Little Nine Conference

{{Short description|Former Wisconsin high school athletic conference}}

The Little Nine Conference is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin. Operational from 1928 to 1970, its membership was concentrated in east central Wisconsin and all member schools belonged to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History

= 1928-1950 =

{{OSM Location map

| title =

| coord = {{coord|44.3875|-88.2910}}

| float = right

| zoom = 8

| width = 250

| height = 250

| mark-size1=10

| mark-title1=Bear Creek

| mark-coord1 = {{coord|44.5313|-88.7264}} | mark-description1=Location:

| shape-color1=#d50032 | shape1=circle

| mark-title2=Brillion

| mark-coord2={{coord|44.1886|-88.0972}} | mark-description2=Location:

| shape-color2=#ba0c2f | shape2=circle

| mark-title3=Denmark

| mark-coord3={{coord|44.3544|-87.8253}} | mark-description3=Location:

| shape-color3=#582c83 | shape3=circle

| mark-title4=Hortonville

| mark-coord4={{coord|44.3375|-88.6334}} | mark-description4=Location:

| shape-color4=#9d2235 | shape4=circle

| mark-title5=Kimberly

| mark-coord5={{coord|44.2616|-88.3194}} | mark-description5=Location:

| shape-color5=#ba0c2f | shape5=circle

| mark-title6=Little Chute

| mark-coord6={{coord|44.2881|-88.3110}} | mark-description6=Location:

| shape-color6=#ffc72c | shape6=circle

| mark-title7=Pulaski

| mark-coord7= {{coord|44.6590|-88.2394}} | mark-description7=Location:

| shape-color7=#000000 | shape7=circle

| mark-title8=Seymour

| mark-coord8={{coord|44.5021|-88.3345}} | mark-description8=Location:

| shape-color8=#d50032 | shape8=circle

| mark-title9=Wrightstown

| mark-coord9={{coord|44.3174|-88.1542}} | mark-description9=Location:

| shape-color9=#0032a0 | shape9=circle

| caption = Location of Original Little Nine Conference Members

| auto-caption=

| wrap=wrap}}

The Little Nine Conference was founded in 1928 by a group of nine small high schools in the Fox River Valley: Bear Creek, Brillion, Denmark, Hortonville, Kimberly, Little Chute (not related to the current high school), Pulaski, Seymour and Wrightstown.{{Cite news |date=23 February 1928 |title=Form Conference for Small Schools |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/287549272/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=14}} Hilbert joined the following year to put membership at ten schools.{{Cite news |date=7 May 1929 |title=Hilbert Is Voted in Little Nine League |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/186323475/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=14}} In 1930, Reedsville joined the Little Nine Conference, replacing the original Little Chute High School, which closed and redistricted to Appleton and Kaukauna.{{Cite news |date=29 April 1930 |title=Reedsville Now Member Little "9" School Circuit |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1028134273/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Two Rivers Reporter and Chronicle |pages=2}}{{Cite news |date=6 May 1930 |title=Vote to Abandon Little Chute High; Students Protest |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/186379238/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=23}} The Little Nine also split into Eastern and Western Divisions that year:{{Cite news |date=8 January 1931 |title=Seymour, Pulaski Will Meet Friday in Conference Tilt |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/186456965/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=17}}

class="wikitable"

!Eastern Division

!Western Division

Brillion

|Bear Creek

Denmark

|Hortonville

Hilbert

|Kimberly

Reedsville

|Pulaski

Wrightstown

|Seymour

In 1931, conference membership increased to twelve schools as Freedom and Shiocton joined the Little Nine.{{Cite news |date=15 September 1931 |title=Two New Schools Added to Little Nine Conference |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/186370364/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=26}} Stockbridge was also invited to join the Little Nine that year{{Cite news |date=13 January 1931 |title=Freedom, Stockbridge Asked to Join League |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/290911075/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=14}} but declined the invite. Freedom was placed in the Eastern Division while Shiocton was placed in the Western Division:{{Cite news |date=14 January 1932 |title=Bear Creek Plays Hortonville Five Tomorrow Night |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/287343180/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=14}}

class="wikitable"

