Sylmar High School
| Sylmar High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
13050 Borden Ave. Sylmar, CA 91342 United States | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1950s |
| School district | Los Angeles Unified School District |
| Principal | Jan Lyons |
| Grades | 9-12 |
| Enrollment | 3,622 |
| Color(s) | Blue, white |
| Mascot | Spartans |
| Information | (818) 833-3700 |
| Website | http://www.sylmarhs.org/ |
Sylmar High School is a public school in the northeast San Fernando Valley in the Sylmar district of Los Angeles, California. Established in the 1950s, it is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, District 2, and serves more than 3,600 students in grades 9-12. The school mascot is the Spartans.
Academics
The school was known for an alarmingly high dropout rate in 2004, with 48% of its class dropping out before graduating. A program was then set up with tutors from California State University, Northridge, after which the dropout rate was reduced to 26% in 2005.
Athletics
Sylmar's athletic program has flourished in the Los Angeles City Section.
Football
Once led by the intimidating coach Jeff Engilman, the Spartans won two City Section championships in 1992 and 1994. Engilman, who has won more than 200 games in his 29-year coaching career, once led the Spartans to a City Section-record 69 consecutive league wins. The mark once stood as the state record. He left Sylmar after the 2003 season. Sylmar has continued the success Engilman built when taking over in 1987, as it has won 17 straight league titles. Some of the star running backs turning Sylmar into a City Section football powerhouse were Jerome Casey, Tobaise Brookins (Washington), Tyrone Crenshaw (Michigan State), Durell Price (UCLA) and C.J. Gable (USC). As a freshman in 2006, Gable made history when he started at tailback for USC in the opener against Arkansas.
Baseball
The Spartans finished as runner-up in the City Section championship at Dodger Stadium in 2001, when they were shut out, 1-0, by Reseda Cleveland High, marking the first title-game shutout since 1982. This would be coach Gary Donatella's first championship appearance in 14 years at Sylmar, and his last. Donatella, a 1972 Sylmar graduate, resigned. Donatella finished with a career record of 402-181 in 20 seasons, six of those at Los Angeles Marshall High.
Notable alumni
- Johnny Whitaker, child actor from the 1960s and 1970s
- C.J. Gable, current running back on the University of Southern California football program
References
- School website
- Los Angeles Unified School District profile
- "Northridge project cuts dropout rate at Sylmar High School", April 17, 2006, CSUN News (pdf)
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