Middleton High School (South Carolina)
Middleton High School was a high school in South Carolina. It is now closed.
History
The school is now closed as it gave way to a more modern high school West Ashley High School. The former school was located West of the Ashley in Charleston, S.C. at 1776 William Kennerty Dr. just off SC Hwy 61. The school was first opened in 1970 and closed its doors as a high school in 2000. Daniel James Coury was Middleton's noble, strong, and loving principal. He spent many years of his life trying to make Middleton a bigger and better school. Ironically, the structure of the Middleton High School building was that of St. Andrews Junior High School. When the student body split in 1970 between Middleton and St. Andrews, Middleton students were going back in time to their junior high school years. When the split was announced in 1970, students that were zoned for Middleton were more than a little concerned, as all had expected to move on to St. Andrews High School. In the spring of 1970, Mr. John Kicklighter, a coach who would become the principal of the new school, held a meeting for the new students. In this meeting, Mr. Kicklighter stated his intention to make Middleton a superlative high school, and one worthy of respect. It was he that first mentioned the idea of using a Razorback as a school mascot. When the school year began in the fall of 1970, Middleton and St. Andrews shared a football team. By that winter, Middleton fielded their own basketball team.
Sports
Middleton Won the South Carolina 4-AAAA State Basketball Championship in 1972, 1974 & 1977 and Lower State Titles in 1973 & 1978; the School Achieved numerous Region Titles. The Razorbacks were led by Head Coach Jerry Waters one of the winning-est men basketball coaches in the state of South Carolina. During his tenure at Middleton High School from 1970-1978, coach Waters accrued more than 100 victories, including 54 consecutive wins, a South Carolina 4A record, and a perfect 28-0 season.
The Football Program began its quest for a championship in 1971. The Razorbacks were led by Head Coaches Dan Coury in 1971, Emerson Wiles in 1972-73 and JimWerden for the next 26 years from 1974 to 2000. The Razorbacks won the State Championship in 1982. That year they defeated the Summerville Greenwave during the season. The Greenwaves went on to win the Division 1 State Championship therefore the "Real" State Champions were the Middleton Razorbacks. They were Lower State Champions in 1985. The Razorbacks won Region Titles in 82, 87 & 99.The Razorbacks finished with a 193 - 131 record through the years.
1970s - 53 wins 43 losses 1980s - 78 wins 38 losses 1990s - 62 wins 50 losses
The Middleton Soccer Program was the best in the State through the 1980s and 90's. The year was 1980 and Middleton High School fielded its first Soccer Team under the direction of Coach Ted Miller. The first year was a trying time for the Coach and Players. The team finished with a 0-13 record and never had a losing season for the next 19 years. Building on the success of year two, in which the Razorbacks finished with a 10-4-1 record, Coach Miller build a Soccer Powerhouse throughout the eighties and nineties. The Soccer Program closed the doors at Middleton High School in 2000 with a Lower State Championship and a State Runner-up Championship prior to opening West Ashley High School. The School won three State Championships (85, 86, & 88),[1] six Lower State Championships (87, 89, 93, 94, 96 & 2000),[2] and twelve Region Titles (81, 86-89, 92-96 & 2000).
It also led the state in other sports like Track and Field, Baseball, and soccer.
Between 1984 and 1990, the faculty, staff and parents of MHS created a synergy and excellence in Academis, Sports, and the Arts. It was more the rule than the exception that the star athletes were also featured in the vocal programs. In 1987 the Middleton singers directed by Robin Rogers and Page Kelly represented SC in a national vocal competition in California. They were placed 2nd, with their lead soloist Leland Simmons winning the top soloist in the nation.
Charleston parents began removing their children from area private schools (Porter Gaud, Ashley Hall, Bishop England) and enrolling them in Middleton.
All of the former Middleton High School Alumni can be found of the Alumni site.[3][4]
Noteworthy Graduates
- Darius Rucker, lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish.
- Eric Bass, lead bass for heavy metal group Shinedown
- Dr. Jeffrey Runge, Director of the National Highway Safety Board (NHSB) during the George W. Bush Administration.
- Bobby Harrell, Former Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives.