Alief Taylor High School: Difference between revisions

Alief Taylor High School
Front Exterior
Location
7555 Howell Sugar Land Drive Houston, TX
Information
Type	Public high school
Motto	"Failure is Not an Option"
Founded	2001
School district	Alief Independent School District
Principal	Dr. Walter Jackson
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	approximately 2,800
Campus	Urban
Color(s)	Crimson   Navy blue   White
Athletics	Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Cheer leading ,Football, Golf, Power Lifting , Soccer, Softball, Swimming and Diving, Tennis , Track and Field ,and Volleyball
Mascot	Leo the Lion
Team name	Lions
Rival schools	Alief Hastings High School , Alief Elsik High School, Memorial High School and Katy High School .
Website	http://taylor.aliefisd.net

Alief Taylor High School is a public high school in the Alief Independent School District. It is located in an unincorporated area]] in Harris County and in the Alief community, near Houston. Opened in 2001, Alief Taylor is the newest high school in Alief Independent School District. The school is named after Edward "Doc" Taylor, who taught AP American History at Alief Hastings High School.

According to the Texas Education Agency, Taylor covers grades 9-12 and has 500 or more students in each grade level. When it opened in the fall of 2001, it had only freshmen and sophomores. During the 2002-2003 school year the 11th grade was added. Taylor added its first 12th grade class during the 2003-2004 school year. Alief Taylor is one of two schools in Alief ISD that does not include a Ninth Grade Center, a separate building for ninth grade students. The other is Kerr High School. Alief Taylor was originally referred to as "High School No. 4."

In 2012 Taylor was rated "Academically Acceptable" by the Texas Education Agency.

History

Alief Taylor High School opened its doors on August 13, 2001 accepting only freshmen and sophomores, to alleviate overcrowding at Elsik and Hastings, the two being among the biggest 5A high schools in the state with a combined student population of over 9,000 at the time. In 2010, it achieved the highest AP scores in the district, reporting that 77% of its students that take the test received a score of three or higher. Its graduation rate is the highest in the district and its dropout rate is the lowest of the three comprehensive major high schools. Taylor is different which unlike Hastings or Elsik, Alief Taylor promotes all grade levels on the campus, which include grades 9–12. Taylor and Kerr are the only two high schools in the Alief District promoting the entire school body on one main campus, while Elsik and Hastings have their freshmen centers for 9th-graders, and the main campuses for 10-12th-graders. Since its opening in 2001, Alief Taylor now holds almost 2,800 students, and just over 200 teachers and administrators. However, even with such a large mass of students, Taylor is much smaller than both Elsik or Hastings, each having more than 5,000 students. Each class at Taylor has about 700 students Taylor's student body is 43.8% Hispanic, 41.9% Black, 11% Asian and 3.2% White in the 2009-2010 school year.

Athletics

Alief Taylor has a rich sport history despite being somewhat young in tenure; it has had one state championship, six regional titles, eight districts titles in football, track, cross country, tennis, swimming, and diving.

Football

The Alief Taylor football team prior to kickoff

Early years

The varsity team began 2003 with coach Gerber at the helm in which the all junior varsity team went 1-9. The following season now having its first senior class the team went 6 and 0 before its first lost. The team swept Elsik and Hastings finishing the season 8 and 2 and making the playoffs for the first time in the programs young history. In the 2004-05 season, the team had a 5-4 record during which they came from behind to upset the Katy Tigers 23-21. The 2005-06 season was less successful. They won 3 games and lost 5 with room for improvement. They bounced back in the 2006-07 season with a 6-5 record and for the first time went to the playoffs where they lost to Cy-Falls in the first round. The 2007-08 Season was the least successful with the team winning 3 games from 10. Over that summer coach Gerber resigned and Coach Trevor White stepped in.

