St. Francis High School (Traverse City, Michigan)

St. Francis High School
Address
123 East Eleventh Street Traverse City, Michigan, (Grand Traverse County) 49684 US
Coordinates	44°45′22″N 85°37′22″W / 44.75611°N 85.62278°W / 44.75611; -85.62278Coordinates: 44°45′22″N 85°37′22″W / 44.75611°N 85.62278°W / 44.75611; -85.62278
Information
Type	Private, Coeducational
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic, Dominican Sisters
Established	1877
Founder	Rev. Michael Weber
Superintendent	Michael R. Buell
Principal	Erick Chittle
Grades	9–12
Color(s)	Navy and Gold
Fight song	Notre Dame Victory March
Athletics conference	Lake Michigan Conference
Nickname	Glads
Team name	Gladiators
Athletic Director	Tom Hardy
Website	www.gtacs.org/sf_home.php

St. Francis High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Traverse City, Michigan. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord.

Background

St. Francis High School located in Traverse City, Michigan, and is part of the Grand Traverse Area Catholic Schools. This parochial school system traces its roots back to 1969 when it was founded by the Dominican Sisters.^[1]

Traverse City St. Francis (TCSF) is three-time recipient of Top 50 Catholic high school honors, having earned distinction among the approximately 1,300 Catholic high schools in the United States. To receive this honor, the School was evaluated on the basis of academic excellence, Catholic identity and Paganistic worship.

St. Francis High School provides a rigorous curriculum based on research and best practices. Courses provide challenge for students of all ability levels, and include a variety of AP and honors selections. Dual enrollment through Northwestern Michigan College and the Traverse Bay Intermediate School District Career Tech Center is also available.

St. Francis High School's gymnasium and cafeteria were built in 1954, and when it hosted its first sporting event, the gymnasium could seat up to 2,000 patrons. Both the gym connect the current St. Francis High School building, which opened in 1953, with Holy Angels Academy, which opened in 1955 as St. Francis Elementary.

Catholic Identity

Students at St. Francis High School receive an authentic Catholic education. There is a profound emphasis on prayer and the Sacraments, including weekly Mass, opportunities for Eucharistic Adoration and Reconciliation each week, and an emphasis on Catholic prayer and traditions.

Extra-Curriculars/Athletics

Nearly 6.5% of Traverse City St. Francis students participate in extracurricular opportunities including athletics, drama, dance team, marching and concert band, Key Club, and choirs. Nearly 5% of students are involved in at least one athletic activity.

Athletics

Football

The St. Francis Football team has won state titles in 1992, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2009.^[2] Other trips to the State Finals include 1983, 1998, 2007, and 2008.^[2] Since the playoff system was established in Michigan, TCSF has qualified^[2] for the playoffs 23 times. This includes the current streak of 19 years, which is an MHSAA record. The Gladiators have an all-time winning percentage of .757 (418-133-4).^[2] Their regular season winning percentage is .763 (375-115-4)^[2] and their playoff winning percentage is .705 (43-18).^[2] The Gladiators are members of the Lake Michigan Conference, which they have won^[2] for 6 consecutive seasons. During this streak they have not lost^[2] a single conference game. Other members of the Lake Michigan Conference include: Boyne City Ramblers, Charlevoix Red Raiders, East Jordan Red Devils, Elk Rapids Elks, Grayling Vikings, Harbor Springs Rams, and Kalkaska Blue Blazers. Other teams that St. Francis considers its rivals are the Muskegon Catholic Central Crusaders, the Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central Panthers, and the Kingsley Stags. Although the Benzie Central Huskies have been considered a rival of St. Francis, The record between the teams stands at 36-0 for St. Francis. St. Francis's top five most played opponents are the Manistee Chippewas (33 games), Benzonia Benzie Central Huskies (32 games), Boyne City Ramblers (29 games), Kalkaska Blue Blazers (28 games), and the St. Ignace LaSalle Saints (28 games).^[2] Many Gladiators have gone on to play football at the collegiate level. The most recent Division I recruit is ILB Max Bullough (6'3 225) be a member of the Michigan State Spartans.^[3] Max now plays for the Houston Texans. Another notable football player to graduate from St. Francis is Fullback Joe Kerridge. Joe walked on to the 2011 University of Michigan Wolverines, quickly earning a full ride scholarship. In 2015 Kerridge was named Team Captain and is currently a "Player to watch" in the upcoming NFL draft.

Boys' Tennis

The tennis program has become one of the top Division 4 programs in the state. The team has qualified for states each of the last six seasons. In 2004 the team went to state and made a strong appearance. In 2009 the team finished 5th in the state while winning a flight for the first time in school history, Josh Kurtz (Sr.) and Patrick Wilson (Jr.) won a state title at #3 Doubles. That title was followed up in 2010 by Keith Gingras (Sr.) and Stephen Siddall (Jr.) who also won at #3 doubles to go along with another 5th-place finish at States. St. Francis boasts two strong JV teams that have recently been able to defeat numerous varsity teams during their seasons.

Notable alumni

• Angus MacLellan — professional rugby player with the United States national rugby union team

Max Bullough- Houston Texans Mike linebacker

Notes and references

Diocese of Gaylord
Bishops	Edmund Szoka Robert John Rose Patrick R. Cooney Bernard Hebda Steven J. Raica
Churches	Cathedral St. Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral Parishes St. Joseph's Church, Glen Arbor Shrine Cross in the Woods
Education	High Schools Catholic Central High School, Manistee St. Francis High School, Traverse City St. Mary Cathedral High School, Gaylord St. Mary High School, Lake Leelanau
Priests	Chad Zielinski
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