As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,746 students and 138.7 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.6:1. There were 28 students (1.6% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 8 (0.5% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[2]
History
Ridgewood High School entrance
Ridgewood High School was created in 1892, with the creation of a formal ninth grade class and a sophomore class was added the following year. A high school building was established in 1895, and the school received formal recognition from the state as an approved high school.[1]
The campus includes one central building, which, along with the original gym, was completed in 1919 at a total cost of $285,000 (equivalent to $4.8 million in 2022). The building features brick walls, a slate roof and other stone features.[5] The building was planned to be opened at an earlier date but it was postponed because of World War I.[6] The building was designed by the architectural firm of Tracy and Swartwout, which also designed the Missouri State Capitol building.[7]
Students from Glen Rock had attended the high school for grades 10-12 from the time the borough was created. The Glen Rock district was informed in March 1952 by Ridgewood that its students could not be accommodated any longer in Ridgewood after the 1954-55 school year. Glen Rock High School opened in September 1956 with only tenth graders, as those in eleventh and twelfth grades completed their education through graduation at Ridgewood High School.[8][9]
The newest part of the school, the science wing, was completed in 2001 and contains 15 laboratory classrooms, three computer labs and a new industrial arts center. A new fitness center, gymnasium, and multipurpose room, the Campus Center, were also included in the renovation. Due to their proximity to the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, the school's fields often flood during heavy rains and spring runoff.[10]
The school was the 28th-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.[14] The school had been ranked 28th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 20th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[15] The magazine ranked the school 7th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[16] The school was ranked 24th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state.[17]
Schooldigger.com ranked the school tied for 40th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 8 positions from the 2010 ranking), which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the mathematics (94.6%) and language arts literacy (96.5%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[18]
In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 27th in New Jersey and 917th nationwide.[19] In Newsweek's May 22, 2007, issue, ranking the country's top high schools, Ridgewood High School was listed in 549th place, the tenth-highest ranked school in New Jersey.[20] The school was ranked 472 in Newsweek's May 8, 2006, issue, listing the Top 1,200 High Schools in The United States,[21] and was ranked 323 in Newsweek's 2005 survey.[22]
In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools," The Daily Beast ranked the school 363rd in the nation among participating public high schools and 32nd among schools in New Jersey.[23] The school was ranked 273rd in the nation and 25th in New Jersey on the list of "America's Best High Schools 2012" prepared by The Daily Beast / Newsweek, with rankings based primarily on graduation rate, matriculation rate for college and number of Advanced Placement / International Baccalaureate courses taken per student, with lesser factors based on average scores on the SAT / ACT, average AP/IB scores and the number of AP/IB courses available to students.[24]
In Spring 2013, Medha Kirtane, a Social Studies teacher at RHS, was honored as an "exceptional" secondary school teacher by Princeton University. An alumnus of Williams College and Harvard Graduate School, Kirtane was recognized along with three other teachers from across the state.[25]
Academic team
Ridgewood High School has had success with its academic teams. Recent successes have included victories in 2013 and 2014 at various local tournaments.[citation needed] Ridgewood's JV History Bowl team won the Northern New Jersey History Bowl in January 2013 and later finished as a quarterfinalist at the 2013 National History Bowl National Championships.[citation needed] In 2015, Ridgewood's Varsity History Bowl finished tied for ninth place at the National Championships. Ridgewood High School was also the site of the 2010 Tri-State History Bowl, a history quiz tournament which served as the pilot competition for what became the National History Bee and Bowl.[26]
Athletics
The Ridgewood High School Maroons[3] compete in the Big North Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Bergen and Passaic counties, and was established following a reorganization of sports leagues in Northern New Jersey by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.[27] For the 2009-10 school year, Ridgewood was part of the North Jersey Tri-County Conference, a conference established on an interim basis to facilitate the realignment.[28] Until the NJSIAA's 2009 realignment, the school had participated in Division A of the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League, which included high schools located in Bergen, Essex and Passaic counties, and was separated into three divisions based on NJSIAA size classification.[29] With 1,414 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,060 to 5,049 students in that grade range.[30] The football team competes in the Freedom Red division of the North Jersey Super Football Conference, which includes 112 schools competing in 20 divisions, making it the nation's biggest football-only high school sports league.[31][32] The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group V North for football for 2022–2024, which included schools with 1,313 to 5,304 students.[33] The school's sports teams are nicknamed the Maroons.[3] Ridgewood High School athletics are broadcast locally on RHS-TV Sports, a student-produced sports television network, every Tuesday night at 8 pm throughout the school year.
