Cardinal Conference (Ohio)

Attempts to form the Cardinal Conference began as early as 1949; by 1955, discussions began in earnest and on April 8, 1959, the new conference was officially formed.{{cite web|last=Dienstberger|first=Paul|title=A History of the Cardinal Conference|url=http://www.3lhloh.com/CC_History.htm |publisher=Lincoln Highway Leagues|accessdate=2008-06-18}} The conference remained stable throughout the 1960s and 1970s. In 1981, Mansfield Malabar became the first school to leave the conference; in 1983, Coshocton High School followed suit. The remaining conference members discussed adding several schools, including readmitting Malabar, adding Mansfield Senior High School or Mt. Vernon High School, but travel considerations prevented any agreement from being reached.

By the mid-1980s, the conference began to disintegrate. Madison and Ashland left the conference for the newly formed Ohio Heartland Conference.{{cite news|title=New league formed for Mansfield area|agency=Associated Press|date=1985-11-07|publisher=Akron Beacon Journal}} Dover High School joined the Senate League.{{cite news|title=Strong nucleus could keep Lions on top of Senate|author=Lilley, Bill|date=1987-09-01|publisher=Akron Beacon Journal}} Wooster and New Philadelphia both joined the Federal League.{{cite news|title=Federal league takes a leap forward|author=Zban, Milan|date=1986-04-19|publisher=Akron Beacon Journal}} The Cardinal Conference officially disbanded following the 1986-87 school year.

Over the conference's history, the conference had four separate commissioners. The first commissioner, Don Welsh, was associated with Wooster. Welsh was succeeded by O.J. Thompson, and he by Joe Romano. New Philadelphia's Jim Roman was the final conference commissioner in the 1980s.

Image:CardinalConferenceMap.PNG

The following schools were members of the Cardinal Conference during its duration.

• Ashland High School (1960-1987)
• Coshocton High School (1961-1983)
• Dover High School (1960-1987)
• Madison High School (1960-1987)
• Malabar High School (1963-1981)
• New Philadelphia High School (1961-1987)
• Wooster High School (1960-1987)

• Wooster vs. Madison{{cite news|title=Must-win arch-rival in Wooster's playoff path|author=Paulk, Ralph|date=1985-10-31|publisher=Akron Beacon Journal}}
• Dover vs. New Philadelphia {{cite news |title=2009 Great American Rivalry Series-Dover vs. New Philadelphia |year=2010 |url=http://cache.ihigh.com/greatamericanrivalries/broadcast_100567.html?nosilverlight=1 |access-date=2010-10-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813011316/http://cache.ihigh.com/greatamericanrivalries/broadcast_100567.html?nosilverlight=1 |archive-date=2011-08-13 |url-status=dead }}

This only includes state championships won while schools were members of the Cardinal Conference:

• James R. Black, Dover (1980)"James Black." Football Database. {{cite web|url=http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BLACKJAM02 |title=James Black Past Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards - databaseFootball.com |accessdate=2008-06-18 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111123082435/http://databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BLACKJAM02 |archivedate=2011-11-23 }}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.3lhloh.com/index.html A History of the Lincoln Highway Leagues]

• Ohio High School Athletic Conferences

Category:Ohio high school sports conferences