Branham High School
Encyclopedia
Branham High School is a secondary school
located in San Jose, California
. It first opened in 1967. From 1991 to 1999, Branham had been leased out to Valley Christian Schools. In 1999, the school was reopened as part of the Campbell Union High School District
due to increased enrollment within the district, and graduated its first senior class in over a decade in 2002. Branham, as well as Branham Lane, is named after Isaac Branham, an early pioneer of California who became a successful farmer and lumber mill owner. The Branham colors are blue and white and the official mascot is a bruin. Branham is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
(WASC).
during the 2006–2007 school year. During the 2005–2006 school year, Branham's API
score increased by 47 points, enabling the school to apply to become distinguished. Branham also participates in the College Board's Advanced Placement program and offers ten AP courses: Calculus, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, U.S. History, U.S. Government, English 3, English 4, and Spanish.
, basketball
, baseball
, swimming
and diving
, cheerleading
, tennis
, badminton
, soccer, softball
, track and field
, cross country
, golf
, field hockey
, and wrestling
. Although the athletics program is relatively new, Branham teams have won a number of awards and annually sends representation to the Central Coast Sectionals (CCS).
The traditional "rivals" for Bruin athletes are the Leigh High School
Longhorns, mostly due to the close proximity between the two schools. The Bruins baseball team also consider the Westmont High School
Warriors to be a division rival.
In 1980, after many years of being "so close", the Bruins Varsity Wrestling team finally won the West Valley Athletic League Championship (the "WVAL" was one of, if not THE premier league of the local leagues of that era), despite only having two seniors on the squad. 4-year Varsity letter-man Scott Domanuer & Jr. Lou Sorrentino won their weight classes at 130's & the heavyweight divisions respectively. The championship was won even though the team was missing some key grapplers for various reasons. The following season, Danny Dodds was able to pin down the California State Championship at the 181 weight class after moving up from the 130 lb. weight class just two seasons earlier. Dan was a 'refuge' from Camden high which closed down a few seasons earlier. The mid-1980s through the middle 1990s the wrestling squad was littered (in a good way) with many young men from the "Mittlestead" & "Sorrentino" clans, and most all wrestled under the tutelage of coach Jack Clark.
The 1984–85 Bruin boys varsity soccer team made it to the Central Coast Section finals losing to Menlo-Atherton
4–3 in a thrilling double overtime game. The team finished the season with a record of 17–2–2. The team was led by CCS First Team selection and "Senior of the Year" Eric Mestressat (forward/defender), Cliff McCready (midfielder) CCS First Team selection and Scott Coutts CCS Second Team selection (goalkeeper).
The 1989 Bruin varsity baseball team started the season with a 2 - 3 record only to rattle off 19 consecutive wins to end the season. The Bruins won the West Valley Athletic League title outright and went on to win the Central Coast Section championship by sweeping through the 4 game playoff, ultimately finishing off Carmel in the championship game by a score of 4 - 2.
The Branham High School Cheerleading Team also received top honors in their 2008–2009 season. They were undefeated through the year, leading up to their first place victory at the USA Nationals in Anaheim, California. They continue to be the only sports team at Branham High to be Nationally Ranked.
The 2010 Bruin boys varsity volleyball team won the school's first Central Coast Section (CCS) volleyball title. They were up with Archbishop Mitty High School, and won in the Division II final.
In 2011 the Branham Boy's Basketball team won the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League with a perfect 14 win and 0 loss record. The 2010/2011 Bruin team was the first in school history to ever have gone through league play undefeated. The team went 19 and 5 overall for the season and had a 16 game win streak to end the season.
The Instrumental Music program is made up of Field Marching Band, Color Guard, Parade Band, Pep Band, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Guitar, and Jazz Ensemble, all directed by Diane Wyant, a California music educator of 20 years and also a Drum Corps International
(DCI) Adjudicator.
The marching band has recently been named the Branham High School Royal Alliance. The Royal Alliance performed their first field show competition in nearly 30 years in 2009. The Royal Alliance Marching Band host's summer workshops each year called the "Get in Step" sessions for current members as well as incoming Freshman as well as a week long camp prior to the beginning of the Fall session.
