Xaverian Brothers High School

Xaverian Brothers High School (XBHS) is a private, Catholic secondary school for boys at grades 7 to 12. Founded in 1963 by the Xaverian Brothers, it is located within a 36-acre (150,000 m2) campus in Westwood, Massachusetts. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. Xaverian is sponsored by the Xaverian Brothers religious order and offers a college preparatory program. The school attracts students from more than 60 communities in eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Xaverian Brothers High School
Address
Map
800 Clapboardtree Street

, ,
02090

United States
Coordinates42°12′53″N 71°11′48″W / 42.21472°N 71.19667°W / 42.21472; -71.19667
Information
TypePrivate, Day, College-prep
MottoLatin: Veritatem Fratribus Testari
(To bear witness to the truth in brotherhood)
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Patron saint(s)Saint Francis Xavier
Established1963
Sister schoolUrsuline Academy
School codeXBHS
CEEB code222378
Chairman of the Board of TrusteesSean P. Fahy
DeanJohn Guinan
PrincipalMichael Nicholson
Head of SchoolJacob Conca
Faculty120
Grades712
GenderBoys
Enrollment1,004 (2018-2019)
Average class size20-22 students
Student to teacher ratio13:1
CampusSuburban
Campus size36 acres (150,000 m2)
Color(s)Navy Blue and Gold
   
SloganRedefining Strong
Athletics16 Division 1 sports
Athletics conferenceCatholic Conference
MascotHawk
NicknameXaverian
X
RivalSt. John's Prep
AccreditationNew England Association of Schools and Colleges[2]
PublicationConcordian (literary magazine)
YearbookThe Talon
Tuition$25,700[1]
Alumni10,000
Websitehttp://www.xbhs.com

History and tradition

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Cardinal Cushing officiated the school's dedication ceremony on August 31, 1963, with Xaverian Brothers' provincial Brother Gilroy Bishop, and the first headmaster, Brother Marcellus Feeley. The land that the school stands on today was originally part of the Forbes family estate. The late philanthropist Rocco Zoppo was instrumental in arranging for the Brothers to receive the land. The school's Rocco Zoppo Chapter of the National Honor Society is now named in his honor. The first day of school at XBHS was September 5, 1963 with 251 students, all ninth graders.

Headmasters of XBHS
Years Headmaster
1963-1966 Marcellus Feeley, C.F.X.
1966-1970 Gilroy Bishop, C.F.X.
1970-1984 William Drinan, C.F.X.
1984-1991 Richard Cook, C.F.X.
1991-2019 Daniel Skala, C.F.X.
2019–Present Jacob Conca '94
 
XBHS Scholastic and Wellness Center

Academics

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XBHS is a Catholic college preparatory school for boys in grades 7-12. The school is a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School that enrolls 880 students from more than 60 different communities.

There are Academic Department Centers for Mathematics, English, Social Studies, World Languages, Theology, and three science labs (Biology, Chemistry and Physics).

In 2014, the Francis Xavier Division (grades 7 and 8) was established, bringing in the first-ever 7th grade class.[3]

Athletics

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XBHS is a member of the Catholic Conference and is classified as Division 1 in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) for a majority of its athletic programs. It sponsors 16 varsity sports - cross country (non-cut), golf, football (non-cut) and soccer during the fall season; alpine skiing (non-cut), basketball, hockey, indoor track (non-cut), swimming (non-cut), and wrestling (non-cut) during the winter season; and baseball, lacrosse, rugby (non-cut), tennis, track & field (non-cut) and volleyball during the spring season. The MIAA has honored Xaverian athletics five times for outstanding sportsmanship. Many Xaverian graduates go on to participate in college athletics and a few alumni are playing among the professional ranks in basketball, football and hockey including James Bailey '75 and Dana Barros '85 in the NBA; Greg Comella '93, Matt Hasselbeck '93, Tim Hasselbeck '96, Drew Strojny '99, Maurice Hurst Jr. '13, and Joe Gaziano '15 in the NFL; and Mark Young '77 in the AHL, and Chris Wagner '09 in the NHL. Ted Currle is the current Athletic Director.