The boys track team won the Group III spring / outdoor track state championship in 1939.[34]
The boys' tennis team won the overall state championship in 1952 (vs. Montclair High School), 1954-1956 (vs. William L. Dickinson High School all three years), 1958 (vs. Princeton High School) and 1966 (vs. Westfield High School), and won the Group IV state championship in 1968 (vs. Teaneck High School); the six overall state titles, all won in the era before the Tournament of Champions format began in 1992, are tied for the fourth-most of any school in the state.[35] The 1952 team defeated Summit High School in the semifinals and moved on to beat Montclair 3-0 in the finals to win the overall state tennis title and finish the season undefeated.[36] In 2007, the boys' tennis team won their second state sectionals title in three years, defeating Livingston High School 3-2 to win the North I, Group IV championship.[37] The 2008 boys' tennis Team won their third consecutive North I, Group IV state sectional championship with a 4–1 win in the tournament final over Livingston High School.[38] In 2009, the Maroons defeated Bergen Tech 4-1 at Paramus High School for their fourth consecutive North I Group IV state sectional championship.[39]
The boys' soccer team won the Group III title in 1953 (as co-champion with Hamilton High School), and won the Group IV state title in 1956 (as co-champion with Kearny High School) and 1957 (awarded by NJSIAA).[40]
The football team was awarded the sectional championship by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association in 1960 (as co-champion).[41] Since the playoff system was introduced in 1974, the team has won the North I Group IV state sectional championships in 1991, 2003 and 2004, and won the North I Group V state sectional title in 2016, 2018 and 2019.[42] The 1991 team, under coach Chuck Johnson, finished the season with an 8-3 record after defeating North Bergen High School by a score of 26–15 in the tournament final to win the North I Group IV state championship, the first ever for the Maroons in the playoff era.[43][44] In 2003, the football team defeated Morristown High School by a score of 35–6 in the NJSIAA North I Group IV title game at Giants Stadium.[45] In 2004, the football team repeated the feat by defeating Hackensack High School 27-20, again at Giants Stadium.[46] The team defeated Passaic County Technical Institute in 2016 to win the North I, Group V state sectional championship by a score of 14–13, finishing the season undefeated for the first time since 1957, with a 12–0 record.[47] In 2018, the team won their second North II Group V title with a 27–7 win against Montclair High School in the sectional finals.[48] The team repeated as the North I Group V state sectional championship in 2019 and then went on to defeat previously undefeated North II champion Union High School by a score of 41–37 to win the Group V North regional championship game.[49]
The girls tennis team won the Group IV state championship in 1977 (against Cherry Hill High School East in the final match of the tournament) and 1980 (vs. Cherry Hill East).[50]
The softball team won the Group IV state title in 1979 (defeating Woodbridge High School in the tournament final) and 1983 (vs. Cherry Hill High School West).[51] The 1983 team finished the season with a 29–0 record after winning the Group IV title with a 7–0 victory against Cherry Hill West in the championship game.[52]NJ.com / The Star-Ledger ranked Ridgewood as their number-one softball team in the state in 1983.[53] The team, coached by Patricia Auger, won the 2005 Bergen County Championship and 2006 North I Group IV state sectional championship, defeating Bloomfield High School by 3-0.[54]
The girls' cross country team won the Group IV state championship in 1980, 1992, 1998 and 1999. Team members won individual Group IV championships in 1984, 1993, 1997 and 2001.[55]
The girls volleyball team won the Group IV state championship in 1986 (against runner-up Paramus High School in the final match of the playoffs), 1987 (vs. Paramus Catholic High School) and 1996 (vs. Immaculate Heart Academy).[56] The 1986 team finished the season with a 23–1 record after winning the Group IV title in three games (13-15, 15-12 and 15-8) against a Paramus team that had come into the finals undefeated and was four points away from winning in the second game.[57]
The girls' track team won the Group IV indoor relay state championship in 1987, 1988 and 1989.[58]
The girls track team won the winter / indoor track Group IV state championship in 1988, 1989, 2016, 2019 and 2022. The program's five state group titles are tied for seventh-most in the state.[59]
The girls' outdoor track and field team won the Group IV state championship in 1988 and 1989.[60]
The boys' lacrosse team won state championships in 1990 (defeating Arthur L. Johnson High School in the final game of the state tournament) and 1991 (vs. Montclair High School), along with Group III championships in 2004 (vs. Westfield High School), 2006 (vs. Randolph High School), 2008 (vs. Montgomery High School), 2009 (vs. Shawnee High School), 2012 (vs. Morristown High School), 2013 (vs. Shawnee), 2014 (vs. Moorestown High School) and 2015 (vs. Shawnee). The program's 10 state group titles are tied for fourth-most statewide.[61] The 1991 team finished the season 19-0 and brought their streak to 34 consecutive wins after taking their second straight state title with a 10–8 win against Montclair in the championship game.[62] The 2009 team won the Group III title in 2009 with an 11-6 win against Shawnee in the finals.[63] In 2011, Ridgewood High School won the Gibbs League and won the Bergen County Tournament Championship vs. Don Bosco Preparatory High School. Ridgewood High School has made it to the final four of the Tournament of Champions (which includes all six state group champions) both in 2012 when they lost to Bridgewater-Raritan High School in triple overtime (Ranked top 20 in the country by InsideLacrosse magazine in 2012) and in 2013 to Don Bosco Prep High School (Ranked 25th in the country by InsideLacrosse magazine in 2013).
