Head of the Lakes Conference

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The Head of the Lakes Conference is a former high school athletic conference with membership in close proximity to the Twin Ports region of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Founded in 1918 and disbanded by 1954, its public school members belonged to the Minnesota State High School League and the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Contents

History

1918-1939

Head of the Lakes Conference
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6km
3.7miles
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Location of Original Head of the Lakes Conference Members:

The Head of the Lakes Conference traces its origin to May 1918, when six high schools in the Duluth metropolitan area held a track meet. The schools participating in that meet were the original members of the conference: Cathedral in Duluth, Denfeld, Duluth Central, Nelson Dewey in Superior, Proctor and Superior Central. [1] Basketball [2] and football [3] would become sponsored sports later that fall, and the original lineup would remain intact until 1920, when Proctor left the group. [4] They would be replaced by the recently opened Morgan Park High School of Duluth in 1921. [5] In 1924, the Head of the Lakes Conference lost Duluth Cathedral and Nelson Dewey as members and were replaced by three incoming schools: Cloquet, Superior East and Two Harbors. [6] The next year, Proctor rejoined the conference to increase membership to eight schools. [7] A ninth school was added in 1928 when Duluth Cathedral rejoined the conference, [8] and in 1929, Superior Cathedral became members. [9] It was around this time that the conference became known informally as the Little Big Ten Conference. [10]

1939-1954

Head of the Lakes Conference
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20km
12miles
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Location of Final Head of the Lakes Conference Members:

In 1939, six members of the Head of the Lakes Conference (Cloquet, Denfeld, Duluth Central, Morgan Park, Proctor and Two Harbors) formed the Big Six Conference. [11] All six schools maintained dual membership in the Head of the Lakes Conference during its existence. An eleventh school was added in 1951 when Duluth East opened its doors. [12] [13] By this time, the Head of the Lakes Conference was an organization in name only, lacking a league structure and having records kept by the local newspapers. [14] For the 1954-55 school year, the local media stopped covering the Head of the Lakes Conference in favor of the newly renamed Big Eight Conference. [15] The seven schools with dual membership would continue their affiliation with the Big Eight, and that conference continues to this day as the Lake Superior Conference. The other four schools (Duluth Cathedral, Superior Cathedral, Superior East and Superior Central) continued competition as independents. Superior East (1961-1965) [16] [17] and Superior Cathedral (1965-1969) [18] [19] both played for a brief period in the Michigan-Wisconsin Conference, and Duluth Cathedral would join the Lake Superior Conference in 1974. [20] All three Superior schools would eventually close, with Central and East merging into a single Superior High School in 1965 [21] and Superior Cathedral being closed by the Diocese of Superior in 1969. [19] [22]

Conference membership history

SchoolLocationAffiliationEnrollmentMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent Conference
Cathedral Duluth, MN Private (Catholic)N/AHilltoppers  1918, [1] 1928 [8] 1924, [6] 1954 [14] [15] Independent Lake Superior (as Marshall School)
Denfeld Duluth, MN Public729Hunters  1918 [1] 1954 [14] [15] Big Eight Lake Superior
Duluth Central Duluth, MN PublicN/ATrojans  1918 [1] 1954 [14] [15] Big Eight Closed in 2011 (merged into Denfeld)
Nelson Dewey Superior, WI PublicN/AEast Enders  1918 [1] 1924 [6] Closed (replaced by Superior East)
Proctor Proctor, MN Public472Rails  1918, [1] 1925 [7] 1920, [4] 1954 [14] [15] Big Eight Lake Superior
Superior Central Superior, WI PublicN/AVikings  1918 [1] 1954 [14] [15] IndependentClosed in 1965 (merged into Superior)
Morgan Park Duluth, MN PublicN/AWildcats  1921 [5] 1954 [14] [15] Big Eight Closed in 1982 (merged into Denfeld)
Cloquet Cloquet, MN Public662Lumberjacks  1924 [6] 1954 [14] [15] Big Eight Lake Superior
Superior East Superior, WI PublicN/AOrientals  1924 [6] 1954 [14] [15] IndependentClosed in 1965 (merged into Superior)
Two Harbors Two Harbors, MN Public290Agates  1924 [6] 1954 [14] [15] Big Eight Polar League
Cathedral Superior, WI Private (Catholic)N/APanthers  1929 [9] [10] 1954 [14] [15] IndependentClosed in 1969
Duluth East Duluth, MN Public1,358Greyhounds  1951 [12] [13] 1954 [14] [15] Big Eight Independent

Membership timeline

Head of the Lakes Conference

List of state champions

Fall sports

Boys Cross Country
SchoolYearOrganization
Duluth Central1943MSHSL
Duluth Central1945MSHSL
Duluth Central1949MSHSL
Duluth Central1951MSHSL

