Bishop Luers High School is a small Catholic high school located in the southside of Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. Bishop Luers is owned and operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.[3] The school was founded in 1958 by the Franciscan Fathers of the Saint John the Baptist Province in Cincinnati, Ohio, along with the Sisters of Saint Francis Province in Mishawaka, Indiana. The first bishop of the diocese, John Henry Luers, is the namesake of the school.[3]
| Bishop Luers High School | |
|---|---|
 Bishop Luers High School in 2008 | |
| Address | |
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333 East Paulding Road , 46819 | |
| Coordinates | 41°01′54″N 85°08′03″W / 41.031626°N 85.134281°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Private, coeducational |
| Motto | "We Are the Light of the World" |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1958 |
| Oversight | Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend |
| Principal | Scott Kreiger |
| Teaching staff | 40.9 (on an FTE basis)[2] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Enrollment | 481[2] (2021–22) |
| Student to teacher ratio | 11.8[2] |
| Color(s) | |
| Athletics conference | Summit Athletic Conference |
| Nickname | Knights |
| Rival | Bishop Dwenger High School |
| Accreditation | North Central Association of Colleges and Schools[1] |
| Newspaper | KnightTimes |
| Yearbook | Accolade |
| Tuition | Catholic Rate: $9,335 Non-Catholic Rate: $10,568 |
| Website | www |
Academics
editBishop Luers' education departments consist of art, business, religion, English, foreign language, mathematics, and social studies.[4] In 2004 and in 2005, Bishop Luers was placed on the Catholic High School Honor Roll Top 50 Secondary Schools in America.[5][6]
Extra-curricular activities
editBishop Luers offers an array of activities for students. Activities include Academic Super Bowl, National Honor Society (NHS), Key Club, Student Council, Drama Club, The Bishop Luers Minstrels Show Choir, Pep Band, Speech and Debate, Newspaper, Yearbook, World Culture Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Future Business Leaders of America, Freshmen Mentoring, and Student Ambassadors.[7]
Athletics
editThe Bishop Luers Knights field teams in 19 sanctioned sports and 6 non-sanctioned (club) sports. All sanctioned sports are governed by the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA). The lacrosse team is a member of the Indiana High School Lacrosse Association.[8]
All sanctioned Bishop Luers teams compete in the Summit Athletic Conference (SAC).
In 2008, Bishop Luers became the first team in Indiana high school athletic history to win and hold the three major male sports titles (football, basketball, and baseball) in one year since 1973, the first year all three were recognized by the Indiana High School Athletic Association.[9]
Programs offered
edit| Sport | Sanctioned boys' | Sanctioned girls' | Non-sanctioned |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball |  |
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| Basketball | |
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| Bowling | | ||
| Cheerleading | | ||
| Cross country | |
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| Dance | | ||
| Football | |
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| Golf | |
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| Lacrosse | | ||
| Rifle | | ||
| Soccer | |
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| Softball | |
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| Swimming and diving | |
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| Tennis | |
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| Track and field | |
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| Volleyball | |
(boys') | |
| Wrestling | |
Luers' main rival is Bishop Dwenger High School, a Catholic school on the north side of Fort Wayne. Luers also has a spirited neighborhood rivalry with South Side High School, which is often termed "The Battle for Calhoun Street."
State championships
editThe Knights' athletic program has produced 21 team state champions in their history.