The Ridgewood boys' cross country team has won Group IV state championships in 1991 and 1992.[64] The team, headed by Coach Mike Glynn since the 1970s (with the exception of a two-year break), has won multiple titles at the Bergen County Meet of Champions since the 1990s, earning Glynn recognition from The Record in 2010 as its Coach of the Decade.[65] Notable runners in previous years include Joe Lemay, who went on to represent the United States at the World Half Marathon Championships and the World Cross-Country Championships, and Bob Keino (son of Kenyan Olympian Kip Keino), who won the New Jersey State Meet of Champions in both 1992 and 1993.[64] Taro Shigenobu qualified for the Nike Cross Nationals in 2008, and was recognized by The Record as its runner of the year in 2009 and as part of its All-Decade team in 2010, joining Michael Cator, Byron Williams and Ari Zamir on its list of top Bergen County runners.[65] In 2017, the Ridgewood Boys won their first Bergen Meet of Champions title since 2005 under coach Patrick Ryan, defeating Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, 88-94.[66]
The girls' basketball team won the Group IV state championship in 1991 with a win against Piscataway High School in the final game of the tournament.[67]
The ice hockey team won the Handchen Cup in 1999 and the McMullen Cup in 2006.[68]
In 2007, the girls' indoor track and field were North I, Group IV state sectional champions, edging out East Orange Campus High School.[69] That year, the team came in 2nd nationally for the Shuttle Hurdle Relay; Although not running as fast as they did in 2007, the team came 1st in 2008 for the Shuttle Hurdles at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships.[70] In 2008, the boys' outdoor track and field team placed 6th nationally in the Sprint Medley Relay, the first sprint team to place at Nationals for RHS after numerous previous Top 6 finishes in the Distance Medley Relay.[citation needed]
Girls' soccer coach Jeff Yearing, in his 25th year of coaching, won his 400th career game in September 2011, placing him second among all active Bergen County coaches.[74]
The Ridgewood boys' track and field teams have also experienced notable success. In the 2013 spring season, the Maroons boys won the Bergen County Relays championship, Big North league championship, the Bergen County Team championship, (over perennial powerhouse Don Bosco Preparatory High School), and their fourth consecutive North I Group IV state sectional championship.[75] The sectional championship qualified RHS for New Jersey's first ever group team championship in Egg Harbor Township, where the Maroons finished second.[76] At the New Balance Nationals, the team set a new school and county record in the 4x800 meter relay, finishing fifth in the nation with a time of 7:39.57.[77] The team's coaches are Josh Saladino and Mike Glynn.
In 2017, the girls' varsity ski team won the state championship. Individually, ski racers from Ridgewood won the Overall Women's state championship and the Giant Slalom Men's state championship.[78] In 2019 the girls' varsity ski team won the Liberty Championship, Giant Slalom State Championship, Slalom State Championship, and Overall State Championship. They finished the season undefeated, 20-0. Kaitlyn Devir won the Overall State Championship and Jane McKinley placed 3rd.
In 2020 Ridgewood girls won their third Overall State Championship in four years. The boys team won the State Slalom Championship for the first time in program history. Jane McKinley, Eddie O'Keefe and Cole Sherman were named to the All-State Team [79]
In 2019, the boys’ baseball team also won their first ever NJSIAA Group IV state title, defeating Eastern Regional High School by a score of 2–1 in the group final.[80][81] That same season, the team won their first championship in the 61-year history of the Bergen County Tournament, defeating Saint Joseph Regional High School by a score of 10–7 in the tournament final.[82]
Music
Ridgewood High School's music department offers three orchestras, four choirs, three concert bands, a marching band, two jazz ensembles, and numerous small ensembles. Ridgewood High School was named a Grammy Signature School in 2004.[83]
The three curricular bands are the symphonic band, concert band, and wind ensemble, conducted by John W. Luckenbill III and Jeffery G. Haas.[84] The symphonic band is an entry-level band where students focus on sharpening their skills in rhythm, pitch, and balance. The use of method books and exercises is supplemented by appropriate concert selections (Level 2.5 to 3), and these skills are developed in an enjoyable environment.[85]
Administration
The school's principal is Jeffrey M. Nyhuis. His core administration team includes two assistant principals.[86]
As of the 2020-21 school year Ridgewood High was 66% White, 18% Asian, 10% Hispanic, 1% Black, 0.1% Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander, and 0% American Indian/Alaskan Native.[87]
RHS's feeder schools are Benjamin Franklin Middle School and George Washington Middle School.
