West Potomac High School

West Potomac High School was formed by combining the student bodies and staff of Groveton and Fort Hunt High Schools in 1985. The Fairfax County School Board, citing costs and declining enrollment as causes, decided to close Fort Hunt and combine the schools on Groveton's site under a new name.

The school's facilities have been significantly expanded since the merger, with two wings added to the main building over the intervening years. The old Groveton High School on Popkins Lane (opened in 1956) houses the Bryant Alternative High School; the site of Fort Hunt High school (opened in 1963) became Carl Sandburg Middle School, which is the middle school that feeds into West Potomac. The new Groveton High School was built on the site of the former Bryant Intermediate School and opened in 1976.

In its inaugural year, the school adopted the motto "The Tradition Begins Now." After several years, it was modified to "Excellence is a Tradition". A rivalry with neighboring Mount Vernon High School exists because of their close proximity. Historically Groveton and Ft. Hunt were rivals, Groveton also was an athletic rival with nearby T. C. Williams High School (now named Alexandria City High School) in Alexandria; their football games for a very long time were only scheduled on Saturday afternoons rather than Friday nights partly because the field at T.C. Williams had no lights. The 1971 Groveton vs T.C. Williams game was portrayed in the movie Remember the Titans.

The West Potomac school mascot is a wolverine. The school's colors are blue, white, and silver.

In the 2017–18 school year, West Potomac High School's student body was 38.65% White, 16.31% Black, 34.76% Hispanic or Latino, 6.75% Asian and 3.53% Other.{{Cite web|url=http://schoolprofiles.fcps.edu/schlprfl/f?p=108:13:::NO::P0_CURRENT_SCHOOL_ID,P0_EDSL:200,0|title=FCPS - School Profiles - West Potomac HS - Demographics|website=schoolprofiles.fcps.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-10-19}}

In the 2022-2023 school year, West Potomac High School's student body was 40.22% Hispanic or Latino, 33.38% White, 15.91% Black, 6.01% Asian, 4.48% Other.{{Cite web |title=FCPS - School Profiles - West Potomac HS - Demographics |url=https://schoolprofiles.fcps.edu/schlprfl/f?p=108:13:::NO::P0_CURRENT_SCHOOL_ID,P0_EDSL:200,0 |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=schoolprofiles.fcps.edu}}

In the 2003 season, the Boys and Girls Crew team had their 1st and 2nd 4 man boat place 1st in the Virginia state championship.

In the 2004–05 season, the Boys Track team won the regional title. In the 2008–09 season, the Boys Track team remained the AAA Patriot District champions for the 8th year in a row, while the Girls Track team moved up to the second place standing, behind Lake Braddock Secondary School.

West Potomac won Virginia AAA football championships in 1989 and 1990.{{cite web | url = http://www.vhsl.org/recbook.pdf | title = Virginia High School League Book of Records, Eleventh Edition | publisher = Virginia High School League | date = June 2007 }} The Wolverines also won state championships in Girls Cross Country in 1989 and 1990. The West Potomac It's Academic team won first place in the Patriot District and fourth in the region in January 2008.

In 2011, the Girls Varsity Field Hockey team advanced to regionals for the first time in years after a victory over W.T. Woodson High School in the first round of playoffs. The Varsity Football team was the Patriot District champion and advanced several rounds into regionals before a marginal loss to Westfield High School.

In 2012, the school's Dance Team qualified for the National Dance Association competition in Orlando, Florida. The Boys Tennis team advanced to the Northern Region Quarterfinal for the first time in 20 years. The Girls Varsity Lacrosse team advanced several rounds into regionals before losing to Centreville High School in the Northern Region Quarterfinal.

In 2013, senior Will Rupp won the Virginia State AAA Wrestling Championship for the 220 lb weight class.

In 2014, West Potomac finished the reconstruction of the main football field and surrounding practice fields, which are now artificial turf.{{Cite web|title = TURF West Potomac|url = http://www.turfwestpotomac.com|website = TURF West Potomac|access-date = 2015-10-14}}

In 2015, the school's Boys Soccer team won the Patriot district for the first time.

