George C. Marshall High School
Encyclopedia
George C. Marshall High School is a public school in Idylwood
, unincorporated
Fairfax County
, Virginia
, and part of Fairfax County Public Schools
(FCPS). Newsweek
ranked Marshall 159th on its 2009 list of the top U.S. high schools.
George C. Marshall
. The other, located in Ankara
, Turkey
, is the George C. Marshall School, which is part of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools
system and offers a first through twelfth grade curriculum.
tests in Virginia. The average SAT score in 2008 for Marshall was 1,680 (550 in Critical Reading, 580 in Math, and 550 in Writing). The combined SAT score placed Marshall in the top five of all neighborhood-based FCPS high schools that year. Marshall High School has an Academy offering specialized classes such as Chinese Language, Entrepreneurship, Criminal Justice, and Network Administration. Marshall also offers courses through the International Baccalaureate Program. Marshall's IB program produced seventy full diploma candidates in 2008, more than any other FCPS high school. In the 2008 U.S. News & World Report
high school rankings, Marshall earned silver medal status and ranked 1st in the state and 19th in the nation on an IB-only list.
and Northern Region
of the Virginia High School League
. Marshall's enrollment however is at the AA level, but chooses to petition to play in AAA to the VHSL to maintain rivalries with local schools.
In the 2005-2006 school year, the field hockey team and the boys basketball teams advanced to the AAA tournaments.
Marshall girls basketball won the Liberty District tournament back to back in 2006 and 2007. The girls tennis team placed first in the Liberty District in 2009 and second (to Thomas Jefferson) at the regional tournament.
George C Marshall High School's new school motto "Small School Big Heart" was started during what is called the Cinderella season on the 05-06 Varsity Men's Basketball who advanced to the semi finals of the state tournament.
Marshall has five runner up finishes, which are:
The percussion ensemble, led by Frank Gonzalez, has also been recognized for their achievement. They were invited to the Music for All National Percussion Festival in Indianapolis, held in March 2009. The event is part of the Bands of America National Convert Festival.
One-Act Festival eight out of the past nine years, and won the championship five times (2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007), which is the record for most wins among all Virginia high schools.
(2000
), the climax of the movie comes at the end of the 1971 AAA state championship football game between T.C. Williams High School and Marshall High School. The movie was dramatized from a Washington Post series about race relations in the high school football fishbowl of 1971, as the Hollywood-underdog T.C. Williams Titans took on the powerful Marshall Statesmen (coached by Ed Henry). The most notable dramatic license taken in the movie was to convert what was actually a regular-season matchup between Marshall and T.C. Williams into a made-for-Hollywood state championship. In reality, the Marshall game was the toughest game T.C. Williams played all year and the actual state championship (against Andrew Lewis High School
of the Roanoke
Valley) was a 27-0 blowout. The Titans actually did win the Marshall game on a fourth down come-from-behind play at the very end of the game. In addition to the added drama of the Marshall game, there were apparently some legal issues concerning the use of Andrew Lewis High School's name in the movie.
Ignored in both the original newspaper articles and the movie is the fact that in 1971, the city of Alexandria consolidated three four-year high schools into a single two-year school, with only juniors and seniors. As a result, the best of the varsity football squads at George Washington High School (converted to a middle school), Hammond High School (converted to a middle school) and T.C Williams High School united in what amounted to an all-city, all-star team at T.C. Williams.
The legendary Ed Henry was the head coach at Marshall for six seasons, from 1969-74, and is portrayed in the movie. In 1997, Coach Henry was inducted into the Virginia High School League
Hall of Fame.
Idylwood, Virginia
Idylwood is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 16,005 at the 2000 census. It originally developed as an exurban community along the route of the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, and then as a residential suburb along Virginia State Route 7...
, unincorporated
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and part of Fairfax County Public Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools
The Fairfax County Public Schools system is a branch of the Fairfax County government which administers public schools in Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax...
(FCPS). Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
ranked Marshall 159th on its 2009 list of the top U.S. high schools.
Name
It is one of only two schools in the world with a high school program named after former United States Secretary of StateUnited States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
George C. Marshall
George Marshall
George Catlett Marshall was an American military leader, Chief of Staff of the Army, Secretary of State, and the third Secretary of Defense...
. The other, located in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, is the George C. Marshall School, which is part of the Department of Defense Dependents Schools
Department of Defense Dependents Schools
The Department of Defense Dependents Schools are a network of schools, both primary and secondary, that serve dependents of United States military - and other non-US - personnel outside the United States. The schools themselves are operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity...
system and offers a first through twelfth grade curriculum.