Tyler Clementi (1991–2010, class of 2010), Rutgers University student who committed suicide after his intimate encounter with another man was streamed online[93]
Julia Meade (1925–2016, class of 1944), film and stage actress who was a frequent pitch person in live commercials in the early days of television in the 1950s.[108]
Michael Mercurio (born 1972), actor who has appeared in film, theatre, and television, often portraying psychologically disturbed characters.[109]
Ali Stroker (born 1987), Tony Award winning actress and singer, who is the first actress needing a wheelchair for mobility known to have appeared on a Broadway stage.[123]
Kazbek Tambi (born 1961, class of 1979), current Seton Hall University women's soccer head coach and former professional soccer player; inducted into the RHS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004[124]
^ abHistory of RHS, Ridgewood High School. Accessed February 1, 2022. "Ridgewood High School was founded in 1892 when the principal, B.C. Wooster, reorganized the ninth grade into a freshman class and made it the first‑year class of high school."
^High Times, Ridgewood High School. Accessed March 25, 2022.
^Hanley, Robert. "The $25 Million Defeat", The New York Times, December 21, 1997. Accessed January 22, 2012. "The high school, built in 1919 for $285,000 (after one bond issue failed), sits on a little bluff and is one of Ridgewood's most imposing buildings."
^"Glen Rock To Open High School Class; Juniors, Seniors Stay At Ridgewood, Sophomores Attend Classes Here", The Record, August 22, 1956. Accessed March 25, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Opening of the new Glen Rock High School on September 6 will create the unusual situation of three schools, each a separate entity, operating under one roof. The High School will occupy part of the greatly enlarged Junior High School building but they will operate as two separate schools, not a junior-senior high school, according to Superintendent Eugene J. Bradford.... There will be only sophomores in the new school this year, as juniors and seniors will complete their secondary education in Ridgewood High School.... Opening of the High School brings the climax to a 4 1/2-year task for Bradford and the Board of Education. The Board received notice from Ridgewood in March 1952 that no more Glen Rock students could be accommodated at Ridgewood after September 1954."
^"CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department", Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
^"Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test", The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
^Herzog, Laura. "Top Ridgewood teacher distinguishes herself", The Ridgewood News, May 31, 2013. Accessed November 25, 2015. "According to Princeton University, as well as her colleagues and students, these qualities make her one of the state's top teachers. In June, the university will honor Kirtane, who has worked at RHS for nine years, and three other public and private high school teachers in New Jersey."
^"Palisades Park wins sectional", The Record, May 22, 2007. "Quentin Sengun and Walter Green rallied to win what proved to be the winning match as top-seeded Ridgewood defeated third-seeded Livingston, 3-2, at Montclair Kimberley to win its second sectional title in three years."
^Conrad, JJ; and Iseman, Chris. "NJ HS football championships: How past finalists fared", The Record, November 27, 2016. "Although the state established the current playoff format in 1974, titles have been awarded for decades. Here are the most decorated North Jersey teams playing for a title this weekend, listed by their state championship totals:.... Ridgewood (4): 1960 (co-champs), 1991, 2003, 2004"
^Fennell, Marcus. "1991 football team has 'stately' reunion", The Ridgewood News, October 7, 2011. Accessed December 8, 2016. "Our quarterback, Dan Burns, had a fantastic game against North Bergen, rushing for 70 yards and throwing for 150, and we won the first state football title for Ridgewood. The final score was 26-15."
^Mattura, Greg. "Burns propels Ridgewood to championship", The Record, December 8, 1991. Accessed January 30, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Each time Dan Burns had to make a split-second decision, the Ridgewood senior seemed to make the right choice. The quarterback frequently was allowed the option of running or passing, and in almost every case, his decision proved lucrative in Saturday's Group 4, Section 1 final against North Bergen. The 6-foot, 175-pound Burns threw for a season-high 178 yards and ran for a team-best 93 yards to pace second-seeded Ridgewood to a surprisingly easy 26-15 victory over the defending champion and fourth-seeded Bruins.... Burns' throwing and running helped Ridgewood (8-3) more than double that total by halftime in gaining control."