In the 2015 rowing season, the Girls Crew team had their JV4+ boat place 1st in the Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association of America (VASRA) State Championship on May 9, 2015 in Occoquan, Virginia to become State Champions.{{cite web|url=http://wpcrew.org/index.html|title=Crew - West Potomac Crew|work=Crew|access-date=18 April 2016}}

West Potomac is currently part of the VHSL and its current alignment is Class 6, Region C, Gunston District.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vhsl.org/alignment/|title=Alignment {{!}} VHSL|website=www.vhsl.org|access-date=2019-01-06}}

The West Potomac Science Olympiad team placed 9th at the 2010 Virginia State Tournament with individual event-teams winning 3rd Place in Mission Possible and a 5th Place in Disease Detectives.{{cite web|url=http://www.virginiaso.com/index.html|title=Virginia State Olympiad results}} And since the school's founding in 1985, West Potomac has fielded 3 state championship debate teams.{{cite web|url=http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?101+ful+HJ431+pdf|title=West Potomac Honors Resolution}} In 2009 a student was 2nd in the AIAA/NCS Aerospace(Science Fair) awards{{cite web|url=https://info.aiaa.org/Regions/NE/National_Capital/Science%20Fairs/2009%20Science%20Fairs.docx|title=AIAA NCS Selects Area's Top Aerospace Science Fair Projects}} and a West Potomac sophomore won a top award at the 2010 Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair.{{cite web|url=http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/sciencefair.htm|title=Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD) - Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District|website=www.fairfaxcounty.gov}} At the 2009-2010 VHSL State Debate Tournament a duo-team were named Semi-Finalists in the Virginia State Debate Tournament/Classic(AAA) Division.{{cite web|url=http://www.vhsl.org/files/deb-results-2009-10.pdf|title=Virginia VHSL Tournament Results}}

West Potomac offers classes in health and medical sciences, communication and the arts, and human services through the West Potomac Academy. The West Potomac Academy is one of six academy programs within Fairfax County Public Schools and prepares students for post-secondary education and the workforce with a focus on their intended field.

In May 2013, the Virginia Department of Education awarded West Potomac Academy with the designation of Governor's Health Science Academy.{{Cite web|url=https://westpotomacacademy.fcps.edu/about|title=About {{!}} West Potomac Academy|website=westpotomacacademy.fcps.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-10-19}}

In recent years, West Potomac has been a recipient of the Virginia Honor Band award from the Virginia Band and Orchestra Director's Association for superior ratings in concert band and marching band. Also the West Potomac Symphonic Winds attended the Bands of America event in Indianapolis in March 2010, accompanied by the West Potomac Percussion Ensemble.

Beyond the Page Theatre Company{{cite web|last1=Clark|first1=Phillip|title=Beyond the Page Theatre Company|url=http://www.westpotomactheatre.org/|website=Westpotomactheatre.org|publisher=Beyond the Page Theatre Company of West Potomac High School|access-date=January 16, 2015}} is the name of West Potomac's theatre department. Its declared mission is "to bring the very best of high school theatre to the West Potomac community." Since its formation its productions have both been nominated and have received numerous awards{{cite web|last1=Evans|first1=Raytevia|title=West Potomac's 'Young Frankenstein' Nominated for 7 Cappies Awards|url=http://patch.com/virginia/greateralexandria/west-potomac-s-young-frankenstein-nominated-for-7-cap5ba400f758|website=Patch.com|publisher=Patch Media|date=May 31, 2013|access-date=January 16, 2015}}{{cite web|title=West Potomac High Earns 19 Cappie Nominations for Their Production of MONTY PYTHON's SPAMALOT |url=https://www.theatreworldbackdrops.com/blog/2014/06/west-potomac-high-earns-19-cappie-nominations-for-their-production-of-monty-pythons-spamalot |website=Theatreworldbackdrops.com|date=June 4, 2014|access-date=January 16, 2015}} as part of the Cappies program.{{cite web|title=Cappies homepage|url=http://www.cappies.com/?portalid=0|website=Cappies.com|publisher=The Cappies, Inc.|access-date=January 16, 2015}}{{cite web|title=Cappies - ShowBizRadio|url=http://washingtondc.showbizradio.com/category/cappies/|publisher=ShowBiz Theater Network LLC|date=January 16, 2015|access-date=January 16, 2015}} Typically, the Beyond the Page Theatre Company performs three mainstage shows each year, a small musical in the fall, a play in the winter, and a big musical in the spring. In addition to presenting three mainstage productions, the company also holds a non-competitive One-Acts festival every year to showcase the theatre classes. All mainstage productions are directed by the company's director, Phillip Lee Clark, and the one acts are mostly student directed. The Beyond the Page Theatre Company typically participates in the annual Virginia High School League's One-Act Festival (or VHSL) and the Virginia Theatre Association Conference (commonly known as VTAs).

