Nantucket High School is a public high school in Nantucket, Massachusetts. It is also the only high school on the island of Nantucket. The school serves students in grades 9–12, and has an approximate enrollment of 400 students. The school colors are Navy Blue and White, and the mascot is Hank the Harpoon Man, whose name was chosen by the students in 2013.HistoryNantucket High School was founded in 1838 with Cyrus Peirce as the school's first principal. The school's mascot names of the Whalers, is obviously in tribute to the long and storied history of the commercial whaling industry on Nantucket. Nantucket is regarded as one of the most recognizable and synonymous places associated with Whaling in the world.AthleticsThe Nantucket High School athletic teams are known as the Whalers. There are currently five boys' teams (soccer, basketball, swimming, lacrosse, and baseball), six girls' teams (soccer, basketball, swimming, lacrosse, volleyball, and softball), and six coed teams (football, field hockey, ice hockey, cheerleading, golf, and sailing).There is the skeleton of a juvenile finback whale hanging in the commons area of Nantucket High School that serves as the team's mascot. The Nantucket girls' athletic teams are known as the Lady Whalers.FootballThe Nantucket football team is the schools most successful athletics team and is further regarded as one of the most successful small school programs in Massachusetts. They have won a total of 4 Massachusetts State Championships. The Whalers won state championships in 1980, 1995, 1996, and 2011. Also, they were State Finalists in 1982, 1983, 1990, 1993, 1994 and 1998. The Nantucket Football team has appeared in the MIAA State Championship game a total of 10 times since 1980.
