Oscar F. Smith High School
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| Oscar F. Smith High School | |
| Address | |
|---|---|
| 1994 Tiger Drive Chesapeake, Virginia, 23320 United States |
|
| Information | |
| School type | Public high school |
| Founded | 1954 |
| School district | Chesapeake City Public Schools |
| Superintendent | Dr. W. Randolph Nichols |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 2,171 (2008-09) |
| Language | English |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) | Royal Blue, Gold, White ███ |
| Athletics conference | Virginia High School League AAA Eastern Region Southeastern District |
| Mascot | Tigers |
| Rival | Indian River High School Deep Creek High School |
| Website | Official Site |
Oscar Frommel Smith High School was originally built in South Norfolk, Virginia, to replace the aging South Norfolk High School in 1954. In 1994, a new school was constructed in the Greenbrier/Great Bridge area of Chesapeake, Virginia, and has a current enrollment of over 2,100 students. OSHS was authorized to begin administering the IB Diploma Program by the International Baccalaureate Organization in 2002 and IB students from all six Chesapeake zones feed into it.
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[edit] History
Oscar Smith Middle School now occupies the original 1954 building in the South Norfolk area of Chesapeake. The new high school was constructed in 1994 in the Greenbrier/Great Bridge area of Chesapeake. The original Oscar Smith building will soon be demolished for a number of health and deterioration reasons. A new Oscar Smith Middle School, which will open Fall 2009, has been built on the site of the old Oscar Smith football stadium, Tiger Stadium directly next door to the old building[1]. Once the old building is demolished a new football stadium and track is planned for the site.
[edit] Facilities
One of the newest schools in the Chesapeake City Public Schools, it houses some of the newest technology in the district, including numerous networked computer, business, and technology labs; a 1,000-seat auditorium; and the Linda P. Overton Theatre, which houses technology for student presentations. The 3,850-seat J. William Myers Gymnasium (also known as the "Dollar Dome" gym), is the largest gym in the Hampton Roads area, housing three full basketball courts. The Beard-DeLong-Easley Field stadium, named in honor of three Oscar Smith alumni who went on to play in the NFL, seats 7,000 and is home to the Oscar Smith Tigers football team. The teachers at Oscar Smith are phenomenal. They insure that children get the best education possible and that they are above the state level standards. Not only does the school administer the IB program which in itself means that the teachers must be highly qualified if they are certified to teach IB.
[edit] Athletics
Oscar Smith High School has an excellent football program. Under the guidance of Coach Richard Morgan, the Tigers have been Southeastern District Champions for five years in a row, and have lost only one regular season game in the last 5 years, which was to Hickory High School. In 2004, Oscar Smith High celebrated its 50th anniversary, and the Tigers provided the excitement by posting an undefeated season and winning the Southeastern District Championship. In 2005, the Tigers had a repeat performance, claiming back-to-back district championships. In 2007, the Tigers won the Eastern Region title for the first time, avenging their loss against Salem High School from 2006, and moving on to the State semi-finals. There, the team suffered a loss to Westfield High School, but would come back and get to the same spot during the 2008 season. This time, a hard-fought 10-7 victory over Oakton High School made kicker Ryan Trotman (an undervalued player on the team) the hero, kicking a field goal in the closing minutes of the game. Oscar Smith advanced to the Division 6 state finals against Osbourne High School. This game, held at Virginia Tech, was one of the most memorable state final games ever. Oscar Smith posted 54 points, triumphing 54-24 in a game played in the cold and snow. Quarterback Phillip Sims set a state final record with 6 touchdown passes, as did wide receiver Tim Smith with 4 touchdown receptions. This team is still ranked in the top 10 in the nation on most, if not all, polls. Oscar Smith was rewarded for their excellent performance this year with a primetime game at home against Venice High School of Florida on ESPNU in which Sims, an Alabama commit and one of the top recruited quarterbacks for 2010, faced off against Trey Burton, another excellent quarterback for 2010 who has committed to play for Florida. The Oscar Smith Tigers won this game, held August 28, 2009, 27-13 over the Venice Indians.
Oscar Smith's Cross Country team made the Eastern Region Meet in 2007 and 2008. The top female runner for this team, Kerry Kelley, set a school record in 2008 by being the first runner to advance to the state cross country meet in all four years of their high school career.[citation needed] In 2007, the Girls Varsity Tennis Team was the Southeastern District champion.[citation needed][2]
[edit] 2008 Virginia State Football Champions
Following another undefeated regular season and winning their fifth district title in as many years, the Tigers marched into the playoffs as a dominant force, consistently ranked No. 1 in the state and breaking into the Top 10 in national rankings. On November 29, 2008, the Tigers defeated Oakton to advance to the state championship game. The following Saturday, on a cold and snowy December afternoon in Blacksburg, Virginia, the Tigers exploded into Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium and continued their dominant ways, shutting out the Osbourn Eagles in the first half and emerging victorious with a final score of 54-24. The Tigers could be heard ringing their victory bell in the wee hours after their return home early Sunday morning, bringing with them the first team state championship for Oscar Smith High School in any sport since the school opened in 1954.
[edit] 2009 Virginia State Football Semifinals
Oscar Smith lost 17-20 in overtime against the Thomas Dale High School Knights, ending their undefeated legacy.
[edit] IB Program
The IB program is a rigourous program that is offered at Oscar Smith High. IB, also known as International Baccalureate, the Ib program is a great oppurtunity for student who love to learn and are college bound. I would recommend IB to any student who has a passion for learning and loves to be chaleneged.
[edit] Politics
On August 21st, 2008, Barack Obama held a Town Hall Meeting in the J William Myers gymnasium as part of his 2008 Presidential Campaign. In 2004, John Kerry held a similar event in the gym as well.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Ed Beard: San Francisco 49ers, player from 1965 - 1972
- Steve DeLong: San Diego Chargers, player from 1965 - 1972
- Kenny Easley: Seattle Seahawks, player from 1981 - 1987
- Richard Mott: Pittsburgh Pirates, player 1981 - 1985
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.cps.k12.va.us/departments/const/photogallery_osm.html
- ^ http://hamptonroads.com/2008/03/girls-tennis-preview-rogers-era-over-cox-has-plenty-left
- ^ http://hamptonroads.com/2008/12/football-oscar-smith-cruises-state-div-6-championship
[edit] External links
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Coordinates: 36°44′25″N 76°15′22″W / 36.74035°N 76.25617°W
