Newman Central Catholic High School

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Newman Central Catholic High School is a Diocesan Catholic high school in Sterling, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford.

It was founded as St. Mary High School in 1915, a parochial school attached to St. Mary's Parish. It later moved across the street and became Community Catholic High School. It adopted its present name when it moved into its current facilities in 1960. It was staffed in its early years by the Sisters of Loreto, but nearly all the staff today is laity.

Drawing primarily from Sterling, Rock Falls, and Dixon, but also from cities such as Oregon and Amboy. Newman's enrollment is just over 284.2 students.

Newman has undergone a series of capital changes within the last few years including a newly paved parking lot and a new roof. Newman has also undergone a change in staff with 8 teachers leaving in the last^[clarify] two years.

[edit] Athletics

Athletically, the Newman Comets (and Lady Comets) participate in all major IHSA sports and play under the Three Rivers Athletic Conference (TRAC-8) in all sports except American football.^[1]

The Newman Comets football team, also known as the Blue Machine, plays in the Big Rivers Conference, which is comprises Three Rivers Conference members with a few additional schools. The Blue Machine has seen notable success, winning the IHSA State Championship in 1990, 1994, and 2004, and placing second in 1993 and 1998.

The Newman Lady Comets basketball team is always a powerhouse, placing third in the state in 1997 and 1998 and fourth in 2005.^[2]

The Comets Scholastic Bowl team is always competetive and frequently wins or ties for first in their conference. The team won their regional for the first time in the 2007/2008 season.