Destrehan High School


Destrehan High School is a public high school located in Destrehan, Louisiana. The St. Charles Parish Public School System school serves all students on the East bank of the Mississippi River in grades 9 through 12.
It serves the communities of Destrehan, Montz, New Sarpy, Norco, and St. Rose.

History

Destrehan High School, a public secondary school, is located on the east bank of St. Charles Parish in Destrehan, Louisiana, approximately twenty-five miles west of New Orleans.
In 1923, St. Charles Parish approved a bond issue for school construction. On September 15, 1924, the Destrehan High School facility received 234 pupils in grades one through eleven. Destrehan's first graduating class consisted of Placide Hotard and Eldridge Gervais.
In 1969, then all-black Mary M. Bethune High School was closed, bringing an end to racially segregated schools and forcing the two student bodies to be combined. Elementary-aged children attended schools directed by court guidelines, and high school students were moved to Destrehan High School.
The process of integrating the two student bodies caused several disruptions. On October 7, 1974, students were sent home early after racially motivated fights broke out in the school. Another incident between a bus full of black students and white parents and students resulted in 13-year-old Timothy Weber, who was standing outside with his mother, being shot. Gary Tyler, a black student, was arrested and later convicted of the murder. A federal appeals court ruled Tyler did not receive a fair trial, but he was never retried and remained in prison until his release in May 2016.
The original high school located on River Road closed after the completion of the 1974 school year. The new campus located at its current location on Wildcat Lane opened with the start of the 1975 school year.
Beginning in 2005, students in grades 11 and 12 from both Destrehan and Hahnville High School's have had the option to attend the school district's for half of the school day. The goal is for students to concentrate on career paths that are projected to expand the most over the next decade. Courses at the Satellite Center include: Advanced Television Broadcasting, Digital Media, Engineering Design, Interactive Media, Process Technology, Health Care Exploration, Patient Care, Hotel-Restaurant and Tourism Administration, Culinary Arts, and Students Teaching And Reaching. As of the 2018–2019 school year, the Satellite Center added courses in Instrumentation and Health Clinical. Thus, the courses of Digital Media, Interactive Media, and Advanced Television Broadcasting were moved into the academic wing of the school district's brand new Rodney Lafon Performing Arts Center less than a block away from the Satellite Center. Despite the move, these three courses are still considered a part of the Satellite Center.
In 2014, two instructors were arrested for having illegal amorous relations with a 16-year-old student. In early 2016, a third teacher was criminally charged for a similar offense.
In 2017, Destrehan High School was one of thirty high schools world-wide to be named "world-leading learners" and to receive a fellowship to share with other schools techniques to excel with the challenges in today's world. The criteria for selection was based on their strength in at least one of these categories: academic excellence, schools that are reducing the achievement gap between racial and socioeconomic groups and innovation, and schools that are aligning classroom outcomes with local labor market stills that are crucial to success in the 21st century economy.

Expansions

To accommodate for larger student bodies, the school has had numerous building additions and wing expansions.
The Mathematics Building was completed in 1993. It is a one-story, t-shaped building with a total of 14 classrooms. It also added a new textbook storage room when it was built. Originally intended as a mathematics building, it now houses most sophomore core classes and some senior core classes. One of the classrooms has been converted to a staff lounge. The building is located right of the softball field, left of the main building, in front of the JROTC building, and behind the Gym Building.
The JROTC Building was completed in 1996. It was originally a two classroom building with two one-person restrooms. In 2014, the building was expanded adding two more one-person restrooms, a new office and a new drumline room. After removing the portable classrooms that Building L replaced, students in ROTC have access to a large yard space for practice. If facing the front, the building is located directly left of the shop buildings, right of the back field behind the "D" building and in front of the tennis court.
The Humanities Building was completed in 2001. It was the first two-story building on campus. The building added roughly 25 new classrooms. Today it houses most core courses for freshmen and juniors. It also houses many senior courses and some sophomore courses. The building has four stairwells, all of which are outside of the building. The entrance to the building is a breezeway with two stairwells that lead to the second floor and two doorways that lead to the first floor. Above the breezeway opposite to the stairs is a large staff lounge. The building is directly left of the main building, directly right of the football field, directly in front of the Gym Building, and facing the front of the school.
The newest building building on campus. It added 17 new regular-sized classrooms, 3 new arts classrooms, a new drama room, a new band room and a new choir room. It also added two more offices and an additional staff lounge. The first floor houses computer classes, all arts classes, speech classes, sports medicine, and drama. The second floor houses foreign languages, choir, and academically-gifted courses. The band room is a two-story classroom with a large amount of floor space on the first floor and many practice rooms on the second floor. Between the band room and corridors, there is a large lobby with display cases.
Each hallway is also complete with accent lighting, televisions, and display cases that connect directly from the arts classrooms. Originally, there were plans to place music and drama on a third floor, but due to a strict time limit, the idea was scrapped and band/choir/drama were placed on floors 1 and 2. The building is directly right of the main building and faces the front of the school.

