Chatham Township High School

Chatham Township High School (CTHS) was a public high school that existed from 1962 through 1988, located on Lafayette Avenue in Chatham Township, in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. CTHS had as its mascot the Gladiator. The school became defunct when the township and Chatham Borough merged their independent school systems to create the School District of the Chathams. The current Chatham High School shared by both municipalities occupies the building that had been used by Chatham Township High School.

Voters in Chatham Township approved the building of a high school in September 1960, with a referendum to spend $1,750,000 in a bond offering passing by a 4-1 margin and completion expected in time for the 1962–63 school year.^[1]

The school, which opened to students in September 1962 for grades seven through nine under the supervision of principal Benjamin Diest, was formally dedicated in December of that year.^[2]^[3]

Athletics

The school's sports teams were known as the Gladiators.^[4]

The baseball team won the North II Group I state sectional championship in 1966.^[5]

The ice hockey team won the Gordon Cup in 1972 and the Mennen Cup in 1976-1979 and 1981.^[6] After losing to Brick Township High School in an earlier round of the double-elimination tournament, the 1976 team made it to the finals and defeated Brick Township 6–2 to win the Gordon Cup.^[7]

The field hockey team won the North II Group I state sectional title in 1976–1980, 1983, 1986 and 1987; the team won the Group I state title in 1976 (as co-champion with South Hunterdon Regional High School), 1978 (vs. Woodstown High School), 1979 (vs. Eustace Preparatory School), 1980 (vs. Glassboro High School) and 1983 (as co-champion with Pitman High School). The five state championships won still rank as the ninth-most of any school in the state.^[8] The 1976 team finished the season with a 14-3-4 record after being declared as the Group I co-champion following a scoreless tie after two overtime periods in the title game against South Hunterdon; after flipping a coin, South Hunterdon obtained custody of the trophy for half the year while the trophy would be displayed at Chatham Township for the second half.^[9] After giving up the first goal of the game, the 1978 team took control and won the Group I title with a 3–1 win against Woodstown in the championship game.^[10]

The boys' soccer team won the Group I state championship in 1977 (vs. Jamesburg High School), 1983 (vs. Montgomery High School) and 1987 (vs. Haddonfield Memorial High School).^[11]

The boys' cross country team won the Group I state championship in 1977.^[12]

Notable alumni

Dave Given (born 1954), former ice hockey right winger who played one game in the World Hockey Association for the Vancouver Blazers.^[13]
Anne M. Thompson, scientist, who specializes in atmospheric chemistry and climate change.^[14]

References

^ Staff. "Jersey High School Approved", The New York Times, September 29, 1960. Accessed January 30, 2017.
^ Staff. "Athletic Schedule Given to Board", The Madison Eagle, July 5, 1962. Accessed January 30, 2017. "Benjamin Diest, principal of Chatham Township High School, presented a full schedule of athletic events for the school which opens in September for grades seven, eight and nine, at last week's meeting of the board of education."
^ Staff. "High School Dedication Dec. 16", The Chatham Press, December 16, 1962. Accessed January 30, 2017.
^ Barmakian, Ed. "Chatham High Graduates Make it a "Great Reunion" by Marching in 4th of July Parade; Eskies Mascot Makes Return Appearance", TAP into Chatham, July 4, 2019. Accessed March 2, 2021. "Chatham Borough was known as the Eskies and the Chatham Township as the Gladiators before the two joined as one high school and became the Cougars starting in the 1988-'89 school year."
^ Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated June 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
^ NJSIAA Ice Hockey State Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
^ "Bezzosi, Brennan spark Chatham win", Herald News, March 21, 1972. Accessed March 2, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Chatham Township unleashed a scoring barrage in the third period scoring four times to rout Brick Township in the finals of the Gordon Cup hockey playoffs, 6-2, at the South Mountain Arena last night. Paced by Robin Brennan and Greg Bezzosi, Chatham, champions of the North Jersey Scholastic Hockey League, became the first team to come back to capture the Cup after losing a match in the double e1iminatiom tournament."
^ History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.
^ Budd, Linda. "Glad Girls Are State Co-Champs", The Chatham Press, November 25, 1976. Accessed February 15, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The Chatham Township High School Field Hockey Team are co-owners of the Group I State crown by virtue of a 0-0 deadlock with a South Hunterdon squad on Saturday....With a 0-0 tie at game's end, two overtime periods followed. Defenses of both squads were outstanding holding back all attacks at the goal. The decision was made that both teams earned a championship title. South Hunterdon won the toss and so will keep the trophy for six months after which it will be on display in the C.T.H.S. trophy case.... The season record was 14-3-4."
^ Gormley, Helene. "Scrappy Woodstown bows to experience in Group 1 final", Courier-Post, November 20, 1978. Accessed March 1, 2021. "In response to this support, the Woodstown High team went out and battled. It battled beautifully, but, when everything was over, Chatham used experience to take a 3-1 win and the state title. The win was the first-ever outright North title, although Chatham shared the laurels with Bishop Eustace in last year's Group 1 game."
^ NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
^ NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.
^ Davie Given, Elite Hockey Prospects. Accessed January 4, 2018. "Birthplace: Summit, NJ, USA.... 1969-70 Chatham Township"
^ Fleming, Mrs. Paul. "Along the Way", The Chatham Press, April 9, 1970. Accessed January 27, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Anne Thompson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. T. Thompson of 16 Deer Run Circle, has been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship for physical chemistry at Princeton University. A senior at Swarthmore College, she is a graduate of Chatham Township High School."

