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Southern Regional Conference

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

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

The Southern Regional Conference is a former high school athletic conference in southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, operational from 1937 to 1958. Member schools were associated with either the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association or Illinois High School Association.

History

= 1937-1949 =

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| mark-title1=Capron

| mark-coord1= {{coord|42.4018|-88.7468}} | mark-description1=Location:

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| mark-title2=Clinton

| mark-coord2= {{coord|42.5633|-88.8576}} | mark-description2=Location:

| shape-color2=#0032a0 | shape2=circle

| mark-title3=Darien

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| shape-color3=#ffc72c | shape3=circle

| mark-title4=Genoa City

| mark-coord4={{coord|42.4985|-88.3268}} | mark-description4=Location:

| shape-color4=#e35205 | shape4=circle

| mark-title5=Williams Bay

| mark-coord5={{coord|42.5762|-88.5628}} | mark-description5=Location:

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| caption = Location of Original Southern Regional Conference Members

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The Southern Regional Conference was formed from a split of four member schools from the Southeastern Wisconsin Conference in 1937: Clinton, Darien, Genoa City and Williams Bay. Along with Capron High School in Illinois, they formed the original five members of the conference. Three of the original members (Clinton, Darien and Williams Bay) were also participants in six-man football, which the conference sponsored due to the small size of its member schools.{{Cite news |date=24 September 1937 |title=Clinton to Play 6-Man Football |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1128062710/?match=1&terms=%22williams%20bay%22%20football |access-date=3 June 2025 |work=Stoughton Courier |pages=6}} In 1939, Palmyra joined after competing as an independent following their exit from the Southeastern three years prior.{{Cite news |date=13 January 1940 |title=Prep Cage Results |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/396980292/?match=1&terms=prep%20standings%20%22southern%20regional%22 |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=Wisconsin State Journal |pages=7}} Membership increased to seven when Sharon High School joined the conference in 1940{{Cite news |date=12 December 1940 |title=Genoa Takes Early Lead in Southern Regional League |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/588574682/?match=1&terms=%22southern%20regional%22%20palmyra%20walworth |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=Lake Geneva Regional News |pages=17}} and eight when Walworth High School joined in 1944.{{Cite news |date=9 December 1944 |title=Prep Cage Scores |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/402005177/?match=1&terms=%22southern%20regional%22%20prep%20results |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=Wisconsin State Journal |pages=3}} College High School (a lab school run by Whitewater Teachers College) joined the Southern Regional Conference from the Rock River Valley League in 1945,{{Cite news |date=22 March 1945 |title=College High to Leave Rock Valley |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/518493336/?match=1&terms=%22southern%20regional%22%20%22college%20high%22%20whitewater |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=The Capital Times |pages=23}} and two years later a tenth member was added in the form of Richmond-Burton High School in Illinois.{{Cite news |date=28 November 1947 |title=College High Tops Walworth |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/10639344/?match=1&terms=%22southern%20regional%22%20richmond |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=Janesville Weekly Gazette |pages=12}} Capron High School was consolidated into the new North Boone High School in Poplar Grove in 1949,{{Cite news |date=12 January 1949 |title=North Boone Board Holds 1st Meeting |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/69975594/?match=1&terms=%22north%20boone%22 |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=Belvidere Daily Republican |pages=8}} taking Capron's place in the conference.

= 1949-1958 =

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| mark-coord1={{coord|42.5633|-88.8576}} | mark-description1=Location:

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| mark-title2=College High

| mark-coord2={{coord|42.8418|-88.7419}} | mark-description2=Location:

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| mark-title3=Darien

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| mark-title4=Genoa City

| mark-coord4={{coord|42.4985|-88.3268}} | mark-description4=Location:

