Isola inaugurated the camp in 1974 for boys in 4th through 8th grades. Consisting of two three week sessions, hundreds of youngsters swarmed to Riordan. Original organized leagues included baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, soccer, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, pee-wee golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, tumbling, wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
, and bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
. Participants received a camp polo shirt and a trip to see the Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
at Candlestick Park.
1980s
By 1980, Riordan had established itself as a Bay Area powerhouse in a variety of sports, but had yet to create an athletic niche, an area that would unquestionably be the territory of the Crusaders. Under the direction of Coach Ron Isola, Riordan would become a basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
juggernaut, winning six straight championships from 1985 to 1990. A legend in his own time, Isola ushered in an era of Riordan dominance in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, going to sectional and state championships several times.
Another feature of the '80s would be the wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
program. Started in 1979 under Coach Steve Swanson, the sport caught fire among the student body, and matches were a highlight of the week. Although the Crusaders never won a championship, Swanson guided ten individual league champion wrestlers and six CCS placers. Among these was Adam Cohen, two-time CCS champion and an eventual NCAA finalist at Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
. Wrestlers competed abroad as well, carrying the Crusader banner to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Honolulu, and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Alma mater
- Sing from the top of the mountain,
- Of Riordan's hallowed name.
- Ring through the soft green valley,
- Our alma mater's fame.
- Our Purple is our loyalty,
- Our Gold is tried and true!
- All hail to Riordan High School,
- Hail! Alma Mater.
- Hail! Alma Mater.
- Hail! All hail, to you! http://www.riordanhs.org/documents/athletics/athletic_handbook.pdf
Note that prior to 1995 Archbishop Riordan did not have a fight song. The band director at the time, Mr. Thompson, decided to use the Alma Mater played faster as the fight song. This is the origin of the "Fight! Fight!" often sung in the middle of the Alma Mater. As written, the Alma Mater does not have this addition and has been omitted above.
It should also be noted that following all sports events, the Alma Mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
is sung not only by the team, but members of the crowd and especiall Riordan alumni, who are all accompanied by the ARHS pep band. The Alma Mater is always sung with the pointer finger pointing up.
The students always sing the alma mater when approaching the back gates of Riordan from any field trip, retreat, or athletic event.
Notable alumni
- Ralph Briones 1992 - Filmmaker most notable for Tagumpay.http://trifectafilms.com/rbrio.html
- Sal CastanedaSal CastanedaSal Castaneda is an award-winning television news reporter currently reporting for KTVU-TV the Fox affiliate in the San Francisco Bay Area. Castaneda has been with KTVU since 1999...
1982 - Traffic anchor for KTVUKTVUKTVU, virtual channel 2 , is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the San Francisco Bay Area. Licensed to Oakland, California, the station has been owned by Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises since 1964, making it the largest Fox affiliate by market size that is not owned and operated by the...
. - Derek LovilleDerek LovilleDerek Kevin Loville is a former American football running back who played 8 years in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos from 1990 to 1998. He played for Archbishop Riordan High School...
1986 - former NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
running backRunning backA running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and St. Louis RamsSt. Louis RamsThe St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. - Chris MunkChris MunkChristian Munk is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'9" 225 lb forward and played collegiately at the University of Southern California...
1985 - former NBA player for the Utah JazzUtah JazzThe Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. - Dominic Nolfi 1996 - BroadwayBroadway theatreBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
actor. Currently portraying Tommy DeVito in the Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
winning musical Jersey BoysJersey BoysJersey Boys is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is a documentary-style musical, based on one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons...
. - Kevin RestaniKevin RestaniKevin Gilbert "Big Bird" Restani was an American professional basketball player from San Francisco, California....
1970 - Former basketball player for the University of San FranciscoUniversity of San FranciscoThe University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
and former NBA player for the Milwaukee BucksMilwaukee BucksThe Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
, Sacramento KingsSacramento KingsThe Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, San Antonio SpursSan Antonio SpursThe San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
and Cleveland CavaliersCleveland CavaliersThe Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team... - Steve SewellSteve SewellSteven Edward Sewell , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Denver Broncos in the 1st round of the 1985 NFL Draft. A 6'3", 210-lb. running back from the University of Oklahoma, Sewell played his entire NFL career for the Broncos from 1985 to 1991...
1981 - Former NFL running back for the Denver BroncosDenver BroncosThe Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Joe SpanoJoe SpanoJoseph Peter "Joe" Spano is an American actor who came to prominence through his role as Lt. Henry Goldblume on Hill Street Blues and is now well known for his work in NCIS as FBI Special Agent Tobias Fornell....
1963 - Best known as emmy-nominated actor starring in Hill Street BluesHill Street BluesHill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ... - Donald Strickland 1998 - Former cornerbackCornerbackA cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
for the Indianapolis ColtsIndianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ersThe San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. Currently with the San Diego ChargersSan Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Eric Wright 2003 - Football cornerback for the Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 2007 NFL draft.