West Deptford High School


West Deptford High School is a comprehensive community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from West Deptford Township, in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States, operating as the lone secondary school of the West Deptford Public Schools.
As of the 2017-18 school year, the school had an enrollment of 878 students and 72.0 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 12.2:1. There were 190 students eligible for free lunch and 42 eligible for reduced-cost lunch.

Awards, recognition and honors

The school was the 152nd-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 219th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 182nd in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school 185th in 2008 out of 316 schools. The school was ranked 170th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.

Athletics

West Deptford High School Eagles compete as a member school in the Colonial Conference, which is composed of small schools whose enrollments generally do not exceed 800 students for grades 9-12, and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. With 701 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2015-16 school year as South Jersey, Group II for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 496 to 778 students in that grade range. The football team competes in the Colonial Division of the 95-team West Jersey Football League superconference and was classified by the NJSIAA as South Jersey Group II for football for 2017-18. The school competes in Varsity Tier II of the South Jersey High School Ice Hockey League, a high school ice hockey league with 20 teams participating at the varsity level from South Jersey.
The boys' soccer team was Group II co-champion with Madison High School in 1982 and won the Group III title vs. Scotch Plains High School in 1985. In 1999, the soccer team earned the South, Group III sectional title with a 2-0 win against Moorestown High School. In 2012, the soccer team won the South Jersey Group II sectional title with a 4-1 win in penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie in the tournament final against Cinnaminson High School.
The field hockey team won the South Jersey Group II state sectional title in 1994, 1996, 2003, 2009, 2013 and 2014; the team won the Group II state championship in 1996, defeating Warren Hills Regional High School in the tournament final. The team won the South Jersey, Group II state sectional in 2003 with a 3-2 win over Camden Catholic High School in the final game, avenging a 2-1 loss the previous year against the same team.
The wrestling team won the South Jersey Group II state sectional title in 1996, 2000 and 2010; the team won the Group II state championship in 2000. The wrestling team won the 2000 Group III state championship, edging North Hunterdon High School 25-24 in the semifinal match and defeating Sparta High School 34-28 in the finals. The wrestling team took the South Jersey, Group III sectional title in 2000 with a 37-23 win in the tournament final against Oakcrest High School. In the 2009-10 wrestling season, the Eagles won a South Jersey Group II Title. Then beat 10th-ranked David Brearley High School in the state semi-finals before losing to second-ranked Long Branch High School in the finals and finished ranked 12th in the state.
The softball team won the Group II state championship in 1996, defeating Arthur L. Johnson High School in the tournament final.
The football team won the South Jersey Group II state title in 2002-2004, 2007, 2011 and 2012. The football team won the South, Group II state sectional championship in 2002 edging Buena Regional High School 21-20 in the tournament final. The team repeated in 2003 with a 17-12 win against Overbrook High School in the tournament final. The team won for a third consecutive year in 2004 with a 42-20 victory over Point Pleasant Boro High School. The Eagles went on to win the Group II state championship a fourth time in 2007 with a 31-17 victory over Point Pleasant Boro High School. The football team won the 2016 South Jersey Group II state sectional championship, finishing the season with a 12-0 record as they defeated Cedar Creek High School by a final score of 19-13 in the tournament final.

Marching Band

The school's marching band currently competes in the Tournament of Bands Chapter One circuit in size Group 2 The band's current director is Thomas Kershaw Jr.
YearThemeGroupACC RankACC ScoreChapter RankChapter Score
2019ELYSIUM2198.70196.25
2018DISTORTED2297.50196.75
2017El Corazón2197.40197.30
2016The New World2197.90195.65
2015To The Heavens2198.65196.30
2014ICE-SOLATION3196.75196.45
2013Parisian Portraits2196.90294.05
2012Expressions of Elegance2197.65294.00
2011From Twilight 'til The Dawn3196.55194.45
2010Dynasty: Reflections Of China3196.95195.25
2009American Voices3494.20191.55
2008Seascapes3394.65192.95
2007On The Edge3396.25194.10
2006Nocturnal Images3296.80194.35
2005Time3594.65294.55
2004Masters of Melody2693.30292.05
2003Scenes From The Russian Ice Palace21887.00490.15
2002Spanish Fire11983.95486.75

In 2017 WDMB broke the record for the most consecutive ACC wins, previously held by the Middle Township Marching Band with 7 consecutive wins from 1997 to 2003. However WDMB's consecutive winning streak was broken in 2018 by the Huntingtown Marching Band, who won first place by 0.25 points.
WDMB was also TOB Chapter 1 Champion in group 2B in 1978

Administration

The school's principal is Brian Gismondi, whose core administrative team includes three assistant principals.

Notable alumni