Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy (formerly Trenton Catholic Academy) was a

Catholic school Catholic schools are Parochial school, parochial pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest parochial schools, religious, no ...

in Trenton, in Mercer County, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. It served students in

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth Grade (also known as Grade 12, Senior Year, Standard 12, 12th Standard, 12th Class, or Class 12th or Class 12) is the twelfth and final Educational stage, year of Formal education, formal or compulsory education. It is typically the final ...

s and formerly operated under the auspices of the Diocese of Trenton. And operated under an independent board of trustees on and after the 2021-2022 school year. (Until its closure in 2024.)

The Closure of TCPA in 2024

The school closed after the 2023-2024 school year due to the decline in enrollment and financial pressures which led to the filing of a charter school application to receive state funding, and take on the new name of McCorristin Charter School. Though the name was later changed to what is now Thrive Charter School.

History

Trenton Catholic Academy's high school, i.e., upper school, was known as McCorristin Catholic High School from 1979 to 2005. From its establishment in September 1962 until 1979, the school was known as Saint Anthony High School and affiliated with Saint Anthony Church on Olden Avenue in Hamilton Township. The school was renamed to honor Monsignor Michael "Iron Mike" McCorristin in 1979 and then renamed as Trenton Catholic Academy in 2005 after a series of mergers with other area schools. The name McCorristin refers to Monsignor Michael "Iron Mike" McCorristin, a Catholic cleric responsible for major parish expansion projects at Holy Angels Church and Saint Anthony Church in

Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey Hamilton Township is a Township (New Jersey), township and the most populous municipality in Mercer County, New Jersey, Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is the largest suburb of Trenton, New Jersey, Trenton, the state's capi ...

(a suburb of Trenton). The announcement of the closing of

Trenton Catholic High School Trenton Catholic High School was a Roman Catholic high school serving boys in ninth through twelfth grades located in the Chambersburg section of Trenton, in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school closed after the 1961-1962 ...

at the end of the 1961–62 school year prompted Monsignor McCorristin to build a new high school to serve the parishes of Trenton and Hamilton Township. In the wake of a $2 million annual deficit and the impact of COVID-19 on enrollment, the Diocese of Trenton announced in January 2021 that the school was scheduled to close at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. The 550 current TCA students in grades K-12 were to be directed to Notre Dame High School and other nearby schools as alternatives. The school later reached an agreement with the archdiocese to become an independent Catholic school under the new name of Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy. Operated under the non-profit of Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy, Inc.

Athletics

The Trenton Catholic Academy Iron MikesTrenton Catholic Academy

New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports. State championsh ...

. Accessed October 20, 2020. competed in the Burlington County Scholastic League (BCSL), which is comprised of public and private high schools in Burlington, Mercer and

Ocean The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of Earth. The ocean is conventionally divided into large bodies of water, which are also referred to as ''oceans'' (the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Indian, Southern Ocean ...

counties in

central New Jersey Central Jersey, or Central New Jersey, is the middle region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation Central Jersey is a distinct administrative division, administrative toponymy, toponym. While New Jersey is often divided into North Je ...

, and operates under the jurisdiction of the

(NJSIAA). With 149 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Non-Public B for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 37 to 366 students in that grade range (equivalent to Group I for public schools). The baseball team won the Non-Public A state championship in 1972 (defeating

Don Bosco Preparatory High School Don Bosco Preparatory High School (Don Bosco Prep) is a private, all-boys Catholic high school from ninth through twelfth grades. Founded in 1915 as a boarding school for Polish boys, by the Salesians of Don Bosco, a religious community of pr ...

), 1974 (vs.

Saint Joseph Regional High School Saint Joseph Regional High School (known as SJR, St. Joe's or Joe's) is a private, Catholic Church, Catholic, University-preparatory school, college preparatory school for boys, located on a campus in Montvale, New Jersey, Montvale, in Bergen ...

) and 1975 (vs.

Roselle Catholic High School Roselle Catholic High School is a coeducational, Roman Catholic secondary education in the United States, high school, located on a campus in Roselle, New Jersey, Roselle, in Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jers ...