The Branham High School Symphonic Band, in its first CMEA performance in the history of the school, received a Unanimous Superior rating, the highest rating a group can receive from the CA Music Educator's Association. In addition, the band was invited to perform in Carnegie Hall and Chicago Symphony Hall as an award for their Gold performance at the 2009 Los Angeles Heritage Festival in which they placed first in the Symphonic Band category. In April 2011, the band received its second Unanimous Superior rating from CMEA.
The Branham Jazz Ensemble is a very successful group on campus. In addition to nearly a dozen public performances per year, the group travels to the Columbia Jazz Festival in order to rub shoulders with Jazz greats. The Jazz Ensemble hosts a yearly fundraiser called the Jazz Cafe to raise funds for the Branham Instrumental Program.
, the department quickly grew to stage seasons of up to seven plays including original works like "Hollywoodn't" (2002) and a modern adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" (2003) alongside major musical and non-musical productions including Jason Robert Brown's Songs for a New World
(2003), Dürrenmatt's The Visit
(2001), Li'l Abner
(2004), Eugene Ionesco
's Killing Game (2004), and Michael Bennet's A Chorus Line
(2005). The group showcased both faculty and student-directed works, developed relationships and internship programs with local theater companies, and produced touring productions. After piloting the first multi-level, multi-faceted curriculum in the district (offering Drama I, Drama II, and Tech Theatre courses), the department earned the 2001 Glenn Hoffman Award for "Outstanding Fine Arts Curriculum", the 2003 Penwomen of America Award for "Outstanding Theater Teacher (E. Dale Smith)", and the 2003 High School Musical Honors Award for "Outstanding Ensemble". The department currently offers a full theater curriculum including a musical theater course taught by Sharon Salazar, a drama club, and a several productions each year.
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
located in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. It first opened in 1967. From 1991 to 1999, Branham had been leased out to Valley Christian Schools. In 1999, the school was reopened as part of the Campbell Union High School District
Campbell Union High School District
The Campbell Union High School District, referred to as the CUHSD, is a school district in the greater San Jose, California, USA area, including Campbell and Saratoga. Its five main campuses, Branham, Del Mar, Leigh, Prospect, and Westmont, serve more than 7800 students, and employ 550 teachers and...
due to increased enrollment within the district, and graduated its first senior class in over a decade in 2002. Branham, as well as Branham Lane, is named after Isaac Branham, an early pioneer of California who became a successful farmer and lumber mill owner. The Branham colors are blue and white and the official mascot is a bruin. Branham is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
(WASC).
Academics
Branham was awarded the title of California Distinguished SchoolCalifornia Distinguished School
A California Distinguished School is an award given by the California State Board of Education to public schools within the state that best represent exemplary and quality educational programs. Approximately five percent of California schools are awarded this honor each year following a selection...
during the 2006–2007 school year. During the 2005–2006 school year, Branham's API
Academic Performance Index
The Academic Performance Index is a measurement of academic performance and progress of individual schools in California, United States. It is one of the main components of the Public Schools Accountability Act passed by the California legislature in 1999...
score increased by 47 points, enabling the school to apply to become distinguished. Branham also participates in the College Board's Advanced Placement program and offers ten AP courses: Calculus, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, U.S. History, U.S. Government, English 3, English 4, and Spanish.
Athletics
Branham High School participates as a member of the Blossom Valley Athletic League (BVAL). Branham fields teams in numerous sports, including footballAmerican 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
and diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
, 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...
, badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, soccer, softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, track and field
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...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, 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....
, 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...
, and 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...
. Although the athletics program is relatively new, Branham teams have won a number of awards and annually sends representation to the Central Coast Sectionals (CCS).
The traditional "rivals" for Bruin athletes are the Leigh High School
Leigh High School
Leigh High School is a secondary school located in San Jose, California. Opening in September 1962, it was the fifth school to be established within the Campbell Union High School District. The school has twice been awarded the California Distinguished School award, in 1999 and 2003. , the...
Longhorns, mostly due to the close proximity between the two schools. The Bruins baseball team also consider the Westmont High School
Westmont High School
Westmont High School can refer to several schools in the United States:* Westmont High School *Westmont High School *Westmont Hilltop High School...
