Rock Island High School

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox school

|image = Rock Island.png

|image_size = 125px

|name = Rock Island High School

|motto = Excellence Every Day

|established = 1936

|type = Public

|district = Rock Island–Milan School District 41

|grades = 9–12

|principal = Jeff Whitaker

|principal_label2=Assistant principals

|principal2 =Carmen Woods
Dan Logan

|dean = Megan Braun- Howard
Katie Hartzler
Lawrence Behnke

|faculty = 101.70 (FTE)

|ratio = 17.80

|students = 1,810 (2022-23){{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=1734410&ID=173441003540|title=Rock Island High School|publisher=National Center for Education Statistics|access-date=August 30, 2024}}

|mascot = Rock

|colors = {{Color box|crimson|border=darkgray}} {{Color box|gold|border=darkgray}} Crimson, Gold

|conference = Western Big 6

|campus type = High School

|address = 1400 25th Ave

|location = Rock Island, Illinois 61201

|country = United States

|coordinates = {{coord|41.486937|-90.577544|region:US_type:edu|display=inline,title}}

|website = [https://rihs.rimsd41.org rihs.rimsd41.org]

}}

Rock Island High School, also known as "Rocky",{{Cite web|url=https://rihs.rimsd41.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=817560&type=d&pREC_ID=1202356|title = School Info & Schedule}} is a public four-year high school located in Rock Island, Illinois, United States. Rocky is within the Rock Island–Milan School District 41, and the school colors are crimson and gold.

Administration

=Principals=

=Deans=

  • Ivory Clark
  • Katie Hartzler

=Other administrators=

Activities

Rock Island High School participates in the Illinois High School Association and is a member of the Western Big 6 Conference. Rock Island High School seeks to provide an array of activities to engage each student in finding their true passion.

= Sports =

The Lady Rocks Swim Team won its first Western Big 6 Conference title in 21 years in November 2017. The Rocks won the IHSA 3A boys' basketball championship on March 19, 2011. They defeated the Centralia Orphans by a score of 50–40 in double overtime. The Lady Rocks softball team also won their first state title in 2018. The boys' soccer team won their first regional and conference titles in 2019.

The Rocks have also won the IHSA Speech sectional for 11 years in a row, which has qualified them for the Illinois State Championship in speech, a contest that has no class divisions.

= Music =

The band was named an Illinois All-State Honor Band in 2013 by the Illinois Music Education Association. Under the direction of Peter Carlin, the Pride of Rock Island Marching Band has ranked among the best in the state and represented themselves as the premier marching band of the Quad Cities. The program consistently produces more ILMEA All-State musicians than any other in the immediate region.

Of the three choirs, the Chamber Singers are recognized throughout the Quad Cities for their Christmas tour. Further, the Chamber Singers are requested at many charitable events. Under the direction of Scott Voigt, the program constantly produces high numbers of ILMEA District 2 choir members and All-State singers.

Furthermore, Rock Island High School boasts two Orchestra classes due to the large number of enrollment in the program. The chamber orchestra, previously Rock Group performs at events and gigs. Mr. Matthew Manweiler serves as head of the program.

Parents of students and members of the local community support the music programs through The Rock Island Music Accossiation or RIMA for short. The group host many fundraising events and helps with anything the musical directors need.

Campus

{{unreferenced section|date=September 2021}}

=Rock Island Public Schools Stadium and Almquist Field=

Rock Island High School has an on-campus stadium, the Rock Island Public Schools Stadium, with a seating capacity of nearly 16,000, the highest of any high school football stadium in the state. Within the stadium, Almquist Field is surfaced with an AstroTurf artificial turf.

=The Rock Island High School Auditorium=

The community has a 1930s art deco auditorium. The lower seating capacity is 1000 persons. The upper capacity is 500 persons. The proscenium measures 50 feet.

