Netcong High School

Netcong High School was a high school in Netcong in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. In 1969 the school had 390 students.[1] It was a part of the Netcong School District.

History

Netcong High first opened in the 1900s.[2]

In 1969, students protested after New Jersey courts ended a prayer program. The school administration stated the prayer was student-organized and voluntary. New Jersey courts argued that it violated Engel v. Vitale (1962).[1] Judge Joseph Stamler of New Jersey Superior Court issued a decision in February 1970 in the case State Board of Education v. Board of Education of Netcong, New Jersey regarding a policy under which the district's school board provided for voluntary readings at the start of the school day at the high school of prayers that had been published in the Congressional Record, as delivered by Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives. Attendance at these readings was voluntary, and the board said that they were intended as inspirational remarks, rather than prayer in the schools.[3] In his decision, Judge Stamler prohibited what he described as a "subterfuge [that] is degrading to all religions", arguing that by taking what were "beautiful prayers" and referring to them merely as "remarks", the school district was working to "peddle religion in a very cheap manner under an assumed name." The New Jersey Supreme Court unanimously affirmed Stamler's decision and the United States Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from the district's school board.[4]

The school closed in 1974 and the building became Netcong Elementary School. Lenape Valley Regional High School in Stanhope now serves as the public high school for Netcong residents.[2]

Notable alumni
  • John Giannantonio (born c. 1934) set several national high school football records, many which still stand as of 2016. As a 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m), 137 lb (62 kg) sophomore in 1950, Giannantonio rushed for 4,756 yards and 41 touchdowns over the team's eight-game season.[5] During a game in November that season against Mountain Lakes High School he rushed for 754 yards and nine touchdowns in a 61–0 win.[6] His 594.5 rushing yards per game average, season rushing yards total, and single-game rushing yards against Mountain Lakes remain national high school records as of 2016.[5][7]

References
  1. "Crusading Teenagers Push for Review Of School Prayer Ban", Associated Press at the Daytona Beach Morning Journal, December 8, 1970. Page 20. Available from Google News.
  2. "January 2009" (Calendar). Netcong Borough. Accessed December 15, 2016.
  3. State Bd. of Ed. v. Bd. Of Ed. Of Netcong, NJ, Justia, decided February 9, 1970. Accessed January 24, 2018. "The implementation of the resolution has occurred in the following way: At 7:55 A.M. in the Netcong High School gymnasium, immediately prior to the formal opening of school, students who wish to join in the exercise either sit or stand in the bleachers. A student volunteer reader, assigned by the principal on a first come, first serve basis, then comes forward and reads the 'remarks' (so described by defendants) of the chaplain from the Congressional Record, giving the date, volume, number and body whose proceedings are being read."
  4. Saxon, Wolfgang. "Joseph Howard Stamler, 86, Influential New Jersey Judge", The New York Times, October 23, 1998. Accessed January 24, 2018. "His most celebrated case involved the school board of Netcong, N.J., which had a policy providing for daily school readings of prayers published regularly in the Congressional Record, as delivered by Congressional chaplains at the start of the day. Attendance at these readings was voluntary, and the board said they were inspirational remarks, rather than prayer in the schools, but Judge Stamler nevertheless ordered the practice stopped in 1970."
  5. "Johnny G.'s prodigious marks have endured since 1950", National Federation of State High School Associations. Accessed December 14, 2016. "Throughout the history of high school football, there have been some records that would be regarded as unbreakable and then there are others that have endured the test of time.John Giannantonio's amazing 754-yard rushing performance in a game against Mountain Lakes (New Jersey) High School and his 594.5 rushing yards per game for the 1950 season for Netcong (New Jersey) High School clearly meet both criteria.... In addition to those two prodigious performances, he also rushed for 4,756 yards that season. All three marks still rank as national records, according to the NFHS' National High School Sports Record Book."
  6. DiIonno, Mark. "Netcong 76-year-old is a living legend for setting unbroken national high school football record in 1950", The Star-Ledger, November 7, 2010. Accessed December 14, 2016. "That John Giannantonio is 76 now, and 60 years ago this weekend, he did something no other high school football player, in New Jersey or anywhere, has ever done.Wearing the black-and-red of Netcong High, a leather helmet with no face mask, and a pair of thin leather cleats he still has, he ran 754 yards in a game against Mountain Lakes."
  7. Krider, Dave. "John Giannantonio still holds the national record for rushing yards in a game and in a season; The 79-year-old New Jersey legend stood only 5-foot-7 and weighed 137 pounds, but his rushing yards were large and wide.", MaxPreps, September 16, 2013. Accessed December 14, 2016. "He once rushed for 754 yards in a game, the same 1950 season he ran for 4,756 yards and averaged 594.5 per game. All are national records, according to the National High School Sports Record Book. John Giannantonio had magic feet, even as a youngster, before his days at now defunct Netcong (N.J.) High School starting in 1949."

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