Stephen Decatur High School (SDHS) is a four-year public high school in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. The school was opened in 1954.
Stephen Decatur High School was named after Stephen Decatur, the naval war hero during the War of 1812 who was born in Worcester County. He was a Commodore and also fought in the Second Barbary War against pirates in the Mediterranean Sea.
The school is part of the Worcester County Public School system, which also includes three other high schools, Snow Hill High School, Pocomoke High School, and one vocational school, Worcester Technical High School.
Construction on the school began in 1952 and Stephen Decatur High School was dedicated in 1954. It was a consolidation of two old high schools, Ocean City High School in Ocean City, MD and Buckingham High School in Berlin, MD. The school originally served grades 7 through 12. The current facility has 192,335 sq ft (17,868.5 m2).
The graduation rate at Stephen Decatur High School has been steadily rising over the past 12 years. In 2007, the school saw its highest graduation rate in that period of time at 95.7%
The fast-growing area of West Ocean City, Ocean Pines, and Berlin is reflected in the student population at Stephen Decatur High School. From 895 students in 1993, the school had an enrollment of 1,436 in 2007.
Student population
The following people have been the principal at Stephen Decatur High School:
State Champions
2008 - Wrestling (4A-3A)
2002 - Boys Soccer (2A)
1998 - Boys Tennis Singles (Chris Zielinski)
1998 - Tennis Mixed Doubles (Katie Gibbons & Greg Zielinski)
1997 - Boys Tennis Singles (Greg Zielinski)
1997 - Tennis Mixed Doubles (Katie Gibbons & Chris Zielinski)
1996 - Boys Tennis Doubles (Chris Zielinski & Greg Zielinski)
1996 - Tennis Mixed Doubles (Katie Gibbons & Will Cathell)
1994 - Boys Tennis Singles (Dale Cathell)
1986 - Boys Track & Field (Class C)
1970 - Boys Basketball (Class B)
State Runner-Up
2016 - Boys Basketball (3A)
2015 - Girls Lacrosse (3A-2A)
2011 - Boys Swimming (3A-2A-1A)
2006 - Girls Lacrosse (3A-2A)
2005 - Golf (2A-1A)
2001 - Boys Soccer (2A)
2000 - Boys Track & Field (2A)
1985 - Boys Track & Field (Class C)
1984 - Boys Track & Field (Class C)
1977 - Girls Basketball (Class B)
1971 - Boys Basketball (Class B)
1969 - Boys Basketball (Class B)
Regional Champions
Fall Sports
Football -- 1988, 1998, 2000, 2004
Boys Soccer -- 1994, 1996, 2001, 2002
Girls Soccer -- 2002, 2003
Volleyball -- 1979, 1980, 1994, 2001
Golf -- 1967, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016
Girls Cross Country -- 2002, 2005, 2006
Winter Sports
Boys Basketball -- 1969, 1970, 1971, 1974, 1981, 1984, 1992, 2010, 2016
Girls Basketball -- 1977, 1989, 2001, 2004
Wrestling -- 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011
Girls Indoor Track -- 2009
Boys Swimming -- 2011
Girls Swimming -- 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014
Spring Sports
Baseball -- 2013
Softball -- 1979, 1991
Boys Lacrosse -- 2006
Girls Lacrosse -- 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016
Boys Track & Field -- 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1998, 1999, 2000
Girls Track & Field -- 2002
Bayside Conference Champions
Fall Sports
Football -- 1974, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003 (2A Division), 2008 (South), 2010 (South)
Boys Soccer -- 1998, 2000, 2001, 2011
Girls Soccer -- 2002, 2003, 2014
Boys Cross Country -- 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008
Girls Cross Country -- 2002, 2005, 2008
Volleyball -- 1987, 2001, 2005
Golf -- 1991, 1992, 1993, 2008, 2009, 2010*, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016
Winter Sports
Boys Basketball -- 2017
Girls Basketball -- 1977, 2015, 2016
Wrestling -- 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2017
Boys Indoor Track -- 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013
Girls Indoor Track -- 2009, 2011, 2012
Spring Sports
Baseball -- 2009*, 2014
Boys Lacrosse -- 2008, 2012, 2013*
Girls Lacrosse -- 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013*, 2015, 2016
Tennis -- 1993, 2008, 2009*
Boys Track & Field -- 1985, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010
Girls Track & Field -- 2002, 2009, 2010, 2011
(*) Denotes Co-Champs
Robotics
2014 - FIRST Robotics FRC Team #4288 North Carolina Regional Champion
2013 - FIRST Robotics FLL - Salisbury Qualifiers Champion
2012 - FIRST Robotics FLL - Salisbury Qualifiers Champion
2012 - FIRST Robotics FRC Team #4288 - Battle of Baltimore
Dale R. Cathell - Judge (Retired), Maryland Court of Appeals
John Chester[2] - Co-Creator of Random 1, television program on A&E.
Steve Fell - Former member of the Baltimore Blast
Linda Harrison, actress
Bill Hensel was inducted into The International Kenpo Hall Of Fame
Erica Messer[3] - writer for The OC, Alias, and Criminal Minds
Oliver Purnell - head basketball coach at DePaul University
Seanna Zimmerman - Former member of the Baltimore Ravens Cheerleading Squad.
Janine Zacharia - Baltimore Ravens cheerleader (2011–Present)
