St. Joseph High School (Metuchen, New Jersey)

St. Joseph High School, also known as St. Joe's, is an independent, all-boys Catholic college preparatory school located on a campus in Metuchen, in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.School Overview, St. Joseph High School. Accessed February 11, 2022. "Saint Joseph High School in Middlesex County, New Jersey, is a private, Catholic all-boys college preparatory school located on 70 acres in Metuchen and Edison. Saint Joseph is operated by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, who have been active in American education since their arrival from Lyons, France in 1847." The school draws students from an area encompassing over forty school districts and over seventy grammar schools in Middlesex, Monmouth, Somerset, and Union counties, as well as other outlying areas. It is located in the Diocese of Metuchen. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1968Saint Joseph High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 11, 2022. and by the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools since 2022.Marold, Alyssa. "Saint Joseph Awarded NJAIS Accreditation", St. Joseph High School, March 4, 2022. Accessed July 10, 2024. "Saint Joseph High School was awarded accreditation by the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools, a non-profit, voluntary membership association focused on educational, ethical and professional excellence of independent schools in New Jersey."

St. Joseph is operated by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, who have been active in American education since their arrival from Lyon, France, in 1847. From 1901 to 1961, the school was a center for training and educating Brothers prior to their apostolate. The school opened in September 1961 as a high school open to the public."New Catholic School Opens Wednesday", Courier News, September 1, 1961. Accessed April 22, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Opening for the first time this year to area students will be St. Joseph's High School at 145 Plainfield Ave. Formerly a novitiate and juniorate for boys aspiring to be Brothers, it will be a college preparatory school this Fall. St. Joseph's has always been an accredited high school The scope is merely being widened to include day scholars of all faiths." The main school building was dedicated in the spring of 1963. There are both lay and religious teachers.

As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 571 students and 42.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.3:1. The school's student body was 66.9% (382) White, 12.6% (72) Asian, 9.3% (53) Black, 6.8% (39) two or more races, 2.6% (15) Hispanic, 1.1% (6) Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander and 0.7% (4) American Indian / Alaska Native.School data for St Joseph High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed September 1, 2025.

Since 2018, Anne Rivera is the principal for St. Joseph. She replaced Justin Fleetwood, who was promoted to president of the school.Muscavage, Nick. "St. Joseph High School names new principal", Courier News, February 28, 2018. Accessed February 19, 2021. "According to a news release from the school, former Principal Justin Fleetwood will serve as the president of St. Joe's, succeeding Gregory Brandao, and Anne Rivera, currently the assistant principal and dean of studies, will become the principal." John G. Nolan Jr. P'09 was appointed as the school's president in October 2020.

Student life

Zenga Library The Zenga Library was built in 2003, taking over the school's original gymnasium. Since 2000, the library has been updated to become digital-centric, with nearly 800,000 selections available online for students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Athletics The St. Joseph High School FalconsSaint Joseph High School Metuchen, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete in the Red Division of the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC), which is comprised of public and private high schools in the Middlesex County area, and operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020. With 862 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public A for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 381 to 1,454 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group III for public schools).NJSIAA General Public School Classifications 2019–2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The football team competes in the American Gold of the Big Central Football Conference, which includes 60 public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Union and Warren counties, which are broken down into 10 divisions by size and location.Kinney, Mike. "Big Central revises 2020 football schedule for its shortened inaugural season", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 12, 2020. Accessed April 18, 2021. "The newly formed Big Central Football Conference has released a revised 2020 schedule for its inaugural season.... the BCFC is comprised of schools from Middlesex, Union, Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren counties." The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Non-Public Group A (equivalent to Group III/IV/V for public schools) for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 738 to 1,404 students.NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.

The school fields interscholastic teams from freshmen through varsity levels in various sports including football, cross country, soccer, basketball, bowling, ice hockey, swimming, winter track, baseball, golf, lacrosse, spring track, crew, tennis, volleyball, and wrestling. Football was added to sports at St. Joseph's, with varsity play beginning in the 2010 season, with the team playing independently in 2011 and beginning play in the GMC White Division in 2012.Haley, John. "Middlesex County: St. Joseph-Metuchen coach Bob Molarz sits down for a Q and A", The Star-Ledger, September 8, 2011. Accessed October 12, 2012. "Had a chance to sit down with St. Joseph of Metuchen head coach Bob Molarz, an old friend who decided to start a football program from scratch three years ago.... After playing an independent schedule in 2011, St. Joe's entered the GMC White Division in 2012. They won the GMC White Division in 2013 with an undefeated season going 9-0 with new head Coach Casey Ransone." Wrestling returned to the sports offerings at St. Joseph's beginning during the 2018–2019 school year.