40°43′53″N 74°24′02″W / 40.7315°N 74.4006°W / 40.7315; -74.4006

[1] Staff. "Jersey High School Approved", The New York Times, September 29, 1960. Accessed January 30, 2017.

[2] Staff. "Athletic Schedule Given to Board", The Madison Eagle, July 5, 1962. Accessed January 30, 2017. "Benjamin Diest, principal of Chatham Township High School, presented a full schedule of athletic events for the school which opens in September for grades seven, eight and nine, at last week's meeting of the board of education."

[3] Staff. "High School Dedication Dec. 16", The Chatham Press, December 16, 1962. Accessed January 30, 2017.

[4] Barmakian, Ed. "Chatham High Graduates Make it a "Great Reunion" by Marching in 4th of July Parade; Eskies Mascot Makes Return Appearance", TAP into Chatham, July 4, 2019. Accessed March 2, 2021. "Chatham Borough was known as the Eskies and the Chatham Township as the Gladiators before the two joined as one high school and became the Cougars starting in the 1988-'89 school year."

[NJSIAABaseball-5] Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated June 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.

[6] NJSIAA Ice Hockey State Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.

[7] "Bezzosi, Brennan spark Chatham win", Herald News, March 21, 1972. Accessed March 2, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Chatham Township unleashed a scoring barrage in the third period scoring four times to rout Brick Township in the finals of the Gordon Cup hockey playoffs, 6-2, at the South Mountain Arena last night. Paced by Robin Brennan and Greg Bezzosi, Chatham, champions of the North Jersey Scholastic Hockey League, became the first team to come back to capture the Cup after losing a match in the double e1iminatiom tournament."

[NJSIAAFieldHockey-8] History of NJSIAA Field Hockey Championships, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.

[9] Budd, Linda. "Glad Girls Are State Co-Champs", The Chatham Press, November 25, 1976. Accessed February 15, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The Chatham Township High School Field Hockey Team are co-owners of the Group I State crown by virtue of a 0-0 deadlock with a South Hunterdon squad on Saturday....With a 0-0 tie at game's end, two overtime periods followed. Defenses of both squads were outstanding holding back all attacks at the goal. The decision was made that both teams earned a championship title. South Hunterdon won the toss and so will keep the trophy for six months after which it will be on display in the C.T.H.S. trophy case.... The season record was 14-3-4."

[10] Gormley, Helene. "Scrappy Woodstown bows to experience in Group 1 final", Courier-Post, November 20, 1978. Accessed March 1, 2021. "In response to this support, the Woodstown High team went out and battled. It battled beautifully, but, when everything was over, Chatham used experience to take a 3-1 win and the state title. The win was the first-ever outright North title, although Chatham shared the laurels with Bishop Eustace in last year's Group 1 game."

[11] NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.

[12] NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed January 1, 2022.

[13] Davie Given, Elite Hockey Prospects. Accessed January 4, 2018. "Birthplace: Summit, NJ, USA.... 1969-70 Chatham Township"

[14] Fleming, Mrs. Paul. "Along the Way", The Chatham Press, April 9, 1970. Accessed January 27, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Anne Thompson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. T. Thompson of 16 Deer Run Circle, has been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship for physical chemistry at Princeton University. A senior at Swarthmore College, she is a graduate of Chatham Township High School."

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