^via Associated Press. "High School Football Playoffs Roundup", The Press of Atlantic City, December 11, 2003. Accessed June 30, 2011. "Ridgewood 35, Morristown 6: Senior Derek Pilipiak ran for two touchdowns and threw for another on a halfback option to lead Ridgewood to victory over Morristown in the North 1, Group IV title game at Giants Stadium."
^Staff. "Final Gannett N.J. Top 20 Football Poll", Daily Record, December 6, 2004. Accessed August 4, 2011. "Last week No 8 Paul Gallo rushed for 111 yards and a TD as the Maroons avenged an earlier loss to Hackensack with a 27-20 win over the Comets."
^Stypulkoski, Matt. "No. 10 Ridgewood caps first unbeaten season since 1957 with N1G5 title over Passaic Tech", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 4, 2016. Accessed December 8, 2016. "Ridgewood's first undefeated season since 1957 came with some late drama.... As a result, Ridgewood, No. 10 in the NJ.com Top 20, escaped from MetLife Stadium with a 14-13 win, the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 5 title and an unblemished 12-0 record on Sunday afternoon."
^McConville, Jim. "Ridgewood football gets revenge, downs Montclair for sectional title", The Record, November 17, 2018. Accessed September 29, 2020. "It was 364 days ago that Ridgewood walked off of Woodman Field in Montclair, losers by a 49-14 score to the Mounties. From that moment, the Maroons were fueled by the desire for revenge. They returned to Woodman Field on Saturday in the North 1, Group 5 championship game and made good on their quest, taking a convincing 27-7 win over Montclair to earn a trip to MetLife Stadium to play Piscataway in the Group 5 North bowl game."
^Tartaglia, Greg. "Game of the Year? Ridgewood football stuns Union in back-and-forth regional title thriller", The Record, November 29, 2019. Accessed September 29, 2020. "Not many expected the North Group 5 football championship game to turn into a shootout. Fewer expected Ridgewood to emerge victorious Friday night at MetLife Stadium. Yet when Tommy Bourque intercepted Union quarterback Andrew Sanborn with two seconds to play, the Maroons had held on for a 41-37 win."
^Langa, Randy. "Ridgewood didn't need perfection", The Record, June 13, 1983. Accessed January 4, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The Ridgewood Softball team, which finished the season at 29-0, was the only North Jersey team from among four softball and two baseball squads to win a state championship Saturday. But Ridgewood wasn't perfect in its 7-0 conquest of Cherry Hill West for the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association's Group 4 crown."
^"Softball: Every No. 1 team in the state from 1979 to 2015", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 21, 2015, updated August 24, 2019. Accessed January 4, 2021. "Following are the teams that finished as the NJ.com No. 1 softball team in the state with year and record.... 1983: Ridgewood (29-0)"
^deMarrais, Kevin. "Ridgewood stuns Paramus", The Record, November 23, 1986. Accessed February 25, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Four points from defeat, Ridgewood rallied to defeat previously unbeaten Paramus, 13-15, 15-12, 15-8, yesterday to capture the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association North Section Group 4 volleyball championship.... After Paramus (23-1) had closed the margin to five, 13-8, the Maroons locked up the title on spikes by co-captain Suzanne Riley and Leslie Day."
^Fox, Ron. "Ridgewood repeats as State champions", The Record, June 2, 1991. Accessed January 5, 2021. "Yet it was the Maroons' attack crews that led the way Saturday to a repeat State championship and the extension of their state-record winning streak to 34 games. Ridgewood built a 6-2 cushion, then held on for a 10-8 victory over a zealous Montclair team. Ridgewood (19-0) had allowed only 11 goals in their last seven games and 2.7 points per game for the season."
^Benevento, Don. "Ridgewood too much for No. 3 Shawnee", Courier-Post, May 30, 2009. Accessed December 31, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "There were a few tears after the game as the players on the Shawnee boys' lacrosse team battled to control their emotions in the wake of a disappointing loss, but there was a sense of pride as well. A team with a core group of 13 seniors, the Renegades had never ventured this far into the state tournament. And that fact alone was almost enough to erase the sting of an 11-6 loss to Ridgewood Friday in the Group 4 [sic] state championship game."
^Schwartz, Paul. "Cross-country: Ridgewood boys, Baginski win Bergen County Meet of Champions", The Record October 28, 2017. Accessed October 27, 2020. "'This is not the team I expected to go to the line and finish the race with when the season started,' said Ridgewood coach Patrick Ryan after his team won its first BMOC crown since the 2005 race at 88-94 over NV/Demarest."
