Central State Conference

The Central State Conference is a former high school athletic conference in central Wisconsin, in operation from 1962 to 1984. Its member schools were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History

1962-1970

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Location of Original Central-C Conference Members

The Central State Conference, originally known as the Central-C Conference, was formed in 1962 by eight small- to medium-sized public high schools and one private Catholic high school in central Wisconsin. Five schools were former members of the Central Lakes Conference (Almond, Necedah, Oxford, Port Edwards and Wild Rose), three belonged to the 7-C Conference (Adams-Friendship, Tri-County and Westfield) and one formerly competed as an independent (Madonna).^[1] Almost immediately, the conference began to lose members to rural school district consolidation and closings. The first such change occurred in 1963, when Oxford was closed^[2] and its students were redistricted to Westfield. In 1966, conference membership was cut in half due to the closing of Madonna High School^[3] and the defection of three schools (Adams-Friendship, Tri-County and Westfield) to the newly formed Vacationland Conference.^[4] Amherst and Iola-Scandinavia joined as football-only members from the Central Wisconsin Conference the next year to bring the football roster to five schools.^[5] In 1968, Bowler joined the conference from the Wolf River Valley Conference as a football-only member,^[6] and the loop changed its name to the Central State Conference.^[7] Rosholt and Tigerton joined the football alignment the next year, and the conference had eight football-playing members.^[8]

1970-1984

30km
19miles

   

Location of Central State Conference Members (1970-1977)

In 1970, the Central State Conference underwent a significant expansion with six schools becoming full members. All five football-only members became full members of the conference: three from the shuttered Wolf River Valley Conference (Bowler, Rosholt and Tigerton) and two from the Central Wisconsin Conference (Amherst and Iola-Scandinavia). Tri-County, making their return after the dissolution of the Vacationland Conference, rounded out the expanded group.^[9] Granton and Gresham would join the Central State Conference in 1972; Granton was previously in the Marawood Conference and Gresham competed as an independent for two years after the collapse of the Wolf River Valley Conference.^[10] Granton's stay would be brief, as they would return to the Marawood Conference in 1976.^[11] Shiocton moved over from the Central Wisconsin Conference in 1977 to take their place,^[12] and Necedah left to become a charter member of the Scenic Bluffs Conference in 1979. They were replaced by Menominee Indian High School, who acquired their first ever conference affiliation after opening a few years earlier.^[13] The Central State Conference merged with the Central Wisconsin Conference in 1984, taking the more established conference's name in the process.^[14]

Conference membership history

Full members

School	Location	Affiliation	Enrollment	Mascot	Colors	Joined	Left	Conference Joined	Current Conference
Adams-Friendship	Adams, WI	Public	432	Green Devils		1962[1]	1966[4]	Vacationland	South Central
Almond-Bancroft	Almond, WI	Public	109	Eagles		1962[1]	1984[14]	Central Wisconsin
Madonna	Mauston, WI	Private (Catholic)	N/A	Cowboys		1962[1]	1966[3]	Closed
Necedah	Necedah, WI	Public	213	Cardinals		1962[1]	1979[13]	Scenic Bluffs
Oxford	Oxford, WI	Public	N/A	Bluejays		1962[1]	1963[2]	Closed (consolidated with Westfield)
Port Edwards	Port Edwards, WI	Public	133	Blackhawks		1962[1]	1984[14]	Central Wisconsin
Tri-County	Plainfield, WI	Public	176	Penguins		1962,[1] 1970[9]	1966,[4] 1984[14]	Vacationland, Central Wisconsin	Central Wisconsin
Westfield	Westfield, WI	Public	295	Pioneers		1962[1]	1966[4]	Vacationland	South Central
Wild Rose	Wild Rose, WI	Public	153	Wildcats		1962[1]	1984[14]	Central Wisconsin
Amherst	Amherst, WI	Public	344	Falcons		1970[9]	1984[14]	Central Wisconsin
Bowler	Bowler, WI	Public	100	Panthers		1970[9]	1984[14]	Central Wisconsin
Iola-Scandinavia	Iola, WI	Public	197	Thunderbirds		1970[9]	1984[14]	Central Wisconsin
Rosholt	Rosholt, WI	Public	176	Hornets		1970[9]	1984[14]	Central Wisconsin
Tigerton	Tigerton, WI	Public	75	Tigers		1970[9]	1984[14]	Central Wisconsin
Granton	Granton, WI	Public	62	Bulldogs		1972[10]	1976[11]	Marawood	Cloverbelt
Gresham	Gresham, WI	Public	82	Wildcats		1972[10]	1984[14]	Central Wisconsin
Shiocton	Shiocton, WI	Public	221	Chiefs		1977[12]	1984[14]	Central Wisconsin
Menominee Indian	Kesīqnaeh, WI	Federal (Tribal)	349	Eagles		1979[13]	1984[14]	Central Wisconsin

Football-only members

School	Location	Affiliation	Enrollment	Mascot	Colors	Seasons	Primary Conference
Amherst	Amherst, WI	Public	344	Falcons		1967-1969[5]	Central Wisconsin
Iola-Scandinavia	Iola, WI	Public	197	Thunderbirds		1967-1969[5]	Central Wisconsin
Bowler	Bowler, WI	Public	100	Panthers		1968-1969[6]	Wolf River Valley
Rosholt	Rosholt, WI	Public	176	Hornets		1969[8]	Wolf River Valley
Tigerton	Tigerton, WI	Public	75	Tigers		1969[8]	Wolf River Valley

Membership timeline

Full members

Football members

List of state champions

Fall sports

None

Winter sports

Girls Basketball

School	Year	Division
Iola-Scandinavia	1978	Class C

Spring sports

Girls Track & Field

School	Year	Division
Wild Rose	1978	Class C
Wild Rose	1979	Class C

List of conference champions

Boys Basketball

School	Quantity	Years
Port Edwards	8	1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1978, 1979
Iola-Scandinavia	5	1972, 1977, 1982, 1983, 1984
Almond-Bancroft	2	1967, 1980
Necedah	2	1974, 1977
Westfield	2	1964, 1966
Adams-Friendship	1	1965
Amherst	1	1981
Granton	1	1975
Gresham	1	1977
Madonna	1	1963
Wild Rose	1	1976
Bowler	0
Menominee Indian	0
Oxford	0
Rosholt	0
Shiocton	0
Tigerton	0
Tri-County	0

Girls Basketball

School	Quantity	Years
Iola-Scandinavia	6	1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1982, 1983
Almond-Bancroft	5	1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984
Port Edwards	1	1978
Tri-County	1	1980
Amherst	0
Bowler	0
Granton	0
Gresham	0
Menominee Indian	0
Necedah	0
Rosholt	0
Shiocton	0
Tigerton	0
Wild Rose	0

Football

School	Quantity	Years
Port Edwards	10	1962, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1982, 1983
Iola-Scandinavia	4	1967, 1974, 1975, 1978
Shiocton	4	1979, 1980, 1981, 1983
Wild Rose	4	1967, 1974, 1976, 1977
Westfield	3	1963, 1964, 1965
Rosholt	2	1977, 1981
Tri-County	2	1973, 1981
Amherst	1	1977
Madonna	1	1963
Adams-Friendship	0
Almond-Bancroft	0
Bowler	0
Necedah	0
Tigerton	0