Vero Beach High School

Vero Beach High School

File:Vbhs logo.jpg
Principal:	Jane A. Hudson
Locations:	Vero Beach, FL
Website:	vbhs.org

Vero Beach High School (VBHS) is located in Vero Beach, FL the county seat of Indian River County. The present day campus was completed in 1964. The original school located a half mile to the north, was established in 1905. Vero Beach High School was the only public high school in Indian River County prior to the completion of Sebastian River High School in 1994. The current outgoing principal is Jane Hudson.

Academics

The Vero Beach chapter of National Mu Alpha Theta is an honor society that participates in mathematical competitions at the state and national levels. The math team has won various individual and team awards at the state and national levels, most notably a first place Sweepstakes finish at the national convention at Chicago in 1998 and an individual award to Matthew Buitron '97, who set a national high school record for recitation of the digits of pi. The team is coached by its adult sponsors, who are also mathematics teachers at the high school. Current sponsors are Jill Mingear (9th grade), Mary Hiller (10th grade), Brandi Williams (11th grade), and Chris Erfurt (12th grade).

Sports

Vero Beach High School has a competitive athletics program with teams qualifying for the state tournament in their respective sports on an almost annual basis. The school currently competes in division 6A. FHSAA Hall of Fame coach William "Bill" Wilson coached Vero Beach High School to back-to-back boys track & field state championships in 1989 and 1990. The football team won the 1981 state championship, led by notable Vero Beach alumni Todd Fennell, Richard Cunningham, and Charlie Moody under the leadership of head coach Billy Livings. In 1996, player Luke Stoeckel became, at 4'11" the shortest person to ever play high school football at the 6A level in Florida. In 2003 the Varsity football team also went a combined 13-1 (Including the kick off classic win over 2B state Champions Pahokee) and was ranked #17 in the nation by USA Today, and also broke numerous school records, and averaged near 50 points a game before having to travel across state and play in abnormally cold weather(26 Degrees) and falling in the Regional Finals to Venice 34-10. The 2003 boys baseball team progressed to the "final four" as the Class 6A Region 2 Champions. In 2005, the Men's Lacrosse team obtained a new coach, Jack McEnerney. He turned the five year old losing club/program around, used the boys' talents to their full potential, and led the boys to the number four spot in the state. Under the leadership of head coach Shannon Dean, and a record of 25-1-1 the 2006 girls lacrosse team won the Florida High School Varsity & Interscolastic Associates State Championship. US Lacrosse magazine ranked the Fighting Lady Indians 23rd in the nation. In 2007 the Vero Beach HS girls lacrosse team won the Florida State championship again by posting a 25-5 regular season record. A 19-10 rout of Lake Brantley HS in the state finals cemented there place in the Florida HS record books. VBHS girl's lacrosse finished the season ranked 24th in the nation. The baseball team under Coach Jeff Steinman made it to the "Elite Eight" in 1998 and the "Final Four" in 2003. As of the end of the 2008 baseball season, coach Steinman has over 400 wins in his 20+ year career at Vero Beach High School.

List of all Vero Beach High School Sports:

• Football
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Curling, in which Patrick Morgan is the defending state champion
• Wrestling
• Soccer
• Tennis
• Golf
• Cross-Country
• Swimming
• Track and field
• Ping-Pong
• Lacrosse

Drama

Director: Dee Rose

Has been successful in Florida competitions including Florida Theatre Coference, and both state and district competitions.

On February 2nd, 2007, the Competition Drama received three (3) Best of Shows at Individual Events Competition.

Band

Director: James M. Sammons

Associate Director:Colbert Page Howell, Jr.

The Vero Beach High School Band is made up of the following components: Fighting Indians Marching Band, two Symphonic Bands, two Jazz Ensembles, Percussion Ensemble and Flag Corps/Indoor - Winter Guard. The band program consistently receives "Superior" ratings and "Top Awards" at all phases of festival and competitive events both in and out of Florida.

The Symphonic Bands form the heart of the Vero Beach band program. These bands have received "Superior" ratings at the FBA District Music Performance Assessments for the past 25 years. The bands have also earned "Superior" ratings at the FBA State MPA for 19 of the past 24 years, the last 18 being consecutive. Symphonic Band I has performed at the 1985 and 1997 Southeastern U.S. Concert Band Clinics in Troy, Alabama; the 1990 College Band Directors National Association Southern Division in Tallahassee, Florida; the 1996 University of Florida Invitational Band Clinic in Gainesville, Florida; the 1996 University of South Florida Festival of Winds in Tampa; the 1998 University of Georgia Honor Band Weekend; the 1995 and 2005 MENC Southern Division Conference; the Stetson University Honors Festival in April 2000 and 2004; and the 2003 National Band and Orchestra Festival at Carnegie Hall.

Notable Alumni

• Lake Bell (actress)
• Scotty Emerick (country music singer)
• Mardy Fish (Olympic silver medal winning tennis player)
• Kenny Holmes (NFL player)
• Albert Reed (model and Dancing With the Stars contestant)
• Jake Owen (country music singer)
• John Terry (actor) (Lost)
• Stephen Root(actor)