O'Fallon Township High School
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox school
|name = O'Fallon Township High School
|logo = O'Fallon Township High School logo.svg
|caption =
|streetaddress = 600 South Smiley Street
|city = O'Fallon
|state = Illinois
|district = 203
|zipcode = 62269
|country = USA
|coordinates = {{coord|38.5867160|-89.9017677|display=inline,title}}[http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:426176 USGS Detail], U.S. Geological Survey
|principal_label1 = Superintendent
|principal1 = Beth Shackelford
|principal_label2 = Principal
|principal2 = Rich Bickel
|principal =
|faculty =
|ceeb =
|school code =
|avg_class_size =
|SAT =
|ACT =
|schooltype = Public
|fundingtype =
|type =
|enrollment = 2,559 (2023–2024){{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=1729790&ID=172979003090|title=O Fallon High School|publisher=National Center for Education Statistics|access-date=March 31, 2025}}
|grades = 9-12
|campus =
|campus size =
|campus type =
|athletics =
|conference = Southwestern Conference
|slogan =
|motto="Excellence in Education for Every student Every day"
|accreditation =
|rival =
|alumni =
|mascot = Panther
|school_colors = {{color box|#022169}} Blue
{{color box|#ffce00}} Gold
|yearbook = The Panther
|publication = Panther Beat
|newspaper = The Prowler
|founded = 1901
|communities =
|footnotes =
|picture =
|homepage = [http://www.oths.us/ www.oths.us]
}}
O'Fallon Township High School is a public secondary school in O'Fallon, Illinois.
As of 2023, it is the second largest public high school in Illinois by enrollment outside of the Chicago area (Belleville High School-East being the largest).{{Cite web|title=2024 Largest Public High Schools In Illinois|url=https://www.niche.com/k12/search/largest-public-high-schools/s/illinois/?page=2|access-date=2023-11-30|website=Niche|language=en}}
History
{{Plain image with caption|image=File:OTHS School Crest.svg|caption=OTHS Crest|width=100px|align=left|caption position=bottom}}
As stated in the 1962 edition of The Panther, the symbology on O'Fallon Township High School's crest reflects the town's history of farming, industry, and coal mining.{{cite book |author=OTHS Yearbook Club |date=1962 |title=The Panther |url= |location= |publisher= |page= |isbn=}}
Today, the school's coat of arms/crest can be found in the Smiley Campus's 600 hallway on a bronze plaque gifted by the Class of 1961.
After a short tenure as an assistant principal, longtime teacher Rich Bickel became the principal in 2009, following the retirement of Steve Dirnbeck who served as the school's principal from 2003-2009.{{cite web|title=Outgoing principal helped shaped big changes at OTHS|url=https://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/illinois/education/outgoing-principal-helped-shaped-big-changes-at-oths/article_f76bec42-c1ce-5218-a304-ee22977049c7.html|website=STLtoday.com|date=8 April 2009 |publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|access-date=3 September 2019}}
Team achievements
- The varsity baseball team earned the first team state trophy in school history by placing third in the IHSA State Tournament in 2006{{cite web |url=http://www.ihsa.org/activity/ba/records/alltime.htm#0X100 |title=IHSA Boys Baseball All-Time Records |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061101022302/http://www.ihsa.org/activity/ba/records/alltime.htm |archive-date=2006-11-01 |access-date=6 July 2012}} and again in 2009.
- The varsity cheerleading team placed second at AmeriCheer's National Cheerleading Competition and at state in 2007,{{cite web |title=Illinois HR262 |url=https://trackbill.com/bill/illinois-house-resolution-262-ofallon-cheerleaders/137037/ |website=trackbill.com |access-date=10 June 2024 |language=en}} fourth at state in 2008,{{cite web |title=IHSA Competitive Cheerleading Results 2008 |url=https://www.ihsa.org/archive/chc/2008-09/1result1.htm |website=www.ihsa.org |access-date=10 June 2024}} and second again in 2009.{{cite web |title=Records & History |url=https://www.ihsa.org/Sports-Activities/Competitive-Cheerleading/Records-History |website=www.ihsa.org |access-date=10 June 2024}}
- The boys' basketball team AA finished second at the 2007 State Basketball Tournament held in Peoria, Illinois at Bradley University, and in 4A it finished fourth in 2010.{{cite web |title=IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament Scores |url=https://www.ihsa.org/data/bkb/records/xbyyr4.htm |website=www.ihsa.org |access-date=10 June 2024}}
- The Marching Panthers placed first with Best Visual and General Effect at the 2015 Bands of America Clarksville, TN Regional Championships; and placed 3rd at the 2017 Bands of America St. Louis Super Regional.{{cite web|title=2015-2016 Results and Awards|url=http://www.othsband.com/index.php?pagekey=results1516|website=OTHS Band|publisher=OTHS Band Boosters|access-date=28 March 2016}}