The Emerging Powerhouse Era

This era established Alief Taylor as a growing competitive athletic program and made inroads to laying the path to future success by dominating the playing field . This era began during the 2008-09 season was a sign of progress with 6 wins and 5 defeats and a victory against Alief Elsik that bought the Lions back into the playoffs against Cinco Ranch in which they lost 14-50 . The 2009-10 season saw the team win 6 games from 10 and once again they qualified for playoffs. Not wanting to exit in the first round, they beat rival Katy Taylor 17-10 and continued into the second round against Aldine in which Ismael Becerra provided the winning field goal to win 38-35 and in the third round, they lost to Brazoswood 19-45 thus ending the season with 9 wins and 4 defeats.

The Alief Taylor football team

Over the summer, Coach White resigned and took the Head Coaching position at George Ranch High School. Coach J.D Jordan took the wheel. They finished that season with 10 wins and 2 defeats and with only losing one game against Katy High School, they once again headed into the playoffs beating Cy-Ridge in a nerve wracking 37-36 victory, confident, they headed into round two against past district rival Spring Branch Memorial, however they lost 28-35.The 2011-12 Season was a roller coaster ride, They began With an unexpected loss to Pasadena Dobie and then a shutout from rival school, Katy High School, but team bounced back with a six game win steak beating rivals, Alief Elsik nine years in a row and Alief Hastings four years in a row, along with Fort Bend Dulles, Conroe, Eisenhower, and MacArthur's football teams respectively, but then they suffered defeats from Aldine Nimitz and Aldine, losing the District Championship but they still qualified for The Texas 5A Division II Playoffs. With pressure on the line, they went up against Langham Creek High School. It was an intense game, with an offensive Shootout going back and fourth eventually culminating to a 48-47 win over Langham Creek. Unfortunately, they once again lost to Memorial at Home. the Lions had success on the JV level, with the JV White Team finishing the season winning a district title with 8 wins, a loss, and tie breaker on the season, with offensive standout Devonta Locks and defensive standout Noah Iheanacho, and Lendalle Johnson. 2011-2012 varsity star Greg Allen has committed to Kansas University to compete his college career as a Jay Hawk.

The Taylor era

As an established contender, the Alief Taylor football program holds many expectations of future success and this is marked by The 2012-2013 season with many sport publications such as Vype magazine, Dave Campbell's Texas football, Texas 5A football.com and The Houston Chronicle ; predicting that Alief Taylor to finish 1st in the 18-5A district in 2012 . The Alief Taylor Lions team carries a lot of expectations . The roster includes 5 seniors with division one football offers. Players on Alief Taylor with offers include Torrodney Prevot (Oregon), Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (Oklahoma), Trevorris Johnson (TCU), Duke Ejiofor (Wake Forest), Jonathan Wiggins (Texas A&M.)The 2013 season shows plenty of promise with 4 seniors and counting with division one offers. Chris Hardeman (23 offers LSU Committ), Josh Kalu (11 scholarship offers-Uncommitted,)Keenen Brown (19 Scholarship Offers-Uncommitted)and Romello Brooker (7 Scholarship offers-Uncommitted).

Tradition

The Lions football program has many traditions that its players go by. One of the most important traditions is that during the off-season, the players go through boot-camp, a brutal week of continuous hard work and listening to commands. Another tradition is the band playing the school's alma mater, with the crowd singing along with the players after every football game. The school is also known to be "The Pride of Alief", which is highly agreeable with residents and fans that live around the area. in addition Taylor has a number of friendly rivalries, these include the annual games Between in district rivals Elsik and Hastings . More recently as the team grew in caliber they began to play more challenging teams such as Katy High school. During Playoffs due to the close proximity of memorial high school and the fact that they used to compete against one another have created a rivalry between them because they have had to face off with them twice during playoff leading to a rivalry .Not to mention Taylor has often prided itself as a David vs. Goliath view that it represent the alief community that both, while they may seem small, They are able to tackle any big obstacle no matter how long it takes and it is one of the characteristic of the Taylor football mentality.

Tennis

The Taylor tennis team is headed by Thomas Davis, who coached at Jack Albright Middle School prior to coaching at Alief Taylor. The tennis team has enjoyed moderate success under his advisory. Teams are divided into Varsity and Junior Varsity, with a total of 14 people on each team; 7 male and 7 female. Since the team began, the team has played in the 5A District, however the 2010-11 school year will bring about a new district, 4A. With a variety of players, the Taylor tennis team is a diverse athletic organization.