!Eastern Division

!Western Division

Brillion

|Bear Creek

Denmark

|Hortonville

Freedom

|Kimberly

Hilbert

|Pulaski

Reedsville

|Seymour

Wrightstown

|Shiocton

Pulaski left the conference in 1933 to compete independent of conference affiliation,{{Cite news |date=24 November 1933 |title=Pulaski High School Quits Little 9 Loop |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/395916744/?match=1&terms=%22little%20nine%22%20pulaski |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=13}} and two schools swapped divisions with Freedom moving to the Western Division and Kimberly to the Eastern Division.{{Cite news |date=15 September 1933 |title=Little 9 League Shifts Kimberly |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/396139607/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=14}} Two years later, Winneconne joined the Little Nine Conference from the Little 6-C Conference to bring membership back up to twelve schools. They took up residence in the Western Division to give the conference two six-team divisions:{{Cite news |date=19 September 1935 |title=Basketball Schedule, Little Nine Conference, 1935-1936 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/396174290/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=18}}

class="wikitable"

!Eastern Division

!Western Division

Brillion

|Bear Creek

Denmark

|Freedom

Hilbert

|Hortonville

Kimberly

|Seymour

Reedsville

|Shiocton

Wrightstown

|Winneconne

Seymour and Wrightstown swapped division affiliation in 1937,{{Cite news |date=27 March 1937 |title=Little Nine in Reoganization |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/287315249/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=14}} and the conference would maintain this alignment for twelve years. Football was added as a sponsored sport in 1947 with five schools (Brillion, Denmark, Shiocton Winneconne and Wrightstown) participating.{{Cite news |date=15 May 1947 |title=Little Nine Draws Grid Schedule |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/396036851/?match=1&terms=%22little%20nine%22%20football |access-date=19 June 2025 |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=15}} In 1950, Kimberly and Seymour left to join the Northeastern Wisconsin Conference, leaving membership at ten schools.{{Cite news |date=23 March 1950 |title=Kimberly and Seymour Join Northeast Loop |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/11622708/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Janesville Weekly Gazette |pages=9}} Divisions were also abolished that year, and the Little Nine competed as a single entity for the rest of its history.{{Cite news |date=20 January 1951 |title=Reedsville Defeats Hilbert; Winneconne Edges Brillion |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1028252825/?match=1&terms=%22little%20nine%22%20standings |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Two Rivers Reporter and Chronicle |pages=9}}

= 1950-1970 =

{{OSM Location map

| title =

| coord = {{coord|44.2875|-88.2910}}

| float = right

| zoom = 8

| width = 250

| height = 250

| mark-size1=10

| mark-title1=Brillion

| mark-coord1={{coord|44.1886|-88.0972}} | mark-description1=Location:

| shape-color1=#ba0c2f | shape1=circle

| mark-title2=Denmark

| mark-coord2={{coord|44.3544|-87.8253}} | mark-description2=Location:

| shape-color2=#582c83 | shape2=circle

| mark-title3=Freedom

| mark-coord3={{coord|44.3845|-88.2923}} | mark-description3=Location:

| shape-color3=#115740 | shape3=circle

| mark-title4=Hilbert

| mark-coord4={{coord|44.1375|-88.1690}} | mark-description4=Location:

| shape-color4=#005eb8 | shape4=circle

| mark-title5=Hortonville

| mark-coord5={{coord|44.3375|-88.6334}} | mark-description5=Location:

| shape-color5=#9d2235 | shape5=circle

| mark-title6=Omro

| mark-coord6={{coord|44.0462|-88.7401}} | mark-description6=Location:

| shape-color6=#b3a369 | shape6=circle

| mark-title7=Reedsville

| mark-coord7={{coord|44.1537|-87.9529}} | mark-description7=Location:

| shape-color7=#e35205 | shape7=circle

| mark-title8=Shiocton

| mark-coord8={{coord|44.4440|-88.5744}} | mark-description8=Location:

| shape-color8=#115740 | shape8=circle

| mark-title9=Winneconne

| mark-coord9={{coord|44.1205|-88.6959}} | mark-description9=Location:

| shape-color9=#6f2c3f | shape9=circle

| mark-title10=Wrightstown

| mark-coord10={{coord|44.3174|-88.1542}} | mark-description10=Location:

| shape-color10=#0032a0 | shape10=circle

| caption = Location of Final Little Nine Conference Members

| auto-caption=

| wrap=wrap}}

The Little Nine Conference remained a fairly stable loop in terms of membership with few changes occurring during the last two decades of the conference's run. Brillion left in 1951 to join the Eastern Wisconsin Conference,{{Cite news |date=2 February 1951 |title=Brillion High School Officially Accepted by Eastern Wis. Circuit |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/396163351/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=15}} they were not replaced until 1956 when Omro joined the Little Nine from the Big 7-C Conference.{{Cite news |date=21 November 1955 |title=Omro to Join Little 9 Loop in 1956-57 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/396119416/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=17}} Brillion would return in 1965 to replace Bear Creek after they left the conference to compete in the Wolf River Valley Conference for the remainder of their history.{{Cite news |date=4 December 1964 |title=Brillion Will Leave EWC |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/396132914/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=20}} The Little Nine Conference continued as a ten-member circuit before disbanding in 1970. Six schools moved on to the new Olympian Conference (Brillion, Denmark, Freedom, Hilbert, Reedsville and Wrightstown),{{Cite news |date=2 August 1969 |title=New Area Conference Forms |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/290796272/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=8}} three joined the new East Central Conference (Hortonville, Omro and Winneconne),{{Cite news |date=20 June 1969 |title=New 8-School Area Conference Will Begin Competition in 1970-71 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/290971863/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Appleton Post-Crescent |pages=19}} and Shiocton was accepted into the Central Wisconsin Conference.{{Cite news |date=13 March 1970 |title=Area Prep Realignment Almost Complete |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/444980924/? |access-date=18 December 2024 |work=Neenah News-Record |pages=5}}{{clear}}

Conference membership history

class="wikitable sortable"

!School

!Location

!Affiliation

![https://www.wissports.net/news_article/show/1292447 Enrollment]

!Mascot

!Colors

!Joined

!Left

!Conference Joined

!Current Conference

Bear Creek

|Bear Creek, WI

|Public

|N/A

|Bruins

|{{color box|d50032}} {{color box|white}}

|1928

|1965

|Wolf River Valley

|Closed in 1969 (consolidated into Clintonville)

Brillion

|Brillion, WI

|Public

|342

|Lions

|{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|white}}

|1928, 1965

|1951, 1970

|Eastern Wisconsin, Olympian

|Eastern Wisconsin

Denmark

|Denmark, WI

|Public

|488

|Vikings

|{{color box|582c83}} {{color box|ffc72c}}

|1928

|1970

|Olympian

|North Eastern

Hortonville

|Hortonville, WI

|Public

|1,232

|Polar Bears

|{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|002d6c}}

|1928

|1970

|East Central

|Fox Valley Association

Kimberly

|Kimberly, WI

|Public

|1,595

|Papermakers

|{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|white}}

|1928

|1950

|Northeastern Wisconsin

|Fox Valley Association

Little Chute

|Little Chute, WI

|Public

|N/A

|Purple and Gold

|{{color box|753bbd}} {{color box|ffc72c}}

|1928

|1930

| colspan="2" |Closed (district split between Appleton and Kaukauna)