).Baseball Championship History: 1959–2024

, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. The 1972 team won the Parochial A title with a 2-0 win against Don Bosco in the championship game for a 16-6 record. The girls basketball team won the Group II state championship in 1980 (against

Union Catholic High School Union Catholic Regional High School is a private Catholic high school located in Scotch Plains, in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its motto promises to provide a "quality education in a faith-based environment." Founded in 1962 ...

) and won the Non-Public Group B state title in 2007 (vs. St. Anthony High School), 2008 (vs. Marist High School), 2010 (vs.

Gill St. Bernard's School Gill St. Bernard's School is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory day school located along the Somerset-Morris county line between the Gladstone section of Peapack-Gladstone and Chester Township, in the U.S. state of New ...

) and 2011 (vs. Gill St. Bernard's). The team was declared as the Non-Public South B sectional champion in 2020 after the group finals were cancelled due to

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. The program's five state championships are tied for tenth-most in the state.Girls Basketball Championship History: 1919–2024

, updated March 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024. The 1983 team finished the season with a 27-3 record after taking a 16-point lead at the half against Union Catholic in the Group II championship game and holding on to win by a score of 65-55. The team won the 2006 South B state sectional title, topping

Cardinal McCarrick High School Cardinal McCarrick High School (CMHS), later known as Cardinal McCarrick/St. Mary's High School, was a Catholic secondary school located in South Amboy, New Jersey, that operated under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. ...

64–53. The team won the South B state sectional championship again in 2007 with a 74–54 win over Sacred Heart High School. The team moved on to win the Group B state championship with a 69–27 win against St. Anthony High School. In 2011, the Trenton Catholic Academy girls' basketball team defeated

Neptune High School Neptune High School is a comprehensive four-year community public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Neptune Township, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Neptune ...

by a score of 54–49 in the NJSIAA

Tournament of Champions A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

final. In doing so, TCA became the first New Jersey high school to capture both a boys (2010) and girls (2011) TOC title. The boys basketball team won the Non-Public Group A state championship in 1982 (against runner-up

Seton Hall Preparatory School Seton Hall Preparatory School, generally called Seton Hall Prep, SHP, or "The Prep", is a Roman Catholic all boys' high school located in the suburban community of West Orange in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating under ...

in the playoff finals), 1989 (vs.

Bergen Catholic High School Bergen Catholic High School is an all-male Roman Catholic high school in Oradell, in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade. Bergen Catholic operates under the supervision of the Roman ...

) and 1990 (vs. Seton Hall), and won the Non-Public B title in 2010 (vs. Saint Anthony High School). The 2010 team won the program's first state title in two decades with a 57–56 win in triple overtime in the Non-Public B championship game at the

Ritacco Center The RWJBarnabas Health Arena (formerly known as the Ritacco Center, Poland Spring Arena, and Pine Belt Arena) is a 3,208-seat multi-purpose arena in Toms River, New Jersey. Opened in 2003, the facility hosts various local concerts and sporting ev ...

against Saint Anthony, a team that had won all 18 of its previous final appearances starting in 1980. Trenton Catholic became the first Mercer County team to win the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions, coming in as the second seed and winning against number-three seed

University High School University High School may refer to: Australia * University High School, Melbourne, Victoria Canada * University Hill Secondary School, Vancouver, British Columbia United States Arizona * University High School (Tolleson) * University High Sc ...

by 63–46 in the semifinals and won vs. top-seeded

Camden Catholic High School Camden Catholic High School (CCHS) is a four-year comprehensive private coeducational Roman Catholic high school, located in the Philadelphia metropolitan area in Cherry Hill, Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The school operates ...

in the championship game at the

Izod Center Meadowlands Arena (formerly Brendan Byrne Arena, Continental Airlines Arena and Izod Center) is a closed indoor sports and concert venue located in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States. Since closing, ...

by a score of 53–39 to finish the season with a 28–3 record. The softball team won the Non-Public Group B state championship in 1983, defeating DePaul Catholic High School in the tournament final. The 2008-09 Trenton Catholic Lower School girls' basketball team finished the season with a 26–1 record, won the Mercer County CYO Championship, and was runner-up in the Tournament of Champions. At the high school level, the Iron Mikes have added other sports to the list such as Cross Country, Winter and Outdoor Track for the 2008-09 year.

