Aplington–Parkersburg High School
History
It was formed in 1992, from the merger of the high schools of the Aplington and Parkersburg school districts. The Parkersburg district maintained the joint high school. The two districts legally merged into a single district on July 1, 2004.
On May 25, 2008, the school was destroyed by an EF5 tornado. It has since been rebuilt, with the new building being available for the start of the 2009-2010 school year.
Athletics
The athletic extracurricular activities at Aplington–Parkersburg High School are football, volleyball, cross country, basketball, wrestling, tennis, soccer, golf, track and field, softball and baseball. The Falcons are classified as a 2A school and compete in North Iowa Cedar League Conference.
Throughout its history, Aplington–Parkersburg has won several state championships in various sports and were state runner-up numerous times. In addition, several graduates have gone on to participate in Division I, Division II, and Division III athletics.
Prior to the 1992 merger, the separate high schools in Aplington and Parkersburg were members of the Big Marsh Conference until the 1976–77 school year, when both schools left to join the Mid Iowa Conference, then the Big Iowa Conference.
Ed Thomas
On June 24, 2009, Ed Thomas, the football coach, track coach, and athletic director, was shot and killed in the weight room. He was featured on the July 6th, 2009, cover of Sports Illustrated.
On July 14, 2010, The family of Ed Thomas was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2010 ESPN ESPYs.
State championships
State championships | |||
---|---|---|---|
Season | Sport | Number of championships | Year |
Fall | Football | 2 | 1993, 2001 (Class 1A) |
Volleyball | 1 | 2005 | |
Spring | Golf, Boys' | 1 | 1994 |
Track and Field (wheelchair division) | 3 | 2005, 2006, 2007 | |
Track and Field, Girls' | 1 | 2001 | |
Total | 8 |
Notable alumni
- Darian DeVries, head men's basketball coach, West Virginia University
- Jared DeVries, retired NFL player for the Detroit Lions
- Aaron Kampman, retired NFL player who played mainly for the Green Bay Packers
- Brad Meester, retired NFL player for the Jacksonville Jaguars
- Chelsea Poppens, professional basketball player who formerly played for the San Antonio Stars of the WNBA.
- Casey Wiegmann, retired NFL player who played mainly for the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs
See also
References
- ^ "Aplington team part of rich boys' state hoops history". Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. March 8, 2012. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
- ^ Sullivan, Jim (August 28, 2014). "Ed Thomas' spirit still strong at Aplington-Parkersburg". Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
- ^ "Aplington Parkersburg High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
- ^ "Aplington Parkersburg High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
- ^ "Aplington-Parkersburg." Iowa Department of Education. Retrieved on February 25, 2019.
- ^ Miller, Jessica (2003-06-17). "Vote on Aplington-Parkersburg school merger will likely be in August". WCF Courier. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
Both districts have maintained separate elementary schools. Aplington has been home to the middle school, and Parkersburg has been home to the high school. With a merger, that would stay the same.
- ^ "REORGANIZATION & DISSOLUTION ACTIONS SINCE 1965-66 Archived 2019-02-09 at the Wayback Machine." Iowa Department of Education. Retrieved on February 25, 2019.
- ^ Drehs, Wayne (June 24, 2008). "Iowa town turns to football to recover from tornado". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ "North Iowa Cedar League". North Iowa Cedar League. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
- ^ "3 top schools leaving Big Marsh is action shocking to remaining 6". The Nashua Reporter. March 24, 1976. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
- ^ "Reinbeck's boys post 68–54 win". Waterloo–Cedar Falls Courier. January 15, 1978. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
- ^ "Ed Thomas shot, killed inside school". ESPN. June 25, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-14.
- ^ Jenkins, Lee. "A good man down: The murder of a beloved high school football coach". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
- ^ "The Ed Thomas Family receives Arthur Ashe Award". The Ed Thomas Family receives Arthur Ashe Award.
- ^ "Record Book Football 2020 Complete Edition" (PDF). Iowa High School Athletic Association. 2020-06-09. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
- ^ "2019-2020 Golf Stat Book" (PDF). Iowa High School Athletic Association. 2019-12-16. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
- ^ "2019 IGHSAU Track & Field Record Book" (PDF). Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union. 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
- ^ Bain, Matthew (March 30, 2018). "How Darian DeVries, a clever kid from Aplington, Iowa, became Drake's head coach". Des Moines Register. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ "Small Iowa high school produces four NFL players". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 11, 2004. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
- ^ Owens, Shannon (November 15, 2012). "Brad Meester shows his feminine side". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
- ^ "Chelsea Poppens - Women's Basketball". Iowa State University Athletics. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ^ Zinser, Lynn (June 24, 2009). "Iowa Coach Is Fatally Shot at School He Helped Rebuild". New York Times. Retrieved October 6, 2014.