The school's first varsity teams were established in 1963, including track, basketball and baseball. A varsity soccer team was set up in the following year. The school has won state titles in basketball, bowling, cross country, winter and spring track, soccer, swimming, tennis, lacrosse and volleyball.

St. Joseph's soccer team has won seven NJSIAA state championships, winning the Non-Public A state title in 1964 (against runner-up St. Cecilia High School in the tournament final), 1971 (vs. Notre Dame High School), 1972 (vs. Notre Dame), 1976 (vs. Bergen Catholic High School), 1978 (vs. Saint Joseph Regional High School of Montvale), 1988 (vs. Bergen Catholic) and 1994 (vs. Don Bosco Preparatory High School).NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023. The 1971 team finished the season with a 14-3-1 record after winning the Parochial A state title with a 1–0 defeat of Notre Dame on a penalty kick with minutes left in regulation."Soccer Crown To St. Joseph's", The Home News, November 23, 1971. Accessed February 19, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "St. Joseph's High School of Metuchen won the first state championship in the school's history yesterday afternoon defeating Notre Dame of Trenton, 1-0, to win the state Parochial A Soccer tournament. Tony Mancheno scored the game's only goal hitting the nets on a penalty kick with 3;53 remaining in the game.... Coach Jerry Rabdeau's team finished the season with a 14-3-1 mark while Notre Dame is 10-6-1."

The boys track team won the Non-Public Group A spring / outdoor track state championship in 1972 (as co-champion), 1976 and 1998.NJSIAA Boys Spring Track Summary of Group Titles, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.

The cross country team won the Non-Public Group A state championship in 1973 and 1974.NJSIAA Boys Cross Country State Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.

The swimming team was formed in 1968. St. Joseph has won 22 state swimming championships: in 1980–1991, 1993–1997, 1999, 2002–2004 and 2006. The program's 22 state titles are ranked second in the state.NJSIAA Boys and Girls Team Swimming History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020. The team has won 40 consecutive Greater Middlesex Conference championships in total.Bevensee, Rich. "Middlesex County boys swimming season in review, 2010-11", The Star-Ledger, April 3, 2011. Accessed November 10, 2011. "At the GMC, Burzinski won two events, Louie won once and 16 swimmers — Aker, Joe Baron, Burzynski, Dezenzo, Louie, Kurt MacDonald, McDermott, McNamara, Andrew Nesbitt, Riker Pasterkiewicz, Matt Rein, David Scala, Danny Sullivan, Kyle Terracciano, Tonery and Alex Torrisi — scored individual points to help St. Joseph steam toward its 33rd straight title. In the Non-Public A tournament, St. Joseph overpowered Bergen Catholic (118-52) and Seton Hall Prep (120-50) to find itself in the state championship meet for the first time since 2007."

The tennis team won the Non-Public A state championship in 1987, defeating runner-up Bergen Catholic High School in the finals.History of Boys Team Tennis Championship Tournament, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.

The ice hockey team won the Handchen Cup in 1991 and the Kolodney Cup in 2012–2017, 2019 and 2020.NJSIAA Ice Hockey State Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.

The varsity volleyball program has brought home five state championships: in 2002 (defeating Hunterdon Central Regional High School in the final match of the tournament), 2006 (vs. Bridgewater-Raritan High School), 2008 (vs. St. Peter's Preparatory School), 2023 (vs. Summit High School) and 2024 (vs. Garfield High School). The program's five state titles are tied for third-most in the state.NJSIAA Boys Volleyball State History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.Hageny, John Christian. "NJ Boys Volleyball: Fair Lawn rolls through Super Six Showcase Expanded Coverage",The Star-Ledger, May 15, 2011. Accessed November 10, 2011. "Southern Regional swept the round-robin Super Six tournament in 2009 and '10 en route to back-to-back NJSIAA titles. In 2008, host St. Joseph swept the tournament on the way to the state crown." The team has also won six sectional state championships in 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2023, and 2024.

The lacrosse team won the Non-Public A state championship in 2010, defeating St. Augustine Preparatory School in the tournament final.NJSIAA Boys Lacrosse Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed May 1, 2023.