Swimming and Diving

The Alief Taylor Swimming and Diving team is currently coached by David Bargainer and Dan Hanrahan. Even though it is one of the more smaller teams on campus, It has consistently qualified for the Swimming and Diving regional championships held at the University of Houston every year since its inception in 2002 and has won district titles in 2003 and 2004 .Teams are Divided into Varsity and Junior Varsity, with two Men's captains and two Women's captains, They compete in all four strokes, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, and Freestyle including Relay Team.

Extracurricular activities

Alief Taylor hosts many successful extracurricular organizations for its students. These organizations include:

The Alief Taylor Marching Band

The Alief Taylor Roaring Lion Band The Alief Taylor Roaring Lion Band is one of the most visible and award-winning organizations on campus. Its members are divided into three bands: the wind ensemble, the symphonic band, and the cadet band. Each year they perform half time performances of music from the 1960s to today. They are under the direction of Aaron Ellison and Charles Richter. In 2004, The Roaring lion band appeared in the film Friday Night Lights in which they assume the role as the Dallas carter band when they traveled with the team to 1989 Texas 5A football state semi-finals at the Houston Astrodome, most recently on November 11, 2011.

The Alief Taylor Drumline Charles Richter also directs The Alief Taylor Drumline, who take part in competitions around the state of Texas. They are the Gold Medalist Recipients of the 2006-07 PSAA TCGC Championship, a state level competition. The win at state has bumped them up to the PSA category which they will begin in the 2007-08 season.

The Alief Taylor Colorguard and Winterguard Under the direction of Jamye Robinson, The Alief Taylor Colorguard utilizes dance and equipment such as flags, rifles, and sabres to perform during half-time shows at football games and competitions with The Roaring Lion Band. Alief Taylor has one of the most preeminent colorguards in the district despite its small team of only nine for the 2010 Marching Season, winning 1st Place Best Colorguard of Group IV A at USSBA Central Texas Regional on October 9, 2010 in Kyle, Texas. After football/Marching season, Colorguard becomes Winterguard and performs at several indoor competitions against many other high schools in Texas.

The Alief Taylor Orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Lester Lopez, consists of string players (violins, violas, cellos, and basses). They are divided into two different ensembles: The Philharmonic Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra. Students in orchestra play pieces ranging from classical to contemporary arrangements. The orchestra performs two concerts each year. One in the winter, and one in the spring. In addition to the concerts, the orchestra performs at various school activities as well as activities within the community. They also participate in UIL Solo and Ensemble and UIL Performance and Sightreading contests.

The Alief Taylor Crimson Cadettes, sponsored by Mary Meadows, are a precision dance team at Alief Taylor that performs at football games, basketball games, and pep rallies. The Cadettes compete at the regional and national levels. The team has a very diverse background, and is one of the earliest establishments on the campus. The Cadettes are directed by Mrs. Mary Meadows.

The Alief Taylor Choir The Alief Taylor Choir is under the direction of Susan Chibiroski. It consist of musicians divided into three choirs: The Varsity choir ; The Junior Varsity choir ; and the beginners choirs, every year they compete at UIL Concert and Sight reading, they perform at various school functions and recently Randolph Nguyen was named to the TMEA All State Choir .

The Alief Taylor Theater Department Also known as Troupe Taylor Is under the direction of Robert Maddox and Roxanna Barnes, It consist of students with a passion for drama every year the perform a variety of plays and compete at various Competitions including the Thespian Festival Hosted yearly at the university of Nebraska and also at UIL Solo and One Act Competition every year.

The Alief Taylor Student Council Sponsored By Horace Duffy, Jennifer Long, and Amanda Rasco, Is a large Student Government association in which students get together to voice the opinion of the student body. The organization is composed of students from 40 different countries and different grade levels. It recently expanded with the consolidation of other student activity groups such as The Class Officer system and The Redvolution thus making it the largest student activity group on campus, They are involved in many aspects of student life promoting school spirit while at the same promoting the environment around it by being involved in various community service projects such as planting community gardens to picking up litter around campus .

