St. Louis County Football Conference Champions

Football, in the early years of St. Louis County, Missouri was a small affair. In time, the population grew with large growth periods happening after World War I and World War II. The first football conference was formed in 1908, with three known teams, and has now grown to 31 public high schools in St. Louis County. The conference has not only included St. Louis County teams, but also has included western neighboring St. Charles High School in St. Charles County, Missouri and Northeast High School and Northwest High School in Jefferson County, Missouri.

History

The first three teams playing public high school football in St. Louis County were Kirkwood, Webster Groves, and Ferguson. There was also the Kirkwood Military Academy in Kirkwood. Ferguson was in north St. Louis County and Kirkwood and Webster Groves were neighbors in eastern St. Louis County, along the Missouri Pacific Railroad route, which is what caused their creations as cities. Kirkwood's first teams were in 1894 and 1895 and they were forced to play teams in the City of St. Louis, where the heavy action in the game was happening. Webster Groves became a four-year high school in 1898, which is when they organized their first high school football team. The game between Kirkwood and Webster Groves is now the famed Kirkwood–Webster Groves Turkey Day Game, but the first game they played was November 18, 1898 and ended in a 6–6 tie. Between 1898 and 1905, the teams played four games, the years in which the teams did not play were because one of the schools did not have a team. In 1906, Kirkwood and Webster Groves played two games, one at Kirkwood and one at Webster Groves. The first game, played at Kirkwood, ended in a 0–0 tie and the second game, held at Webster Groves was a 5–0 victory for Kirkwood.

Date	Location						Winner												Score
October 13, 1906	Kirkwood						Tie												0-0
October 20, 1906	Webster Groves						Kirkwood												5-0

The St. Louis County Football Championship

The two games played in 1906 caused Kirkwood and Webster Groves to create a best of three series for the championship of St. Louis County. A cup was purchased by the schools and the first game was played at The Stadium (now named Francis Field) at Washington University. Kirkwood won the first two games but, regardless, the third game was still played Thanksgiving Day. Kirkwood again won the game and the cup, which was intended to rotate annually to the winner. Winning the cup three years in a row would cause a school to keep the trophy, with a new one being purchased.

By 1908, the St. Louis County League was started with new schools coming into existence, all joining the new league. Kirkwood and Webster Groves chose to play their own original championship but also played each other for the championship of the County League. ^[1] Kirkwood won both championships in 1908, causing a five-game win streak in two years against Webster Groves.

The 1907 Kirkwood football team was the first football champion of St. Louis County.

Date	Location						Winner												Score
October 5, 1907	The Stadium						Kirkwood												5-0
November 4, 1907	Webster Groves						Kirkwood												6-0
November 28, 1907	Kirkwood						Kirkwood												5-0
November 7, 1908	The Stadium						Kirkwood												17-12
November 26, 1908	Webster Groves						Kirkwood												5-0

The St. Louis County League Football Championship

The County League began in 1908 with Kirkwood, Webster Groves, and Ferguson. In time, other schools joined the County League which, in 1926, joined the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA). Those schools who later joined the County League were: Clayton, Maplewood, Normandy, Ritenour, St. Charles, University City, and Wellston. Webster Groves and Kirkwood dominated the championship of the County League until the latter part of the 1920s.

Kirkwood Football 1908

The 1908 Kirkwood football team was the first football champion of the St. Louis County League.

Year	County League Champion
1908	Kirkwood
1909	Webster Groves
1910	Webster Groves
1911	HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL BANNED
1912	Webster Groves
1913	Kirkwood
1914	Kirkwood
1915	Webster Groves
1916	Webster Groves
1917	Webster Groves
1918	Webster Groves
1919	Webster Groves
1920	Webster Groves
1921	Webster Groves
1922	Webster Groves
1923	Webster Groves, University City
1924	University City
1925	Webster Groves
1926	Webster Groves
1927	Maplewood
1928	University City
1929	University City, St. Charles
1930	University City, Normandy
1931	Normandy
1932	Kirkwood
1933	Maplewood, University City
1934	Maplewood
1935	Maplewood
1936	Normandy
1937	Normandy
1938	University City, Webster Groves
1939	University City
1940	University City
1941	Normandy
1942	University City
1943	University City
1944	Normandy
1945	Webster Groves
1946	Wellston

The St. Louis Suburban League Football Championship

In 1947, the St. Louis County League was reorganized as the St. Louis Suburban League. From 1947 to 1951, all of the suburban teams played for one conference title.