Alma Mater

Extracurricular activities

The Destrehan High School athletic teams, known as the Fighting Wildcats and Lady Cats, compete in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association.

Football

The Destrehan Fighting Wildcats football team competes in District 7-5A in the LHSAA. The Fighting Wildcats play their home games at 5,000-seat Wildcat Stadium. They are coached by Marcus Scott.

State championships

The Fighting Wildcats have won five LHSAA state football championships. The 2007 state championship team finished the season ranked 22nd in the nation and the 2008 state championship team finished the season ranked 18th in the nation. Those teams under head coach Stephen Robicheaux were part of a 30-game winning streak from 2007 to September 2009.
The Fighting Wildcats have won twenty-one LHSAA district championships: 1949, 1958, 1963, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1981, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018.
The Fighting Wildcats have made the LHSAA playoffs forty-one times: 1941, 1949, 1958, 1963, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Fighting Wildcats players in the NFL
YearNamePositionTeamRoundPickTeams
2020Justin JeffersonWRMinnesota Vikings1st Round22ndMinnesota Vikings
2012Jordan JeffersonQBTampa Bay BuccaneersFree AgentTampa Bay Buccaneers
2012Damaris JohnsonWRPhiladelphia EaglesFree AgentPhiladelphia Eagles, Houston Texans, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans
2012Jerico NelsonSSNew Orleans SaintsFree AgentNew Orleans Saints
2011Josh VictorianCBBaltimore RavensFree AgentBaltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, Houston Texans, Detroit Lions, New York Giants
2009Darryl RichardDTNew England Patriots7th Round234thNew England Patriots
2007Darius VinnettCBSt. Louis RamsFree AgentSt. Louis Rams, Atlanta Falcons
2005Jamall JohnsonLBCleveland BrownsFree AgentCleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2005Jeremy ParquetOTKansas City Chiefs7th Round238thKansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers
2003Mike ScifresPSan Diego Chargers5th Round149thSan Diego Chargers, Carolina Panthers
2002Ed ReedDBBaltimore Ravens1st Round26thBaltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, New York Jets
2000Rondell MealeyRBGreen Bay Packers7th Round252ndGreen Bay Packers
1986Burnell DentLBGreen Bay Packers6th Round143rdGreen Bay Packers, New York Giants
1978Rusty ReboweLBNew Orleans SaintsFree AgentNew Orleans Saints

Baseball

The Destrehan Fighting Wildcats baseball team competes in District 7-5A in the LHSAA. The Fighting Wildcats play their home games at Fighting Wildcats Baseball Field. They are coached by Christopher Mire.

State championships

The Fighting Wildcats have won one LHSAA state baseball championship.
Since 2000, the Fighting Wildcats have won seven LHSAA district championships: 2002, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Boys' basketball

The Destrehan Fighting Wildcats basketball team competes in District 7-5A in the LHSAA. The Fighting Wildcats play their home games at Destrehan Gymnasium. They were coached by Todd Bourg.

Girls' basketball

The Destrehan Lady Cats basketball team competes in District 7-5A in the LHSAA. The Lady Cats play their home games at Destrehan Gymnasium. They were coached by Megan Stock.

State championships

The Lady Cats have won one LHSAA girls state basketball championship.

Band

The Pride of Destrehan Band is the "official" name of the band representing the school.

Notable alumni

Arts