Kettle Moraine Conference

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The Kettle Moraine Conference is a former high school athletic conference with its membership concentrated in Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine region. It existed from 1928 to 1969 and all public school members were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Contents

History

1928-1957

Kettle Moraine Conference
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19miles
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Location of Original Kettle Moraine Conference Members
Kettle Moraine Conference
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30km
19miles
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Location of Kettle Moraine Conference Members (1939-1955)

The Kettle Moraine Conference was formed in 1928 by five small high schools in Sheboygan and Ozaukee Counties: Grafton, Howards Grove, Oostburg, Random Lake and Waldo. [1] [2] Glenbeulah High School would join in 1929 [3] from the Fox Valley Tri-County League, and Howards Grove would leave the conference a year later. [4] Cedar Grove joined the Kettle Moraine Conference in 1931, bringing conference membership to six schools. [5] It would remain at six when Howards Grove made their return to the Kettle Moraine Conference in 1934, replacing Glenbeulah, who exited the conference that year. [6] Glenbeulah would return in 1939, [7] and the conference would continue as a seven-member circuit for fifteen years. Stockbridge High School joined in 1954, bringing membership to its highest total of eight schools. [8]

1957-1963

In 1957, the Kettle Moraine Conference lost Glenbeulah after their school district consolidated with Elkhart Lake, [9] with the new Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah High School remaining in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference. [10] Grafton would leave the next year to join the new Scenic Moraine Conference, [11] decreasing membership to six schools. In 1960, Oostburg left to join the Eastern Wisconsin Conference [12] and Random Lake followed Grafton into the Scenic Moraine Conference. [13] Oostburg would play one more football season in the Kettle Moraine before joining the EWC for football in 1961. [14] The Kettle Moraine Conference would play for two seasons as a four-member loop before Waldo High School closed after consolidation with Sheboygan Falls in 1962. [15] In 1963, Cedar Grove and Howards Grove tentatively reached an agreement to join the Eastern Wisconsin Conference, only to have it reversed a few months later. [16]

1963-1969

Kettle Moraine Conference
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30km
19miles
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Location of Final Kettle Moraine Conference Members

After the EWC's rejection of Cedar Grove and Howards Grove, the three remaining schools accepted St. Gregory High School, a Catholic high school in St. Nazianz into the conference to bring the loop to four members. [17] Manitowoc Lutheran entered the Kettle Moraine Conference as its fifth member school in 1964 after the cessation of the Badger Lutheran Conference. [18] In 1965, Cedar Grove became members of the Eastern Wisconsin Conference, two years after its initial application for membership was rejected. [19] They were replaced by the new Ozaukee High School in Fredonia, marking their first conference affiliation. [20] In 1967, Manitowoc Lutheran left the Kettle Moraine Conference for membership in the Peninsula Conference. [21] Another Manitowoc-based private high school (Roncalli) replaced them as conference members for one season before joining the Fox Valley Catholic Conference in 1968. [22] The Kettle Moraine Conference was disbanded in 1969, with two of its former members (Howards Grove and Ozaukee) becoming charter members of the Central Lakeshore Conference. [23] Stockbridge played one season as an independent before joining the new Bay-Lakes Conference in 1970, [24] and St. Gregory closed shortly after the conference's dissolution. [25]

Football

Due to the small size of its member schools, the Kettle Moraine Conference did not sponsor football until 1951, when three schools (Grafton, Oostburg and Random Lake) [26] participated in six-man football. Waldo started its own football team the next year, bringing the football group to four schools for the next three seasons. [27] League play was interrupted from 1955 to 1957 as the Kettle Moraine Conference sponsored fall baseball instead of football, [28] [29] [30] as they had previously done in the years after World War II. [31] Football returned to the conference's athletic offerings in 1958, this time in the normal eleven-player format with four schools participating (Grafton, Oostburg, Random Lake and Waldo). [32] Grafton played one season as a football-only member of the conference, leaving to align fully with the Scenic Moraine Conference starting with the 1958-59 winter sports season. After Grafton's departure, Cedar Grove and Howards Grove entered conference play, with Howards Grove sponsoring football for the first time. [33] [34] Random Lake's departure for the Scenic Moraine Conference in 1960 decreased football membership to four schools, [35] with Oostburg playing one last season as a football-only member before departing for membership in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference. Their place would be filled by Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah (whose primary affiliation was with the EWC) for the 1961 season. [36] Membership was whittled down to three football-playing members with Waldo High School's 1962 closing. [15] Elkhart Lake's departure the next year led to suspension of football sponsorship for the 1963 season due to lack of teams. [37] Football returned in 1964, with new conference members Manitowoc Lutheran and Stockbridge joining Cedar Grove and Howards Grove to create a four-team loop. [38] In 1965, Cedar Grove left to join the Eastern Wisconsin Conference, with new conference members Ozaukee replacing them. [20] This alignment would continue until Manitowoc Lutheran's exit to join the Peninsula Conference in 1967, with Roncalli replacing them for one season before joining the Fox Valley Catholic Conference in 1968. [22] The 1967 season would be the conference's last before completely dissolving after the 1968-69 school year. [23]