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| mark-title5=North Boone

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| mark-title6=Palmyra

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| shape-color6=#330072 | shape6=circle

| mark-title7=Richmond-Burton

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| shape-color7=#6f2c3f | shape7=circle

| mark-title8=Sharon

| mark-coord8={{coord|42.5076|-88.7255}} | mark-description8=Location:

| shape-color8=#000000 | shape8=circle

| mark-title9=Walworth

| mark-coord9={{coord|42.5269|-88.5940}} | mark-description9=Location:

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| mark-title10=Williams Bay

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| caption = Location of Southern Regional Conference Members (1949-1956)

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Membership continued at ten for the next seven years, but the Southern Regional Conference quickly started to shed members in the late 1950s due to both schools leaving the conference and consolidation of rural school districts. The first domino to fall was North Boone High School's exit from the conference in 1956, they joined the SHARK Conference that same year.{{Cite news |date=25 February 1955 |title=Capron's Withdrawl From South Regional Comes as Surprise |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/10604845/?match=1&terms=delavan-darien%20high%20school |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=Janesville Weekly Gazette |pages=10}} Richmond-Burton High School took the same path as North Boone a year later, leaving the Southern Regional in 1957 to join them in the SHARK.{{Cite news |date=19 March 1957 |title=Southern Regional Cards 12-Game Cage Schedule |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/10836510/?match=1&terms=richmond%20%22southern%20regional%22%20%22SHARK%22 |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=Janesville Weekly Gazette |pages=10}} On the northern side of the state line, Darien High School merged with nearby Delavan High School to form the new Delavan-Darien High School,{{Cite news |date=20 September 1957 |title=Teachers Start Work at New Delavan-Darien HS |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/10999456/?match=1&terms=%22darien%20high%20school%22%20closing |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=Janesville Weekly Gazette |pages=4}} and the new school took Delavan's place in the Southern Lakes Conference.{{Cite news |date=11 September 1957 |title=East Troy Squad Readies for Game with Rochester |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/10991453/?match=1&terms=%22delavan-darien%22%20%22southern%20lakes%22 |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=Janesville Weekly Gazette |pages=15}} Additionally, the Southern Regional Conference made the transition to eight-man football to take effect in the 1957 season.{{Cite news |last=Koehn |first=Howard |date=16 January 1957 |title=Regional, Suburban Grid Games May Be Forerunner to League Consolidation |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/10793101/?match=1&terms=%22southern%20regional%22%20eight-man%20football |access-date=4 June 2025 |work=Janesville Weekly Gazette |pages=16}} Two more consolidations occurred in 1958: Sharon and Walworth High Schools merged to form the new Big Foot High School,{{Cite news |date=22 May 1958 |title=Sharon High is Defeated in Final Sports Contest |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/13192174/?match=1&terms=%22sharon%20high%20school%22%20%22big%20foot%22 |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=Janesville Weekly Gazette |pages=15}} and Genoa City merged with Lake Geneva to form Badger High School.{{Cite news |date=15 January 1958 |title=New Geneva School is Named Badger |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/10347656/?match=1&terms=%22badger%20high%20school%22%20lake%20geneva%20genoa%20city |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=Janesville Weekly Gazette |pages=1}} Big Foot was to set to remain in the Southern Regional Conference due to their predecessors both being member schools, but Badger took Lake Geneva's place in the Southern Lakes Conference.{{Cite news |date=25 September 1958 |title=First Badger High Squad (photo insert caption) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/588652963/?match=1&terms=%22badger%20high%20school%22%20%22southern%20lakes%22 |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=Lake Geneva Regional News |pages=9}} College High in Whitewater was also set for closing by Whitewater State College in 1959,{{Cite news |last=Mills |first=Mary |date=31 December 1958 |title=Continued Growth Seen by Whitewater College; Huge Building Program |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/12699683/?match=1&terms=whitewater%20%22college%20high%20school%22%20closing |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=Janesville Weekly Gazette |pages=11}} so they left the conference to compete as an independent for their last season.

