River Ridge High School
Encyclopedia
River Ridge High School (RRHS), commonly referred to as Ridge, is an American
high school located in Lacey, Washington
, USA and is one of three comprehensive high school
s of the North Thurston Public Schools
. It was established in 1993 and named for its proximity to the geographical ridge
of the Nisqually River
valley. It earned its mascot name due to its location within the Hawk's Prairie
area of Thurston County off Exit 111 of Interstate 5
.
River Ridge and its feeder school, Nisqually Middle School
, serves many students with parents who are on active duty
or have retired from the military
due to its proximity to Joint Base Lewis-McChord
. River Ridge was constructed as a community solution to handle the over-flowing capacities of neighboring Timberline and North Thurston High Schools in the late 1980s-early 1990s.
. It was formerly aligned with the Narrows League as a 4A school from 1993 to 1999 and the Pac 9 League as a 3A school from 1999 to 2006. The Hawks use a version of East Carolina University's "E.C. Victory
" as its fight song; it previously used "Indiana, Our Indiana
".
*originally awarded 2nd place, revised to "won by fault" after Chief Sealth High School
team stripped of first place, title is officially vacant
State Tournament runner-up results and appearances
Academic State Championships
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
high school located in Lacey, Washington
Lacey, Washington
Lacey is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. Established as a suburb of Olympia, its population was 42,393 at the 2010 census out of a county population of 252,264.-History:...
, USA and is one of three comprehensive high school
Comprehensive high school
Comprehensive high schools are the most common form of public high schools in the United States and are meant to serve the needs of all students, as compared to the common practice in other nations in which examinations are used to sort students into different high schools for different populations...
s of the North Thurston Public Schools
North Thurston Public Schools
North Thurston Public Schools, District No. 3 is a school district, providing educational services for Lacey and parts of unincorporated Thurston County, Washington, including students from the Nisqually Tribe Reservation...
. It was established in 1993 and named for its proximity to the geographical ridge
Ridge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
of the Nisqually River
Nisqually River
The Nisqually River is a river in west central Washington in the United States, approximately long. It drains part of the Cascade Range southwest of Tacoma, including the southern slope of Mount Rainier, and empties into the southern end of Puget Sound....
valley. It earned its mascot name due to its location within the Hawk's Prairie
Lacey, Washington
Lacey is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. Established as a suburb of Olympia, its population was 42,393 at the 2010 census out of a county population of 252,264.-History:...
area of Thurston County off Exit 111 of Interstate 5
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
.
River Ridge and its feeder school, Nisqually Middle School
Nisqually Middle School
Nisqually Middle School is a grade 7-8 school in Thurston County, Washington. It serves the eastern portion of the North Thurston Public Schools district, and its students end up going to River Ridge High School or Timberline High School...
, serves many students with parents who are on active duty
Active duty
Active duty refers to a full-time occupation as part of a military force, as opposed to reserve duty.-Pakistan:The Pakistan Armed Forces are one of the largest active service forces in the world with almost 610,000 full time personnel due to the complex and volatile nature of Pakistan's...
or have retired from the military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
due to its proximity to Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a United States military facility located south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Joint Base Garrison, Joint Base Lewis-McChord....
. River Ridge was constructed as a community solution to handle the over-flowing capacities of neighboring Timberline and North Thurston High Schools in the late 1980s-early 1990s.
Athletics
Recent recognition for RRHS has been due to the success of its athletic program. The River Ridge Hawks are a 2A-division member of the Evergreen League in District 4 as organized by the WIAAWashington Interscholastic Activities Association
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association is the governing body of athletics and activities for secondary education schools in the state of Washington...
. It was formerly aligned with the Narrows League as a 4A school from 1993 to 1999 and the Pac 9 League as a 3A school from 1999 to 2006. The Hawks use a version of East Carolina University's "E.C. Victory
E.C. Victory
E.C. Victory is the official fight song at East Carolina University. At the beginning of football games, the National Anthem and Alma Mater is played. Right after the Alma Mater is finished, the Marching Band and crowd starts to sing the E.C. Victory song. The song is also played after touchdowns...
