The Suburban Conference, formally the St. Louis Suburban Public High School Athletic and Activities Association (SPHSAAA), is a Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) recognized high school extracurricular league, based near Creve Coeur, Missouri,[ citation needed ] a suburb of St. Louis. The conference is one of the largest in the state, comprising 31 member schools from St. Louis County and Jefferson County.
Because of the large number of teams in the conference, the conference has historically been divided geographically into sub-conferences and divisions. Prior to the 2014–15 school year, there were four conferences: Suburban East, Suburban North, Suburban South and Suburban West. [1]
In 2018, the St. Louis Suburban Public High School Athletic and Activities Association re-aligned their conferences into various pools by sport. This decision essentially made the existing sub-conferences and divisions irrelevant, as a given school competes against a different pool of schools in each sport. For purposes of athletic competition, pool assignments are based on the following factors: athletics offered, competitive balance, competitive trends, diversity, and school size. The number of pools varies from two (boys volleyball) to five (football), depending on the sport, with most sports having three or four pools. [2] Pools may be realigned if one or more of the previously mentioned standards are not met.
Member schools are listed in alphabetical order.
| School | Team Name | Colors | Town | County | 9-12 Enrollment (2024) | Primary MSHSAA Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Affton High School | Cougars | Affton | St. Louis | 739 | Class 4 | |
| Clayton High School | Greyhounds | Clayton | St. Louis | 844 | Class 4 | |
| Eureka High School | Wildcats | Eureka | St. Louis | 1,712 | Class 5/6 | |
| Fox High School | Warriors | Arnold | Jefferson | 1,742 | Class 5/6 | |
| Hazelwood Central High School | Hawks | Florissant | St. Louis | 1,628 | Class 5/6 | |
| Hazelwood East High School | Spartans | Spanish Lake | St. Louis | 1,264 | Class 5 | |
| Hazelwood West High School | Wildcats | Hazelwood | St. Louis | 2,042 | Class 5/6 | |
| Jennings High School | Warriors | Jennings | St. Louis | 691 | Class 4 | |
| Kirkwood High School | Pioneers | Kirkwood | St. Louis | 1,737 | Class 5/6 | |
| Ladue Horton Watkins High School | Rams | Ladue | St. Louis | 1,324 | Class 5 | |
| Lafayette High School | Lancers | Wildwood | St. Louis | 1,742 | Class 5/6 | |
| Lindbergh High School | Flyers | Sappington | St. Louis | 2,266 | Class 5/6 | |
| Marquette High School | Mustangs | Clarkson Valley | St. Louis | 2,155 | Class 5/6 | |
| McCluer High School | Comets | Florissant | St. Louis | 1,181 | Class 5 | |
| McCluer North High School | Stars | Florissant | St. Louis | 1,136 | Class 5 | |
| McCluer South-Berkeley High School | Bulldogs | Ferguson | St. Louis | 437 | Class 3 | |
| Mehlville High School | Panthers | Mehlville | St. Louis | 1,440 | Class 5/6 | |
| Normandy High School | Vikings | Wellston | St. Louis | 747 | Class 4 | |
| Northwest High School | Lions | Cedar Hill | Jefferson | 1,841 | Class 5/6 | |
| Oakville High School | Tigers | Oakville | St. Louis | 1,684 | Class 5/6 | |
| Parkway Central High School | Colts | Chesterfield | St. Louis | 1,244 | Class 5 | |
| Parkway North High School | Vikings | Maryland Heights | St. Louis | 1,074 | Class 5 | |
| Parkway South High School | Patriots | Manchester | St. Louis | 1,598 | Class 5/6 | |
| Parkway West High School | Longhorns | Chesterfield | St. Louis | 1,408 | Class 5 | |
| Pattonville High School | Pirates | Maryland Heights | St. Louis | 1,893 | Class 5/6 | |
| Ritenour High School | Huskies | Breckenridge Hills | St. Louis | 1,873 | Class 5/6 | |
| Riverview Gardens High School | Rams | Bellefontaine Neighbors | St. Louis | 1,331 | Class 5 | |
| Rockwood Summit High School | Falcons | Fenton | St. Louis | 1,229 | Class 5 | |
| Seckman High School | Jaguars | Seckman | Jefferson | 1,793 | Class 5/6 | |
| University City High School | Lions | University City | St. Louis | 726 | Class 4 | |
| Webster Groves High School | Statesmen | Webster Groves | St. Louis | 1,315 | Class 5 |
The Suburban Conference has some historic rivalries between its schools, but also those that are generally unknown outside the community.
(Note: most of the following information mainly applies to football. The intensity of these rivalries, and their rivalries in general, can vary by sport.)
The most notable and historic rivalry between any Suburban Conference member school is, by far, the rivalry between the Kirkwood Pioneers and the Webster Groves Statesmen football teams. Their "Turkey Day Game" on Thanksgiving has been a St. Louis tradition for well over a century, with the winner of the game being awarded the "Frisco Bell" trophy. It is the only remaining traditional Thanksgiving Day football game between two Missouri high schools, and is the only one in the state to be held after the MSHSAA State Championship game. This game's traditional date also means that they are the only two schools in the state to have an extra bye week during the regular season.
The Eureka Wildcats and the Lafayette Lancers are strong rivals in the Rockwood School District. Both schools are located off of Missouri Route 109, hence its nickname, the “Battle of 109” rivalry.
A generally unknown rivalry is the battle between the Mehlville Panthers and the Oakville Tigers. There is a noticeable "big brother, little brother" hatred between the two Mehlville School District high schools, Mehlville High being the older, more established institution compared to its counterpart. Students usually know someone attending the other school, influenced both by the schools’ close proximity to one another and the district's feeder system. [3]
Pattonville Pirates vs. Ritenour Huskies
Affton Cougars vs. Bayless Bronchos (Bayless High School is not a member of the Suburban Conference)