Dodge City High School is a fully accredited high school located in the northwest area of Dodge City, Kansas, United States, serving students in grades 9-12. The school is operated byDodge City Public Schools. The current principal is Jacque Feist. Dodge City High School is the only high school located within the city limits of Dodge City. Dodge City is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in the 6A classification and are known as the "Red Demons". Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs.
History
Dodge City High School was established in 1873 in order to help educate the increasing population of Dodge City. Shortly after its inception, the Red Demon was selected as the official school mascot. This was due to the nickname of D-Men for the Dodge men's teams.
Significant changes
During the 1990s, student enrollment continued to increase and it soon became evident that the enrollment had outgrown the facilities of the high school. As a result, voters chose to construct a new high school to accommodate the student population. In 2001, Dodge City High School experienced several significant changes. The school moved to its current location, as well as adopting the Academic Enhancement Plan. The plan seeks to continuously improve student achievement every year by focusing on 5 key components of learning, consisting of reading, mathematics, writing, diversity, and technology. Also in 2001, the Dodge City School Board voted to keep the Red Demon as the official school mascot. The mascot had previously been debated due to many believing that the Demon presented a negative image for the school.
Academics
In the fall of 2001, the school adopted the Academic Enhancement Plan. The plan seeks to continuously improve student achievement every year by focusing on 5 key components of learning, consisting of reading, mathematics, writing, diversity, and technology.
Extracurricular activities
The extracurricular activities offered at Dodge City High School are many and varied due to the school's large size. The Red Demons compete in the Western Athletic Conference and are classified as a 6A school, the largest classification in Kansas according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association. Throughout its history, Dodge City has won eight state championships in various sports. Many graduates have gone on to participate in collegiate athletics.
Athletics
Football
Throughout the school's history, football has been one of the most popular and competitive sports offered at DCHS. The Red Demons won the state championship in football in 1970 and have made the playoffs on several other occasions. On November 9, 2009, the Red Demons advanced to the second round of the state playoffs for the first time in 15 years, beating Topeka High School by a score of 35-14. During the game, senior tailback Jace Banner rushed for a school-record 305 yards on 38 carries and scored four touchdowns. The previous school record had been 279 yards set by Shiloh Konrade in a 1996 playoff game against Liberal High School. On March 31, 2010, Dave Foster was selected among 60 applicants as the new head football coach, replacing former DCHS head coach Justin Burke. He had previously been the head football coach at Elk City High School.
Baseball
One of the most successful athletic programs in the school's history is baseball. The Red Demons won their first and only state championship in baseball in 1999. Throughout the program's history, ten pitchers have thrown no-hitters. The first no-hitter in school history was pitched by Russell Sealey in 1932. The most recent no-hitter occurred on May 11, 2010 when Ty Thomas threw one in a 1-0 win over Wichita Heights High School.
Boys' soccer
The 2016 boys' soccer team finished the season ranked fifth in the nation by USA Today on its final Super 25 Expert Rankings.
State championships
Non-athletic programs
Marching Band
The Dodge City High School Marching Band is one of the largest extracurricular programs offered at DCHS in terms of student participation. They are "The Pride of Southwest Kansas". In December 2010, the Marching Band will travel to Orlando, Florida to represent Dodge City in the Citrus Bowl Parade The band has a rich history of representing the community across the nation. In 1961 and again in 1976, the band participated in the Tournament of Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA. They participated in the Cotton Bowl Parade at least twice. They have also attended the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC.
Debate/Forensics
The debate team won the four speaker state championship in 1922 and 1938.