Academics
George C. Marshall High School is a fully accredited high school based on the Standards of LearningStandards of Learning
Standards of Learning ' is a public school standardized testing program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It sets forth learning and achievement expectations for core subjects for grades K-12 in Virginia's Public Schools...
tests in Virginia. The average SAT score in 2008 for Marshall was 1,680 (550 in Critical Reading, 580 in Math, and 550 in Writing). The combined SAT score placed Marshall in the top five of all neighborhood-based FCPS high schools that year. Marshall High School has an Academy offering specialized classes such as Chinese Language, Entrepreneurship, Criminal Justice, and Network Administration. Marshall also offers courses through the International Baccalaureate Program. Marshall's IB program produced seventy full diploma candidates in 2008, more than any other FCPS high school. In the 2008 U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
high school rankings, Marshall earned silver medal status and ranked 1st in the state and 19th in the nation on an IB-only list.
Demographics
In the 2007-2008 school year, Marshall High School's student body was 54.35% White, 20.20% Asian or Pacific Islander, 14.34% Hispanic, 7.43% Black, and 3.68% other.Athletics
Marshall's teams are nicknamed the Statesmen, their mascot is the griffin (a half lion, half eagle creature), and their teams play in the AAA Liberty DistrictAAA Liberty District
The AAA Liberty District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools from Northern Virginia. AAA is the largest enrollment class of the Virginia High School League and also typically the most competitive level in Virginia high school sports.The Liberty District...
and Northern Region
AAA Northern Region
The AAA Northern Region is one of the four AAA regions in the Virginia High School League. It is made up of four districts: the AAA Concorde District, the AAA Liberty District, the AAA National District, and the AAA Patriot District...
of the Virginia High School League
Virginia High School League
The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike similar organizations in many other states, private or religious schools are prohibited from joining. Non-public schools belong to other organizations,...
. Marshall's enrollment however is at the AA level, but chooses to petition to play in AAA to the VHSL to maintain rivalries with local schools.
In the 2005-2006 school year, the field hockey team and the boys basketball teams advanced to the AAA tournaments.
Marshall girls basketball won the Liberty District tournament back to back in 2006 and 2007. The girls tennis team placed first in the Liberty District in 2009 and second (to Thomas Jefferson) at the regional tournament.
George C Marshall High School's new school motto "Small School Big Heart" was started during what is called the Cinderella season on the 05-06 Varsity Men's Basketball who advanced to the semi finals of the state tournament.
State championships and runner-up finishes
Marshall has three state championships, which are:- two in AAA boys cross country in 1971 and 1972
- one in AAA girls basketball in 1976
Marshall has five runner up finishes, which are:
- three in AAA baseball (1975, 1986, 1987)
- one in AAA boys cross country in 1996
- one in AAA Division 5 football in 1987
Band
The Marshall Band program has won prestigious awards. The band as a whole is divided into two subgroups: Concert Band and Wind Ensemble. Marshall's "Marching Statesmen" have come in 1st place at multiple competitions. The band program is currently being led by director Paul Vesilind.The percussion ensemble, led by Frank Gonzalez, has also been recognized for their achievement. They were invited to the Music for All National Percussion Festival in Indianapolis, held in March 2009. The event is part of the Bands of America National Convert Festival.
Theatre
Marshall High School is also home to an award-winning theater program. Under the direction of Mark Krikstan, they won the District level competition nine years running, advanced to the AAA State Finals of the Virginia High School LeagueVirginia High School League
The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike similar organizations in many other states, private or religious schools are prohibited from joining. Non-public schools belong to other organizations,...
One-Act Festival eight out of the past nine years, and won the championship five times (2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007), which is the record for most wins among all Virginia high schools.
Notable alumni
- Mike BrownMike Brown (pitcher)For other uses, see: Michael Brown .Michael Gary Brown is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners . He was drafted in the second round of the 1980 draft, chosen in the second round, 48th pick overall out of Clemson...
(1977) - Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player from 1982-1987 with the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
and Seattle MarinersSeattle MarinersThe Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July... - Lisa Collis - Wife of U.S. Senator Mark WarnerMark WarnerMark Robert Warner is an American politician and businessman, currently serving in the United States Senate as the junior senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Warner was the 69th governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and is the honorary chairman of...
- Leneida Crawford (1971) - Famed opera singer (Mezzo soprano) and voice professor at Towson University
- Harry Dailey (1970) - Original bass player for Jimmy Buffett'sJimmy BuffettJames William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
Coral Reefer BandCoral Reefer BandThe Coral Reefer Band is the touring and recording band of American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. Originally it was a fictional band consisting of the imaginary members Marvin Gardens, Kay Pasa, Al Vacado and Kitty Litter.... - Keith LyleKeith LyleKeith Allen Lyle is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft...