= Epilogue =

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| mark-title3=Genoa City

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| mark-title4=Palmyra

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| mark-title5=Sharon

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| mark-title6=Walworth

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| mark-title7=Williams Bay

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| caption = Location of Final Southern Regional Conference Members

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With all of the changes to membership in the Southern Regional Conference, only four schools (Big Foot, Clinton, Palmyra and Williams Bay) were set to compete in the conference for the 1958-59 school year. The conference decided to disband that year, and its last season was in eight-man football with a membership roster bolstered by three football-only additions from the shuttered Suburban Six-Man Football League (Deerfield, Marshall and Norris Foundation).{{Cite news |date=12 November 1958 |title=Dairyland Grid League Formed |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/397164201/?match=1&terms=dairyland%20conference%20standings |access-date=4 June 2025 |work=Wisconsin State Journal |pages=28}} After completion of the football season, three schools (Big Foot, Clinton and Palmyra) joined the Southeastern Wisconsin Conference{{Cite news |last=Dunn |first=Pat |date=12 January 1958 |title=SEC Has Met Growing Pains by Expansion |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/342084474/?match=1 |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=Racine Journal Times |pages=35}} and Williams Bay entered the Southern Wisconsin Private Schools (SWAPS) Conference,{{Cite news |date=17 November 1958 |title=2 Championship Cage Teams to Play in SWAPS This Year |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/342133099/?match=1&terms=%22williams%20bay%22%20%22swaps%20conference%22 |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=Racine Journal Times |pages=15}} which they played in for one season before joining the Southeastern in 1959.{{clear}}

Conference membership history

= Full members =

class="wikitable sortable"

!School

!Location

!Affiliation

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

!Mascot

!Colors

!Joined

!Left

!Conference Joined

!Current Conference

Capron

|Capron, IL

|Public

|N/A

|Vikings

|{{color box|00843d}} {{color box|white}}

|1937{{Cite news |date=24 September 1937 |title=Clinton to Play 6-Man Football |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/1128062710/?match=1&terms=%22southern%20regional%20conference%22 |access-date=12 December 2024 |work=The Stoughton Courier |pages=6}}

|1949

| colspan="2" |Closed (consolidated into North Boone)

Clinton

|Clinton, WI

|Public

|359

|Cougars

|{{color box|0032a0}} {{color box|a2aaad}}

|1937

|1958

|Southeastern Wisconsin

|Capitol (2025)

Darien

|Darien, WI

|Public

|N/A

|Golden Eagles

|{{color box|ffc72c}} {{color box|0032a0}}

|1937

|1957

| colspan="2" |Closed (consolidated into Delavan-Darien)

Genoa City

|Genoa City, WI

|Public

|N/A

|Orioles

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

|1937

|1958

| colspan="2" |Closed (consolidated into Badger)

Williams Bay

|Williams Bay, WI

|Public

|212

|Bulldogs

|{{color box|ff8200}} {{color box|black}}

|1937

|1958

|SWAPS

|Trailways

Palmyra

|Palmyra, WI

|Public

|195

|Panthers

|{{color box|330072}} {{color box|white}}

|1939

|1958

|Southeastern Wisconsin

|Trailways

Sharon

|Sharon, WI

|Public

|N/A

|Panthers

|{{color box|black}} {{color box|ffc72c}}

|1940

|1958

| colspan="2" |Closed (consolidated into Big Foot)

Walworth

|Walworth, WI

|Public

|N/A

|Warriors

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

|1944

|1958

| colspan="2" |Closed (consolidated into Big Foot)

Whitewater College

|Whitewater, WI

|Public (Lab school)

|N/A

|Quakers, Preps

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

|1945

|1958

|Independent

|Closed in 1959

Richmond-Burton

|Richmond, IL

|Public

|534{{Cite web |date=12 December 2024 |title=Richmond-Burton High School |url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=1733510&ID=173351003463 |access-date=12 December 2024 |website=National Center for Education Statistics}}

|Rockets

|{{color box|6f2c3f}} {{color box|ffc72c}}

|1947

|1957

|SHARK (IHSA)

|Big Northern (IHSA)