In 1952, the suburban schools were organized as "Big" or "Little" schools, with a third "Middle" school conference being added in 1956. ^[2] Group 1, the "Big" schools, were Ferguson (which later changed its name to McCluer), Kirkwood, Maplewood, Normandy, Ritenour, University City, and Webster Groves.

Group 2, the "Middle" schools, were Affton, Hazelwood, Lindbergh, Mehlville, St. Charles, and Pattonville. Mehlville, which started as a Big school, would later become a Middle school and Ladue, which started as a Small school, would move into the Middle schools too.

The Group 3, or "Small" or "Little" schools, were Berkeley, Brentwood, Clayton, Ladue, Parkway, Pattonvile, and Wellston.

Year	Suburban League Champion
1947	University City
1948	University City
1949	Clayton
1950	Maplewood
1951	University City

Year	Suburban Big Six Champion						Suburban Little Six Champion
1952	Ritenour						Clayton
1953	Maplewood, University City, Webster Groves						Ladue
1954	Webster Groves						Ladue
1955	Kirkwood						Ladue, Brentwood, Clayton

Year	Suburban Big Six Champion						Suburban Middle Champion						Suburban Little Champion
1956	University City						Ladue (Middle Five)						Pattonville (Little Six)
1957	Normandy						Ladue (Middle Five)						Pattonville (Little Six)
1958	University City						Ladue (Middle Six)						Affton (Small Seven)

The St. Louis Suburban Conference Football Championship

In 1959, the Suburban League was renamed the Suburban Conference (St._Louis) and it continued using its standard of Big, Middle, Little designations until 1963. ^[3] In 1964, the Middle Conference teams were split between the Big and Little conferences until 1966, when the schools were reorganized as the Suburban North and Suburban South conferences. The Little Six remained a conference with the smallest St. Louis County schools staying in it.

In 1970, the Little Six Conference was renamed the Suburban League and kept that name until 1975. In 1974, the Suburban North divided its teams into an I-270 Division and a Rock Road Division, which only lasted a year. The Suburban South created a Red Division and a Green Division, which lasted two years.

In 1976, the Suburban Conference reorganized as the Suburban North, Suburban South, Suburban East, and Suburban West conferences and they remained organized that way until 2014.

Year	Suburban Big Champion						Suburban Middle Champion						Suburban Little Six Champion
1959	Normandy, Webster Groves (Big Seven)						Ladue (Middle Seven)						Lindbergh
1960	University City (Big Seven)						Ladue (Middle Seven)						Brentwood
1961	Normandy (Big Seven)						Ladue (Middle Seven)						Berkeley, Clayton
1962	McCluer (Big Eight)						Lindbergh (Middle Six)						Brentwood
1963	Ladue (Big Eight)						Lindbergh (Middle Six)						Parkway

Year	Suburban Big Ten Champion						Suburban Little Nine Champion
1964	Webster Groves						St. Charles
1965	Webster Groves						Brentwood

Year	Suburban North Champion						Suburban South Champion						Suburban Little Six Champion
1966	Riverview Gardens						Kirkwood						Brentwood
1967	Riverview Gardens						Kirkwood, Parkway						Brentwood
1968	McCluer						Webster Groves						Brentwood
1969	Riverview Gardens						Ladue						Brentwood

Year	Suburban North Champion						Suburban South Champion						Suburban League Champion
1970	Riverview Gardens, Ritenour						Webster Groves, Mehlville						Affton
1971	McCluer						Webster Groves, Lindbergh						Lafayette
1972	Hazelwood						Webster Groves, Ladue						Berkeley
1973	Normandy						Ladue						Berkeley, Affton
1974	Hazelwood (I-270 Division), Normandy (Rock Road Division)						Ladue (Red Division), Affton (Green Division)						Maplewood
1975	Riverview Gardens						Ladue, Webster Groves (Red Division), University City (Green Division)						Brentwood, Eureka