In the summer of 2013, the company participated in the Capital Fringe Festival and performed an original, student written piece, "Urban Legends.{{cite web|last1=Clark|first1=Drama|title=Urban Legends presented by Beyond the Page Theatre Company of West Potomac High School|url=http://patch.com/virginia/greateralexandria/urban-legends-presented-by-beyond-the-page-theatre-company-of-west-potomac-high-school_180206f1|website=Patch.com|publisher=Patch Media|date=June 23, 2013|access-date=January 16, 2015}}{{cite web|last1=Cheneault|first1=Jacqueline|title=Urban Legends Review|url=http://dctheatrescene.com/2013/07/15/urban-legends/|publisher=DC Theatre Scene|date=July 15, 2013|access-date=January 16, 2015}}{{cite web|last1=Russ|first1=JR|title=Capital Fringe Review: 'Urban Legends' by JR Russ|url=http://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2013/07/14/capital-fringe-review-urban-legends-by-jr-russ/|publisher=DCMetroTheaterArts|date=July 14, 2013|access-date=January 16, 2015}}" In 2013, the company took its production of "Avenue Q" to VTA's and received an Honorable Mention and an award for Best Ensemble. The company performed their interpretation of "The Tempest" in the annual High School Folger Festival In 2014, The company was nominated to participate in the [http://ahstf.org/ American High School Theatre Festival]{{cite web|title=The American High School Theatre Festival|url=http://ahstf.org/|publisher=WorldStrides|access-date=January 16, 2015}} as part of the highly acclaimed Edinburgh Festival Fringe.{{cite web|last1=Barton|first1=Mary Ann|title=West Potomac High Students Selected for Prestigious Performing Arts Festival|url=http://patch.com/virginia/greateralexandria/west-potomac-high-students-selected-prestigious-performing-arts-festival|website=Patch.com|publisher=Patch Media|date=October 14, 2014|access-date=January 16, 2015}} In addition to presenting One Acts Festivals and mainstage productions, they hold monthly improv competitions{{cite web|last1=Mary Ann|first1=Barton|title=West Potomac High School's Theater Sports Highlighted|url=http://patch.com/virginia/greateralexandria/west-potomac-high-schools-theater-sports-highlighted|website=Patch.com|publisher=Patch Media.|date=November 12, 2014|access-date=January 16, 2015}} and have their own team called "The Great Whales." In the 2013–2014 season, the team was undefeated. In 2015, the school became only the second in the country to stage Green Day's "American Idiot."

West Potomac's student publications include the school's news magazine, The Wire, and its online news website [https://thewpwire.org/ thewpwire.org], the award-winning school yearbook, Predator, and the school's literary art magazine, Syzygy.{{Cite web|url=https://westpotomachs.fcps.edu/student-life-activities/publications|title=School Publications {{!}} West Potomac High School|website=westpotomachs.fcps.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-10-19}}

The Wire is a student-run school news source consisting of a news magazine and an online news site, which are funded by ads and patrons. The publication includes information about current events in the school and the county, an opinion section, an arts and entertainment section, a sports section, and a satire section called [https://thewpwire.org/category/the-string/ The String]. The Wire was founded and published its first issue in West Potomac's inaugural year, 1985.