" as its fight song; it previously used "Indiana, Our Indiana
Indiana, Our Indiana
"Indiana, Our Indiana" is the official school fight song of Indiana University. The lyrics were written by IU band director Russell P. Harker to the tune of "The Viking March" by Karl King, conductor of the Barnum and Bailey Circus Band....
".
River Ridge Hawks
The school's track team, under the lead of coach Phil Lonborg, has been known for winning league championships every year, Boy's District Championships in 2007 and 2009, and has won back to back Girl's State Track and Field Championships in 1994 and 1995. Girl's Basketball and Volleyball have also been very successful from 2003-2007. The baseball team has seen recent success as well by winning 2 league titles in 2004 & 2006, a district title in 2008, and have made three playoff appearances since 2004 including a 5th place state finish in 2006. In 2007, the Girl's Basketball team won the State 2A Championship while the Boys Basketball team went on to win 3rd place. 2008 marks the second consecutive year that both teams qualified for the state tournament.| State Championships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Sport | Number of Championships | Year(s) |
| Fall | 0 | ||
| Winter | 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... , girls |
3 official, 1 WBF | 2005*, 2007, 2008, 2010 |
| Spring | 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... , Girls |
2 | 1994, 1995 |
| other | Dance Dance Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting.... /Drill |
1 | 2007 (Hip-hop Hip hop dance Hip-hop dance refers to dance styles primarily performed to hip-hop music or that have evolved as part of hip-hop culture. It includes a wide range of styles notably breaking, locking, and popping which were created in the 1970s by African Americans and made popular by breaking, locking, and... ) |
| Total | 6 | ||
*originally awarded 2nd place, revised to "won by fault" after Chief Sealth High School
Chief Sealth High School
Chief Sealth International High School is a public high school in the Seattle Public Schools district of Seattle, Washington. Opened in 1957 in southern West Seattle, Chief Sealth students comprise one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse student bodies in Washington State...
team stripped of first place, title is officially vacant
State Tournament runner-up results and appearances
- Girls Swimming- 8th, 2006; 5th, 2007 (based on individual races)
- Baseball - 5th, 2006; DNP, 2008
- Basketball, Boys - DNP, 2001; 3rd, 2007; DNP, 2008; 3rd, 2009
- Basketball, Girls - DNP, 2004; 5th, 2006;
- Fastpitch - DNP, 2007; 7th, 2008
- Football - Lost QF, 1998; Lost qualifier, 2004;
- Track & Field, Boys - 7th, 1994; 6th, 1995; 4th, 1999; 3rd, 2000; 5th, 2001; 5th, 2004; 6th, 2007;
- Track & Field, Girls - 7th, 1996; 8th, 2000; 4th, 2001; 7th, 2007;
- Volleyball - 3rd, 1995; 6th, 2003
- Wrestling - 12th, 2003; 12th, 2006
Academic State Championships
- Boys Tennis - 2005
- Boys Golf - 2005
Notable alumni
- Jerramy StevensJerramy StevensJerramy Stevens is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 28th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington.-Early years:...
, tight end for Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay BuccaneersThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
and former Seattle SeahawkSeattle SeahawksThe Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
.
See also
- North Thurston High SchoolNorth Thurston High SchoolNorth Thurston High School, located in the North Thurston Public Schools District in Lacey, Washington, is a comprehensive high school which first opened in 1955. North Thurston serves a portion of Lacey and northeast Thurston County. The school is accredited by the Washington State...
- Timberline High SchoolTimberline High School (Lacey, Washington)Timberline High School is a comprehensive high school located in the North Thurston Public Schools District in Lacey, Washington. When it opened in 1970, the floor plan was open similar to the Juanita concept....