Warriors to be a division rival.
In 1980, after many years of being "so close", the Bruins Varsity Wrestling team finally won the West Valley Athletic League Championship (the "WVAL" was one of, if not THE premier league of the local leagues of that era), despite only having two seniors on the squad. 4-year Varsity letter-man Scott Domanuer & Jr. Lou Sorrentino won their weight classes at 130's & the heavyweight divisions respectively. The championship was won even though the team was missing some key grapplers for various reasons. The following season, Danny Dodds was able to pin down the California State Championship at the 181 weight class after moving up from the 130 lb. weight class just two seasons earlier. Dan was a 'refuge' from Camden high which closed down a few seasons earlier. The mid-1980s through the middle 1990s the wrestling squad was littered (in a good way) with many young men from the "Mittlestead" & "Sorrentino" clans, and most all wrestled under the tutelage of coach Jack Clark.
The 1984–85 Bruin boys varsity soccer team made it to the Central Coast Section finals losing to Menlo-Atherton
Menlo-Atherton High School
Menlo-Atherton High School is a four-year comprehensive secondary school located in Atherton, California which was established in 1951. Menlo-Atherton is part of the Sequoia Union High School District....
4–3 in a thrilling double overtime game. The team finished the season with a record of 17–2–2. The team was led by CCS First Team selection and "Senior of the Year" Eric Mestressat (forward/defender), Cliff McCready (midfielder) CCS First Team selection and Scott Coutts CCS Second Team selection (goalkeeper).
The 1989 Bruin varsity baseball team started the season with a 2 - 3 record only to rattle off 19 consecutive wins to end the season. The Bruins won the West Valley Athletic League title outright and went on to win the Central Coast Section championship by sweeping through the 4 game playoff, ultimately finishing off Carmel in the championship game by a score of 4 - 2.
The Branham High School Cheerleading Team also received top honors in their 2008–2009 season. They were undefeated through the year, leading up to their first place victory at the USA Nationals in Anaheim, California. They continue to be the only sports team at Branham High to be Nationally Ranked.
The 2010 Bruin boys varsity volleyball team won the school's first Central Coast Section (CCS) volleyball title. They were up with Archbishop Mitty High School, and won in the Division II final.
In 2011 the Branham Boy's Basketball team won the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League with a perfect 14 win and 0 loss record. The 2010/2011 Bruin team was the first in school history to ever have gone through league play undefeated. The team went 19 and 5 overall for the season and had a 16 game win streak to end the season.
Music department
The Branham High School Music Department is made up the vocal music department and the instrumental music department. Currently, the choir, which is made up of Madrigals and Women's, is directed by Barbara West, the choir director also at Leigh High School.The Instrumental Music program is made up of Field Marching Band, Color Guard, Parade Band, Pep Band, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Guitar, and Jazz Ensemble, all directed by Diane Wyant, a California music educator of 20 years and also a Drum Corps International
Drum Corps International
Drum Corps International , formed in 1972, is the non-profit governing body operating the North American drum and bugle corps circuit for junior corps, whose members are between the ages of 14 and 21. It is the counterpart of Drum Corps Associates which governs senior or all-age drum corps...
(DCI) Adjudicator.
The marching band has recently been named the Branham High School Royal Alliance. The Royal Alliance performed their first field show competition in nearly 30 years in 2009. The Royal Alliance Marching Band host's summer workshops each year called the "Get in Step" sessions for current members as well as incoming Freshman as well as a week long camp prior to the beginning of the Fall session.
The Branham High School Symphonic Band, in its first CMEA performance in the history of the school, received a Unanimous Superior rating, the highest rating a group can receive from the CA Music Educator's Association. In addition, the band was invited to perform in Carnegie Hall and Chicago Symphony Hall as an award for their Gold performance at the 2009 Los Angeles Heritage Festival in which they placed first in the Symphonic Band category. In April 2011, the band received its second Unanimous Superior rating from CMEA.
