West Central Conference (Illinois)

Last updated
West Central Conference
Conference IHSA
Founded1969
No. of teams11
Region Western Illinois

The West Central Conference is a high school conference in western central Illinois. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association. The conference comprises 11 small public high schools and 1 private high school with enrollments between 120-590 students in Adams, Hancock, McDonough, Pike, and Warren counties.

Contents

History

The West Central conference was formed in 1969 with Brown County, Camp Point Central, Carthage, Hamilton, Mendon Unity and Warsaw its charter football members. The first new addition to the football wars was Rushville in 1984. There was no West Central conference for football in 1998, the league's teams participated under the Western Illinois Conference which the North division consisted of Avon/Roseville coop, Carthage, Monmouth Yorkwood, Sciota NW/LaHarpe coop, Spoon River Valley and Stronghurst Southern. The South consisted of Brown County, Camp Point Central coop, Hamilton, Mendon Unity, Rushville and Warsaw coop. The West Central name was restored in 1999 for football with the previous 7 teams plus Beardstown, Pittsfield and the Sciota NW/La Harpe coop forming a 10 team loop. In 2003 Colchester joined the Sciota NW/LaHarpe coop and it was renamed West Prairie. In 2004 Hamilton and Warsaw began the West Hancock coop and the Biggsville Union/Stronghurst Southern coop addition kept this a 10 team circuit. In 2005 both Brown County and the Biggsville/Stronghurst coop left and Pleasant Plains was added. From 2006-07 to 2009-10 the league's football teams played in the West Prairie Trail mega football conference. In 2010 Beardstown and Rushville-Industry left for the Prairieland Conference; and West Prairie left for the Lincoln Trial Conference. In 2010 Macomb, Monmouth-Roseville, Orion, Rockridge, and Sherrard joined from the Olympic Conference; Griggsville-Perry, Liberty, and Payson-Seymour joined from the Pike County Conference, the latter three schools (along with Pittsfield and Western) maintaining concurrent membership in both conferences.

Member Schools

USA Illinois location map.svg
Gold pog.svg
Central
Red pog.svg
Hamilton
Orange pog.svg
Illini West
Blue pog.svg
Quincy ND
Red pog.svg
Warsaw
Red pog.svg
Liberty
Blue pog.svg
Payson
Purple pog.svg
Rushville
Gold pog.svg
Southeastern
Blue pog.svg
Unity
Red pog.svg
Western
West Central Conference Members (clickable map)

North Division

SchoolLocation
(Population)
MascotColorsSchool type2017
9–12 enrollment
Year joinedJoined from
North Division
Central
High School
Camp Point, Illinois
(1,132)
PanthersBlack and Gold

  

Public2411969
Hamilton
High School
Hamilton, Illinois
(2,951)
TitansRed, Black, and White

   

Public1741969
Illini West High School Carthage, IL ChargersBlue, Orange, and White

   

Public3461969, 2021 Prairieland Conference
Quincy Notre Dame High School Quincy, Illinois
(40,633)
RaidersNavy, Gold, and White

   

Private416 / 686.40 (multiplied)2013-14 (football only)
2018-19 (full)
Mid-State 6 Conference
Warsaw
High School
Warsaw, Illinois
(1,607)
TitansRed, Black, and White

   

Public1961969
South Division
Liberty
High School
Liberty, Illinois
(516)
EaglesRed and White

  

Public182
Payson-Seymour High School Payson, Illinois
(1,026)
IndiansBlue and White

  

Public152
Rushville-Industry High School Rushville, Illinois RocketsPurple, Gold, and White

   

Public3531984, 2021 Prairieland Conference
Southeastern
High School
Augusta, Illinois
(587)
SunsBlue and Gold

  

Public122
Unity
High School
Mendon, Illinois
(953)
MustangsMaroon, White, and Blue

   

Public2281969
Western
High School
Barry, Illinois
(1,318)
WildcatsRed, Silver, and Black

   

Public142

Sources:IHSA Conferences, [1] IHSA Coop Teams, [2] and IHSA Member Schools Directory. [3]

2017-18 Administration and Leadership

President: Cyle Rigg, Southeastern High School

Contact: Matt Long, Central High School

Cooperative Arrangements

Football

The West Central Conference for football has 3 teams. Those 3 teams are: West Hancock(Hamilton/Warsaw), Quincy Notre Dame, and Macomb. The rest of the schools play in nearby conferences. Monmouth-Roseville plays in the Three Rivers (Mississippi) Conference. The Payson-Seymour and Unity coop play in the Western Illinois Valley (North) Conference. [4] Also Central plays in the Western Illinois Valley (North) Conference. The Western and Pleasant Hill coop plays in the Western Illinois Valley (South) Conference. [5] Liberty and Southeastern do not play football. [6]