Conference membership history

Full members

SchoolLocationAffiliation Enrollment NicknameColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent Conference
Grafton Grafton, WI Public713Blackhawks  1928 [1] [2] 1958 [11] Scenic Moraine North Shore
Howards Grove Howards Grove, WI Public283Tigers  1928, [1] [2] 1934 [6] 1930, [4] 1969 [23] Independent, Central Lakeshore Big East
Oostburg Oostburg, WI Public331Dutchmen  1928 [1] [2] 1960 [12] Eastern Wisconsin Big East
Random Lake Random Lake, WI Public244Rams  1928 [1] [2] 1960 [13] Scenic Moraine Big East
Waldo Waldo, WI PublicN/AGolden Royals  1928 [1] [2] 1962 [15] Closed (consolidated into Sheboygan Falls)
Glenbeulah Glenbeulah, WI PublicN/ABoosters  1929, [3] 1939 [7] 1934, [6] 1957 [9] Closed (consolidated into Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah)
Cedar Grove Cedar Grove, WI Public291Rockets  1931 [5] 1965 [19] Eastern Wisconsin Big East
Stockbridge Stockbridge, WI Public54Indians  1954 [8] 1969 [24] Independent
St. Gregory St. Nazianz, WI Private (Catholic)N/AKnights  1963 [17] 1969 [25] Closed
Manitowoc Lutheran Manitowoc, WI Private (Lutheran, WELS)227Lancers  1964 [18] 1967 [20] Peninsula Big East
Ozaukee Fredonia, WI Public188Warriors  1965 [20] 1969 [23] Central Lakeshore Big East
Roncalli Manitowoc, WI Private (Catholic)223Jets  1967 [22] 1968 [22] Fox Valley Catholic Eastern Wisconsin

Football-only members

SchoolLocationAffiliation Enrollment MascotColorsSeasonsPrimary Conference
Grafton Grafton, WI Public713Blackhawks  1958 Scenic Moraine
Oostburg Oostburg, WI Public331Dutchmen  1960 Eastern Wisconsin
Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah Elkhart Lake, WI Public161Resorters  1961-1962 Eastern Wisconsin

Membership timeline

Full members

Kettle Moraine Conference

Football members

Kettle Moraine Conference

List of conference champions

Boys Basketball

SchoolQuantityYears
Cedar Grove151934, 1938, 1939, 1946, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965
Oostburg121940, 1941, 1944, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959
Random Lake81932, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1945, 1950, 1952
Grafton51929, 1930, 1934, 1939, 1942
Howards Grove51948, 1962, 1967, 1968, 1969
Waldo21931, 1933
Stockbridge11966
Glenbeulah0
Manitowoc Lutheran0
Ozaukee0
Roncalli0
St. Gregory0

Football

SchoolQuantityYears
Oostburg61952, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1959, 1960
Howards Grove41964, 1965, 1966, 1967
Cedar Grove21961, 1962
Random Lake11951
Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah0
Grafton0
Manitowoc Lutheran0
Ozaukee0
Roncalli0
Stockbridge0
Waldo0

