St. Paul High School (Ohio)
Encyclopedia
Saint Paul High School is a private
, Catholic
high school
located in Norwalk, Ohio
. It is part of Norwalk Catholic Schools, a K-12 organization of schools and parish
es in Norwalk and neighboring Milan
. SPHS has a current enrollment of 237 students and is one of fourteen high schools in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo
. The athletic teams are called the Flyers.
and asked them for help in the realization of his dream.
The School was completed in 1921. It was the first Roman Catholic Four Year Licensed High School between Cleveland and Toledo. The school also boasted of containing one of the most sophisticated High School Chemistry Labs in the state at the time.
team made their way to a three-time state runner-up (1997, 1999, 2004). In 2006, the team advanced to the final banana in the OHSAA Division VI
playoffs. In both 2007 and 2008, they finished as Division 6 Region 21 runner-ups. In 2009, the Flyers won their first state championship with a 24-21 victory over Delphos St. John's
when quarterback Eric Schwieterman scored the winning touchdown with 5 seconds left to play. Schwieterman had all three of the Flyers touchdowns; Jim Roth pitched in with a field goal.
Team made it to the Division III State Championship for the first time in school history. The Flyers finished in third place, losing in a heartbreaking third-place tie-breaker with Lima Central Catholic
.
tournament five times since 2002. In 2002 they won the State Championship with a record of 29-0, beating opponent Maria Stein Marion Local
. In 2006 they won it for a second time finishing the season with a mark of 26-3, beating opponent New Knoxville
. In 2007 and 2009, the Lady Flyers once again made it to the state finals but lost to Maria Stein Marion Local.
The Lady Flyers have also been successful with 4 Conference Championships (1988,1989,1993,&1999),10 Sectional Championships (1978, 1989,1993, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005,& 2009), & a District Championship (2001).
teacher) had been retired from coaching for several years, but returned to lead the Flyers back to the top of the conference.
The 2008-09 Academic Challenge Team, despite losing four Seniors, competed with determination and dedication, but couldn't pull out a top five finish. The team also competed in the Academic Challenge competition broadcast on WEWS Newschannel 5
(the local ABC
affiliate in Cleveland) and defeated their two opponents. Though they failed to match their success from the previous year, they still performed well.
In 2010-11 the SPHS Academic Challenge Team Won first place in the BGSU Firelands Challenge under team advisor Michael "Herr" Lawson, the current German language teacher.
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
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....
located in Norwalk, Ohio
Norwalk, Ohio
At the 2000 census, there were 16,238 people, 6,377 households and 4,234 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,950.3 per square mile . There were 6,687 housing units at an average density of 803.1 per square mile...
. It is part of Norwalk Catholic Schools, a K-12 organization of schools and 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...
es in Norwalk and neighboring Milan
Milan, Ohio
Milan is a village in Erie and Huron counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 1,445 at the 2000 census.The Erie County portion of Milan is part of the Sandusky Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Huron County portion is part of the Norwalk Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History...
. SPHS has a current enrollment of 237 students and is one of fourteen high schools in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo
Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo is a Roman Catholic diocese covering nineteen counties in Ohio. It was established April 15, 1910. Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral is the mother church of the diocese.-Bishops:...
. The athletic teams are called the Flyers.
History
In 1917, when Fr. George Forst became the pastor at St. Paul Church he did everything he could to make St. Paul High School (then a two year commercial High School) into a four year licensed High School. Fr. Forst went to the Fisher Family who owned Fisher BodyFisher Body
Fisher Body is an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan; it is now an operating division of General Motors Company...
and asked them for help in the realization of his dream.
The School was completed in 1921. It was the first Roman Catholic Four Year Licensed High School between Cleveland and Toledo. The school also boasted of containing one of the most sophisticated High School Chemistry Labs in the state at the time.
Football
The SPHS 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...
team made their way to a three-time state runner-up (1997, 1999, 2004). In 2006, the team advanced to the final banana in the OHSAA Division VI
Ohio High School Athletic Association
The Ohio High School Athletic Association is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio...
playoffs. In both 2007 and 2008, they finished as Division 6 Region 21 runner-ups. In 2009, the Flyers won their first state championship with a 24-21 victory over Delphos St. John's
St. John's High School (Delphos, Ohio)
St. John's High School is a Catholic private high school located in Delphos, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo.-Ohio High School Athletic Association state championships:* Football - 1997,1998,1999,2005,2008,2010...
when quarterback Eric Schwieterman scored the winning touchdown with 5 seconds left to play. Schwieterman had all three of the Flyers touchdowns; Jim Roth pitched in with a field goal.
Golf
The 2004 SPHS GolfGolf
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....
Team made it to the Division III State Championship for the first time in school history. The Flyers finished in third place, losing in a heartbreaking third-place tie-breaker with Lima Central Catholic
Lima Central Catholic High School
Lima Central Catholic High School is located in Lima Ohio. LCC, short for Lima Central Catholic, is a private, parochial school with the capacity to hold over six-hundred and fifty students. Enrollment has remained around four-hundred students for a number of years. It is part of the Roman...
.
Volleyball
The SPHS Lady Flyers have also advanced to the Final Four of the state volleyballVolleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
tournament five times since 2002. In 2002 they won the State Championship with a record of 29-0, beating opponent Maria Stein Marion Local
Marion Local High School (Maria Stein, Ohio)
Marion Local High School is a public high school located in Maria Stein, Ohio. It currently has roughly 720 students enrolled. The student body comes from several surrounding communities including: Cassella, St. Rose, Osgood, Chickasaw, St. Sebastian, and Maria Stein. These communities were served...
. In 2006 they won it for a second time finishing the season with a mark of 26-3, beating opponent New Knoxville
New Knoxville High School
New Knoxville High School is a public high school in New Knoxville, Ohio. It is the only high school in the New Knoxville Local School district. The current district superintendent is Mrs. Kim Waterman.-Athletics:...
. In 2007 and 2009, the Lady Flyers once again made it to the state finals but lost to Maria Stein Marion Local.
Basketball
The Flyers have had much success in their basketball career. There record includes 6 Firelands Conference championships (1974,1979,1984,1995,1996,& 1997), 9 Sectional Championships (1993,1995,1996,1997,1998,2000,2002,2006,&2009), 3 District Championships (1995,1996,&1997), and a Regional Championship (1996).The Lady Flyers have also been successful with 4 Conference Championships (1988,1989,1993,&1999),10 Sectional Championships (1978, 1989,1993, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005,& 2009), & a District Championship (2001).
Academic Team
In 2007-08 the SPHS Academic Challenge Team won their first Firelands Conference championship since 2000. Led by Senior captains Josh Wise and Michael Kaple, they went 9-0 in regular season competition. The advisor and coach of that year was Judy "Frau" Howard. Frau (the German languageGerman language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
teacher) had been retired from coaching for several years, but returned to lead the Flyers back to the top of the conference.
The 2008-09 Academic Challenge Team, despite losing four Seniors, competed with determination and dedication, but couldn't pull out a top five finish. The team also competed in the Academic Challenge competition broadcast on WEWS Newschannel 5
WEWS-TV
WEWS-TV, virtual channel 5 , is a television station in Cleveland, Ohio. WEWS has been owned by the E. W. Scripps Company since its inception, and is an affiliate of the ABC television network...
(the local ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate in Cleveland) and defeated their two opponents. Though they failed to match their success from the previous year, they still performed well.
In 2010-11 the SPHS Academic Challenge Team Won first place in the BGSU Firelands Challenge under team advisor Michael "Herr" Lawson, the current German language teacher.
Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships
- Boys FootballAmerican footballAmerican 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...
- 2009 - Girls VolleyballVolleyballVolleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
– 2002, 2006