Winter sports

Boys Alpine Skiing
SchoolYearOrganization
Duluth Central1939MSHSL
Duluth Central1943MSHSL
Duluth Central1944MSHSL
Cloquet1945MSHSL
Duluth Central1946MSHSL
Duluth Central1947MSHSL
Cloquet1948MSHSL
Duluth Central1949MSHSL
Cloquet1950MSHSL
Cloquet1951MSHSL
Cloquet1952MSHSL
Duluth East1953MSHSL
Duluth East1954MSHSL
Boys Basketball
SchoolYearOrganizationDivision
Superior Central1920 [23] WIAA
Superior Central1935 [23] WIAAClass A
Superior Central1936 [23] WIAAClass A
Denfeld1947MSHSL
Duluth Central1950MSHSL
Boys Nordic Skiing
SchoolYearOrganization
Duluth Central1933MSHSL
Duluth Central1934MSHSL
Duluth Central1935MSHSL
Duluth Central1936MSHSL
Duluth Central1939MSHSL
Duluth Central1940MSHSL
Duluth Central1941MSHSL
Duluth Central1942MSHSL
Duluth Central1943MSHSL
Duluth Central1944MSHSL
Duluth Central1945MSHSL
Duluth Central1946MSHSL
Duluth Central1947MSHSL
Cloquet1948MSHSL
Duluth Central1949MSHSL
Duluth Central1950MSHSL
Cloquet1951MSHSL
Cloquet1952MSHSL
Duluth Central1953MSHSL
Duluth Central1954MSHSL

Spring sports

Baseball
SchoolYearOrganization
Denfeld1950MSHSL
Boys Golf
SchoolYearOrganization
Duluth Central1946MSHSL
Duluth Central1947MSHSL
Duluth Central1948MSHSL
Boys Track & Field
SchoolYearOrganizationDivision
Duluth Central1923MSHSLClass B
Duluth Central1930MSHSL
Duluth Central1935MSHSL
Duluth Central1936MSHSL
Denfeld1949MSHSL

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Duluth Central Entries". Duluth News-Tribune. 8 June 1918. p. 8. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  2. "Red and White To Have Strong Basketball Five". Duluth News-Tribune. 19 November 1918. p. 8. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  3. Gollop, Louis H. "Head-of-the-Lakes Football Teams Are Starting Work; Calls Issued". Duluth News-Tribune. p. 21. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Duluth Central Defeats Superior High; Virginia Downs Denfeld in District Race; Cathedral Basket Tossers Win Another". Duluth News-Tribune. p. 8. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  5. 1 2 "20 Morgan Park Boys Out for School's Cage Quint". Duluth News-Tribune. 11 December 1921. p. 11. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Denfeld to Invade Superior Central; Morgan Park at Home". Duluth News-Tribune. 30 January 1925. p. 8. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Cloquet to Oppose Proctor in Conference Cage Tilt". Duluth News-Tribune. 8 January 1926. p. 11. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Lumberjacks Upset Denfeld to Set Pace Among Cagers". Duluth News-Tribune. 16 December 1928. p. 25. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Five Contests in Twin Ports This Weekend". Duluth News-Tribune. 7 January 1930. p. 12. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  10. 1 2 "Denfeld, Cloquet in Tight Race for Loop Honors". Duluth News-Tribune. 19 February 1930. p. 19. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  11. "Sportolog". Duluth News-Tribune. 8 October 1939. p. 4. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  12. 1 2 "Two Conferences Drawn for Prep Football Teams". Duluth News-Tribune. 25 September 1951. p. 10. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  13. 1 2 "Nelson Tops HO'L Scoring". Duluth News-Tribune. 11 December 1951. p. 12.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Peterson, Sid (29 November 1954). "The Locker Room". Duluth News-Tribune. p. 6. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Peterson, Sid (13 December 1954). "The Locker Room". Duluth News-Tribune. p. 6. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  16. "Superior East in M-W Conference". Iron County Miner. 28 October 1960. p. 1. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  17. "M-W Conference Selects Dates, Sites for Spring Meeting". Ironwood Daily Globe. 24 March 1965. p. 10. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  18. "Superior School Appoints Coach". Ironwood Daily Globe. 24 July 1965. p. 16. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  19. 1 2 Pomeroy, Richard (22 November 1968). "Superior Cathedral High Will Be Closed". Duluth News-Tribune. p. 1. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  20. "Big Ten Conference now "Lake Superior"". Duluth News-Tribune. 19 June 1974. p. 27. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  21. "Prep Grid Teams Open Workouts". Duluth News-Tribune. 15 August 1965. p. 30. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  22. "WISAA Accepts Two New Members". Eau Claire Daily Telegram. 26 April 1969. p. 12. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  23. 1 2 3 "State Team Championships". Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 9 May 2025.