The Predator, West Potomac's award-winning yearbook, is distributed at the conclusion of every school year. In 2017 and 2018, The Predator was a Columbia Scholastic Press Association Crown Finalist.{{Cite news|url=https://www.walsworthyearbooks.com/19-walsworth-yearbooks-schools-named-cspa-crown-finalists/|title=19 Walsworth Yearbooks schools named CSPA Crown Finalists|date=2017-11-08|work=Walsworth {{!}} Yearbook Companies|access-date=2018-10-19|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|url=https://cspa.columbia.edu/yearbook-2018-crown-finalists-announced|title=Yearbook 2018 Crown Finalists Announced {{!}} Columbia Scholastic Press Association|website=cspa.columbia.edu|language=en|access-date=2018-10-19}}

{{Alumni|date=November 2011}}

• Diedrich Bader — Actor, The Drew Carey Show, Office Space. (attended Groveton High School, graduated from T. C. Williams High School)
• Laurence M. Ball - Chairman, Department of Economics at Johns Hopkins University; internationally recognized expert in macroeconomics, consultant to the Federal Reserve, International Monetary Fund and the World Bank{{cite web|url=http://econ.jhu.edu/directory/laurence-m-ball/|title=Laurence M. Ball - Economics|date=2 September 2011 }}(Groveton High School graduate, 1976)
• Gary Beach - 2 time Tony winning Broadway actor who starred in productions including "Beauty and the Beast", "1776",{{cite news |title=Gary Beach: From Candelabra to Hitler |work=The New York Times |agency=Associated Press |date=3 June 2001}} and "The Producers". (Groveton High School graduate, 1966)
• James D. Blankenbecler - American command sergeant major, the highest-ranking enlisted soldier to be killed by hostile fire in the Iraq War.
• Chris Blewitt, 2013 - American football player, Washington Football Team,{{cite web| url = https://coveringthecorridor.com/2019/03/west-potomac-grad-blewitt-signs-bears/ | title = Bears sign West Potomac Grad| date = 7 March 2019|publisher= Covering the Corridor | access-date=7 March 2019}} formerly Pittsburgh Panthers football
• Donna Dixon — Actress who starred in the TV show Bosom Buddies and numerous movies including Spies Like Us, Twilight Zone: The Movie and Waynes World; Miss Virginia USA, 1976, and wife of actor Dan Aykroyd. (Groveton High School graduate, 1975){{cite web|url=http://www.whoislog.info/profile/donna-dixon.html|title=whoislog.info|access-date=18 April 2016}}
• Emmanuel Agbeko Gamor - Founder of Urithi Labs
• Bryan J. Howard, 1991 - Bass guitarist for the band Cracker{{Cite web |title=Bass Player for 'Cracker' Honed Musical Talents in Mount Vernon |url=http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2018/may/21/bass-player-cracker-honed-musical-talents-mount-ve/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=www.connectionnewspapers.com}} (2014–present) and the band Slackdaddy
• Tiombe Hurd, 1992 - Olympian who holds the American record in the triple jump[http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?archive=true&article=80568&paper=71&cat=198 Former Wolverine star made U.S. Olympic squad on third try in 2004.], Rich Sanders, The Connection, July 20, 2006
• Christian Johnson - Arena Football League player
• Micah Johnson — American football player in the Canadian Football League,{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfl.ca/2018/11/22/johnson-big-linebacker-going-style/|title = How Micah Johnson went from late bloomer to CFL's most feared|date = 22 November 2018}} formerly University of Kentucky. (Transferred to Fort Campbell High School in Fort Campbell, KY in 2004, graduated in 2006.)
• General James L. Jones USMC - Commandant of the Marine Corps 1999–2003; Supreme Allied Commander Europe 2003–06; National Security Advisor to President Obama 2009-10 (Groveton High School graduate, 1962){{cite web|url=http://leatherneck.com/forums/showthread.php?77812-Keeping-the-peace-in-the-White-House|title=Keeping the peace in the White House|access-date=18 April 2016}}
• Weini Kelati Frezghi - middle- and long-distance runner{{cite news |date=January 18, 2024 |title=In her very first half marathon, Weini Kelati broke the American record |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/01/17/weini-kelati-half-marathon-record/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |via=Newspapers.com}}