^Schwartz, Paul. "Ridgewood girls grab gold", The Record, March 15, 2008, backed up by the Internet Archive as of December 1, 2008. Accessed September 21, 2015. "A year after their Bergen County-record performance earned them second place at the National Scholastic Indoor Championships, Ridgewood's girls' shuttle hurdles relay team returned to the meet at the Armory Track Center in New York on Friday with less lofty goals.... Instead the Maroons got the gold medal that eluded them last season on the first day of the three-day meet."
^Moretti, Mike. Girls' Lacrosse - 2010 NJSIAA Tournament of Champions - Round 2 - Game 1 - Girls' Lacrosse, The Star-Ledger, June 5, 2010. Accessed June 2, 2016. "Senior standout Samantha Cermack scored the decisive goal with 2:54 remaining and sent Ridgewood, No. 1 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, past No. 4 Mendham, 7-6, in the NJSIAA/New Balance Tournament of Champions final yesterday at Rutgers' Yurcak Field in Piscataway.... It was the first T of C title for Ridgewood in its first T of C appearance and marked the first title in 11 years to go to a team other than Moorestown."
^Guiffra, Brian. "Ridgewood girls' lax team wins second straight Tournament of Champions title", The Record, June 11, 2011. Accessed August 15, 2012. "Trailing top-seeded Moorestown by two goals with just over seven minutes left in the girls' lacrosse Tournament of Champions final, No. 2 Ridgewood staged an incredible comeback to earn a 10-9 win on a misty Saturday afternoon at Yurcak Field in Rutgers."
^Leonard, Tim. "Girls' soccer: Ridgewood's Jeff Yearing wins 400th", The Record, September 21, 2011. Accessed September 21, 2011. "Tuesday's win was No. 400 for Ridgewood coach Jeff Yearing.... Yearing was surprised by the gesture and thought his players didn't know the milestone was fast-approaching. He started the season with 397 wins in 24 previous seasons."
^Mills, Ed. "H.S. Boys' Track: Ridgewood rolls to fourth straight state sectional crown", The Record, May 26, 2013. Accessed December 22, 2013. "The Maroons ended up with all three relay victories, and also gold in the 100-meter sprint as they swept to a championship Saturday at the track and field state sectional championships.Ridgewood won the North 1, Group 4 title for an unprecedented fourth year in a row and qualified for the group state championships this weekend at Egg Harbor."
^Bevensee, Rich. "Group 4 boys' track championship results, 2013", The Star-Ledger, June 1, 2013. Accessed March 20, 2016. "Also in Group 4, the South Brunswick boys made history by winning their first group title, 129-93.5 over runner-up Ridgewood, and they did so with balance, as evidenced by the fact that coach Wilfredo Rivera' team earned only two gold medals."
^Birchenough, Matthew. "H.S. Boys' Track & Field: Ridgewood foursome crowned All-Americans in 4-x-800", The Record, June 20, 2014. Accessed March 20, 2016. "From left, Ridgewood's Luke Dublirer, Brian Collins, David Frering and Michael Thurston wear their All-American crowns after finishing fifth in the 4-x-800 relay in a Bergen County-record 7:39.57 at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals in Greensboro, N.C. last Saturday."
^"Don Bosco Prep, Ridgewood earn state ski titles at NJISRA championships (PHOTOS)", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, March 9, 2019, updated August 22, 2019. Accessed October 27, 2020. "The Don Bosco Prep ski team won the overall boys team title for the fourth year in a row and Ridgewood earned the girls title when the New Jersey Interscholastic Ski Racing Association championships concluded with the Race of Champions on March 1 at Mountain Creek Ski Resort in Vernon."
^Tartaglia, Greg. "Ridgewood baseball completes epic season with first state championship", The Record, June 8, 2019. Accessed October 27, 2020. "Senior Sam Favieri started the scoring with an RBI sac fly and finished the game by pitching a perfect seventh inning, as the Maroons defeated Eastern Regional, 2-1, in the NJSIAA Group 4 baseball final Saturday night at Veterans Park. Ridgewood, one of the oldest high schools in Bergen County – and one of its most successful in a variety of sports – earned its first-ever state baseball title."
^"Ridgewood captures 1st Bergen County Baseball Tournament (PHOTOS)", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, May 25, 2019, updated August 22, 2019. Accessed February 7, 2021. "The 61st Bergen County Tournament championship spelled a blow-for-blow war between two cinderella teams in ninth-seeded Ridgewood, No. 11 in the NJ.com Top 20, and 10th-seeded/No. 9 St. Joseph of Montvale. Ridgewood (21-4) ended up throwing the final punch, as it plated four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning en route to a 10-7 comeback victory in front of a packed crowd in Demarest. The Maroons captured their first BCT title and were making their first appearance since losing to St. Joseph in 1986."