Notable alumni

{{Alumni|date=October 2021}}

  • Brea Beal (2019) — 24th overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2023 WNBA draft to the Minnesota Lynx
  • Ken Bowman (1960) — former NFL center with the Green Bay Packers for ten seasons, then practiced law
  • Charles Carpenter — highly decorated Second World War artillery observation pilot nicknamed Bazooka CharlieWhat's New in Aviation: Piper Cub Tank Buster, Popular Science, Vol. 146 No. 2 (February 1945) p. 84Carpenter, Leland F., [http://www.aero-web.org/specs/piper/l-4j.htm Piper L-4J Grasshopper] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904052344/http://www.aero-web.org/specs/piper/l-4j.htm |date=2011-09-04 }}, Aviation Enthusiast Corner, retrieved 21 October 2011
  • Joel D. Collier (1949) — former head coach for the Buffalo Bills and defensive coordinator, most notably with the Denver Broncos{{Citation| last = Bell| first = Taylor| title = Laying Down Roots| newspaper = Chicago Sun-Times (Chicago, IL, USA)| date = 19 August 2010| url = http://blogs.suntimes.com/lockerroom/2010/08/laying_down_roots.html| access-date = 7 November 2010| quote = Many others had successful careers in college and the NFL, including ... Joe Collier (Rock Island, 1949)| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101031085546/http://blogs.suntimes.com/lockerroom/2010/08/laying_down_roots.html| archive-date = 31 October 2010}}
  • Steve Decker — former MLB catcher. manager of the Connecticut Defenders (AA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants-Eastern League){{cite news |last1=Doxsie |first1=Don |title=32 years after being drafted, Decker still involved in pro baseball |url=https://qctimes.com/sports/baseball/professional/32-years-after-being-drafted-decker-still-involved-in-pro-baseball/article_c3e844a2-a6e7-5fe7-ba38-5ce8a81dc926.html |access-date=11 June 2024 |work=The Quad-City Times |date=30 May 2020 |language=en}}
  • Therese Fowler (1985) — author, Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald (2013)
  • Alan M. Garber (1973) — provost of Harvard University, Mallinckrodt Professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School
  • Tyler Hall (2015) — basketball player, New York Knicks, Texas Legends{{cite web |title=Tyler Hall Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hallty01.html |website=Basketball-Reference.com |language=en}}
  • Courtney Lindsey (2016) — professional track and field athlete{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Tony |title=Courtney Lindsey: From Rock Island To NCAA D1 100m Champion |url=https://il.milesplit.com/articles/335591/courtney-lindsey-from-rock-island-to-ncaa-d1-100m-champion |website=MileSplit Illinois |language=en}}
  • Marcus Ward Lyon, Jr. (1893) — zoologist, bacteriologist, and pathologist; president of the American Society of Mammalogists (1931–1933){{cite journal | last1 = Just | first1 = T. | year = 1942 | title = Marcus Ward Lyon, Jr. 1875–1942 | journal = American Midland Naturalist | volume = 27 | issue = 3 | pages = ii–xv | jstor = 2420912 }}
  • Susann McDonald (1953) — classical harpist and professor of music;{{cite book |title=RIHS Watchtower 1953 |date=1953 |publisher=Rock Island Public High School |page=139 |url=https://archive.org/details/1953_20191022/page/138/mode/2up?q=mcdonald |access-date=11 June 2024}} founder of the USA International Harp Competition{{cite web |title=USA International Harp Competition |url=https://usaihc.org/about |website=USA International Harp Competition |access-date=11 June 2024}}
  • Pete Mickeal (1996) — professional basketball player, Regal FC Barcelona{{Citation| last = Batterson| first = Steve| title = Rock Island's Mickeal gets his own day| newspaper = Quad City Times (Davenport, IA, USA)| date = 26 June 2009| url = http://qctimes.com/sports/basketball/article_4fe4be88-62b5-11de-84fb-001cc4c002e0.html| access-date = 7 November 2010| quote = Mickeal was an all-state player at Rock Island, a national junior college player of the year during the second of two national championship seasons at Indian Hills and an honorable mention all-American after a standout senior season at Cincinnati in 2000.}}{{Cite web| title = MICKEAL, PETE| work = statistics & biographical info| publisher = Euroleague Basketball| date = 6 November 2010| url = http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=JWO| access-date = 7 November 2010| quote = played high-school basketball at Rock Island HS ...}}