| Year | Sport | Class | Coach | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985-86 | Football | 2A | Steve Keefer | Lawrenceburg |
| 1989-90 | Football | 2A | Matt Lindsay | Tri-West Hendricks |
| 1992-93 | Football | 2A | Matt Lindsay | Westfield |
| 1998-99 | Basketball - girls' | 2A | Gary Andrews | Austin |
| 1999-00 | Football | 2A | Matt Lindsay | Danville |
| 1999-00 | Basketball - girls' | 2A | Gary Andrews | Forest Park |
| 2000-01 | Basketball - girls' | 2A | Gary Andrews | Shenandoah |
| 2001-02 | Football | 2A | Matt Lindsay | Evansville Mater Dei |
| 2001-02 | Basketball - girls' | 3A | Teri Rosinski | Gibson Southern |
| 2002-03 | Football | 2A | Matt Lindsay | Southridge |
| 2005-06 | Basketball - girls' | 3A | Teri Rosinski | Evansville Memorial |
| 2007-08 | Football | 2A | Matt Lindsay | Heritage Christian |
| 2007-08 | Basketball - boys' | 2A | James Blackmon Sr. | Winchester |
| 2007-08 | Baseball | 2A | Gary Rogers | Elwood |
| 2008-09 | Basketball - boys' | 2A | James Blackmon Sr. | Brownstown Central |
| 2009-10 | Football | 2A | Matt Lindsay | Monrovia |
| 2010-11 | Football | 2A | Matt Lindsay | North Putnam |
| 2010-11 | Basketball - girls' | 2A | Denny Renier | Brownstown Central |
| 2011-12 | Football | 2A | Matt Lindsay | Evansville Mater Dei |
| 2012-13 | Football | 2A | Steve Keefer | Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter |
| 2023-24 | Football | 2A | Kyle Lindsay | North Posey |
| 2023-2024 | Basketball - girls' | 2A | Mark Pixley | Brownstown Central |
Football
editBishop Luers has been to the Indiana state finals for football sixteen times, including four consecutive years, 1999 through 2002. Twelve of those sixteen trips have resulted in football championships, all in Class 2A, including four consecutive wins in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.[10][11]
The Knights' roster has included many accomplished players who have gone on to play successfully at the professional and NCAA Division I levels. Among the most notable are Jack Johnston star quarterback, who led the Knights to their best regular season record to date. Anthony Spencer of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and Jaylon Smith, winner of the 2012 high school Butkus Award and the 2012 Indiana Mr. Football award, are also alumni.[citation needed]
Boys' basketball
editCoinciding with the 2004 hiring of head coach James Blackmon, Sr., recent seasons have seen championship success for the boys' basketball team. For the four seasons 2006/07 – 2009/10, the Knights' roster featured Deshaun Thomas, recipient of the 2010 Indiana Mr. Basketball award.[12] The Knights won two consecutive boys' basketball Class 2A state championships, in 2008 and 2009.
On May 21, 2010, in a ceremony at Bishop Luers, Thomas' jersey (#1) was retired by the school. This was the first time in school history a jersey of any of its athletes had been retired.[13]
Girls' basketball
editThe girls' basketball team won three consecutive Indiana State Class 2A Championship games, in the 1998/99, 1999/2000, and 2000/01 seasons. The following season the team moved up a class, winning a fourth consecutive state title, in Class 3A, in 2001/02. The Knights also won the 2005/06 Class 3A championship.
The Knights' six state championships currently stand as the most all-time by one school in Indiana girls' basketball history, as do the nine championship game appearances.[14]
Baseball
editIn 2008, the boys' baseball team competed for the first time in the state baseball championship, winning the 2A title.
Notable alumni
edit- Angie Akers (Harris), beach volleyball player, (Association of Volleyball Professionals), Notre Dame[15]
- Thomas Hammock, head coach of Northern Illinois University football team
- Kevin Kiermaier, professional baseball player, Toronto Blue Jays of MLB[16]
- Zach Klein, co-founder of video social networking site Vimeo[17]
- Austin Mack, NFL player
- Jaylon Smith, football player, middle linebacker for New Orlean Saints
- Anthony Spencer, football player, outside linebacker for Dallas Cowboys
- Deshaun Thomas, basketball player
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ NCA-CASI. "NCA-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". Archived from the original on March 15, 2010. Retrieved June 23, 2009.
- ^ a b c "BISHOP LUERS HIGH SCHOOL". Private School Universe Survey. National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
- ^ a b "Bishop Luers: Development". Bishop Luers High School. Archived from the original on March 9, 2005.
- ^ "Bishop Luers Academics". Bishop Luers High School. Archived from the original on April 20, 2005.
- ^ "Bishop Luers: Our Past and Present". Bishop Luers High School. Archived from the original on November 22, 2008.
- ^ Catholic High School Honor Roll.
- ^ "Bishop Luers Activities". Bishop Luers High School. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015.
- ^ "Bishop Luers Athletics". Bishop Luers High School. Archived from the original on March 11, 2005.
- ^ "Luers baseball team makes history". The Journal Gazette. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011.
- ^ "Bishop Luers Football". Bishop Luers High School.[dead link]
- ^ Summit Athletic Conference Football Archived September 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Neddenriep, Kyle (April 4, 2010). "Deshaun Thomas has new title: Indiana Mr. Basketball". Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "IHSAA Girls Basketball Tournament "Mosts"". Archived from the original on August 20, 2009. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
- ^ AVP.com. Angie Akers, AVP.com. Retrieved on 2009-4-25. Archived April 17, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Kevin Kiermaier Talks About MLB Debut. Wane.com. Retrieved on 2014-01-14. Archived October 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ (2006-04-07). Luers grad has hand in college humor book. The News Sentinel. Retrieved on 2009-10-18.
External links
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