Davenport West High School

For schools of a similar name, see West High School (disambiguation).

Davenport West High School
Address
3505 West Locust Street Davenport, Iowa, Scott, 52804  United States
Coordinates	41°32′16″N 90°37′39″W / 41.5379°N 90.6276°W / 41.5379; -90.6276Coordinates: 41°32′16″N 90°37′39″W / 41.5379°N 90.6276°W / 41.5379; -90.6276
Information
Type	Public
Opened	1960
School district	Davenport Community School District
Principal	Nancy P. Jacobsen
Grades	9-12
Number of students	1982[1]
Color(s)	Red and white
Athletics conference	Mississippi Athletic Conference
Mascot	Freddy the Falcon
Team name	The Falcons
Rival	Davenport Central
ACT Composite Average	20.5[citation needed]
Newspaper	Beak n' Eye
Yearbook	The Shaheen
Website	www.davenportschools.org/west

West High School is a public high school located in Davenport, Iowa, United States. The school is one of three public high schools in Davenport; Central and North are the other two.

History

West was opened in 1960 to accommodate students from the fast-growing west part of Davenport, plus the surrounding rural areas of which the Davenport School District encompassed. Prior to the opening of West, Davenport Central was the district's only high school; that school was known simply as "Davenport High."

The school has been undergoing renovations as a part of continued district-wide remodeling after approval of a 1 percent Local Option Sales Tax, as well as continuing a Physical Plant and Equipment Levy.

The school's media center was moved to the main level in a newly renovated area in 2001, with four computer labs added at that time. The building's offices and main entrance were remodeled at the same time.

A YMCA partnered with the school district was built in 2003 attached to the high school. The facility is open to the public as well as providing facilities to P.E. classes. The Y took over management and maintenance of the school's swimming pool when it opened.

Science classrooms were remodeled summer 2007.

Athletics

The school participates in the Mississippi Athletic Conference, and athletic teams are known as the Falcons. School colors are red and white.

The school fields athletic teams in 21 sports, including:

• Summer: Baseball, softball.
• Fall: Football, volleyball, girls' swimming, boys' cross country, girls' cross country and boys' golf.
• Winter: Boys' basketball, girls' basketball, wrestling, boys' swimming and boys' and girls' bowling.
• Spring: Boys' track and field, girls' track and field, boys' soccer, girls' soccer, girls' golf, boys' tennis and girls' tennis.

The school also has a cheerleading squad and a competitive dance team.

Davenport West is classified as a 4A school (Iowa's largest 48 schools), according to the Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union; in sports where there are fewer divisions, the Falcons are always in the largest class (e.g., Class 3A for wrestling, boys soccer, and Class 2A for golf, tennis and girls soccer). The school is a member of the 10-team Mississippi Athletic Conference (known to locals as the MAC), which comprises schools from the Iowa Quad Cities, along with Burlington, Clinton and Muscatine high schools.

Davenport West's biggest rivalries are with intercity rivals Central and North high schools.

Successes

Throughout the school's history, Davenport West has enjoyed great success in many of its sports, earning many MAC conference titles and producing all-state athletes that have enjoyed success at the collegiate level and in their careers.

During the 1970s and 1980s, West enjoyed great success in football, winning state championships in 1974 and 1977. Several one-time Falcon football players later found success in the NFL, including T. J. Rubley and Kenny Shedd.

From the early 1970s through early 1990s, West also was considered a powerhouse in boys' basketball. Longtime coach Dave Wessel led eight Falcon teams to the state tournament, with his 1971 and 1994 teams winning state titles in Iowa's largest classes. The 1971 team had an 8-11 record prior to the post-season tournament, but rallied to win the state title; the 1994 team became the last (to date) undefeated high school basketball team amongst Davenport's three public high schools. Bill Fennelly, one of the standout players during West's heyday, later became the women's basketball coach at Iowa State University.

West's softball teams have also traditionally been successful, winning state titles in 1984 and 1986, and earning state runner-up in 1997.

Publications

Beak 'n' Eye: The school newspaper is the Beak 'n' Eye. It is published monthly during the school year, usually releasing 8 or 9 in a year. Students manage all aspects of the publication. They have a lab area dedicated specifically for the newspaper. The paper is completely digital and is usually 8 to 12 pages.

The Shaheen: The school yearbook is released yearly and generally features a variety of photo spreads, student pictures, and individual club and group photos. The yearbook is also produced by students under an advisor. The word "Shaheen" is Persian for falcon.

The Eyas: The Eyas is West's literary magazine. It generally features a wide variety of writings and artwork. It also has a section reserved for seniors to publish a profile/biography and a picture. It is also released yearly and produced by students under an advisor.

Notable alumni

• Bill Fennelly (class of 1975), women's basketball coach at Iowa State University.
• T.J. Rubley, NFL, Green Bay Packers

References

1. ^ http://www.davenportschools.org/schools/profiles/west.pdf