Wood County League
{{Short description|Former Wisconsin high school athletic conference}}
The Wood County League is a former high school athletic conference in central Wisconsin. It existed from 1925 to 1942, and its members belonged to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
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| mark-title1=Auburndale
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| mark-title2=Pittsville
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| mark-title3=Port Edwards
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| mark-title4=Rudolph
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| mark-title5=Wood County Aggies
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| caption = Location of Original Wood County League Members
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The Wood County League was founded in 1925 by five small high schools in Wood County: Auburndale, Pittsville, Port Edwards, Rudolph, and the Wood County School of Agriculture.{{Cite news |date=11 December 1925 |title=Port Edwards School Notes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/243174235/?match=1&terms=%22wood%20county%20league%22 |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |pages=4}} Milladore would become a member of the conference in 1927{{Cite news |date=12 October 1927 |title=Wood County Loop Draws Cage Cards |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/250479978/?match=1&terms=%22wood%20county%20league%22 |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=Stevens Point Journal |pages=4}} but would only stay for a year before reentering in 1929.{{Cite news |date=9 March 1929 |title=County's Prep League Closes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/243454606/?match=1&terms=%22wood%20county%20league%22%20%22high%20school%22 |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |pages=5}}{{Cite news |last=Leaman |first=Harvey |date=11 October 1929 |title=Milladore High Enters County Basket League |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/243424534/?match=1&terms=%22wood%20county%20league%22%20%22high%20school%22 |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |pages=10}} Biron would join the Wood County League that same year,{{Cite news |date=26 November 1929 |title=Biron Cagers Play Milladore Tonight |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/243452353/?match=1&terms=%22wood%20county%20league%22%20biron%20%22boy%20scouts%22 |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |pages=5}} bringing membership to its high of seven schools. They would only last a single season before leaving,{{Cite news |date=19 March 1931 |title=Champions of the Wood County League |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/243154011/?match=1&terms=%22wood%20county%20league%22%20auburndale%20pittsville%20rudolph |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |pages=5}} and the conference continued as a six-member loop until 1934. Two schools left the Wood County League that year: Auburndale joined the neighboring Marathon County League,{{Cite news |date=16 December 1933 |title=Auburndale Opens Year in 29-2 Win |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/243450761/?match=1&terms=%22wood%20county%20league%22 |access-date=6 February 2025 |work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |pages=5}}{{Cite news |date=24 December 1934 |title=9 Unbeaten Teams in 4 Central Wis. Conferences |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/243291469/?match=1&terms=%22marathon%20county%20league%22%20auburndale |access-date=6 February 2025 |work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |pages=7}} and Port Edwards became a member of the Big 7-C Conference.{{Cite news |date=24 November 1934 |title=Southern Wisconsin Prep Cage Campaigns Get Into Full Swing Soon |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/405649536/?match=1&terms=%22port%20edwards%22%20%22big%206-c%22 |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=Wisconsin State Journal |pages=9}} With Biron's reentry, the Wood County League had five member schools going into the 1934-35 school year.{{Cite news |date=17 December 1934 |title=Re-Organize Wood County League |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/243285736/?match=1&terms=%22wood%20county%20league%22 |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |pages=5}} A sixth would join in 1936 (Junction City), bringing the roster back up to six schools.{{Cite news |date=6 November 1936 |title=Wood County Basketball League Opens on Dec. 3 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/267220003/?match=1&terms=%22wood%20county%20league%22 |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=Marshfield News-Herald |pages=10}} They would only last for one season, and with Milladore's exit from the league and Auburndale's return, five schools were in the conference in 1937.