New Bedford High School

Description

New Bedford High School is a public high school located at 230 Hathaway Boulevard in the West End of New Bedford, Massachusetts. The school has approximately 2,000 students, and is one of the largest schools in the state. New Bedford is also one of the largest high schools in the country, being ranked in the Top 200 high schools in the country based on enrollment. It is a part of the New Bedford Public Schools school district. New Bedford High School is currently a level 4 school in the middle of a $2.4 million turnaround plan.Extracurricular activitiesThe school's athletic teams are named the Whalers, in honor of the city's whaling history. The New Bedford High School teams wear red and white, and compete in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association's Division I. Their fight song, "On, New Bedford" is sung to the tune of "On, Wisconsin!"BasketballThe boys' basketball program at New Bedford High School has long been one of the most successful in the state. Ed Rodrigues coached the varsity team for 27 years (1980–2007). During his tenure as head coach, the Whalers were one of the state's top-performing teams year after year and made numerous appearances in the state tournament, winning back-to-back Division 1 State titles in 1993 and 1994. His teams also won two additional Eastern Massachusetts Finals and two additional South Sectional titles. There were only two losing seasons in his career. On February 21, 2007, Rodrigues coached his final game at New Bedford High School. The Whalers lost to the visiting St. Raphael Academy Saints of Pawtucket, Rhode Island 69-66. Rodrigues ended his tenure at the school with a career record of 435-157. He continues to be a teacher at the school, is still heavily involved with the basketball program and the entire athletic department, and is currently an assistant men's basketball coach at UMass Dartmouth. In 2009, New Bedford High School's basketball court was officially dedicated in Rodrigues' name.