Marysville High School (Marysville, Michigan)

History

The original Marysville High School was constructed in the 1920s and taught grades 6 to 12. It was located at the corner of Huron Blvd. and Michigan Ave. in what was downtown Marysville. In the 1940s, the relatively small school could not accommodate the growing population of the city, caused in part by the opening of the Wills Sainte Claire automobile factory. A new school was necessary, but since this was during World War II, the school board had to petition the U.S. War Department to build the new school. Pictures of the entire student body crammed into a hallway of the old school were sent with the petition. In 1942, permission was granted to construct a new school.

The new Marysville High was built adjacent to the original building, which was later known as "the annex". During construction, the basement of the school was reinforced with steel and concrete support beams so it could double as an air raid shelter. The completed school included a gymnasium and auditorium. In later years, the Detroit Pistons held summer practices in Marysville High's gym. In the 1950s and 1960s, a swimming pool, commercial arts, and home economics wing were added.

Over the years, Marysville High School underwent more upgrades and renovations, including an addition to the south side of the school in 1979. The property was the former home of the 575-square-foot "annex", which served as the public library until it burned down in 1975. The addition contained 14 classrooms, a band room, and a choir room.

In 2007, a bond proposal to demolish the existing school and build a new one passed by a slight majority, and work began to build the next Marysville High School. The New Marysville High, located on Huron Blvd. a block east of the existing school, opened for the 2010-11 school year.

The football team plays at Walt Braun Viking Stadium at the corner of Michigan and Collard.

Community

Marysville High School's pool is shared with the city's recreation department. The auditorium serves as a stage for Marysville Public Schools, and for community events. The school's football field, track, weight room, and locker rooms also serve as facilities open to the public when not being used for school functions.

Television

Marysville High School operates a community television station broadcasting to residents within the district on Comcast Cable Channel 6. The station, branded on the air as "M6, Your Hometown Station", is part of an audio/visual communication arts class. Programs aired include school and community news, school sporting events, band and choir concerts, community activities, and talk shows. Nearly all of the programs are produced by Marysville High School students, with the exception of segments distributed by St. Clair County RESA or local politicians.

The studio for M6 is located inside Marysville High School. The school television station shares Comcast Channel 6 with the City of Marysville, which airs city council meetings live on the channel. School closings and community announcements are also broadcast to the community via M6. M6 also has a YouTube channel where student programs are displayed. M6 Television YouTube Channel

Athletics

Marysville High School's athletics teams are affiliated with the Michigan High School Athletic Association and compete in the Macomb Area Conference.

Softball

The softball team won the MHSAA Class B State Championship in 1983 and were the Class B runner-up in 1991.

Tennis

In the fall of 2010 the boys' tennis team went undefeated in the MAC gold division and then placed second at the regional competition, qualifying for state competition.

Volleyball

The volleyball team has won nine MHSAA Class B State Championships, including an MHSAA record eight consecutive titles between 1997 and 2004. Their ninth championship came in 2006. The volleyball team also holds a national record for the longest winning streak, in any sport. From 1996 to 2000, the Marysville Viking volleyball team won 192 consecutive games.

Cheerleading

Under head coach Laura Breidenich, who coached the Vikings for 13 years, the cheer team won MHSAA Regional Championships in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. The team also won Regional Championships through the Michigan Cheerleading Coaches Association state championship series in 1997, 2002, 2003, and 2004. The cheer team was named first in the MCCA State Championship in 2003. The team also won the 2006 Regional Championship under head coach Jennifer Brown, Breidenich's successor.

Football

The football team has won three state championships: 1992 (MHSAA Class B); 1986 (MHSAA Class B); 1961 (AP Class B). Marysville holds the Michigan record for consecutive winning seasons with 39, running from 1965 to 2003. The Marysville Vikings play football at Walt Braun Stadium named after two time State championship winning coach Walt Braun. Braun's Tenure in Marysville was marked by unprecedented success that eventually culminated in the coach being inducted into the State of Michigan Coach's Hall of Fame.

The 1983 Marysville Vikings are the only team in the history of the MHSAA to be ranked #1 in the AP Poll at the end of the regular season, remain undefeated throughout the course of the playoffs, yet not win the state championship. As a result, the team is referred to as the "Mythical State Champions".

Marysville Viking Regiment

The Marysville Viking Regiment is the high school's band program, which involves sophomores, juniors and seniors. A freshmen band competes as a separate entity, the "Marysville Freshmen Marching Band". The Viking Regiment competes both in the Michigan Competing Band Association (MCBA) and the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA). For the better part of the past decade, the band has competed in state finals at Ford Field in Detroit, taking second place in 2009. The band has also received straight Division I (excellent) ratings in both marching and symphonic band since 1996.

The bands march together during parades, including Walt Disney World, America's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Detroit, local parades, festivals, and football games. The band program has jazz band available to students in addition to concert band. Every three years, The Marysville Viking Regiment travels to Walt Disney World to perform in Disney's Magic Music Days, which includes a workshop on professional musicianship, and a parade in Magic Kingdom. 2013 will mark the 9th year for this tour.