Tri-River League
 |
The Tri-River Athletic Conference (TRAC) is a high school athletic league that is part of the CIF Central Section. All of the members are major public high schools in Fresno County, California. The name derives from the three major rivers found in the Central Valley: the Fresno, Kings, and San Joaquin Rivers.
Current season, competition or edition: 2023 | |
 | |
| Sport | Football |
|---|---|
| First season | 1996 |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Most recent champion(s) | Clovis North (2023) |
| Most titles | Clovis West (9) |
TRAC Football History
[edit]The Tri-River Athletic Conference was formed before the 1996-97 school year when the Central Section broke up the Northeast and Northwest Yosemite Leagues, in large part due to Fresno Unified schools not being able to compete with the Clovis Unified juggernaut. Original members of the TRAC include: Buchanan, Central, Clovis, Clovis West, Madera, and Sanger.
For two seasons (2002 and 2003), the TRAC was split up into two separate conferences, the Tri-River and Tri-City. The Tri-River consisted of Central, Clovis, Clovis East, and Hoover. Meanwhile, the Tri-City was made up by Buchanan, Bullard, Clovis West, and Madera.
- Buchanan has eight TRAC championships to their name, with the first coming in 1997.
- Central is the first team to win back-to-back outright TRAC titles. Central's first TRAC championship came in the form of a 3-way tie with Clovis and Clovis West back in 2001.
- Clovis won the first ever TRAC title in 1996 after going 5-0 in conference play. Clovis has racked up seven TRAC titles in all, including three since 2011 under former Head Coach, Rich Hammond. When Hammond led Clovis to a co-championship in 2011, he ended the Cougars worst drought in their history. Clovis had never gone more than five years without a conference title since 1970.
- Clovis East's rise into a section powerhouse was unprecedented. In the T-Wolves first season playing varsity football (2001), the school met Liberty in the D-III title game, eventually falling 25-13. Joining their Clovis brethren in D-I the following year, Clovis East would win six TRAC titles from 2002-2008. The Timberwolves are restoring pride to their once proud program after going 0-40 in TRAC play from 2010-2017.
- Clovis North is the newest member of the TRAC, joining in 2011. The Broncos have won three titles since joining.
- Clovis West has the honor of holding the title of most TRAC championships. Since 1998, Clovis West has won eleven conference titles. However, two of those ten were won in the Tri-City Athletic Conference.
Members
[edit]| High School | Mascot | Colors | Joined | TRAC titles | Section titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan | Bears | 1996 | 8 | 1 | |
| Central | Grizzlies | 1996 | 7 | 3 | |
| Clovis | Cougars | 1996 | 7 | 8 | |
| Clovis East | Timberwolves | 2002 | 6 | 2 | |
| Clovis North | Broncos | 2011 | 3 | 2* | |
| Clovis West | Golden Eagles | 1996 | 9 | 9 |
*Clovis North's first Valley championship was won in D-II
Football Championships by Year
[edit]A TRAC championship is won by the team with the best league record at the end of the regular season. A championship can be shared by multiple teams, commonly referred to as a co-championship, if they have the same league record at the end of the regular season.
| Year | Champion(s) | TRAC
Record |
OVR.
Record* |
Playoff
Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Clovis North | 5-0 | 10-0 | Valley Champs |
| 2022 | Clovis West | 4-1 | 9-1 | Elim. 3rd Rd |