Athletic Abilities

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The Hawks' most notable success in athletics has been in alpine skiing, baseball, cross country, golf, football, lacrosse and track & field.

In particular, the football team has brought great notoriety to the school, having won eleven MIAA Division 1 State Championships in 1966, 1967, 1986, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2009, 2014, 2015 and 2023.[4] The 2015 team was ranked the 22nd best team in nation by USA Today.[5] Further, four Hawks' football players have been selected the Massachusetts Player of the Year by numerous organizations: Greg Comella in 1992, Matt Hasselbeck in 1993, Chris Fox in 2005, Alex Phalen in 2009, Joe Gaziano in 2014, Coby Tippett in 2015,[6] and Henry Hasselbeck in 2023.[7]

Clubs and activities

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Theater Arts

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XBHS's theatrical performances have been in existence since Xaverian first opened in the late 1960s. Since its first production, "Take Time Out," Xaverian has performed over 80 shows. XBHS presents two shows each year: one play and one musical. These productions are held in November and March, alternating between having the play in the fall and the musical in the spring and vice-versa. Additionally, there is a talent show dubbed "Live @ the X" held each year, as well as concerts held in the winter and spring. The artistic director for productions is Julianne O'Connor.

Notable alumni

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Notable alumni distinguishing themselves in athletics include:

  • James Bailey (1975) - former National Basketball Association player
  • Dana Barros (1985) - former National Basketball Association All-Star player[8]
  • Greg Comella (1993) - former National Football League player
  • John Delaney (2004) - head baseball coach, Quinnipiac University
  • Joe Fleming (1992) - former Canadian Football League All-Star player
  • Joe Gaziano (2015) - National Football League player, Northwestern University football all-time sacks leader
  • Matt Hasselbeck (1993) - former National Football League All-Pro player and ESPN analyst[9]
  • Tim Hasselbeck (1996) - former National Football League player and ESPN analyst[10]
  • Maurice Hurst Jr. (2013) - National Football League player
  • Mark Jackson (1991) - athletic director, Villanova University
  • Matt Klentak (1998) - general manager, Philadelphia Phillies
  • Brian Mann (1998) - athletic director, William & Mary; Dartmouth College football single season passing yards leader
  • Tim Scannell (1986) - head baseball coach, Trinity University (TX); 2016 DIII National Champion and Coach of the Year
  • Drew Strojny (1999) - former National Football League player
  • Chris Wagner (2009) - current National Hockey League player

References

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  1. ^ "Xaverian Brothers | Tuition Assistance". www.xbhs.com. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  2. ^ "NEASC-Xaverian Brothers High School". NEASC. Retrieved July 28, 2009.
  3. ^ MacDonald, Mary (October 24, 2014). "Xaverian Brothers High School adds middle grades". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
  4. ^ Russo, Eric (December 6, 2014). "Xaverian holds off Everett in Division 1 Super Bowl". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
  5. ^ "2015 USA Today Super 25 Boys Varsity Football Expert Ranking". USA Today. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  6. ^ "Xaverian's Coby Tippett is 2015 ESPNBoston Mr. Football". ESPN Boston. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
  7. ^ "Henry Hasselbeck 2023-2024 Massachusetts Football Player of the Year". Gatorade. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  8. ^ "NBA All-Star Dana Barros talks about going 1 on 1 against Michael Jordan". Xaverian Brothers High School. July 11, 2011. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  9. ^ "Matt Hasselbeck - Xaverian Hall of Fame Speech". Xaverian Brothers High School. October 28, 2014. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  10. ^ "Tim Hasselbeck - Xaverian Hall of Fame Speech". Xaverian Brothers High School. October 28, 2014. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
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