| Conference | Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1905 |
| Ceased | 1989 |
The Midland League was a high school sport conference in Massachusetts part of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. During its existence, it consisted of schools from Middlesex, Norfolk, and Worcester Counties, along with one school from Rhode Island. The league was in existence from 1905-1989, when it would merge with the Wachuesett League and create the Midland Wachusett League.
The Midland League was founded circa 1905 by schools Milford High School, Framingham High School, and Woonsocket High School. [1] The lack of organizing bodies like the MIAA at the time allowed for schools to form leagues with out of state schools. Milford won the first league title in Football, defeating Framingham by a score of 17-11. In 1906, the league admitted Grafton High School and Northbridge High School (then known as Whitensville High School), only for them to leave by October presumably due to Milford's dominance. [2] However they seemed to be back in league by the end of the month. [3] By 1908, both schools had left for good; replacing them would be Natick High School and Needham High School. [4]
The landscape changed again in 1911 at the Midland League reformed into the Midland Interscholastic League. With Needham and Woonsocket's departure, the league admitted rivals Hudson High School and Marlborough High School, along with nearby Westborough High School. [5] At the end of the 1916 football season, Framingham elected to withdraw after a controversy in which the league voted to give Milford the league championship. [6] This didn't help the league the next year, when only Hudson, Milford, and Natick were able to field teams due to World War I. [7] [8]
With a new decade came a new league makeup; Needham was back by 1922, replacing Westborough, [9] only for Westborough to rejoin the following year and replace recently departed Milford. [10] Wellesley High School also joined in 1923, now able to play league games against their rivals in Needham. [11] Natick had become too dominant by the end of 1925, and chose to leave to be an independent. [12] To replace them was Milford, coming back to the league in 1926. [13] Maynard High School joined in 1927, bringing the number of members up to seven. [14] By the end of the 20's, the league started to take familiar shape with the departure of Needham and Wellsley, and the arrival of Hopkinton High School. [15]
Clinton High School had been looking into joining the midland for some time, and by 1931, they finally got their chance. [16] Hopkington and Westborough were out of the league by the mid 30's, bringing the total amount of teams back down to five. [17] In 1941, Natick made a surprising return to the Midland as a football only member, leaving the Bay State League. [18] Leading up to the 1943 Baseball season, the League had to drop the schedule due to transport difficulties; [19] thankfully they were able to fix these problems by the fall in time for Football season. Franklin High School was next up to join the Midland in 1948 as a Basketball only member, although it is unclear why they made this move. [20]
Like 25 years prior, Natick had become too great a football opponent and after Milford and Maynard refused to play them in 1950, they left the league. Replacing them would be Shrewsbury, but it never ended up coming to fruition. [21] History was made in May 1958 when Milford hosted Hudson in the first night baseball game in Midland League history. [22]
The 1960s spelled trouble for the league. Maynard, unhappy with playing night games during the 1964 football season, and mixed with other smaller issues, caused schedules to fall apart and the league to collapse. This in turn uprooted many longstanding rivalries, like that of Maynard-Clinton. Clinton would go on to find new rivals in Nashoba, a much closer opponent than Maynard. [23] This breakup didn't last long, and by the end of 1966, the schools had come together to bring the league back for the following season. The schools had been and would continue to be a part of an older Central Mass Conference, and would be finally be adding conference mate Shrewsbury. Only football would be played fully in the Midland, while other sports would straddle both leagues. [24] By the end of the decade, Algonquin Regional High School joined the league having been established only ten years prior. [25] Schools would also completely leave the old Central Mass Conference by this point, all now full members of the Midland.
Maynard made the jump to the Dual County League for the 1973 season, once again ending it's rivalry match with Clinton that had been reinstated less than ten years prior. [26] [27] By 1974, however, they would be back in the Midland. [28] Westborough, having spent time in different leagues since their departure in the 30's, left the Southern Worcester County League to rejoin the Midland in 1975. [29] The league would stay with these eight members for the next 13 years. In 1988, for the last year of the league, Fitchburg High School, Leominster High School, and Wachusett Regional High School all left the Central Massachusetts Conference for the Midland. [30]
In 1989, the Midland League merged with the Wachusett League to form the Midland Wachusett League. [31]
† Not including the 1964-1966 league breakup
This is a list of MIAA State championships won by schools while a part of the Midland league
Source: [32]
Note: From 1972 to 2012, football state championships were separated by region, so there would be multiple champions from each division. From 1972 to 1977 and from 1997 to 2008, it was split between Eastern Mass and Central/Western Mass and there would be two champions in each division. From 1978 to 1996 and from 2009 to 2012 Central and Western Mass split so there would be three champions in each division. In 2013 everything was combined and therefore only allowed one state champion per division.
Source: [33]
Source: [34]
Source: [35]
Source: [36]
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