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "High School Conference Ready for Finishing Touch". Random Lake Times. October 11, 1928. p. 1.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Grafton Lead is Increased". The Sheboygan Press. February 28, 1929. p. 16. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Three Quintets Tied At Top in Kettle Moraine". The Sheboygan Press. December 12, 1929. p. 26. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Grafton Leads Kettle-Moraine Caging League". The Sheboygan Press. January 22, 1930. p. 12. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "K-M Fives at Halfway Mark". The Sheboygan Press. January 21, 1932. p. 14. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 "Grafton Tackles Cedar Grove Five Friday Evening". The Sheboygan Press. January 24, 1935. p. 12. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Oostburg is Leading K-M Conference". The Sheboygan Press. February 3, 1940. p. 12. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  8. 1 2 "Kettle Moraine Eyes '54 Season - Stockbridge New School In Circuit". The Sheboygan Press. November 18, 1954. p. 38. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  9. 1 2 "New Teachers at Elkhart Lake". The Sheboygan Press. August 29, 1957. p. 6. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  10. "Brillion Duels Elkhart Lake". Appleton Post-Crescent. December 12, 1957. p. 34. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  11. 1 2 "Indians Get Set to Open Play in New Scenic Moraine League". Kewaskum Statesman. August 22, 1958. p. 1. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  12. 1 2 Pelkin, Dwight (December 9, 1959). "It's This Way". The Sheboygan Press. p. 35. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  13. 1 2 "Random Lake Officially Out". The Sheboygan Press. February 11, 1959. p. 26. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  14. "FVL Seeks Second Triumph of Season". Appleton Post-Crescent. October 7, 1960. p. 10. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  15. 1 2 3 "Waldo To Play Oldtimers In Cage 'Farewell'". The Sheboygan Press. March 1, 1962. p. 16. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
  16. "E-W Conference Reverses Stand, Ejects Two Schools". Sheboygan Press. January 16, 1963. p. 26. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  17. 1 2 "Cedar Grove In First Place―As Forecast". Sheboygan Press. January 20, 1964. p. 21. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  18. 1 2 "Scrappy Manty Lancers Open Season Tuesday Against Mishicot". Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter. November 14, 1964. p. 6. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  19. 1 2 "New Holstein Huskies Get First of Two Tough Tests". Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter. January 13, 1966. p. 17. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  20. 1 2 3 4 "Stockbridge Kettle Moraine Conference Title Favorite". Sheboygan Press. November 19, 1965. p. 20. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  21. "Lancers Face Tough Slate as New Foes in 'Peninsula'". Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter. August 29, 1967. p. 12. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  22. 1 2 3 4 "St. Mary Menasha is 1st Roncalli Rival in FRVCC". Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter. October 31, 1967. p. 9. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  23. 1 2 3 4 "Central Lakeshore Starts Play". Sheboygan Press. September 11, 1969. p. 40. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  24. 1 2 "Lutheran Faces Crucial Tests in Bay-Lakes Race". Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter. December 10, 1970. p. 41. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  25. 1 2 "St. Gregory High Closing". Sheboygan Press. April 2, 1969. p. 22. Retrieved March 20, 2025.
  26. "Grafton Gridders To Meet Random Lake This Saturday". Cedarburg News. September 19, 1951. p. 11. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  27. "Kettle Moraine Windup". Sheboygan Press. October 29, 1952. p. 29. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  28. "Cedar Grove Racks Up Win". Sheboygan Press. September 25, 1956. p. 23. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  29. "High Schools Will Discontinue Fall Baseball". Sheboygan Press. September 13, 1957. p. 10. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  30. "Kettle Moraine Baseballers Play". Sheboygan Press. September 21, 1955. p. 29. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  31. "Oostburg Wallops Random Lake, 25-4". Sheboygan Press. September 14, 1946. p. 12. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  32. "Oostburg in 33-0 Victory; Random Wins". Sheboygan Press. October 11, 1958. p. 42. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  33. "Five Oostburg Players Picked All-Conference". Sheboygan Press. November 14, 1959. p. 21. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  34. "Random Lake in 48-7 Win". Sheboygan Press. October 17, 1957. p. 18. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  35. "K-M Football Squads Eye Friday Play". Sheboygan Press. p. 39. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  36. "Cedar Grove Claims K-M Football Title". Sheboygan Press. October 21, 1961. p. 14. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  37. "Rockets Savor First-Ever Undefeated Football Season". Sheboygan Press. November 1, 1963. p. 22. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  38. "Howards Champion in K-M". Sheboygan Press. November 2, 1964. p. 34. Retrieved June 5, 2025.