• Rear Admiral Matthew L. Klunder - U.S. Naval Academy Commandant of Midshipmen 2008–10, Chief of Naval Research 2011-14 ''(Groveton High School graduate, 1978){{cite web|url=http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioID=604|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205152314/http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioID=604|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 5, 2010|title=Navy.mil Leadership Biographies|author=Dan Petty|access-date=18 April 2016}}
• Gregory C. Knight — Adjutant General of Vermont beginning in March 2019{{cite news |date=August 21, 1994 |title=Wedding Announcement, Knight-Rooney |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/203068181/ |work=Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |page=5D |url-access=subscription |via=Newspapers.com}} (Groveton High School graduate, 1980)
• Andrew McCain - Lead vocalist of the rock band Slackdaddy
• Paul Krizek - Member of the Virginia House of Delegates.{{Cite web|url=http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/members/members.php?id=H0281|title=Virginia House of Delegates Member Listings|website=virginiageneralassembly.gov|access-date=2016-03-02}}
• De'Mornay Pierson-El, 2014 — American football player, Oakland Raiders, formerly University of Nebraska, Canadian Football League, and Alliance of American Football{{Cite web|url=https://www.raiders.com/news/raiders-sign-wide-receiver-de-mornay-pierson-el|title = Raiders sign wide receiver De'Mornay Pierson-El}}
• Willie Pile, 1998 — Professional American football player (Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys)[http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?archive=true&article=80561&paper=71&cat=198 Late arrival to the sport, Pile has excelled on gridiron at West Potomac, Virginia Tech, and in the NFL], Rich Sanders, The Connection, August 3, 2006.
• Ken Pomeroy, 1991 — American sports statistician and creator of [https://kenpom.com/ KenPom.com]
• Bunmi Rotimi - American football defensive end for the Arlington Renegades, formerly at Old Dominion University and the Chicago Bears
• Scott Shenker - Professor of Computer Science at UC Berkeley, Vice President of the International Computer Science Institute in Berkeley, California. (Groveton High School graduate, 1974)
• Scott Surovell, 1989 - Member of the Senate of Virginia, currently serving as majority leader,{{Cite news |last=Vozzella |first=Laura |date=2023-11-15 |title=Democrats pick Sen. Scott Surovell to be majority leader in Va. Senate |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/11/15/virginia-senate-leadership-surovell-majority-leader/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}} and former member of Virginia House of Delegates.
• Ashley Wagner — Figure skater, 2012 and 2013 US National Champion, member of 2014 US Winter Olympics team{{Cite news|title = West Potomac grad Ashley Wagner falls twice, finishes fourth; Olympic spot in jeopardy|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/west-potomac-grad-ashley-wagner-falls-twice-finishes-fourth-olympic-spot-in-jeopardy/2014/01/12/a807e540-7b3d-11e3-af7f-13bf0e9965f6_story.html|newspaper = The Washington Post|date = 2014-01-12|access-date = 2015-11-30|issn = 0190-8286|language = en-US|first = Liz|last = Clarke}}
• Ian Werden - Drummer of the rock band Slackdaddy
• Chris Bey - American professional wrestler

{{reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• [http://thewpwire.org West Potomac Wire]
• [http://groveton.org Groveton High School Alumni Association]
• http://westpotomacsports.org/library/files/WolverinesAthletics/files/WABC%20Spring%202012%20Newsletter%20-%20Final.pdf

{{Occoquan Region (6C)}}

{{AAA Northern Region}}

{{Fairfax County Public Schools}}

{{Fairfax County, Virginia High Schools}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Educational institutions established in 1984

Category:High schools in Fairfax County, Virginia

Category:Public high schools in Virginia

Category:1984 establishments in Virginia