Type Public Principal Greg Roach Team name Red Rebels Number of students 1,558 Color Red and Black | Established 1918 Classes 146 Phone +1 865-982-1132 Founded 1918 Faculty 107 | |
Enrollment 1558 (2009-2010 school year) Address 825 Lawrence Ave, Maryville, TN 37803, USA District Maryville City School District | ||
Maryville High School (MHS) is currently a three-year public high school with grades 10-12. It was founded in 1918 in Maryville, Tennessee and is a part of the Maryville City Schools system.
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In the 2009-2010 year, there were approximately 1,558 students enrolled, and the senior class consisted of 352 students. With 107 faculty members, the staff-to-student ratio was approximately 1:15. The school principal is Greg Roach.
Maryville High School has been designated by the Governor of Tennessee as an A+ school. Five National Merit Finalists graduated from Maryville in 2003.
Student life
The students attend four classes a day in a block schedule, with a fifteen-minute break in between the first and second block. As of the 2012/2013 school year, the freshman class was moved down to junior high.
The clubs that are available for the students are as follows:
Amnesty International, Anime Club, Art Club, Band, Chess Club, Climbing Team, Cube Club, Cultural Awareness Club, Cycling Club, Dance Team, Debs, DECA, Drama, Echoes Literary Magazine, Equestrian Club, Ethics Debate Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Future Teachers of America, Forensics, Gay Straight Alliance, Interact Club, Jazz Band, Juggling Team, Junior Classical League, Key Club, Maryville Scholars, Maryville Singers, Miniature Golf Club, Mock Trial, Model United Nations, Mu Alpha Theta, National Art Honor Society, National Honor Society, Orchestra, Outdoor Activity Club, Positive Role Models, Recycling Club, Red & Black School Newspaper, Religious Understanding Club, Rowing Club, Rugby, Scholars' Bowl, Step Team, Student Council, Trebelettes, Young Republicans, and Yearbook Staff.
Athletics
The school's athletic teams go by the name "Rebels." Maryville High School had the longest active football winning streak in America (74-0) until their loss in the 2008 Tennessee 4A State Championship Game. Maryville's primary rival is Alcoa, against whom the Red Rebels hold a 60-23-3 series advantage in football through the 2014 season.
The Rebels captured their 14th TSSAA State Football Title against the Hendersonville Commandos in 2013, rounding-out an undefeated 2013 season. MHS has appeared in the Class 6A Football Championship game every year since class 6A was formed in 2009, with every year except 2009 and 2012 resulting in a championship. MHS has appeared in the State Championship games every year since 2003, not all resulting in wins. The Rebels captured their 15th TSSAA State Football Title against the Ravenwood Raptors in 2014 coming back from a 28-point deficit in the first quarter. Maryville won their 15th title in overtime after TD Blackmon made an interception on a 2-point conversion to seal the win. Blackmon also was responsible for blocking a crucial field goal at the end of regulation to prevent the Raptors from scoring a field goal and sending the game into overtime, the final score was 35-34.
The 2013 State Championship was MHS's 3rd Division 1, Class 6A Title, following their first two in 2010 and 2011. The three 6A Titles stand in addition to seven other 4A Titles held by Coach George Quarles and the Red Rebels in the 2000s, prior to their 6A classification. The Red Rebels reached an overall National ranking of 7th, and 1st in the State of Tennessee, in 2011. MHS also reached the 1st-place position as overall cumulative State of Tennessee Football Championship Title-holder in 2011, and holds a one-championship lead over rival Alcoa (which is in the 3A class) for the most in Tennessee.
During the 2007 season, the basketball team won the state championship in class AAA.
Controversy
Since 1938, Maryville High School teams have used the name Red Rebels. From the 1960s onward the team name has been linked in promotional materials with the rebellion during the Civil War, such links including the use of the Confederate battle flag, images of a Confederate soldier, and references to the rebel yell. In 1999, Dr. Jeffrey Whitlow, a local doctor, filed a civil rights complaint against the school board, equating the football games with Ku Klux Klan rallies. The school board promptly changed the school's flag, but fans, almost exclusively students, continued displaying, wearing, and bringing the controversial symbol to support the rarely defeated football team.
Supporters of the school board defended their position by stating that the flags (most of which were fastened on poles used to make more celebratory noise by banging on bleachers) were a security issue that could cause serious injury. Opponents argue that the ban is obviously one on the symbol itself, a symbol which, in their minds, no longer represents racism, but is merely an emblem of their beloved school.
Despite administrators' attempts, the student body still managed to bring the Rebel flag into their stadium and others on their clothes, tied around their waists, or even painted on their bodies. When assistant principals attempted to suspend students for wearing the flag, a $20 million lawsuit was pressed against the school for denying the right of free speech. In response, students created facebook groups with names like, "Don't like the rebel flag? Well, don't fly it and shut the hell up!" where they argue that the flag is not a symbol of racism by claiming that the Civil War was not fought over slavery, but over states' rights.
Controversy surrounding the issue received national attention. The former president of a North Carolina National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter agreed with the Sons of Confederate Veterans's opposition of the ban, saying that the flag should no longer be considered a symbol of racism. Black southern heritage activist H. K. Edgerton organized a walk from Johnson City to Maryville to protest the decision, and he subsequently attended every football game of the season dressed in a Confederate uniform and carrying a Confederate flag.
In 2008, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal of the lawsuit over the ban of student display of the Confederate flag, citing a threat of "disturbances such as those experienced in the past" as justification of the ban.
Maryville High School was also involved in a brawl at William Blount High School during a basketball game on January 16, 2015. A benches-clearing brawl between the Maryville and William Blount boys basketball teams overshadowed a 61-49 Rebel win Friday night at William Blount High School. With Maryville leading by 10 late in the second quarter, play got physical between the two teams in front of the William Blount bench. Pushing and shoving ensued, before punches were eventually thrown and police got involved. Officers were still investigating the incident Friday night and did not release any further details. Maryville’s Tristan Upchurch and William Blount’s Bradley Boling were ejected by game officials. William Blount head coach Kevin Windle benched two more players who admitted at halftime to throwing punches in the brawl as the second quarter ended. "I just think one of their players and one of my players got tangled up in front of their bench," Maryville coach Mark Eldridge said. "Looked like they got into the chairs and next thing you know, an intense rivalry game escalated into some fisticuffs. Along with ejections from that game, both players and another Maryville player, Easton Upchurch were suspended 3 games by each team. Maryville was placed on probation by the TSSAA for 2-3 years. Along with the players' punishment, one Maryville High School student was banned for life from Maryville High School sporting events.