Notable alumni

* Charles Cooke (born 1994), NBA basketball player for the

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...

Brian Duperreault Brian Charles Duperreault (born May 8, 1947) is a Bermuda-born American executive in the insurance industry. He stepped down as executive chairman of American International Group in December 2021. Duperreault's entire career has been in the ins ...

(born 1947, class of 1965), executive in the insurance industry who is the CEO of

American International Group American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is an American multinational finance and insurance corporation with operations in more than 80 countries and jurisdictions. As of 2023, AIG employed 25,200 people. The company operates through three core ...

* Billy Gazonas (born , class of 1974), soccer

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

who won the 1977

Hermann Trophy The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top men's and women's college soccer players. History In 1967, Bob Hermann, the president of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) and th ...

as the top collegiate soccer player of the year, and played in both the

North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...

and Major Indoor Soccer League. In 1999, he was named by ''

The Star-Ledger ''The Star-Ledger'' was the largest circulation newspaper in New Jersey. It is based in Newark, New Jersey. The newspaper ceased print publication on February 2, 2025, but continues to publish a digital edition. In 2007, ''The Star-Ledger''s ...

'' as one of the top ten New Jersey high school soccer players of the 1970sClark, Ray
"Luncheon to spotlight 50 Trenton Catholic Academy, McCorristin High stars"
''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'', February 28, 2013. Accessed November 9, 2017. *

Nola Henry Nola Henry (born June 7, 1994) is an American professional basketball coach, currently serving as an assistant coach for the Dallas Wings of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the head coach for Rose BC of the Unrivaled bask ...

(born 1994), professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the

Dallas Wings The Dallas Wings are an American professional basketball team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Wings compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team is owned by a group ...

of the WNBA * Brandel Littlejohn,

professional wrestler Professional wrestling, often shortened to either pro wrestling or wrestling,The term "wrestling" is most often widely used to specifically refer to modern scripted professional wrestling, though it is also used to refer to real-life wrest ...

who competes for

Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011; the promotion was subs ...

, where he performs under the

ring name A ring name is a type of stage name or nickname used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons ...

"World Famous CB" * Frantz Massenat (born 1992), professional basketball player who played for the

Drexel Dragons The Drexel Dragons are the athletic teams of Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school's athletic program includes eighteen NCAA Division I sports including nine men's and nine women's teams, with most sports teams competing in ...

* Myles Powell (born 1997), basketball player for the

Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball The Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey. The team competes in the Big East Conference and plays their home games in the P ...

team *

Malachi Richardson Malachi Lewis Richardson (born January 5, 1996) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Astros de Jalisco of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP). He played one season of college basketball for Syracu ...

(born 1996), professional basketball player for the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...

* Thomas Sorber,

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

player for the

Georgetown Hoyas The Georgetown Hoyas are the collegiate athletics teams that officially represent Georgetown University, located at Washington, D.C. The Georgetown's athletics department fields 24 men's and women's varsity level teams and competes at the Natio ...

* La'Keisha Sutton (born 1990), professional basketball player for the

Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters is an American Exhibition game, exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, entertainment, and comedy in their style of play. Over the years, they have played more than 26,000 exhibition games in 124 ...

* Brandon Taylor (born 1994), professional basketball player for

Jämtland Basket KFUM Jämtland Basket is a basketball club founded in based in Östersund, Sweden. Founded in 1956, the team plays in the Swedish Basketball League (SBL), the Swedish top basketball league. Home games are played in the Östersunds Sporthall, which ...

of the

Basketligan Svenska Basketligan, or the Swedish Basketball League (SBL), is the premier league for professional basketball in Sweden. The league was originally established in 1992 as Basketligan and was known as that prior to the season of 2006–07, but whe ...

* Jamir Watkins, basketball player

References

External links

Trenton Catholic Upper SchoolPEDUS - Homestay for Trenton Catholic School
{{Authority control Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey 1962 establishments in New Jersey Educational institutions established in 1962 Private K–12 schools in New Jersey Private high schools in Mercer County, New Jersey Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton Catholic secondary schools in New Jersey