Xaverian Brothers High School

History and tradition

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.

Academics

XBHS is a Catholic college preparatory school for boys in grades 7-12. The school is a Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School that enrolls 980 students from more than 60 different communities.

There are Academic Department Centers for Mathematics, English, Social Studies, World Languages, Theology, Computer Science, 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.

Athletics

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 17 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), ultimate frisbee, 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

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 thirteen MIAA Division 1 State Championships in 1966, 1967, 1986, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2023, 2024, and 2025. The 2015 team was ranked the 22nd best team in nation by USA Today. 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, and Henry Hasselbeck in 2023.

Clubs and activities

Theater Arts

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.

Musical Arts

The Xaverian music program has grown significantly since its inception in 1994, now featuring over 24 performing ensembles that encompass a wide range of musical genres and instruments . More than half of the student body participates in the music program, which includes offerings such as jazz band, contemporary ensembles, orchestras, choirs, and the a cappella group known as the X-Men. Students have opportunities to perform both classical and contemporary pieces, as showcased in events like the winter concert, where ensembles present works ranging from Beethoven and Mozart to modern hits by U2 and Journey .

Visual Arts

Courses offered include AP Studio Art, 3-D Design and Sculpture, Architectural Drawing and Construction, and Introduction to Digital Art . Students have access to the X-Ploration Center, which features 3D printing, laser engraving, and a full machine shop. The program also provides extracurricular opportunities such as the Art Club, Open Art Studio, and participation in competitions like the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Notable alumni

• Gerard Alessandrini (1972) — Tony Award-winning playwright and creator of Forbidden Broadway and Spamilton
• Brendan Burke (2006) — LGBT activist
• Michael Collins (1973) - chancellor of the UMass Chan Medical School
• Dennis Crowley (1994) — co-founder and executive chairman of Foursquare
• Jimmy Cummings (1986) — actor and screenwriter of Southie
• Christopher F. Egan (1982) — United States Ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• Ted English (1971) — executive chairman of Bob's Discount Furniture and former CEO of TJX Companies
• John Ennis (1982) — actor and comedian best known for role on HBO's Mr Show with Bob and David
• Rob Mariano (1994) — TV personality known as "Boston Rob"
• Joe Mulherin (1994) — musician
• Steven McLaughlin — county executive of Rensselaer County
• John J. Sullivan (1977) — United States Ambassador to Russia and 19th United States Deputy Secretary of State
• William F. Sullivan (1975) — associate justice of the Massachusetts Superior Courts
• Ed Thomas (1971) — president and CEO of Tillys
• Pat Walsh (1998) — co-founder & chief impact officer of Classy

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
• John Delaney (2004) — head baseball coach, Quinnipiac University
• 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
• Tim Hasselbeck (1996) — former National Football League player and ESPN analyst
• Maurice Hurst Jr. (2013) — National Football League player
• Mark Jackson (1991) — athletic director, Northwestern 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

References

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