(1990) - Played safety for the L.A. and St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers in the NFL from 1994-2002. - Michael McCraryMichael McCraryMichael Curtis McCrary is a former American Football defensive end who played for the Seattle Seahawks and the Baltimore Ravens for ten seasons in the NFL between 1993 and 2002. McCrary was a two time Pro Bowler in 1998 and 1999. McCrary was inducted to the Ravens' Ring of Honor in 2004...
(1988) - Played defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens in the NFL from 1993-2002 - Gayil NallsGayil NallsGayil Nalls, Ph.D. is an interdisciplinary artist and theorist living in New York City and Hudson Valley, New York...
(1971) - a renowned multimedia artist who works with art and olifaction (smell). - Sean O'NeillSean O'NeillSean O'Neill may refer to:*Sean O'Neill *Sean O'Neill *Seán O'Neill, player of Gaelic football*Sean O'Neill, 3rd Earl of Tyrone*Sean O'Neill , association footballer...
(1984) - Table tennis player, 5 times US men's singles champion, 2 times US Olympic team member (1988, 1992) - Brent RunyonBrent RunyonBrent Runyon is a contemporary writer for young adults. He has written three books. The first is a memoir, The Burn Journals ; the other two are novels, Maybe , and Surface Tension: A Novel in Four Summers...
- Author of The Burn Journals - Pete SchourekPete SchourekPeter Alan Schourek is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who played for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, and Pittsburgh Pirates from 1991 to 2001...
(1987) - MLB pitcher from 1991-2001; second in 1995 National League Cy Young AwardCy Young AwardThe Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
voting - Nick SorensenNick SorensenNick Sorensen is an American football safety for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football at Virginia Tech.-High school years:Sorensen lived in Vienna, Virginia and attended...
(1996) - Played safety for the St. Louis Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL. He currently plays for the Cleveland Browns - Kathrine SwitzerKathrine SwitzerKathrine Switzer is the first woman to run the Boston Marathon as a numbered entry. She entered and completed the race in 1967, five years before women were officially allowed to compete in it. Her finishing time of approximately 4 hours and 20 minutes was nearly an hour behind the first female...
- Pioneer female distance runner; first woman to run the Boston Marathon with an official race number (1967) - Jack Davis (1969) Author and Dean of Architecture at Virginia TechVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
Remember the Titans
In the movie Remember the TitansRemember the Titans
Remember the Titans is a 2000 American sports film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. Inspired by real events, the plot was conceived from a screenplay written by Gregory Allen Howard. The film starts as a new coach of the Titans, a football team previously coached by the...
(2000
2000 in film
The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
), the climax of the movie comes at the end of the 1971 AAA state championship football game between T.C. Williams High School and Marshall High School. The movie was dramatized from a Washington Post series about race relations in the high school football fishbowl of 1971, as the Hollywood-underdog T.C. Williams Titans took on the powerful Marshall Statesmen (coached by Ed Henry). The most notable dramatic license taken in the movie was to convert what was actually a regular-season matchup between Marshall and T.C. Williams into a made-for-Hollywood state championship. In reality, the Marshall game was the toughest game T.C. Williams played all year and the actual state championship (against Andrew Lewis High School
Salem High School (Salem, Virginia)
Salem High School is a public high school in Salem, Virginia. It is the sole high school for the .-History:Salem High School was opened for the 1977-1978 school year by . The student bodies of Andrew Lewis High School in Salem and Glenvar High School in western Roanoke County were consolidated...
of the Roanoke
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010...
Valley) was a 27-0 blowout. The Titans actually did win the Marshall game on a fourth down come-from-behind play at the very end of the game. In addition to the added drama of the Marshall game, there were apparently some legal issues concerning the use of Andrew Lewis High School's name in the movie.
Ignored in both the original newspaper articles and the movie is the fact that in 1971, the city of Alexandria consolidated three four-year high schools into a single two-year school, with only juniors and seniors. As a result, the best of the varsity football squads at George Washington High School (converted to a middle school), Hammond High School (converted to a middle school) and T.C Williams High School united in what amounted to an all-city, all-star team at T.C. Williams.
The legendary Ed Henry was the head coach at Marshall for six seasons, from 1969-74, and is portrayed in the movie. In 1997, Coach Henry was inducted into the Virginia High School League
Virginia High School League
The Virginia High School League is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public high schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unlike similar organizations in many other states, private or religious schools are prohibited from joining. Non-public schools belong to other organizations,...
Hall of Fame.