Clifton High School (New Jersey)

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 274th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 259th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 223rd in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 280th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.

Campus

Clifton High School is divided into four wings; North, Central, South and East. Between the South and East wings, the William F. Shershin Memorial Technology and Media Center provides students access to many books, music, movies and computers with internet access.

Due to overcrowding, a walkway that runs alongside the four wings was added. There is also an annex building which now contains ASPIRE students. Originally, it had both freshmen students and ASPIRE students in the building.

Athletics

The Clifton High School Mustangs compete in over 50 sport programs as part of the Big North Conference, following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). With 2,370 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2015-16 school year as North I, Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,290 to 2,568 students in that grade range. For the 2009-10 season, the school competed in the North Jersey Tri-County Conference, an interim conference established to facilitate realignment. Prior to the reorganization, the school had participated in the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) an athletic conference of twenty high schools located in Bergen County and Passaic County.

Interscholastic athletics offered at the school include:

The boys' baseball team won the North I Group IV state sectional championships in 1960 and 1961.

The boys' bowling team won the state championships in 1970, 1980, 2000 and 2002. The four state team titles are tied for third most of all high schools in the state.

The boys' wrestling team won the North I Group IV state sectional title in 1984, 1986 and 2014.

The boys' cross country team won the NNJIL for eight years in a row (1998–2006) and the girls' team won for three years (2004–2007).

The Mustangs won the North I, Group IV football state sectional championship in 2006, defeating Eastside High School 26-0.

The 2007 girls' softball team won the North I, Group IV Softball sectional championship with a 10–0 win over top-seeded Bloomfield High School. The team moved on to win the Group IV state championship defeating North Hunterdon High School and then Toms River High School East in the final game, both by a score of 2–0.

The 2007 boys' soccer team, under the direction of Coach Joe Vespignani, won the North I, Group IV state sectional championship with a 1-0 win over defending Group IV state champion West Orange High School in the tournament final. In the state semi-final, Clifton defeated Columbia High School by an identical 1–0 score. The spectacular goal was scored by Manuel Caicedo with a brilliant Bicycle Kick from the penalty spot. Manny Caicedo was named Passaic County Player of the Year and Second Team All State. The team moved on to share the Group IV state championship with a 1-1 tie against Manalapan High School.

The 2008 boys' soccer team repeated as the North I, Group IV state sectional champion with a 3–2 overtime win against North Bergen High School. In the state semi-final, Clifton defeated Elizabeth High School 2–1 in overtime in a match-up of the two largest high schools in the state, before falling in the state final to Rancocas Valley Regional High School by a score of 2–0.

The 2009 boys' soccer team completed a threepeat as the North I, Group IV state sectional champion with a 3–0 win over Livingston High School. In the state semi-final, Clifton defeated Ridge High School 1–0 in double overtime, before falling in the state final to Toms River High School South by a score of 1–0, a goal was the only goal allowed through the five games of the state tournament, in a season in which Clifton had a record of 19–6–1, including 16 shutouts. The team averaged 20 wins a season over the three-year period. In Coach Vespignani's eight years at the helm, the team is a combined 149–36–7.

The Clifton boys' soccer team won the Passaic County Championship for nine consecutive years, from 1997 to 2005, before their streak was ended by Wayne Valley, which had lost to Clifton in the tournament finals in both 2004 and 2005 before defeating Clifton in both 2006 and 2007.

The girls' soccer team at Clifton, under Coach Dan Chilowicz, shared the Passaic County Championship title with Wayne Valley High School in 2007 with a deadlocked score of 0–0. The girls' team, led by Stan Lembryk, was declared county co-champion again in 2009 after a 1–1 tie with Wayne Hills High School.

Clubs

Clifton High School has over 60 clubs. In its auditoriums, many plays and dance performances are held, many occurring annually. The Chemistry II "Dream Team" members came in second out of 127 schools in the state science competition in 2011.

Band

The Clifton High School Mustang Marching Band, "The Showband of the Northeast", is modeled after the fast-paced, high-stepping, Big-10 bands, under the leadership of band director Robert D. Morgan from 1972 through 2013–14 and was run by Cody Holody, from 2014–15. The band is currently under the direction of Bryan Stepneski, a Clifton Mustang Band alumnus. The group forms the letters "C-H-S", similar to the script "O-H-I-O" of The Ohio State University Marching Band. The marching band unravels from a tight block, following one another, forming the school's initials in cursive. The band is showcased in many venues within the city of Clifton. It appears annually in the North Jersey Band Festival, (formally known as the Clifton Band Festival, or Herald News Band Festival) the West Milford Military Tattoo, all Clifton High School football games, and city parades. The Clifton High School Mustang Band has traveled extensively across the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and Canada. The Clifton High School Mustang Marching Band won first place in "Best in Parade" during the 2007 and 2008 Columbus Day Parade in New York City, second place in the 2009 Columbus Day Parade, and first place again in 2010. They won first place in the Columbus Day Parade in 2014. In 2016, the band won second place in the Columbus Day Parade once again. Among the other activities in Clifton High School, the city of Clifton placed the marching band on its list of the most recognized activities in the city of Clifton.

Starting in the 2014-2015 school year, two jazz bands were implemented.

Administration

Core members of the school's administration include:

Notable alumni