- The Marching Panthers placed 2nd at the 2023 Bands of America St. Louis Super Regional, winning Class 4A with best Visual Performance and tying best General Effect in their class. They also set their highest ever score at this competition, with a score of 90.075.{{Cite web |title=St. Louis, MO 2023 |url=https://marching.musicforall.org/result/st-louis-mo-2023/ |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=BOA Marching Championships |language=en-US}}
- The Winter Guard placed third at MCCGA Championships{{cite web |title=2010 Championships |url=https://mccga.org/archive/2010/10champs.htm |website=mccga.org |access-date=10 June 2024}} and 1st in state in 2009-2010.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}
- The 2010 Boys Cross Country team placed fifth in the 3A State meet, with a team average of 14:59 for 3 miles.{{cite web |title=IHSA Boys Cross Country Class 3A State Final Results 2010 |url=https://www.ihsa.org/archive/ccb/2010-11/3result1.htm |website=www.ihsa.org |access-date=10 June 2024}}
- The 2011 Boys Cross Country team placed second in the 3A state meet,{{cite web |title=IHSA Boys Cross Country Class 3A State Final Results 2011 |url=https://www.ihsa.org/archive/ccb/2011-12/3result1.htm |website=www.ihsa.org |access-date=10 June 2024}} O'Fallon's first Cross Country trophy.{{cite web |title=IHSA Team Titles: O |url=https://www.ihsa.org/data/titles/o.htm |website=www.ihsa.org |access-date=10 June 2024}}
- The 2012 Boys Cross Country team placed second in the 3A state meet.{{cite web |title=IHSA Boys Cross Country Class 3A State Final Results |url=https://www.ihsa.org/archive/ccb/2012-13/3result1.htm |website=www.ihsa.org |access-date=10 June 2024}}
- The 2011 Winter Guard placed first in Class A at the World Championships.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}
- The 2007-08 Scholar Bowl team went 37-4 and went to the IHSA class AA tournament for the first time in the school's history.[http://www.ihsa.org/SportsActivities/ScholasticBowl/RecordsHistory.aspx?url=/data/scb/records/series-index.htm Records & History]
Notable alumni
- Bob Cryder — NFL{{cite web |title=Bob Cryder visits his "House" at Fulton Jr. High |url=https://www.ofallonweekly.com/2019/03/20/bob-cryder-visits-his-house-at-fulton-jr-high/ |website=O'Fallon Weekly |access-date=21 July 2019 |date=20 March 2019 |quote=The famous Bob Cryder, an O’Fallon Township High School graduate ...}}
- Bernie Fuchs — illustrator{{cite web |title=O'Fallon Library completes remodel, holds dedication ceremony |url=https://www.ofallonweekly.com/2016/04/19/ofallon-library-completes-remodel-holds-dedication-ceremony/ |website=O'Fallon Weekly |access-date=21 July 2019 |date=19 April 2016 |quote=Fuchs, who passed in 2009, was a class of 1950 graduate of O’Fallon Township High School.}}
- Connor Hicks — USMA Cadet{{cite web |last1=Bost |first1=Mike |title=Bost Announces Service Academy Nominations |url=https://bost.house.gov/2024/2/bost-announces-service-academy-nominees |publisher=Mike Bost |access-date=22 April 2025 |date=February 16, 2024}}
- Roosevelt Jones — NBA{{cite web |last1=Reynolds |first1=Dave |title=O'Fallon has a basketball Jones |url=https://www.pjstar.com/article/20100320/news/303209935 |website=Journal Star |access-date=21 July 2019 |language=en}}
- Tucker McCann — NFL{{Cite web |last=Palmer |first=Tod |date=September 5, 2017 |title=O'Fallon's McCann refocused after hard freshman season at Mizzou |url=https://www.bnd.com/sports/college/article171418182.html |access-date=June 8, 2020 |website=Belleville News-Democrat}}
- Andrew Sanchez — UFC{{cite web |last1=Eschman |first1=Todd |title=Shiloh's Sanchez wins TV show finale and contract with UFC |url=https://www.bnd.com/news/local/community/ofallon-progress/article89372602.html |publisher=Belleville News-Democrat |access-date=21 July 2019 |date=July 13, 2016}}
- Gabby Windey — Denver Broncos cheerleader, winner of the 2021 Pop Warner Humanitarian Award, and reality television personality.{{cite web|url=https://www.stltoday.com/suburban-journals/ofallon-homecoming-offered-pleasant-end-of-summer-celebration/article_39a6bdd2-71d3-5c1a-8485-d0347dc50946.html|title=O'Fallon Homecoming offered pleasant end of summer celebration|website=STL Today|date=August 14, 2008|access-date=March 9, 2022}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{St. Louis Metro Area High Schools}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Public high schools in Illinois
Category:Schools in St. Clair County, Illinois