Former Members

SchoolLocationMascotColors2017 9-12 EnrollmentYear DepartedConference Joined
Beardstown
High School
Beardstown, IL TigersBlack and Orange   4192010 Prairieland Conference
Griggsville-Perry High School Griggsville, Illinois TornadoesMaroon and White   1152013Pike County Conference
Orion High School Orion, Illinois ChargersScarlet and Black   3442013 Three Rivers Conference (Illinois)
Illini West
High School
Carthage, Illinois ChargersBlue, Orange, and White

   

3462018 Prairieland Conference
Macomb High School Macomb, Illinois BombersOrange and Black   5812021 Prairieland Conference
Monmouth-Roseville High School Monmouth, Illinois TitansNavy, Silver, and White

   

5152021 Three Rivers Conference
Pittsfield
High School
Pittsfield, IL SaukeesRed and Black   3162013Pike County Conference
Rockridge High School Taylor Ridge, Illinois RocketsMaroon and White   3672013 Three Rivers Conference (Illinois)
Rushville-Industry
High School
Rushville, IL RocketsPurple and Gold   3532010 Prairieland Conference
Sherrard High School Sherrard, Illinois TigersPurple and Gold   4752013 Three Rivers Conference (Illinois)
West Prairie
High School
Sciota, IL CyclonesBlack and Silver   1622010 Lincoln Trail Conference

Sources:IHSA Conferences, [7] IHSA Coop Teams, [8] and IHSA Member Schools Directory. [9]

Competitive Success

The West Central Conference has won 11 state championships in IHSA sponsored athletics and activities, 12 including championships my member school participating in the West Prairie Trail conference, at the conclusion of the 2008-2009 academic year. [10]

State Champions

Boys Basketball

Boys Football

*as member of West Prairie Trail Conference

Boys Golf

Girls Basketball

Conference Shakeup

The makeup of the West Central Conference changed dramatically in 2010. Many member schools departed, many of them for the Prairieland Conference. In their place came the remaining members of the now-dissolved Olympic Conference. The conference then divided into north and south divisions for most athletics and activities.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hancock County, Illinois</span> County in Illinois, United States

Hancock County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 17,620. Its county seat is Carthage, and its largest city is Hamilton. The county is composed of rural towns with many farmers.

The Fort Madison–Keokuk, IA-IL-MO Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, locally known as the "Tri-State" area, is an area consisting of three counties – one in southeast Iowa, one in northeast Missouri, and one in west central Illinois, anchored by the cities of Fort Madison, Iowa and Keokuk, Iowa. As of the 2010 census, the μSA had a population of 62,105. An estimate by the Census Bureau, as of July 1, 2012, placed the population at 61,477, a decrease of 1.01%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olympic Conference (Illinois)</span>

The Olympic Conference was a high school conference in northwest Illinois in existence from 1976 to 2010. The conference participated in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association. The conference comprised high schools with enrollments between 300-600 students on the fringe of the Illinois Quad Cities, Peoria, Galesburg, and in and around the cities of Macomb and Monmouth.

Monmouth-Roseville High School, or MRHS, is a public four-year high school located at 200 South B Street in Monmouth, Illinois, a city of Warren County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States. MRHS is part of Monmouth-Roseville Community Unit School District 238, which also includes Monmouth-Roseville Junior High School, Central Intermediate School, Harding Primary School, and Lincoln Early Childhood School. The campus is located in Monmouth, IL, 17 miles west of Galesburg, Illinois, and serves a mixed city, village, and rural residential community. The school is in the Galesburg micropolitan statistical area which includes all of Knox and Warren counties. The school is located less than 1 mile from Monmouth College.

The Western Big 6 Conference is a high school conference in western central Illinois. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). The conference comprises public high schools with large enrollments, as well a private school, in the Illinois Quad Cities, Galesburg, Illinois, and Quincy, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Trail Conference</span>

The Lincoln Trail Conference is a high school conference in western central Illinois. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). The conference comprises public high schools with small enrollments in portions of Bureau, Henderson, Henry, Knox, Mercer, Peoria, Rock Island, Stark, and Warren counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Three Rivers Conference (Illinois)</span>

The Three Rivers Conference, also known as the TRAC-8, is a high school conference in northwest Illinois. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association. The conference comprises small public, and two private, high schools with enrollments between 200-600 students in portions of Bureau, Henry, Lee, Rock Island, and Whiteside counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prairieland Conference</span>