| 2021 | Buchanan | 5-0 | 9-1 | Elim. 2nd Rd |
| 2020
(Spring 2021) |
Buchanan | 5-0 | 5-0 | No playoffs
(COVID-19) |
| 2019 | Central | 5-0 | 10-0 | State Champs |
| 2018 | Central | 5-0 | 10-0 | Valley Champs |
| 2017 | Central | 5-0 | 9-1 | Valley Champs |
| 2016 | Central | 5-0 | 9-1 | Valley runner-up |
| 2015 | Buchanan,
Clovis |
4-1,
4-1 |
7-3,
9-1 |
Elim. 2nd Rd,
Valley runner-up |
| 2014 | Clovis North | 5-0 | 7-3 | Elim. 2nd Rd |
| 2013 | Central,
Clovis North |
4-1,
4-1 |
7-3,
8-2 |
Elim. 3rd Rd,
Valley runner-up |
| 2012 | Clovis | 5-0 | 9-1 | Elim. 2nd Rd |
| 2011 | Central,
Clovis |
4-1,
4-1 |
8-2,
9-1 |
Elim. 2nd Rd,
Elim. 3rd Rd |
| 2010 | Clovis West | 5-0 | 9-1 | Valley Champs |
| 2009 | Buchanan | 5-0 | 10-0 | Elim. 2nd Rd |
| 2008 | Buchanan,
Clovis East, Clovis West |
4-1,
4-1, 4-1 |
8-2,
7-3, 7-3 |
Elim. 2nd Rd,
Valley runner-up, Valley Champs |
| 2007 | Buchanan,
Clovis East, Clovis West |
4-1,
4-1, 4-1 |
6-4,
7-3, 6-3-1 |
Elim. 2nd Rd,
Elim. 2nd Rd, Valley runner-up |
| 2006 | Clovis East,
Clovis West |
4-1,
4-1 |
9-1,
8-2 |
Valley Champs,
Valley runner-up |
| 2005 | Clovis East | 5-0 | 9-1 | Elim. 2nd Rd |
| 2004 | Clovis West | 5-0 | 8-2 | Valley Champs |
| 2003 | Clovis East | 3-0 | 9-1 | Valley Champs |
| 2002 | Clovis,
Clovis East |
2-1,
2-1 |
8-2,
8-2 |
Valley Champs,
Elim. 1st Rd |
| 2001 | Central,
Clovis, Clovis West |
3-1,
3-1, 3-1 |
7-3,
8-2, 6-2-1 |
Elim. 2nd Rd,
Valley runner-up, Elim. 2nd Rd |
| 2000 | Buchanan | 4-0 | 9-1 | Valley Champs |
| 1999 | Clovis,
Clovis West |
4-1,
4-1 |
9-1,
9-1 |
Valley Champs,
Valley runner-up |
| 1998 | Clovis West | 5-0 | 9-1 | Valley Champs |
| 1997 | Buchanan | 5-0 | 9-1 | ? |
| 1996 | Clovis | 5-0 | 9-1 | Valley runner-up |
| Year | Champion(s) | TCAC
Record |
OVR.
Record* |
Playoff
Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Clovis West | 3-0 | 9-0-1 | Valley runner-up |
| 2002 | Buchanan,
Clovis West |
2-0-1,
2-0-1 |
8-1-1,
4-5-1 |
Elim. 1st Rd,
Valley runner-up |
*denotes record after regular season
Football Championships by School (All-time)
[edit]| School | Conference | Section | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buchanan | 1995 (NEYL)
1997 (TRAC) 2000 (TRAC) 2002 (TCAC) 2007 (TRAC) 2008 (TRAC) 2009 (TRAC) 2015 (TRAC) 2020 (TRAC) 2021 (TRAC) |
2000 (Yosemite, Large) | |
| Central | 1948 (NSL)
1960 (NSL) 1973 (NSL) 1978 (CSL) 1984 (CSL) 1988 (CSL) 1993 (CSL) 2001 (TRAC) 2011 (TRAC) 2013 (TRAC) 2016 (TRAC) 2017 (TRAC) 2018 (TRAC) 2019 (TRAC) |
2017 (D-I)
2018 (D-I) 2019 (D-I) |
2019 (Division 1-AA) |
| Clovis | 1923 (North Fresno)
1941 (Shasta) 1946 (Shasta) 1956 (NSL) 1970 (NYL) 1974 (NYL) 1979 (NYL) 1980 (NYL) 1984 (NYL) 1987 (NYL) 1988 (NYL) 1989 (NYL) 1990 (NYL) 1991 (NYL) 1994 (NEYL) 1996 (TRAC) 1999 (TRAC) 2001 (TRAC) 2002 (TRAC) 2011 (TRAC) 2012 (TRAC) 2015 (TRAC) |
1970 (Yosemite)
1974 (Yosemite) 1979 (Yosemite) 1984 (Yosemite) 1991 (Yosemite) 1997 (Yosemite) 1999 (Yosemite, Large) 2002 (Yosemite, Large) |
|
| Clovis East | 2002 (TRAC)
2003 (TRAC) 2005 (TRAC) 2006 (TRAC) 2007 (TRAC) 2008 (TRAC) |
2003 (Yosemite, Large)
2006 (D-I) |
|
| Clovis North | 2013 (TRAC)
2014 (TRAC) 2023 (TRAC) |
2011 (D-II)
2012 (D-I) 2023 (D-I) |
|
| Clovis West | 1983 (NYL)
1985 (NYL) 1987 (NYL) 1990 (NYL) 1992 (NYL) 1993 (NYL) 1994 (NWYL) 1995 (NWYL) 1998 (TRAC) 1999 (TRAC) 2001 (TRAC) 2002 (TCAC) 2003 (TCAC) 2004 (TRAC) 2006 (TRAC) 2007 (TRAC) 2008 (TRAC) 2010 (TRAC) 2022 (TRAC) |
1985 (Yosemite)
1987 (Yosemite) 1992 (Yosemite) 1993 (Yosemite) 1995 (Yosemite) 1998 (Yosemite, Large) 2004 (D-I) 2008 (D-I) 2010 (D-I) |