^"NJEA honors outstanding N.J. public school grads"Archived September 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, NJEA Reporter, October 2007, Volume 51, Number 2. Accessed July 9, 2008. "A 1963 graduate of Ridgewood High School in Bergen County, Bakker credits the Dec. 7, 1953 issue of Life Magazine, which he unearthed at his grandfather's house, for his interest in dinosaurs."
^La Fountain, Aimee. "Fox News contributor Guy Benson releases new book", The Ridgewood News, June 12, 2015. Accessed July 29, 2015. "'Sept. 11 [happened during] my junior year at Ridgewood High School. That's when politics became something much more serious and consequential in my mind.'"
^ abMushinske, Joram. "Real Estate bassist Alex Bleeker talks about the band’s Ridgewood roots", The Record, June 11, 2018. Accessed October 17, 2018. "Founding members Martin Courtney (vocals/guitar), Matt Mondanile (guitar/vocals) and Bleeker first met in elementary school and became closer friends at George Washington Middle School in Ridgewood. '“We would all play together in basements and open mic nights at Ridgewood High School along with [current Real Estate guitarist] Julian Lynch and other friends,' Bleeker recalls"
^Stoltz, Marsha A. "Ridgewood alumnus donates $635,000 for high school STEAM programs", The Record, May 12, 2021. Accessed March 29, 2023. "A $635,000 alumni gift — the largest in the district's history — was announced by the Board of Education on Monday. The donation by 1958 graduate Dave Duffield via the Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation was designated for high school STEAM programs."
^O'Donnell, Chuck "Ridgewood native's love of comics takes him to The Infinite Horizon", The Ridgewood News, December 2, 2011. Accessed September 12, 2012. "Staring at a dog-eared copy of Homer's "The Odyssey" he had pulled off a shelf, Duggan's mind flashed back to the first time he was introduced to the book as a student at Ridgewood High School."
^Block, Maxine. "Elizabeth Hawes" in Current Biography Yearbook, p. 371. H. W. Wilson Company, 1968. Accessed November 16, 2017. "She wanted to go to art school, but somehow, after her graduation from the Ridgewood High School, found herself in Vassar, chiefly because her mother had been a student there and her older sister was attending the college."
^Herzog, Laura. "Ridgewood honors jazz great who went to RHS", The Ridgewood News, April 15, 2013. Accessed December 5, 2013. "Another name recognized by many serious musicians was former Ridgewood resident Sonny Igoe, who died last spring at age 88. A 1939 Ridgewood High School (RHS) 'distinguished alumni' graduate, Igoe was one of America's great big band drummers, who even played with the 'King of Swing' himself, Benny Goodman."
^Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, 1988, p. 283. Accessed January 22, 2018. "Walter M.D. Kern Jr., Rep., Ridgewood Assemblyman Kern was born in Jersey City March 10, 1937. He was graduated from Ridgewood High School and Brown University, and received his law degree at Columbia Law School in 1962, the year he was admitted to the bar."
^Klein, Alvin. "For Stage Novice, 'Acting Is It'", The New York Times, January 5, 1986. Accessed October 29, 2007. "'He's not only having an awful day, he's having an awful time,' as the actor, Robert Leonard of Ridgewood, puts it.... A junior at Ridgewood High School, Robert is enrolled in a 'work study' program under which he gets credit for his theater experience."
^"Jocelyn Mays to wed Alfred W. Lutter III", The Ridgewood News, March 27, 1994. Accessed February 1, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Mays of Bonita, Calif, announce the engagement of their daughter, Jocelyn Eastman, to Alfred William Lutter III, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred William Lutter Jr. of Rancho Bernardo, Calif.... Mr. Lutter, a graduate of Ridgewood High School,', obtained his bachelors degree in civil engineering in 1984 from Stanford University and his masters degree in engineering and management in 1988, also from Stanford University."
^Amos, Darius. "Area students to compete in History Bowl and Bee in Ridgewood", The Ridgewood News, February 2, 2012. Accessed November 7, 2023. "The bee for individuals and the bowl for teams are part of the greater National History Bee and Bowl, which was founded by Ridgewood resident and 1999 RHS graduate David Madden in 2010."
^"Michael Mercurio: From Ridgewood to Hollywood", The Villadom Times, October 27, 2010. Accessed November 16, 2017. "When he was a teenager, his family moved to Ridgewood, where he attended Ridgewood High School from 1986 to 1988."