The Prairieland Conference is a high school conference in western central Illinois. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association. The conference comprises small public high schools with enrollments between 50 and 400 students in portions of Fulton, Knox, Mason, McDonough, Peoria, Schuyler, and Warren counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illini West High School</span> High school in Carthage, Illinois

Illini West High School (IWHS) is a public high school in Carthage, Illinois, United States. IWHS serves a mostly rural area that includes most of northeastern Hancock County and extends into parts of Henderson and McDonough Counties, covering the cities of Carthage, Dallas City, and La Harpe, and the village of Ferris. The campus is located 25 miles (40 km) west of Macomb, Illinois, and has a student body of 332 students in grades 9–12 as of the 2017–18 school year. IWHS was established in 2007 as a convergence of Carthage, Dallas City, and La Harpe High Schools and is housed at the former Carthage High School. The school is administered by the Illini West Community Unit School District 307, while the elementary and middle feeder schools in each of the communities that consolidated are administered by the Carthage Elementary School District 317, Dallas Elementary School District 327, and La Harpe Community School District 347.

Hamilton High School, or HHS, is a public four-year high school located at 1100 Keokuk Street in Hamilton, Illinois, a small city in Hancock County. HHS is part of Hamilton Community Unit School District 328, which serves the communities of Hamilton and Elvaston, and also includes Hamilton Junior High School, and Hamilton Elementary School. The campus is located 35 miles west of Macomb, Illinois, and serves a mixed small city, village, and rural residential community. The school does not lie within a metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area.

Unity High School, also known as Mendon Unity, or UHS, is a public four-year high school located at 453 West Collins Street in Mendon, Illinois, a village in Adams County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States. UHS serves the communities of Mendon, Fowler, Lima, Loraine, Marcelline, Meyer, and Ursa. The campus is located 15 miles northeast of Quincy, Illinois, and serves a mixed village and rural residential community.

Warsaw High School, or WHS, is a public four-year high school located in Warsaw, Illinois, a small city in Hancock County in the Midwestern United States. WHS serves the communities of Warsaw, Basco, Colusa, Nauvoo, Niota, Sutter and Tioga. The campus is located 35 miles (56 km) north of Quincy, 40 miles (64 km) west of Macomb and serves a mostly rural residential community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illinois Valley Central High School</span> High school in Chillicothe, United States

Illinois Valley Central High School is a public four-year high school located at 1300 West Sycamore Street in Chillicothe, Illinois, a city in Peoria County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States. IVCHS serves the communities of Chillicothe, Dunlap, Edelstein, Mossville, Peoria, and Rome. The campus is located 15 miles northeast of Peoria, Illinois, and serves a mixed city, village, and rural residential community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest Upstate Illini Conference</span>

The Northwest Upstate Illini Conference is a high school conference in northwest and north central Illinois. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association. The conference comprises 20 small public high schools and one small private school, with enrollments between 60-340 students in Carroll, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, and Winnebago counties.

The Okaw Valley Conference was a high school athletic conference in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), based in Central Illinois. The conference consisted of medium-sized and small high schools. It merged with the Corn Belt Conference to form the Illini Prairie Conference in the 2017-18 school year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bi-County Conference</span> Illinois high school conference

The Bi-County Conference was a high school conference in western central Illinois. The conference par in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). The conference comprised nine public high schools with small enrollments in portions of Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, McDonough, and Warren counties.

The Illini Prairie Conference is a high school athletic conference in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), based in Central Illinois. The conference comprises ten medium-sized and small high schools resulting from the merging of the Corn Belt Conference and the Okaw Valley Conference. Conference athletics began in the 2017-18 school year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest 8 Conference</span> High school conference in Illinois, USA

The Northwest 8 Conference was a high school conference in northwest and north central Illinois. The conference participated in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association. The conference included small public high schools with enrollments between 75-600 students in Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four Rivers Conference (Illinois)</span>

The Four Rivers Conference was a high school conference in north central Illinois. The conference participated in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association. The conference included small public high schools with enrollments between 150-550 students in Boone, DeKalb, Lee and Winnebago counties. The conference was named for the 4 rivers that ran through its geographic area, the Rock River, Pecatonica River, Kishwaukee River and Sugar River.

References

  1. "IHSA Conferences and Leagues". Illinois High School Association. 10 November 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  2. "Coop Teams". Illinois High School Association. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  3. "Schools | IHSA".
  4. "Football: Western Illinois Valley (North) — 2010-11". Illinois High School Association. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  5. "Football: Western Illinois Valley (South) — 2010-11". Illinois High School Association. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  6. "Liberty". Illinois High School Association. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  7. "Not Found". www.ihsa.org. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  8. "Not Found". www.ihsa.org. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  9. "Schools | IHSA". ihsa.org.
  10. "Home". ihsa.org.