Benton Consolidated High School Explained

Benton Consolidated High School
Location:	511 East Main Street Benton, Illinois 62812
District:	Benton Consolidated High School 103
Country:	USA
Campus:	Urban
Superintendent:	Benjamin Johnson
Principal:	Sean Docherty
Enrollment:	561 (2021–22)^[1]
Ratio:	15.89
Staff:	37.46 (FTE)
Song:	Benton Loyalty
Mascot:	Ranger/Rangerette
Team Name:	Rangers
Colors:	Maroon and white
Homepage:	Benton Consolidated High School

Benton Consolidated High School (BCHS) is a public high school located in Benton, Illinois, United States. The campus is located in a city setting on Benton's east side, and has been operating (though in separate buildings) since 1888.

Benton Consolidated High School is in a school district separate from the K-8 schools in and around Benton.

Athletics

The school's athletic teams (Benton Rangers) compete in the Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference. The Rangers' main rival is the West Frankfort Redbirds, located seven miles south of the BCHS campus.^[2]

Sports

Benton High School offers the following sports:^[3]

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Cross country
• Football
• Golf
• Softball
• Track
• Volleyball
• Wrestling

State championships

Team

• 1979-80 - Girls' basketball, Class A
• 2004 - Competitive dance (pom division), Class 1A
• 2005-06 - Girls' track & field, Class A
• 2007-08 - Girls' track & field, Class A
• 2013 - Competitive dance (hip hop division), Class 1A
• 2014 - Competitive dance (hip hop division), Class 2A
• 2015 - Competitive dance (hip hop division), Class 2A
• 2020 - Competitive dance (hip hop division), Class A

Individual

• 2007-08 - Zach Wilson, IHSA wrestling, 140 pounds
• 2005-08 - Courtney Smith, IHSA Girls' Track & Field
• 2005-08 - Leah Orley, IHSA Girls' Track & Field
• 2020-21 - Gabe Craig, IWCOA wrestling, 285 pounds
• 2021-22 - Cy Norman, IHSA Boys' Golf
• 2022-23 - Gavin Genisio, IHSA Boys' Cross Country
• 2022-23 - Mason Tieffel, IHSA Boys' wrestling, 138 pounds

Notable alumni

• Lin Bolen, television executive
• Doug Collins, basketball coach and player
• Billy Grammer, country music singer
• Richard O. Hart, Illinois state representative and lawyer
• John Malkovich, actor
• Rich Yunkus, basketball player

History

The first class to complete their course of study for Benton High School received their diplomas in March 1888, with 12 graduates.^[4]

In 1909, the school became known as Benton Township High School, with 73 students enrolled at the time, and the building located across the street from its current location where a football field for the school's football team currently sits.

The school's name was changed to Benton Consolidated High School in 1949. The school district began to teach students from Benton, Ewing, Browning and Barren Township.

In 1973, the current high school building was completed.

External links

• Yearbook digitized collection at Benton Public Library

Notes and References

1. Web site: Search for Public Schools - School Detail for Benton Cons High School . National Center for Education Statistics. April 7, 2023 .
2. Web site: Muir. Jim. 2017-09-23. The Benton-West Frankfort rivalry from mostly an outsiders point of view. 2021-04-23. Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News Franklin County News. en-US. 2021-04-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20210423051128/https://www.franklincounty-news.com/2017/09/23/benton-west-frankfort-rivalry-mostly-outsiders-point-view/. live.
3. Web site: Benton (IL) High School Sports - Football, Basketball, Baseball, Softball, Volleyball, and more MaxPreps. 2021-04-23. www.maxpreps.com. 2021-04-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20210423051222/https://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/benton-rangers-(benton,il)/home.htm. live.
4. Web site: School History / School History. en. 2020-05-14. 2020-08-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20200815021125/https://www.bentonhighschool.org/domain/10. live.