Redvolution celebrating a Touchdown

The Alief Taylor World Affairs Council Sponsored by Sana Aleem. Empowers students to create to promote an understanding of the world - the cultures, peoples, economies, and geography as well as the conflicts, challenges, and possibilities. The organization closely collaborates with the Houston World Affairs Council in conducting activities for the students. Some activities include monthly mixers where students network with the other members while enjoying different ethnic cuisine. Young leaders's forum through the Houston World Affairs Council provides students with a different perspective of various world events. The organization is also active in many competitions that includes the Euro-challenge and essay contests.

The Alief Taylor Redvolution Sponsored by Dr. Alicia Kerr. The Redvolution and The Red Rowdies was started in Fall 2010.They currently attend all home and away football games, and they were recently featured on KPRC local 2 Friday Football Frenzy along with also having been voted Campus With Most Spirit by KHOU.com for having the most school spirit. They Have Numerous tradition such as making spirit posters for every football Game, running down the field with flags that spell out the school initials "ATHS", and also They are known to "Red Out" every Friday before a football game, even having their faces completely painted.

The Alief Taylor Mademoiselles, sponsored by Jayme Robinson, is a sisterhood that promotes refined womanhood and self-development and preparation for life. These young ladies are remarkable leaders on and off the campus. They participate in a number of community service events in the Greater Houston area. You will be able to spot out a Mademoiselle with or without her red rose. Mademoiselles have a touch of class and a loving sisterhood.

The Alief Taylor Gents Club Sponsored by Kelvin Kibler ; this organization considers membership only for those applicants whose personal, social and academic qualifications are acceptable to both Alief Taylor High School and the organization, which is designed for young men who wish to excel in school. This very recent addition to the wide array of student activity groups already on campus. The Alief Taylor Gents Club is designed only for those young male students who exceed ordinary expectations of both themselves and of life. It has become a widely popular organization, due to the success of both the male students and their adult supervisor.

The Alief Taylor Speech and Debate Team (Forensics) Sponsored by Terrick Brown; The Alief Taylor Speech and debate team works with the National Forensic League and is a well-known debate team. Every year, The Speech and Debate team continues to grow in both competition appearances and standards. Though it is somewhat young in tenure in Houston, Taylor has been recognized by the Texas Forensic Association as holding some of the most talented students of any Houston high school, and as one of the best teams in Texas. Even though it is the youngest High School in the district, Alief Taylor easily rivals more experienced schools such as Hastings and Elsik.

The Alief Taylor Math Club or Mu Alpha Theta, sponsored by Amy Brown, helps the promotion of mathematics enjoyment among students on campus. All students of Alief Taylor HS are welcome to participate in many math club activities, invitational tournaments and national-level math competitions.

Feeder patterns

All Alief ISD elementary, intermediate, and middle schools feed into Taylor as high school placement in Alief ISD is determined by a lottery: the lottery can result in either Elsik, Hastings, or Taylor. If a student was selected by lottery to attend a high school different from the high school of a relative currently attending or graduated from, the student may opt to transfer to that respective school. Students may also complete an application for the district's magnet high school, Kerr, or the recently established high, Alief Early College High School.

Neighborhoods served by AISD include Alief, most of Westchase, Bellaire West, most of the New Chinatown, most of Leawood, Mission Leona, and Mission Bend.

Notable alumni

• Martellus Bennett - NFL player
• Michael Tauiliili - German Football League player
• Cheta Ozougwu - NFL player
• Michael Bennett - NFL player, Superbowl Champion
• Fendi Onobun - NFL Player

See also

• Alief Elsik High School
• Alief Hastings High School
• Alief Kerr High School

External links

• Alief Taylor High School: Official Website
• Alief Taylor Math Club

29.695°N 95.633°W / 29.695; -95.633