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Southeastern Wisconsin Conference

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The Southeastern Wisconsin Conference is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin, operating from 1928 to 1963. All but one of its member schools belonged to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History

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Formation and Early History (1929-1953)

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The Southeastern Wisconsin Conference was formed for the 1928-29 school year by six high schools in southeastern Wisconsin: Clinton, Genoa City, Palmyra, Waterford, Williams Bay and Wilmot Union.[1] These were smaller schools than those in the Southern Five Conference, which covered roughly the same geographical area. Four years after the conference's formation, membership expanded to ten with the addition of Darien, Norris Foundation in Mukwonago, Union Grove and Walworth.[2] Mukwonago and Racine County Agricultural in Rochester joined the Southeastern in 1934, and the league subdivided into Eastern and Western Sections of six schools each:[3]

Eastern Section Western Section
Mukwonago Clinton
Norris Foundation Darien
Rochester Aggies Genoa City
Union Grove Palmyra
Waterford Walworth
Wilmot Union Williams Bay

Palmyra and Walworth would leave the conference in 1936,[4] and Wilmot moved over from the Eastern Section to keep the numbers per section even at five apiece. In 1937, Clinton, Darien, Genoa City and Williams Bay would leave the Southeastern to form the Southern Regional Conference along with Capron (now North Boone) High School in Illinois.[5] East Troy joined the remaining six schools in the Southeastern to create a seven-member circuit for the 1937-38 school year.[6] Membership would continue in this configuration for sixteen years before East Troy, Mukwonago and Wilmot left to join the new Southern Lakes Conference in 1953.[7] They were replaced by Hartland, Pewaukee and Slinger, who were left without a conference after the dissolution of the 4-C Conference.[8]

A Decade of Changes (1953-1963)

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Membership map of Southeastern Wisconsin Conference in 1958 (prior to Slinger's exit from the conference)

The far-flung geographic footprint of conference membership ushered in a volatile period of changes during the Southeastern Wisconsin Conference's final decade. Hartland High School was closed in 1956 and replaced by Arrowhead High School,[9] who took Hartland's place in the conference.[10] Slinger left to join the new Scenic Moraine Conference in 1958,[11] and they were replaced by three returning members and one newcomer. Big Foot, Clinton and Palmyra were left without a conference after consolidation and closings whittled away membership of the Southern Regional Conference, and they rejoined the Southeastern in 1958.[12] That same year, Salem Central (now Westosha Central) High School joined the Southeastern after dealing with their own issues with long travel distances as members of the Braveland Conference.[13] In 1959, the Southeastern lost three schools: Arrowhead to the Little Ten, Pewaukee to the Scenic Moraine, and Racine County Agricultural to the school's closing. Williams Bay rejoined the conference that year after leaving the Southern Wisconsin Private Schools (SWAPS) Conference to bring membership to eight schools.[14] Two years later, Big Foot left to join the Southern Lakes Conference, and their place was taken by St. Mary's (now Catholic Central) High School in Burlington, the only private school ever to play in the conference.[15]

Demise and Aftermath

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The Southeastern Conference ended operations in 1963. Four of its members (Salem Central, St. Mary's, Union Grove and Waterford) formed the new Southeastern Badger Conference,[16] while the other four (Clinton, Norris Foundation, Palmyra and Williams Bay) joined with Northwestern Military and Naval Academy in Lake Geneva and Wisconsin School for the Deaf in Delavan to form the Indian Trails Conference.[17]