  • Don Nelson — former professional basketball player and coach, inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame{{Citation| last = Doxsie| first = Don| title = Rock Island grad Nelson surprises old friends with NBA record run| newspaper = Quad City Times (Davenport, IA, USA)| date = 7 April 2010| url = http://qctimes.com/sports/basketball/article_c979b702-41f9-11df-9e4a-001cc4c03286.html| access-date = 7 November 2010| quote = When Don Nelson was starring on the basketball court for three seasons at Rock Island High School from 1955 to '58 ... They certainly never imagined that Nelson someday would win more games in the NBA than anyone who came before him.}}{{Cite web| title = Don Nelson| work = statistical and biographic info| publisher = Basketball Reference.com| date = 6 November 2010| url = https://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/nelsodo01c.html| access-date = 7 November 2010| quote = High School: Rock Island in Rock Island, Illinois }}{{Citation| last = Dyer| first = Bob| title = Don Nelson, University of Iowa, 1983| newspaper = Des Moines Register (Des Moines, IA, USA)| date = 3 September 1983| url = http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/19830903/SPORTS11/50705010/Don-Nelson-University-of-Iowa-1983| access-date =7 November 2010| quote = Don Nelson has been surprising the so-called experts throughout his playing and coaching career. After his senior year in high school at Rock Island, Ill., no major basketball powers beat a path to his door.}}
  • Gary Payton (1966) — former astronaut, space shuttle Discovery mission STS-51-C{{Cite web| title = BIOGRAPHICAL DATA: Gary E. Payton (Major, USAF)| work = biographical sketch| publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)| date = January 1985| url = http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/payton-ge.html| access-date = 7 November 2010| quote = Graduated from high school in Rock Island, Illinois, in 1966}}{{Cite web| last = Turner| first = Jonathan| title = Payton recalls heady days in space program| publisher = Quad Cities Online (service of Moline Dispatch/Argus, Moline, IL, USA)| year = 1999| url = http://www.qconline.com/progress99/2astro.shtml| access-date = 7 November 2010| quote = After graduating from Rock Island High School in 1966, and spending a year at Bradley University, Mr. Payton entered the U.S. Air Force Academy ...| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://archive.today/20120906201533/http://www.qconline.com/progress99/2astro.shtml| archive-date = 6 September 2012}}
  • Chasson Randle — professional basketball player and former college basketball player for Stanford University{{Cite web | title = Chasson Randle Stanford bio| publisher = Stanford Cardinal| url = http://www.gostanford.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=208164943| access-date = December 30, 2014 }}
  • Mark Schwiebert (1968) — former mayor of Rock Island (1989–2009){{Cite web| title = Announcement: Guests Welcome at our next meeting Weds., August 15, Noon at the Fortune Garden FEATURING: Mark Schwiebert, Mayor of Rock Island| work = newsletter| publisher = Rotary Club of Bettendorf, IA, USA| date = 8 August 2007| url = http://www.n4comm.com/BettRotary070808.pdf| access-date = 7 November 2010| quote = Mark was born in Moline, Illinois to Lloyd A. and Olive E. Schwiebert. He attended Rock Island public schools, graduating from Rock Island High School in 1968.| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110714145401/http://www.n4comm.com/BettRotary070808.pdf| archive-date = 14 July 2011}}
  • Lefty Taber (1918) — professional baseball player for the Philadelphia Phillies{{cite news |title=Ed Taber, Former Athlete At Rock Island High, Now With National League Club |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-rock-island-argus-ed-taber-former-a/138570982/ |access-date=12 January 2024 |work=The Rock Island Argus |date=6 September 1926 |pages=11}}
  • Jonathan Tweet — class valedictorian in 1983, game designer, author, blogger{{cite web|last1=Turner|first1=Jonathan|title=RI native raising money for kids' book on evolution|date=28 June 2014 |url=http://www.qconline.com/news/local/ri-native-raising-money-for-kids-book-on-evolution/article_a486f6ca-4ba2-508e-a29e-04fc0e9beaf9.html|publisher=QConline|access-date=July 12, 2015}}
  • Austin Wheatley (1995) — former football player, New Orleans Saints{{cite web|title=NFL All-Time Players: Austin Wheatley|url=http://www.nfl.com/players/austinwheatley/profile?id=WHE075590|publisher=National Football League|access-date=19 June 2010}}{{Cite web| title = 86 - Austin Wheatley| work = statistics & biographic sketch| publisher = Hawkeyesports.com/CBS Sports Interactive| date = 7 November 2010| url = http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/wheatley_austin00.html| access-date = 7 November 2010| quote = High School: Rock Island HS| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110804025309/http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/wheatley_austin00.html| archive-date = 4 August 2011}}
  • Derrick Willies (2013) — NFL football player
  • Sol Butler (1915) — NFL player, Rock Island Independents

References