Year	Suburban North Champion						Suburban South Champion						Suburban East Champion						Suburban West Champion
1976	McCluer North						Ladue						Brentwood, Eureka						Oakville
1977	Hazelwood Central						Ladue						Brentwood						St. Charles
1978	Hazelwood Central						Webster Groves						Maplewood						Lindbergh, Parkway West
1979	Hazelwood East						Webster Groves						Brentwood						Lafayette
1980	Hazelwood East						Ladue						Brentwood						Parkway West
1981	Hazelwood Central						Parkway South						Eureka						Parkway West
1982	Hazelwood East						Parkway South						Brentwood						Parkway West
1983	Hazelwood Central						Webster Groves						Berkeley, Jennings						Kirkwood
1984	Hazelwood Central						Webster Groves, Ladue						Berkeley						Parkway West
1985	Hazelwood Central						Webster Groves						Berkeley						Parkway West, Lafayette
1986	Hazelwood Central						Ladue						Berkeley						Mehlville
1987	Riverview Gardens						Ladue						Berkeley						Mehlville, Lafayette
1988	McCluer North, Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood East						Parkway South						Affton						Kirkwood
1989	Hazelwood Central						Webster Groves						Affton						Lafayette
1990	Hazelwood East						Eureka						Jennings						Mehlville
1991	Hazelwood East						Webster Groves, Parkway South, Ladue						Jennings, Affton						Mehlville, Parkway Central
1992	Pattonville						Webster Groves						Ladue						Parkway South, Lafayette
1993	Hazelwood East, McCluer North						Eureka						Ladue						Parkway Central, Kirkwood
1994	Hazelwood East						Eureka						Ladue						Mehlville
1995	Hazelwood East						Parkway South						Ladue						Mehlville
1996	Pattonville						Webster Groves						Ladue						Mehlville
1997	Pattonville						Parkway North						Clayton						Kirkwood
1998	Hazelwood East, Riverview Gardens						Eureka						Clayton						Kirkwood
1999	Pattonville						Parkway South						Ladue						Mehlville
2000	Hazelwood East						Parkway South						Ladue, Clayton						Parkway West
2001	Hazelwood East						Eureka						Ladue						Mehlville, Parkway West, Parkway Central
2002	Hazelwood East, McCluer North						Eureka, Parkway South						Clayton						Parkway Central
2003	Hazelwood East						Webster Groves						Ladue						Mehlville, Lindbergh, Kirkwood
2004	McCluer North						Eureka, Summit						Clayton						Kirkwood
2005	Hazelwood East						Webster Groves						Affton, Ladue, Clayton						Kirkwood
2006	McCluer North						Parkway North						Jennings						Kirkwood
2007	Hazelwood East, McCluer North						Eureka						Normandy						Kirkwood
2008	Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood West						Eureka						Normandy						Lafayette, Mehlville
2009	Hazelwood Central						Webster Groves						Normandy						Lindbergh
2010	Hazelwood Central						Webster Groves						Ladue						Eureka, Lindbergh, Marquette
2011	McCluer North						Kirkwood						Ladue						Lafayette
2012	Hazelwood Central						Kirkwood, Parkway Central, Webster Groves						Ladue						Lafayette
2013	Hazelwood Central						Kirkwood, Parkway Central						Ladue						Eureka

The St. Louis Suburban Public High School Athletic and Activities Association Football Championship

In 2014, the Suburban Conference reorganized as the St. Louis Suburban Public High School Athletic and Activities Association (SPHSAAA), with three conferences, each with two divisions: Suburban Central American, Suburban Central National, Suburban XII North, Suburban XII South, Suburban West American, Suburban West National. It operated in this format until 2019 but was reconfigured for the 2020 season, assigning each sport for a school into one of five conferences, based on the individual team's skill. The order of skill levels from strongest to weakest are: Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, and Blue.

Year	Suburban Central American Champion						Suburban Central National Champion						Suburban XII North Champion						Suburban XII South Champion						Suburban West American Champion						Suburban West National Champion
2014	Affton						Ladue						Hazelwood Central						Kirkwood						Eureka						Oakville
2015	Affton						Parkway Central						Hazelwood Central						Kirkwood						Eureka						Fox, Oakville
2016	STEAM Academy						Ladue						Hazelwood Central						Kirkwood						Eureka, Marquette, Lafayette						Fox
2017	STEAM Academy						Clayton						Hazelwood Central						Pattonville						Eureka						Fox
2018	STEAM Academy						Ladue						Hazelwood Central						Pattonville						Marquette						Fox
2019	Affton						Ladue						Hazelwood West						Kirkwood						Eureka						Fox

Year	Yellow						Red						Green						Orange						Blue
2020	Marquette						Lindbergh						Lafayette						Northwest						Pattonville
2021	Marquette, Hazelwood Central						Ladue						Summit						Seckman						McCluer
2022	Eureka						Lindbergh						Summit						Seckman						Hazelwood East
2023	Kirkwood						Lafayette						Summit						Seckman						Hazelwood East
2024	Eureka						Summit						Hazelwood East, Parkway West						Seckman						Riverview Gardens

See also

• Suburban Conference (St. Louis)

References

1. 1 Greene, Shawn Buchanan, Turkey Day Game Centennial 1907-2007.
2. 2 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 13, 1946, p. 3B
3. 3 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 10, 1959, p. 2E

External Links

• https://stlsuburbanathletics.com//