Southern Five Conference
{{Short description|Former Wisconsin high school athletic conference}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
The Southern Five Conference is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin. Its membership was concentrated in southeastern Wisconsin and was in existence from 1928 to 1946. All members were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
{{OSM Location map
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| mark-title1=Burlington
| mark-coord1={{coord|42.6709|-88.2524}} | mark-description1=Location:
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| mark-title2=Delavan
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| mark-title3=Elkhorn
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| mark-title4=Lake Geneva
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| mark-title5=Whitewater Normal
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| caption = Location of Original Southern Five Conference Members
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The Southern Five Conference, alternatively known as the Little Five Conference{{Cite news |date=27 January 1931 |title=Rivals Are Tied in Conference Race |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/333517313/?match=1&terms=conference%20standings%20burlington%20delavan%20elkhorn%20%22lake%20geneva%22%20whitewater |access-date=17 December 2024 |work=Racine Journal Times |pages=9}} and the Southern State Conference{{Cite news |date=28 February 1934 |title=Southern State Conference (standings) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/404752112/?match=1&terms=conference%20standings%20burlington%20delavan%20elkhorn%20%22lake%20geneva%22%20whitewater |access-date=17 December 2024 |work=Wisconsin State Journal |pages=12}} during its history, was formed in 1928 by a group of five medium-sized high schools in Racine and Walworth Counties: Burlington, Delavan (now Delavan-Darien), Elkhorn, Lake Geneva and Whitewater Normal.{{Cite news |date=26 April 1928 |title=Conference Is Formed by Five High Schools |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/588581197/?match=1&terms=%22southern%20five%22%20burlington%20delavan%20elkhorn%20%22lake%20geneva%22%20whitewater |access-date=17 December 2024 |work=Lake Geneva Regional News |pages=1}} The addition of Walworth to the conference, first as a football-only member in 1932 and for all sports in 1935 brought the membership roster to its high of six schools.{{Cite news |date=25 April 1935 |title=Southern Conference Expands Cage Loop |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/644436800/?match=1&terms=%22southern%20state%22%20conference%20walworth |access-date=2 June 2025 |work=Burlington Free Press |pages=1}} They would only last two more seasons as conference members,{{Cite news |date=6 May 1937 |title=Southern State Athletic Group |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/644447750/?match=1&terms=%22southern%20state%22%20conference%20walworth |access-date=2 June 2025 |work=Burlington Free Press |pages=1}} and the ledger experienced a net decrease to five schools with Whitewater Normal and Whitewater of the Rock River Valley League swapping affiliations.{{Cite news |date=8 December 1937 |title=Rock Valley League Opens This Weekend |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1128074858/?match=1&terms=%22southern%20state%22%20conference |access-date=2 June 2025 |work=Stoughton Courier |pages=6}} Competition lasted for eighteen years before the members of the Southern Five joined with three IHSA-affiliated high schools in neighboring McHenry County, Illinois (Harvard, Marengo and McHenry) to form the Southern Wisconsin-Northern Illinois Conference, more commonly known as the SWANI Conference, in 1946.{{Cite news |date=29 March 1946 |title=Illinois, Wisconsin High Schools Organize New "Swami" Conference |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/334360205/?match=1&terms=SWANI%20burlington%20delavan%20elkhorn%20%22lake%20geneva%22%20whitewater |access-date=17 December 2024 |work=Racine Journal Times |pages=14}}{{clear}}
Conference membership history
= Full members =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!School !Location !Affiliation ![https://www.wissports.net/news_article/show/1292447 Enrollment] !Nickname !Colors !Joined !Left !Conference Joined !Current Conference |
| Burlington
|Public |1,001 |Demons |{{color box|e35205}} {{color box|black}} |
| Delavan
|Public |628 |Comets |{{color box|0032a0}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |
| Elkhorn
|Public |1,142 |Elks |{{color box|330072}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |
| Lake Geneva
|Public |N/A |Resorters |{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|white}} |Closed in 1958 (consolidated into Badger) |
| Whitewater Normal
|Public (Lab school) |N/A |Quakers, Preps |{{color box|753bbd}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |Closed in 1959 |
| Walworth
|Public |N/A |Warriors |{{color box|ffc72c}} {{color box|582c83}} |Independent |Closed in 1958 (consolidated into Big Foot) |
| Whitewater
|Public |606 |Quakers |{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|white}} |Capitol (2025) |
= Football-only members =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!School !Location !Affiliation !Enrollment !Mascot !Colors !Seasons !Primary Conference |
| Walworth
|Public |N/A |Warriors |{{color box|ffc72c}} {{color box|582c83}} |
Membership timeline
DateFormat = yyyy
ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20
Period = from:1928 till:1946
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal
PlotArea = right:30 left:0 bottom:50 top:5
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id:line value:black
id:bg value:white
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width:13 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:m
bar:1 color:tan1 from:1928 till:1946 text:Burlington (1928-1946)
bar:2 color:tan1 from:1928 till:1946 text:Delavan (1928-1946)
bar:3 color:tan1 from:1928 till:1946 text:Elkhorn (1928-1946)
bar:4 color:tan1 from:1928 till:1946 text:Lake Geneva (1928-1946)
bar:5 color:tan1 from:1928 till:1937 text:Whitewater Normal (1928-1937)
bar:6 color:tan2 from:1932 till:1935 text:Walworth (1932-1935 (football), 1935-1937 (full))
bar:6 color:tan1 from:1935 till:1937 text:
bar:7 color:tan1 from:1937 till:1946 text:Whitewater (1937-1946)
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1928
List of conference champions
= Boys Basketball =
| class="wikitable"
!School !Quantity !Years |
| style="background: #0032a0; color: #ffc72c" |Delavan
|8 |1930, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1941, 1942 |
| style="background: #e35205; color: black" |Burlington
|7 |1931, 1932, 1933, 1936, 1937, 1939, 1944 |
| style="background: #330072; color: #ffc72c" |Elkhorn
|3 |1929, 1945, 1946 |
| style="background: #ba0c2f; color: white" |Lake Geneva
|2 |1935, 1943 |
| style="background: #a2aaad; color: #ba0c2f" |Whitewater
|1 |1940 |
| style="background: #ffc72c; color: #582c83" |Walworth
|0 | |
| style="background: #753bbd; color: #ffc72c" |Whitewater Normal
|0 | |
= Football =
| class="wikitable"
!School !Quantity !Years |
| style="background: #ba0c2f; color: white" |Lake Geneva
|6 |1933, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1941, 1945 |
| style="background: #e35205; color: black" |Burlington
|4 |1932, 1935, 1943, 1944 |
| style="background: #0032a0; color: #ffc72c" |Delavan
|3 |1929, 1939, 1942 |
| style="background: #330072; color: #ffc72c" |Elkhorn
|3 |1928, 1930, 1931 |
| style="background: #ffc72c; color: #582c83" |Walworth
|1 |1934 |
| style="background: #a2aaad; color: #ba0c2f" |Whitewater
|1 |1940 |
| style="background: #753bbd; color: #ffc72c" |Whitewater Normal
|0 | |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Wisconsin high school athletic conferences}}
Category:Wisconsin high school sports conferences
Category:Sports organizations established in 1928