{{Cite news |date=13 December 1937 |title=3 Share Lead in County Loop |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/243253613/?match=1&terms=%22wood%20county%20league%22 |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |pages=5}} The number would decrease to four when Biron withdrew from the conference in 1939,{{Cite news |last=Treleven |first=Chuck |date=25 October 1939 |title=Sports From The Other End |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/243441857/?match=1&terms=%22wood%20county%20league%22 |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |pages=5}} only to rejoin 1940{{Cite news |date=14 December 1940 |title=Rudolph Highs Leading Wood County League |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/250627140/?match=1&terms=%22wood%20county%20league%22 |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=Stevens Point Journal |pages=6}} and leave again in 1941 after not completing their league schedule the year prior.{{Cite news |date=11 November 1941 |title=Four Teams in Wood County Cage Loop; Biron Drops Out |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/243302498/?match=1&terms=%22wood%20county%20league%22 |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |pages=5}} After several years of instability and the closing of the Wood County School of Agriculture, the Wood County League folded in 1942.{{Cite news |date=18 November 1942 |title=Wood Co. Basketball League is Abandoned |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/243223924/?match=1&terms=%22wood%20county%20league%22%20auburndale%20pittsville%20rudolph |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |pages=8}} Seven years after the dissolution of the Wood County League, three former members (Auburndale, Pittsville and Rudolph) would join four schools formerly in the Marathon County League (Athens, Edgar, Marathon and Stratford) to form the Marawood Conference.{{Cite news |date=21 November 1949 |title=Rudolph Edges Edgar, 36-34 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/242734315/?match=1&terms=marawood |access-date=6 February 2025 |work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |pages=6}}{{clear}}
Conference membership history
| class="wikitable sortable"
!School !Location !Affiliation !Enrollment !Mascot !Colors !Joined !Left !Conference Joined !Current Conference |
| Auburndale
|Public |229 |Apaches |{{color box|005eb8}} {{color box|white}} |Marathon County, Independent |
| Pittsville
|Public |168 |Panthers |{{color box|330072}} {{color box|ffc72c}} |Independent |
| Port Edwards
|Public |133 |Blackhawks |{{color box|e35205}} {{color box|black}} |
| Rudolph
|Public |N/A |Reindeer |{{color box|black}} {{color box|d50032}} |Independent |Closed in 1962 (consolidated into Wisconsin Rapids){{Cite news |date=2 March 1962 |title=Rudolph School Merger with Wisconsin Rapids Ordered) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/250490937/?match=1&terms=%22rudolph%20high%20school%22 |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=Stevens Point Journal |pages=11}} |
| Wood County School of Agriculture
|Public |N/A |Aggies |{{color box|ba0c2f}} {{color box|white}} | colspan="2" |Closed |
| Milladore
|Public |N/A |Millies |Unknown |Independent |Closed in 1947 (district split between Stevens Point and Auburndale)Consolidation |
| Biron
|Public |N/A |Boy Scouts |Unknown |Independent |Closed, date unknown (consolidated into Wisconsin Rapids) |
| Junction City
|Public |N/A |Unknown |Unknown |Independent |Closed in 1949 (consolidated into Stevens Point){{Cite news |date=5 October 1949 |title=To Close Junction City High School |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/242699845/?match=1&terms=%22junction%20city%20high%20school%22 |access-date=7 February 2025 |work=Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune |pages=11}} |
Membership timeline
DateFormat = yyyy
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Period = from:1925 till:1942
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width:14 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:m
bar:1 color:tan1 from:1925 till:1934 text:Auburndale (1925-1934)
bar:1 color:tan1 from:1937 till:1942 text:(1937-1942)
bar:2 color:tan1 from:1925 till:1942 text:Pittsville (1925-1942)
bar:3 color:tan1 from:1925 till:1934 text:Port Edwards (1925-1934)
bar:4 color:tan1 from:1925 till:1942 text:Rudolph (1925-1942)
bar:5 color:tan1 from:1925 till:1942 text:Wood County Aggies (1925-1942)
bar:6 color:tan1 from:1927 till:1928 text:Milladore (1927-1928, 1929-1937)
bar:6 color:tan1 from:1929 till:1937 text:
bar:7 color:tan1 from:1929 till:1930 text:Biron (1929-1930)
bar:7 color:tan1 from:1934 till:1939 text:(1934-1939)
bar:7 color:tan1 from:1940 till:1941 text:(1940-1941)
bar:8 color:tan1 from:1936 till:1937 text:Junction City (1936-1937)
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1925
References
{{reflist}}
{{Wisconsin high school athletic conferences}}
Category:Wisconsin high school sports conferences
Category:Sports organizations established in 1925