The Branham Jazz Ensemble is a very successful group on campus. In addition to nearly a dozen public performances per year, the group travels to the Columbia Jazz Festival in order to rub shoulders with Jazz greats. The Jazz Ensemble hosts a yearly fundraiser called the Jazz Cafe to raise funds for the Branham Instrumental Program.
Theater department
Kicking off the inaugural season in 1999–2000 with Euripides' classic MedeaMedea
Medea is a woman in Greek mythology. She was the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, niece of Circe, granddaughter of the sun god Helios, and later wife to the hero Jason, with whom she had two children, Mermeros and Pheres. In Euripides's play Medea, Jason leaves Medea when Creon, king of...
, the department quickly grew to stage seasons of up to seven plays including original works like "Hollywoodn't" (2002) and a modern adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" (2003) alongside major musical and non-musical productions including Jason Robert Brown's Songs for a New World
Songs for a New World
Songs for a New World is a work of musical theater written and composed by Jason Robert Brown. Its original off-Broadway production ran for 28 performances at the WPA Theater in New York City in 1995. The show sits on the boundary between musical and song cycle, but it is neither; it is an abstract...
(2003), Dürrenmatt's The Visit
The Visit
The Visit is a 1956 tragicomic play by Swiss dramatist Friedrich Dürrenmatt.-Plot summary:...
(2001), Li'l Abner
Li'l Abner (musical)
Li'l Abner is a musical with a book by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank, music by Gene De Paul, and lyrics by Johnny Mercer.Based on the comic strip Li'l Abner by Al Capp, the show is, on the surface, a broad spoof of hillbillies but is also a pointed satire taking on any number of topics, ranging...
(2004), Eugene Ionesco
Eugène Ionesco
Eugène Ionesco was a Romanian and French playwright and dramatist, and one of the foremost playwrights of the Theatre of the Absurd...
's Killing Game (2004), and Michael Bennet's A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a 1975 musical about Broadway dancers auditioning for spots on a chorus line. The book was authored by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante, lyrics were written by Edward Kleban, and music was composed by Marvin Hamlisch....
(2005). The group showcased both faculty and student-directed works, developed relationships and internship programs with local theater companies, and produced touring productions. After piloting the first multi-level, multi-faceted curriculum in the district (offering Drama I, Drama II, and Tech Theatre courses), the department earned the 2001 Glenn Hoffman Award for "Outstanding Fine Arts Curriculum", the 2003 Penwomen of America Award for "Outstanding Theater Teacher (E. Dale Smith)", and the 2003 High School Musical Honors Award for "Outstanding Ensemble". The department currently offers a full theater curriculum including a musical theater course taught by Sharon Salazar, a drama club, and a several productions each year.
Notable alumni
- Pat HughesPat Hughes (baseball)Vergil Patrick "Pat" Hughes has been the play-by-play voice of the Chicago Cubs, working for WGN radio, since 1996. He partnered with color commentator Ron Santo, former All-Star third baseman for the Cubs from 1996 until 2010, when Santo died of cancer. Their unique on-air chemistry came to be...
Class of 1973, the Voice of the Chicago Cubs - Marty KruleeMarty KruleeMarty Krulee , is an American "World Class" Track and Field athlete, primarily known for running sprint races. While never achieving outstanding results, he is best known for an extended career in International competition. While the 100 metres was his primary outdoor event, decades after his...
- sprinter and track-and-field athlete - Gary RadnichGary RadnichGary Radnich is the host of the 9 a.m. to noon slot on KNBR radio in San Francisco, California, and is also the lead sports anchor on KRON television.-Early life:...
- sports anchor, KRON-TV, San Francisco - Louie SakodaLouie SakodaLouie Sakoda is a kicker and punter for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. In college, he played for the Utah Utes...
- Class of 2005 - professional placekicker and punter for the Edmonton EskimosEdmonton EskimosThe Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
of the Canadian Football LeagueCanadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football.... - Nicky ShaneNicky ShaneNicky Shane is a harmonica player, artist and former stand up comedian, who resides in Santa Barbara, California. He established and received the first Guinness World Record for The Fastest Harmonica Player.-External links :*...
- world-record-holding harmonica player
See also
- Santa Clara County high schools