Pulaski

|Pulaski, WI

|Public

|1,141

|Red Raiders

|{{color box|black}} {{color box|d50032}}

|1928

|1933

|Independent

|Fox River Classic

Seymour

|Seymour, WI

|Public

|655

|Indians

|{{color box|d50032}} {{color box|white}}

|1928

|1950

|Northeastern Wisconsin

|Bay

Wrightstown

|Wrightstown, WI

|Public

|402

|Tigers

|{{color box|0032a0}} {{color box|white}}

|1928

|1970

|Olympian

|North Eastern

Hilbert

|Hilbert, WI

|Public

|141

|Wolves

|{{color box|005eb8}} {{color box|white}}

|1929

|1970

|Olympian

|Big East

Reedsville

|Reedsville, WI

|Public

|192

|Panthers

|{{color box|black}} {{color box|e35205}}

|1930

|1970

|Olympian

|Big East

Freedom

|Freedom, WI

|Public

|504

|Irish

|{{color box|115740}} {{color box|ffc72c}}

|1931

|1970

|Olympian

|North Eastern

Shiocton

|Shiocton, WI

|Public

|221

|Chiefs

|{{color box|173f35}} {{color box|white}}

|1931

|1970

| colspan="2" |Central Wisconsin

Winneconne

|Winneconne, WI

|Public

|551

|Wolves

|{{color box|6f2c3f}} {{color box|a2aaad}}

|1935

|1970

|East Central

|Bay (2025)

Omro

|Omro, WI

|Public

|333

|Foxes

|{{color box|6f2c3f}} {{color box|b3a369}}

|1956

|1970

|East Central

|Wisconsin Flyway

Membership timeline

= Full members =

DateFormat = yyyy

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20

Period = from:1928 till:1970

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

PlotArea = right:30 left:0 bottom:50 top:5

Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)

id:line value:black

id:bg value:white

PlotData=

width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:m

bar:1 color:tan1 from:1928 till:1930 text:Bear Creek (1928-1965)

bar:1 color:skyblue from:1930 till:1950 text:

bar:1 color:tan1 from:1950 till:1965 text:

bar:2 color:tan1 from:1928 till:1930 text:Brillion (1928-1951)

bar:2 color:blue from:1930 till:1950 text:

bar:2 color:tan1 from:1950 till:1951 text:

bar:2 color:tan1 from:1965 till:1970 text:(1965-1970)

bar:3 color:tan1 from:1928 till:1930 text:Denmark (1928-1970)

bar:3 color:blue from:1930 till:1950 text:

bar:3 color:tan1 from:1950 till:1970 text:

bar:4 color:tan1 from:1928 till:1930 text:Hortonville (1928-1970)

bar:4 color:skyblue from:1930 till:1950 text:

bar:4 color:tan1 from:1950 till:1970 text:

bar:5 color:tan1 from:1928 till:1930 text:Kimberly (1928-1950)

bar:5 color:skyblue from:1930 till:1933 text:

bar:5 color:blue from:1933 till:1950 text:

bar:6 color:tan1 from:1928 till:1930 text:Little Chute (1928-1930)

bar:7 color:tan1 from:1928 till:1930 text:Pulaski (1928-1933)

bar:7 color:skyblue from:1930 till:1933 text:

bar:8 color:tan1 from:1928 till:1930 text:Seymour (1928-1950)

bar:8 color:skyblue from:1930 till:1937 text:

bar:8 color:blue from:1937 till:1950 text:

bar:9 color:tan1 from:1928 till:1930 text:Wrightstown (1928-1970)

bar:9 color:blue from:1930 till:1937 text:

bar:9 color:skyblue from:1937 till:1950 text:

bar:9 color:tan1 from:1950 till:1970 text:

bar:10 color:tan1 from:1929 till:1930 text:Hilbert (1929-1970)

bar:10 color:blue from:1930 till:1950 text:

bar:10 color:tan1 from:1950 till:1970 text:

bar:11 color:skyblue from:1930 till:1950 text:Reedsville (1930-1970)

bar:11 color:tan1 from:1950 till:1970 text:

bar:12 color:blue from:1931 till:1933 text:Freedom (1931-1970)

bar:12 color:skyblue from:1933 till:1950 text:

bar:12 color:tan1 from:1950 till:1970 text:

bar:13 color:skyblue from:1931 till:1950 text:Shiocton (1931-1970)

bar:13 color:tan1 from:1950 till:1970 text:

bar:14 color:skyblue from:1935 till:1950 text:Winneconne (1935-1970)

bar:14 color:tan1 from:1950 till:1970 text:

bar:15 color:tan1 from:1956 till:1970 text:Omro (1956-1970)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1928

