Western Reserve Conference

The Western Reserve Conference is a high school athletic conference made up of members from Cuyahoga, Geauga and Lake counties in Ohio. They compete in the Ohio High School Athletic Association. This conference began play in the 2015-16 school year. ^{[1] [2]}

Current Members

Western Reserve Conference membership as of 2015.

School	Nickname	Location	Colors	Tenure	Notes
Chardon	Hilltoppers	Chardon	Red & Black	1948-1964; 2015-
Eastlake North	Rangers	Eastlake	Orange & Black	2015-
Kenston	Bombers	Bainbridge	Blue & White	1996-2005; 2015-
Mayfield	Wildcats	Mayfield Village	Green & White	1998-2005; 2015-
Riverside	Beavers	Painesville	Black & Gold	1941-1951; 2015-
Willoughby South	Rebels	Willoughby	Columbia Blue & Gray	2015-

Former Members

School	Nickname	Location	Tenure	Notes
St. Vincent	Fighting Irish	Akron	1938-1948	later consolidated into St. Vincent St. Mary after it left the WRC
Harbor	Mariners	Ashtabula	1951-1965	left for Northeastern Conference
Bedford	Bearcats	Bedford	1921-?	Time left is unknown
West Geauga	Wolverines	Chester	1996-1998	left for Chagrin Valley Conference
Conneaut	Trojans	Conneaut	1951-1959	left for Northeastern Conference
Cuyahoga Falls	Black Tigers	Cuyahoga Falls	1919-1929; 1937-1951; 1996-2007
Edgewood	Warriors	Ashtabula	1962-1965	left for Northeastern Conference
Ellet	Orangemen	Akron	1931-1937	left for Metro League
Fairport Harding	Skippers	Fairport Harbor	1948-1951; 1962-1968	left for Northeastern in 1951, rejoined in 1962 and left for Lake Shore Conference in 1968.
Spencer	Wildcats	Geneva	1957-1961	Consolidated into Geneva
Hudson	Explorers	Hudson	1997-2007
Jefferson	Falcons	Jefferson	1954-1968	left for Northeastern
Kenmore	Cardinals	Akron	1919-1929	left for Akron City Series, later consolidated into Kenmore-Garfield
Roosevelt	Rough Riders	Kent	1919-1948; 1996-2005	left for Portage Trail Conference
Kent State	Blue Devils	Kent	1919-1937	School closed in the 1970s
Kirtland	Hornets	Kirtland	1948-1960	left for Great Lakes Athletic Conference
Rowe	Vikings	Conneaut	1951-1964	Consolidated into Conneaut
Brush	Arcs	Lyndhurst	1996-2007	left for Northeast Ohio Conference
Nordonia	Knights	Macedonia	1997-2007	left for Northeast Ohio Conference
Madison	Blue Streaks	Madison	1948-1968	left for Lake Shore League
Medina	Battling Bees	Medina	?-1931	Year Joined Unknown
Orrville	Red Raiders	Orrville	1920-1924; 1926-1929; 1932-1938
Harvey	Red Raiders	Painesville	?-1928	Year Joined Unknown.
Orange	Lions	Pepper Pike	1996-1998	left for Chagrin Valley Conference
Perry	Pirates	Perry	?-1968	Year Joined Unknown, left for Lake Shore League
Ravenna	Ravens	Ravenna	1919-1948; 1996-2005	left for Portage Trail Conference
Solon	Comets	Solon	1996-2007	left for Northeast Ohio Conference
Stow-Monroe Falls	Bulldogs	Stow	1996-2007	left for Northeast Ohio Conference
Twinsburg	Tigers	Twinsburg	1996-2007	left for Northeast Ohio Conference
Wadsworth	Grizzlies	Wadsworth	1931-1941
Wickliffe	Blue Devils	Wickliffe	?-1957	Year Joined Unknown, Left for Northeastern Conference
Union	Rangers	Willougby	?-1928	Year Joined Unknown, Left for Lake Shore League

History

The Western Reserve Conference originally known at the Trolley League with its member schools being located along the Interurban Trolley Line with its founding members Cuyahoga Falls, Kenmore, Ravenna, Roosevelt, and Kent State. Bedford, Orrville and Medina, it was later renamed as the Western Reserve Conference in 1931 after the Connecticut Western Reserve with Ellet and Wadsworth joining that season, and the Trolley Line it was named after had been abandoned. The conference has had 4 separate stints since 1919. With its first version being in operation from 1919-1951. ^[3]

The Western Reserve Conference would reform from the original Lake County League that existed from the early 1920s until 1948 when it reformed as the 2nd stint of the Western Reserve Conference.

In 1996, the Western Reserve Conference would reform on its 3rd stint, as the 5 remaining schools from the Metro League merged with 5 schools from the Chagrin Valley Conference. The founding members of this 3rd stint includes Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls, Kenston, Orange, Roosevelt, Ravenna, Solon, Stow-Monroe Falls, West Geauga, and Twinsburg. The WRC would add Hudson, Nordonia, Brush and Mayfield the following 2 seasons, with the league adding two separate divisions due to its size, the North and South Division. The league would reform into one following the exit of Barberton, Ravenna, Roosevelt and Kenston in 2005. By 2007, the league would merge with the Pioneer Conference to form the Northeast Ohio Conference.

In 2013, it was announced that the Western Reserve Conference would reform once again for its 4th stint, with Chardon, Kenston, Mayfield, North, Riverside and South joining from the PAC. The conference would begin play in the 2015-16 school year. ^[4]

The Western Reserve Conference will break up once again following the 2025-26 school year, as Kenston and Mayfield accepted their invitations to join the Suburban League, and with North, South and Chardon joining the Chargin Valley Conference. Riverside will join the Greater Cleveland Conference. ^[5]

References

1. Leonard, Michael (June 28, 2015). "Northeast Ohio Conference Fades Into History With a Whimper". Tallmadge Express. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
2. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 6, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
3. Cuyahogan. Cuyahoga Falls City School District. 1948. p. 90. The Tigers, while playing only 500 ball, were able to bring to C.F.H.S. the Western Reserve league banner in the last season of its operation.
4. "New Conference Provides Top Competition for Area Teams". Geauga County Maple Leaf | Your News Resource in Geauga County. January 1, 1970. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
5. Lillstrung, Chris; News-Herald, The; Willoughby; read, Ohio·6 min (October 15, 2025). "Western Reserve Conference has, by and large, served its purpose in football | Opinion". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved December 20, 2025.