History
The Central Lakes Conference was formed in 1951 by five schools who seceded from the larger 7-C Conference in central Wisconsin: Almond, Green Lake, Oxford-Endeavor, Princeton and Wild Rose. [1] [2] Eight-man football was first sponsored for the 1953 season with all five members participating. [3] Princeton exited the conference in 1954 to join the Dual County Conference, [4] bringing membership down to four schools. Endeavor and Oxford also ended their academic and athletic partnership that year, with Endeavor's school district area being reassigned to Portage. [5] Green Lake dropped out of the Central Lakes Conference’s football roster for the 1955 and competed as an independent before rejoining in 1956. [6] That same year, Necedah's entry into the conference from the Juneau County League brought the roster back up to five members, though they did not sponsor football. [7] A sixth school was added in 1958 when Port Edwards left the 7-C Conference for Central Lakes Conference membership. [8] They were the only member of the conference that competed in eleven-man football, [9] which made them ineligible for the conference championship (though the league relented on this at the end of the season). Port Edward’s left as football members for the 1959 season to compete against other 11-man programs [10] and were replaced by Montello of the 7-C Conference after they switched to eight-man football. [11] Green Lake joined the Fox Valley Tri-County League in 1959, [12] leaving the Central Lakes Conference with five members. After the 1960-61 school year, Montello left for full membership in the Dual County Conference, [13] and Port Edwards rejoined for football in 1961 after transitioning to eight-man football. [14] The Central Lakes Conference was dissolved in 1962, and the five remaining members of the conference joined with three former members of the 7-C Conference (Adams-Friendship, Tri-County and Westfield) and Madonna High School in Mauston to form the new Central-C Conference. [15]