Conference Membership History

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School Location Affiliation Enrollment Mascot Colors Joined Left Conference Joined Current Conference
Clinton Clinton, WI Public 359 Cougars     1928,[1] 1958[12] 1937,[5] 1963[17] Southern Regional, Indian Trails Rock Valley
Genoa City Genoa City, WI Public N/A Mustangs     1928[1] 1937[5] Southern Regional Closed in 1958 (consolidated into Badger)
Palmyra Palmyra, WI Public 195 Panthers     1928,[1] 1958[12] 1936,[4] 1963[17] Independent, Indian Trails Trailways
Waterford Waterford, WI Public 958 Wolverines     1928[1] 1963[16] Southeastern Badger Southern Lakes
Williams Bay Williams Bay, WI Public 212 Bulldogs     1928,[1] 1959[14] 1937,[5] 1963[17] Southern Regional, Indian Trails Trailways
Wilmot Union Wilmot, WI Public 951 Panthers     1928[1] 1953[7] Southern Lakes Southern Lakes
Darien Darien, WI Public N/A Golden Eagles     1932[2] 1937[5] Southern Regional Closed in 1957 (consolidated into Delavan-Darien)
Norris Foundation Mukwonago, WI Public, Alternative 10[18] Nors'men     1932[2] 1963[17] Indian Trails Dropped interscholastic athletics
Union Grove Union Grove, WI Public 1,049 Broncos     1932[2] 1963 Southeastern Badger Southern Lakes
Walworth Walworth, WI Public N/A Warriors     1932[2] 1936[4] Independent Closed in 1958 (consolidated into Big Foot)
Mukwonago Mukwonago, WI Public 1,619 Indians     1934[3] 1953[7] Southern Lakes Classic Eight
Racine County Agricultural Rochester, WI Public N/A Wildcats     1934[3] 1959[14] Closed in 1959
East Troy East Troy, WI Public 504 Trojans     1937[6] 1953[7] Southern Lakes Rock Valley
Hartland Hartland, WI Public N/A Beavers     1953[8] 1956[9] Closed in 1956
Pewaukee Pewaukee, WI Public 874 Pirates     1953[8] 1959[14] Scenic Moraine Woodland
Slinger Slinger, WI Public 1,052 Owls     1953[8] 1958[11] Scenic Moraine North Shore
Arrowhead Hartland, WI Public 2,076 Warhawks     1956[9][10] 1959[14] Little Ten Classic Eight
Big Foot Walworth, WI Public 449 Chiefs     1958[12] 1961[15] Southern Lakes Rock Valley
Salem Central Paddock Lake, WI Public 1,220 Falcons     1958[13] 1963[16] Southeastern Badger Southern Lakes
St. Mary's Burlington, WI Private (Catholic) 128 Hilltoppers     1961[15] 1963[16] Southeastern Badger Midwest Classic

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Wilmot Plays Waterford in Tourney Tilt". Kenosha News. 13 March 1929. p. 10. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Wilmot Retains Cage Loop Lead". The Journal Times. 31 January 1933. p. 10. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Southeastern Wisconsin Conference Statistics". Wisconsin State Journal. 31 January 1935. p. 12. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "Southeastern Cage League to Play 5 Games This Week". Racine Journal Times. 11 January 1937. p. 12. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Clinton to Play 6-Man Football". The Stoughton Courier. 24 September 1937. p. 6. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Aggies Eleven Plays East Troy in Title Quest". Racine Journal Times. 26 October 1937. p. 19. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d "Southern Lakes League Announced". Lake Geneva Regional News. 1 May 1952. p. 10. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d "Form New Athletic Conference To Replace Southeastern Loop". Racine Journal Times. 8 December 1952. p. 19. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  9. ^ a b c "Arrowhead Union School District Plans to Accommodate 550 Pupils". Waukesha County Freeman. 17 June 1955. p. 1. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Aggies Nudge Arrowhead in Loop Play; Pewaukee Loses". Waukesha County Freeman. 15 December 1956. p. 8. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Indians Get Set to Open Play in New Scenic Moraine League". Kewaskum Statesman. 22 August 1958. p. 1. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d Dunn, Pat (12 January 1958). "SEC Has Met Growing Pains by Expansion". Racine Journal Times. p. 35. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  13. ^ a b Sovitzky, George (9 January 1958). "Central Quits Braveland, Joins Southeastern". Kenosha News. p. 19. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d e "Conferences Make Changes". Racine Journal Times. 15 March 1959. pp. 5 (Section 3). Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  15. ^ a b c "St. Mary's Joins SEC Next Year". Racine Journal Times. 23 March 1960. p. 27. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  16. ^ a b c d "Southern Lakes Is Not Affected as New League Forms". Lake Geneva Regional News. 7 February 1963. p. 13. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d e Associated Press. "Indian Trails Prep Conference Formed". Janesville Weekly Gazette. p. 16. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  18. ^ "Norris School District". National Center for Education Statistics. 11 December 2024. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
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