North Boone

|Poplar Grove, IL

|Public

|493{{Cite web |date=12 December 2024 |title=North Boone High School |url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&ID=172870003013 |access-date=12 December 2024 |website=National Center for Education Statistics}}

|Vikings

|{{color box|00843d}} {{color box|white}}

|1949

|1956

|SHARK (IHSA)

|Kishwaukee River (IHSA)

= Football-only members =

class="wikitable sortable"

!School

!Location

!Affiliation

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

!Mascot

!Colors

!Seasons

!Primary Conference

Walworth

|Walworth, WI

|Public

|N/A

|Warriors

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

|1941-1943

|Independent

Richmond-Burton

|Richmond, IL

|Public

|534

|Rockets

|{{color box|6f2c3f}} {{color box|ffc72c}}

|1946{{Cite news |date=14 September 1946 |title=Hash |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/10956958/?match=1&terms=richmond%20%22southern%20regional%20conference%22 |access-date=4 June 2025 |work=Janesville Weekly Gazette |pages=8}}

|Independent

Alden-Hebron

|Hebron, IL

|Public

|99{{Cite web |title=Two-Year Cycle Enrollments and Classifications |url=https://www.ihsa.org/Schools/Enrollments-Classifications/Two-Year-Cycle-Enrollments-and-Classifications?url=/data/school/2023-25%20cycle/enrolla.htm |access-date=4 June 2025 |website=Illinois High School Association}}

|Little Giants

|{{color box|00843d}} {{color box|black}}

|1948-1958{{Cite news |date=25 September 1948 |title=Clinton Blanks Williams Bay |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/10670119/?match=1&terms=%22southern%20regional%20conference%22%20hebron%20football |access-date=4 June 2025 |work=Janesville Weekly Gazette |pages=11}}

|Independent

Deerfield

|Deerfield, WI

|Public

|216

|Demons

|{{color box|6f2c3f}} {{color box|white}}

|1958

|Madison Suburban

Marshall

|Marshall, WI

|Public

|292

|Cardinals

|{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|black}}

|1958

|Madison Suburban

Norris Foundation

|Mukwonago, WI

|Public (Alternative)

|10

|Nor'smen

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

|1958

|Southeastern Wisconsin

Palmyra

|Palmyra, WI

|Public

|195

|Panthers

|{{color box|330072}} {{color box|white}}

|1958

|Southeastern Wisconsin

Whitewater College

|Whitewater, WI

|Public (Lab school)

|N/A

|Quakers, Prep

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

|1958

|Independent

Williams Bay

|Williams Bay, WI

|Public

|212

|Bulldogs

|{{color box|ff8200}} {{color box|black}}

|1958

|SWAPS

Membership timeline

= Full members =

DateFormat = yyyy

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20

Period = from:1937 till:1958

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:1937 till:1949 text:Capron (1937-1949)

bar:2 color:tan1 from:1937 till:1958 text:Clinton (1937-1958)

bar:3 color:tan1 from:1937 till:1957 text:Darien (1937-1957)

bar:4 color:tan1 from:1937 till:1958 text:Genoa City (1937-1958)

bar:5 color:tan1 from:1937 till:1958 text:Williams Bay (1937-1958)

bar:6 color:tan1 from:1939 till:1958 text:Palmyra (1939-1958)

bar:7 color:tan1 from:1940 till:1958 text:Sharon (1940-1958)

bar:8 color:tan1 from:1944 till:1958 text:Walworth (1944-1958)

bar:9 color:tan1 from:1945 till:1958 text:Whitewater College (1945-1958)

bar:10 color:tan1 from:1947 till:1957 text:Richmond-Burton (1947-1957)

bar:11 color:tan1 from:1949 till:1956 text:North Boone (1949-1956)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1937

