Central Regional High School

Awards, recognition and rankings

The school was the 239th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology. The school had been ranked 264th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 257th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 273rd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was the 272nd-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 316 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2006 cover story on the state's Top Public High Schools. Schooldigger.com ranked the school 240th out of 376 public high schools statewide in its 2010 rankings (an increase of 6 positions from the 2009 rank) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the language arts literacy and mathematics components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).

Athletics

The Central Regional High School Golden Eagles compete in the Shore Conference, an athletic conference made up of private and public high schools centered at the Northern Jersey Shore. All schools in this conference are located within Monmouth County and Ocean County, which operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). With 1,001 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2015-16 school year as South Jersey, Group III for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 794 to 1,076 students in that grade range.

Football

Central High School graduate Willie Jacobs became the school's new football coach for the 2013 season. He is the 5th head coach in ten years following Vincent Casale, Dennis Tobin, Dean Helstowski, and Dan Duddy (who led the team to its only state sectional final in 1994). The team qualified for the state sectional playoffs in 2013, losing to eventual champion Delsea. In 2014 season central regional would then become B-South champions for the first time since 1994 and get their first ever home playoff game (which would be held at Toms River east, since their field was under construction). They would go on to the state semifinals and lose to Allentown which would become state champions. On November 27, 2014 Central Regional would be playing on their own turf field for the first time in school history.

Volleyball

Coaches: Head- Jeffery Mangold The girls' volleyball team was created during the 2009-10 school year. The team consist of 22 girls.

Wrestling

The Central Regional wrestling team has enjoyed several successful seasons and has produced some outstanding individuals as well. In 1968, Alan Hess became Central's first ever New Jersey state medalist finishing in fourth place (out of four) without winning a match. In 1973, Mike Baeli became the first wrestler to win a match at the state level, finishing fourth after defeating Art Kubo in the first round. In 1985, CR crowned its first NJSIAA state champion, the late Darnell Myers, under the guidance of coach Paul Mueller. Brothers Mark and Maurice Worthy won a combined five NJSIAA Championships, with Mark Worthy becoming one of only two dozen wrestlers to have won three state titles, winning in 1996 (112 lbs.), 1998 (140 lbs.) and 1999 (145 lbs.), while his brother Maurice Worthy won titles in 1996 (152 lbs.) and 1997 (160 lbs.) Maurice went on to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Division I Championships while attending the United States Military Academy at West Point. The team had a successful run in the mid-1990s under long-time head coach Pat Lynch who crowned 4 Region Champions and was named Region Coach of the Year.

Mike Bischoff, took over the reins of the program upon Lynch's retirement in 2003. For his efforts, Bischoff would twice (2006 & 2009) be recognized as District 24 Coach of the Year. In 2005, the team won its first ever South Jersey Group III State Sectional title in thrilling fashion over four-time defending champion Kingsway Regional High School. The following season brought a second South Jersey Group III title after dispatching Kingsway for the second straight year, taking five of the final six matches to win 34-27.

In all, the wrestling program has produced six state champions, 23 region champions, and 51 district champions. It has earned two South Jersey Group III state sectional championships, two district championships, and seven Shore Conference divisional championships in its 46-year history. Central's last state place winner was senior, Jalen Ramos (now wrestling at Rutgers), who placed 8th at the NJSIAA Championships at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall in 2012. Ramos's 126 career wins are second only to Hall of Famer, Mark Worthy's 128 victories.

Marching band

Central Regional High School's marching band, the Marching Eagles, are a Group II Band in the Tournament of Bands circuit.

Notable alumni

Administration

Core members of the school's administration are: