On February 26, 2018, in the wake of the Stoneman Douglas high school shooting and the March for Our Lives Movement, student leaders staged an auditorium protest against the suspension of a popular history teacher after the teacher claimed that a school shooting was imminent at Cherry Hill East, stating "I have the gun".
They walked through the school's sidewalks and 17 laps around the track field in honor of the 17 victims of the Stoneman Douglas shooting.
[26] In 2009, the team representing Cherry Hill High School East produced a documentary that placed nationally in the Senior Group Documentary division of the National History Day competition in College Park, Maryland.
In September 2006, during a routine check, the school became aware of the changes and began an investigation with the police.
On September 7, 2018, an incident was reported on STOPit about a student who had made remarks about plotting a school shooting at Cherry Hill East.
This student convinced school officials and the police they never made threats against Cherry Hill East and identified a possible suspect.
Assistant Principal Louis C. Papa called this "a criminal act" and stated that appropriate actions were taken by the school district and the police against this student.
[34] The 2616F team (Frightening Lightning) qualified for the World Championship in their rookie year (2013) and won the Teamwork award there.
[35] The Cherry Hill High School East Cougars[2] compete in the Olympic Conference, which is comprised of public and private high schools located in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties, and is overseen by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).
[40] The varsity boys' baseball team won the 2014 Mingo Bay Classic in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
[43] The team won its first ever South Jersey Group IV boys' NJSIAA championship in 2014, defeating Cherokee High School by a score of 54–41.
[44] They retained their South Jersey Group IV title in 2015 with a 48–39 win against Cherokee High School in double overtime.
[46] The Cougars used to play their home games at the township stadium, Jonas C. Morris Stadium, which they shared with Cherry Hill High School West, however the team now plays its home games at Cherry Hill East.
Annually, the Cougars face cross town rival Cherry Hill West on the night before Thanksgiving, a rivalry described by The Philadelphia Inquirer as "one of the best in South Jersey", in which the winner of the contest receives the Al DiBart Memorial Trophy, also known as "The Boot.
"[47] In the most recent meeting between the two teams, the Cherry Hill West Lions defeated the Cougars 19–7.
The 1988 football team finished the season with a record of 11-0 after winning the South Jersey Group IV state sectional title by defeating Brick Township High School by a score of 36–14 in the championship game.
[49][50] The girls' volleyball team won its first New Jersey Group IV state championship in 2005, defeating Hunterdon Central Regional High School in the final game of the playoff tournament.
[53] The 1996 team ran their record to 22-0 after defeating defending-champion Fair Lawn in three games (16-14, 11-15 and 15–10) in the finals to win the Group III tournament.
The team won the 2003 Tournament of Champions, defeating runner-up Montclair Kimberley Academy.
The team's 9 group titles are the sixth-most of any school in the state[56] In 2007, the girls' tennis team won the South Jersey, Group IV state sectional championship with a 4–1 win over Washington Township High School in the tournament final.
[57] In 2016, the girls' team repeated as South Jersey, Group IV state sectional champion with a 5–0 win over Egg Harbor Township High School.
The team won the Group III title in 2007 and went on to win the sport's first Tournament of Champions.
Cherry Hill East added men's lacrosse to their spring athletics program in 2005.
[70] Cherry Hill High School East's newspaper, Eastside, produces a 24 page monthly publication and has won the New Jersey Distinguished Journalism Award for the past ten years.