^McQuiston, John T. "Helen K. Nearing, Maine Writer, Dies at 91", The New York Times, September 19, 1995. Accessed January 28, 2020. "Mrs. Nearing, who was born in Ridgewood, N.J., graduated from Ridgewood High School, then traveled extensively aboard, studying the violin, which she gave up for gardening when she married Mr. Nearing."
^Aberback, Brian. "Ridgewood's Senses Fail performs on the Warped Tour at PNC", The Record, July 10, 2012. Accessed August 15, 2012. "Senses Fail formed in 2002 when Nielsen, then a Ridgewood High School senior, met like-minded Bergen County musicians through Internet message boards."
^Finn, Robin. "Tennis: Secret Sharer: O'Reilly Is Dead, but Her Gift Lives On; A Tennis-Playing Triplet Made Sure She Spent Her Life as More Than a Mere Curiosity", The New York Times, October 15, 1993. Accessed September 6, 2019. "When Maryann Tierney, coach of Ridgewood High School's girls tennis team, boarded a school bus for the ride to a meet against neighboring Paramus the other day, she was taken aback by the silence that had replaced her players' usual pre-game chatter.... Tierney never coached O'Reilly, who along with sisters Patti and Terri formed Ridgewood's famous triplet trio that dominated national junior competition in the Eastern region before all three were graduated from high school in 1986 and enrolled at Duke."
^McCall, Tris. "Ridgewood rocks: A slew of hot indie bands have roots in Bergen town", Inside Jersey, August 12, 2013. Accessed October 17, 2018. "Guitarist and singer Cassie Ramone, a Ridgewood High School graduate who fronts the popular Vivian Girls, says that her parents moved to the Bergen County suburb to take advantage of the schools."
^"Service Salute", Shopper News, May 7, 1986. Accessed February 1, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Marine 2nd Lt. Kenneth P. Rapuano, son of Dr. and Mrs. Alfred Rapuano of 813 Morningside Road, Ridgewood, recently participated in U.S. Tunisia Amphibious Exercise.... A 1980 graduate of Ridgewood High School, he joined the Marine Corps in November, 1984."
^September in the Rain: The Life of Nelson Riddle, accessed April 22, 2007. "Riddle was born in Oradell, New Jersey. His father played trombone and piano and encouraged his son to take music lessons at an early age. Already a six footer in his teens, he attended Ridgewood High School and was encouraged by his school music teacher to continue his musical studies, which he would ultimately do most of his life."
^"Back For Vacation", The Morning Call, June 11, 1942. Accessed February 6, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "Miss Beatrice Schroeder, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Schroeder of Heights road, is home from Blue Ridge College. New Windsor, Md., where she has completed her freshman year. She continued to appear as harpist at concerts in New Windsor and vicinity during the year, just as she had all through her Ridgewood High School career."
^Herzog, Laura. "Alumnus joins a 'distinguished' group", The Ridgewood News, October 12, 2012. Accessed December 21, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "There is Thelma Schoonmaker (Class of 1957), a Hollywood film editor who has won three Acade my Awards for her work on Raging Bull,The Aviator and The Departed."
^Herzog, Laura. "Actress who uses a wheelchair a likely first for Broadway", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 11, 2015. Accessed October 29, 2017. "Ali Stroker may be the first person who uses a wheelchair to be in a Broadway production, ever. The 28-year-old Ridgewood-raised singer, actress and philanthropist says 'it's the ultimate dream come true' to star in a special production of Spring Awakening --a musical, by Deaf West Theatre, that is also performed in American Sign Language.... Stroker, who was president of Ridgewood High School president during her senior year, also starred in several high school productions including as Maria in West Side Story, and Cosette in Les Miz."
^Kobel, Peter. "Percussionist Van Tieghem Hears A Different Drum", Chicago Tribune, August 18, 1987. Accessed October 29, 2012. "Van Tieghem -- tall, angular and soft-spoken -- grew up in Ridgewood, N.J., and now lives in downtown Manhattan. He played in a number of rock bands in high school and then studied percussion at the Manhattan School of Music."
^Stiansen, Laura Adams. "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel praised by Ridgewood's Michael Zegen for its Emmy wins", The Record, September 18, 2018. Accessed December 20, 2018. "But the 39-year-old actor, who now calls New York City home, hasn’t forgotten his Jersey roots ('I still prefer Paramus Park to Garden State Plaza,' he says. 'Guess I’m just nostalgic') or the Ridgewood High School theater program that helped him develop his passion (and that he used to consider his 'home')."
