Fox Valley Tri-County League

The Fox Valley Tri-County League is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin, founded in 1924 and dissolved in 1970. Its membership was concentrated in the Fox River Valley and all public school members belonged to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History

Origins and Early Years (1924-1955)

The Fox Valley Tri-County League, also known by its original name of the Tri-County Interscholastic Association, was founded in 1924 by eight small high schools in east central Wisconsin (Brandon, Campbellsport, Glenbeulah, Kewaskum, Lomira, Oakfield, Rosendale and Slinger).[1] Original league members were located in Fond du Lac, Sheboygan and Washington Counties, which is where the Tri-County name originated. North Fond du Lac joined the Fox Valley Tri-County League in 1928, bringing the loop to nine member schools.[2] The number of members went back down to eight in 1929 when Glenbeulah left to join the Kettle Moraine Conference.[3] Slinger left the conference in 1935 to join the 4-C Conference,[4] and conference membership would remain stable for the next twenty years before further changes occurred.

Membership Shuffle (1955-1962)

In 1955, Hustisford High School joined the Fox Valley Tri-County League after nearly two decades of competing as an independent.[5] The league experienced a three-member loss in 1958 when the new Scenic Moraine Conference was formed, with three of the largest high schools in the conference (Campbellsport, Kewaskum and North Fond du Lac) leaving to join.[6] They were replaced in 1959 by Fox Lake (formerly of the Dual County Conference), Green Lake (who previously competed in the Little 7-C Conference) and Lowell-Reeseville (a former independent with their first conference affiliation since 1942).[7]

Rural Consolidation and Demise (1962-1970)

Like many conferences in rural areas during the 1950s and 1960s, consolidation of school districts had a great effect on conference affiliation. Fox Lake was the first conference member affected, as they left after consolidating with Waupun in 1962.[8] Winnebago Lutheran Academy would become the first private school to join the Fox Valley Tri-County League in 1964 after the dissolution of the short-lived Badger Lutheran Conference.[9] Two consolidations further whittled away conference membership in 1969. Brandon and Rosendale agreed to a merger of their two districts, and they combined to form a single athletic program until Laconia High School was completed in 1972.[10][11] In addition, Lowell-Reeseville consolidated with Juneau High School to form the new Dodgeland High School.[12][13] Rosendale-Brandon remained in the Fox Valley Tri-County League for its first season, while Dodgeland took Juneau's spot in the Eastern Suburban Conference.[14] St. Lawrence Seminary in Mount Calvary was added to the conference that year to put membership back up to seven schools.[15] They would only play one season in the Fox Valley Tri-County League, as the conference disbanded in 1970. Three members (Lomira, Oakfield and Rosendale-Brandon) became charter members of the Flyway Conference, two schools (St. Lawrence Seminary and Winnebago Lutheran) joined the new Bay-Lakes Conference, Green Lake joined the Dual County Conference and Hustisford joined the Eastern Suburban Conference.[16]

Conference Membership History

School Location Affiliation Enrollment Mascot Colors Joined Left Conference Joined Current Conference
Brandon Brandon, WI Public N/A Tanagers     1924[1] 1969[10] Closed (consolidated into Laconia)
Campbellsport Campbellsport, WI Public 470 Cougars     1924[1] 1958[6] Scenic Moraine Wisconsin Flyway
Glenbeulah Glenbeulah, WI Public N/A Boosters     1924[1] 1929[3] Kettle Moraine Closed in 1957 (consolidated into Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah)
Kewaskum Kewaskum, WI Public 572 Indians     1924[1] 1958[6] Scenic Moraine Eastern Wisconsin
Lomira Lomira, WI Public 323 Lions     1924[1] 1970[16] Flyway Wisconsin Flyway
Oakfield Oakfield, WI Public 158 Oaks     1924[1] 1970[16] Flyway Trailways
Rosendale Rosendale, WI Public N/A Dalers     1924[1] 1969[10] Closed (consolidated into Laconia)
Slinger Slinger, WI Public 1,052 Owls     1924[1] 1935[4] 4-C North Shore
North Fond du Lac North Fond du Lac, WI Public 466 Orioles     1928[2] 1958[6] Scenic Moraine Wisconsin Flyway
Hustisford Hustisford, WI Public 105 Falcons     1955[5] 1970[16] Eastern Suburban Trailways
Fox Lake Fox Lake, WI Public N/A Lakers     1959[7] 1962[8] Closed (consolidated into Waupun)
Green Lake Green Lake, WI Public 101 Lakers     1959[7] 1970[16] Dual County Trailways (co-op with Princeton)
Lowell-Reeseville Reeseville, WI Public N/A Cardinals     1959[7] 1969[12] Closed (consolidated into Dodgeland)
Winnebago Lutheran Fond du Lac, WI Private (Lutheran, WELS) 319 Vikings     1964[9] 1970[16] Bay-Lakes Wisconsin Flyway
Rosendale-Brandon Rosendale, WI Public 317 Spartans     1969 [10] 1970[16] Flyway Wisconsin Flyway
St. Lawrence Seminary Mount Calvary, WI Private (Catholic, Capuchin) 256 Hilltoppers     1969[15] 1970[16] Bay-Lakes Independent

List of State Champions

Fall Sports

None

Winter Sports

None

Spring Sports

Boys Track & Field
School Year Division
North Fond du Lac 1942 Class C
North Fond du Lac 1943 Class C
North Fond du Lac 1944 Class C
North Fond du Lac 1945 Class C

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Tri-County Meet at Campbellsport". Kewaskum Statesman. 12 April 1924. p. 1. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Tri-County High School Heads Meet". Kewaskum Statesman. 22 September 1928. p. 1. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Glenbeulah in Kettle League This Season". The Sheboygan Press. 19 November 1929. p. 29. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  4. ^ a b "School Notes". Dodge County Independent-News. 16 November 1934. p. 8. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Indians to Open Season Tuesday; Oostburg Here". Kewaskum Statesman. 25 November 1955. p. 7. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d "Indians Get Set to Open Play in New Scenic Moraine League". Kewaskum Statesman. 22 August 1958. p. 1. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d "High School Opens Football Season Friday". Fox Lake Representative. 10 September 1959. p. 1. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  8. ^ a b Polzin, Bill (7 June 1962). "Fox Lake High School Holds Final Graduation Exercises". Fox Lake Representative. p. 1. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  9. ^ a b Simon, Henry (9 February 1964). "Travel Distance Cited as Big Reason for Break-Up of the BLC". Appleton Post-Crescent. pp. B2. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d "Brandon Merges With Rosendale". Oshkosh Northwestern. 17 January 1969. p. 11. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  11. ^ "Brandon". Waupun Leader-News. 11 November 1971. p. 3. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Reeseville High School Closing Voted By Board". Horicon Reporter. 6 March 1969. p. 1. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  13. ^ Polzin, Connie (25 February 1969). "Juneau School Attendance Patterns Changed By 5-4 Board Vote". Fond du Lac Reporter. p. 13. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  14. ^ Wedeward, Dave (14 August 1969). "High Notes". Janesville Weekly Gazette. p. 13. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Oakfield Favored in Fox Valley Tri-County Conference". Oshkosh Northwestern. 29 November 1969. p. 19. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h Hillstrom, Eric (26 March 1970). "City, Area Prep Hi-Notes". The Capital Times. p. 32. Retrieved 19 December 2024.