= Football members =

DateFormat = yyyy

ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:20

Period = from:1937 till:1959

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

PlotArea = right:120 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:1937 till:1956 text:Clinton (1937-1955)

bar:2 color:lavender from:1937 till:1957 text:Darien (1937-1956)

bar:3 color:lavender from:1937 till:1959 text:Williams Bay (1937-1958)

bar:4 color:lavender from:1938 till:1941 text:Palmyra (1938-1940)

bar:4 color:lavender from:1945 till:1959 text:(1945-1958)

bar:5 color:lavender from:1938 till:1940 text:Sharon (1938-1939)

bar:5 color:lavender from:1945 till:1958 text:(1945-1957)

bar:6 color:lavender from:1941 till:1949 text:Capron (1941-1948)

bar:7 color:lavender from:1941 till:1946 text:Walworth (1941-1945)

bar:8 color:lavender from:1945 till:1947 text:Whitewater College (1945-1946)

bar:7 color:lavender from:1950 till:1959 text:(1950-1958)

bar:9 color:lavender from:1946 till:1957 text:Richmond-Burton (1946-1956)

bar:10 color:lavender from:1948 till:1959 text:Alden-Hebron (1948-1958)

bar:11 color:lavender from:1949 till:1956 text:North Boone (1949-1955)

bar:12 color:lavender from:1955 till:1958 text:Genoa City (1955-1957)

bar:13 color:lavender from:1958 till:1959 text:Deerfield (1958)

bar:14 color:lavender from:1958 till:1959 text:Marshall (1958)

bar:15 color:lavender from:1958 till:1959 text:Norris Foundation (1958)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1937

List of conference champions

= Boys Basketball =

class="wikitable"

!School

!Quantity

!Years

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

|6

|1946, 1947, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1957

style="background: black; color: #ff8200" |Williams Bay

|5

|1940, 1941, 1945, 1948, 1958

style="background: #6f2c3f; color: #ffc72c" |Richmond-Burton

|4

|1952, 1954, 1955, 1956

style="background: #e35205; color: black" |Genoa City

|2

|1941, 1942

style="background: #0032a0; color: #a2aaad" |Clinton

|1

|1939

style="background: black; color: #ffc72c" |Sharon

|1

|1949

style="background: #00843d; color: white" |Capron

|0

|

style="background: #ffc72c; color: #0032a0" |Darien

|0

|

style="background: #00843d; color: white" |North Boone

|0

|

style="background: #330072; color: white" |Palmyra

|0

|

style="background: #753bbd; color: #ffc72c" |Whitewater College

|0

|

colspan="3" |Champions from 1938, 1943-1944 unknown

= Football =

class="wikitable"

!School

!Quantity

!Years

style="background: #0032a0; color: #a2aaad" |Clinton

|5

|1942, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951

style="background: #6f2c3f; color: #ffc72c" |Richmond-Burton

|5

|1946, 1947, 1954, 1955, 1956

style="background: black; color: #ff8200" |Williams Bay

|5

|1937, 1938, 1940, 1943, 1953

style="background: #00843d; color: black" |Alden-Hebron

|2

|1956, 1957

style="background: #ffc72c; color: #0032a0" |Darien

|2

|1939, 1941

style="background: #00843d; color: white" |North Boone

|2

|1950, 1952

style="background: #6f2c3f; color: white" |Deerfield

|1

|1958

style="background: black; color: #ffc72c" |Sharon

|1

|1956

style="background: #753bbd; color: #ffc72c" |Whitewater College

|1

|1945

style="background: #00843d; color: white" |Capron

|0

|

style="background: #e35205; color: black" |Genoa City

|0

|

style="background: #330072; color: white" |Palmyra

|0

|

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

|0

|

style="background: #ba0c2f; color: black" |Marshall

|0

|

style="background: #a2aaad; color: #0032a0" |Norris Foundation

|0

|

colspan="3" |Champions from 1944 unknown

References

{{reflist}}

{{Wisconsin high school athletic conferences}}

Category:Wisconsin high school sports conferences

Category:Sports organizations established in 1937

Category:1937 establishments in Wisconsin

Category:1958 disestablishments in Wisconsin