{{Font color||{{RGB|0|102|204}}| Eastern Division }} {{Font color||{{RGB|178|204|255}}| Western Division }}

= Football members =

DateFormat = yyyy

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20

Period = from:1947 till:1970

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

PlotArea = right:30 left:0 bottom:50 top:5

Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)

id:line value:black

id:bg value:white

PlotData=

width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:m

bar:1 color:lavender from:1947 till:1951 text:Brillion (1947-1950)

bar:1 color:lavender from:1965 till:1970 text:(1965-1969)

bar:2 color:lavender from:1947 till:1970 text:Denmark (1947-1969)

bar:3 color:lavender from:1947 till:1970 text:Shiocton (1947-1969)

bar:4 color:lavender from:1947 till:1970 text:Winneconne (1947-1969)

bar:5 color:lavender from:1947 till:1970 text:Wrightstown (1947-1969)

bar:6 color:lavender from:1949 till:1970 text:Freedom (1949-1969)

bar:7 color:lavender from:1950 till:1970 text:Hortonville (1950-1969)

bar:8 color:lavender from:1952 till:1970 text:Reedsville (1952-1969)

bar:9 color:lavender from:1956 till:1970 text:Omro (1956-1969)

bar:10 color:lavender from:1962 till:1970 text:Hilbert (1962-1969)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1947

List of conference champions

= Boys Basketball =

class="wikitable"

!School

!Quantity

!Years

style="background: #ba0c2f; color: #002d6c" |Hortonville

|13

|1931, 1933, 1938, 1939, 1942, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1959

style="background: #6f2c3f; color: #a2aaad" |Winneconne

|11

|1940, 1942, 1944, 1945, 1951, 1956, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968

style="background: #ba0c2f; color: white" |Kimberly

|10

|1932, 1934, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1944, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949

style="background: black; color: #e35205" |Reedsville

|1931, 1932, 1933, 1936, 1945, 1946, 1963, 1964

style="background: #d50032; color: white" |Seymour

|1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1941, 1942, 1949

style="background: #005eb8; color: white" |Hilbert

|1943, 1950, 1955, 1963, 1964, 1965

style="background: #582c83; color: #ffc72c" |Denmark

|1930, 1937, 1938, 1955, 1962

style="background: #a2aaad; color: #ba0c2f" |Bear Creek

|1938, 1941, 1954

style="background: #b3a369; color: #6f2c3f" |Omro

|1968, 1969, 1970

style="background: #ba0c2f; color: white" |Brillion

|1929, 1935

style="background: #115740; color: #ffc72c" |Freedom

|1945, 1946

style="background: #115740; color: white" |Shiocton

|1960, 1961

style="background: #753bbd; color: #ffc72c" |Little Chute

style="background: black; color: #d50032" |Pulaski

style="background: #0032a0; color: white" |Wrightstown

= Football =

class="wikitable"

!School

!Quantity

!Years

style="background: #6f2c3f; color: #a2aaad" |Winneconne

|1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957

style="background: #582c83; color: #ffc72c" |Denmark

|1952, 1954, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1969

style="background: #115740; color: #ffc72c" |Freedom

|1957, 1961, 1964, 1965

style="background: #0032a0; color: white" |Wrightstown

|1948, 1954, 1962, 1968

style="background: #ba0c2f; color: white" |Brillion

|1948, 1967, 1968

style="background: #ba0c2f; color: #002d6c" |Hortonville

|1956, 1957, 1969

style="background: black; color: #e35205" |Reedsville

|1957, 1958, 1959

style="background: #b3a369; color: #6f2c3f" |Omro

|1963

style="background: #005eb8; color: white" |Hilbert

style="background: #115740; color: white" |Shiocton

References

Category:Wisconsin high school sports conferences

Category:Sports organizations established in 1928

Category:1928 establishments in Wisconsin

Category:1970 disestablishments in Wisconsin