Southern Worcester County League
The Southern Worcester County League (SWCL) was a high school athletic conference in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. The league was formed circa 1923[1] and during its final year consisted of twelve public high schools in the southern part of Worcester County, Massachusetts. The league would fold in 2025 after merging with the Central Massachusetts Conference, Colonial Athletic League, Dual Valley Conference, and the Inter-High League, to form the Central Massachusetts Athletic Conference.[2]
8.1miles
History
[edit]Early members of the league included Bartlett,[3] Blackstone[4] (which became Blackstone-Millville Regional in the sixties), Grafton,[5] Holden[6] (which became Wachusett Regional in 1954[7]), Mary E. Wells[8] (which would become Southbridge High in the sixties), Millbury,[1] Northbridge,[9] Oxford,[6] Shrewsbury,[3] Spencer[10] (which would soon become David Prouty), Uxbridge,[1] and Warren[10] (which would become Quaboag Regional forty years later).
In 1931, Ware High School left the Twin State Conference to join the SWCL for "[a] circuit more beneficial to them"[6] However, their stint in the league was short lived, as they had joined the new Valley Wheel League only a few years later.[11] By the 1960's, the landscape of the league had changed drastically. Shrewsbury and Wachusett, having outgrown the other schools had left for the Central Mass League.[12] Blackstone-Millville left in 1965 to help form the Tri-Valley League.[13] Charlton (which became Shepherd Hill Regional not long after),[14] Leicester, Westborough, and West Boylston had now joined, proving to be great fits due to their size and location.[12] In 1967, longtime member Warren left to join the newly formed Quaboag League,[15] and Charlton followed a year later.[16]
A new league was formed out of the SWCL circa 1970 called the Border Conference, the name coming from the fact that the schools in the conference were on or near the Connecticut border. The schools a part of this new league were Auburn, Bartlett, David Prouty, and Southbridge.[17] Westborough returned to the Midland League in 1974, now that the league had re-formed.[18] David Prouty didn't stay in the Border Conference long, and was back in the SWCL by 1978.[19] After West Boylston left in 1992, the SWCL grabbed Auburn from the Border Conference. Thus began the beginning of the end for the Border Conference, now that charter member Auburn was returning to the SWCL for the 1993 season.[20] In 1997, the rest of the conference was absorbed by the SWCL, giving them schools Bartlett, Shepherd Hill, Southbridge, Tantasqua, and Quaboag. North Brookfield was the only member of the Border Conference not to join the SWCL, instead going to the Dual Valley Conference.[21]
Finally in 2013, Shepherd Hill once again left the league, this time going to the Midland Wachusett League, looking for better competition as they had outgrown their fellow members.[22] This would be the last change in lineup before the conference ended in 2025.
Former members
[edit]State Championships
[edit]This is a list of MIAA State championships won by schools while a part of the Southern Worcester County League
Note: From 1972 to 2012, football state championships were separated by region, so there would be multiple champions from each division. From 1972 to 1977 and from 1997 to 2008, it was split between Eastern Mass and Central/Western Mass and there would be two champions in each division. From 1978 to 1996 and from 2009 to 2012 Central and Western Mass split so there would be three champions in each division. In 2013 everything was combined and therefore only allowed one state champion per division.
- Northbridge - 1974, 1997, 1998 D3 Central/Western; 1987, 1989 D3 Central; 2001, 2002 D2 Central/Western; 2007 D2A Central/Western; 2011 D4 Central; 2015 D5
- Grafton - 1984, 1985, 1986 D3 Central; 2012 D4 Central
- West Boylston - 1988 D3 Central
- Uxbridge - 1991, 1992 D3 Central; 2023, 2024 D7
- Millbury - 1993 D3 Central; 2003 D2A Central/Western
- Oxford - 1997 D3A Central/Western
- Liecester - 2000, 2004 D2A Central/Western; 2011 D5 Central
- Shepherd Hill - 2007 D2 Central/Western
- Auburn - 2008 D2A Central/Western; 2009, 2010, D2 Central; 2011, 2012 D3 Central
- Tantasqua - 2008 D2 Central/Western
- David Prouty - 2009 D2 Central
- Quaboag - 1998, 2007 D2
- Uxbridge - 2021-2024 D4
Boys
[edit]- David Prouty - 1998 D2
- Grafton - 2003 D3
- Bartlett - 2006 D3
Girls
[edit]- Grafton - 1996 D3
- Shepherd Hill - 1997 D2
- Auburn - 2011 D2
- Millbury - 2015, 2016 D3; 2019 D4
Boys
[edit]- Tantasqua - 2007 D2
Girls
[edit]- Oxford - 1992, 1993 D2
- David Prouty - 1999 D2
- Quaboag - 2004, 2006 D3
Boys
[edit]- Auburn - 1968
- Grafton - 2017 D3A (Co-Champs with Blackstone Valley Tech)
- Northbridge - 2019 D3A
- Grafton - 1976 D2
- West Boylston 1977 D3
- Millbury - 1984 D3
- Oxford - 1986 D3
- Auburn -1998, 2009 D2; 2017, 2018 D3
- Northbridge - 1999 D3; 2010 D2
- Grafton - 2012, 2013, 2017 D2
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Millbury Wins and Takes Lead". Worcester Daily Telegram. February 15, 1923. p. 16.
- ^ "Where will my school play? The fall and winter alignments for the Central Mass. Athletic Conference". The Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
- ^ a b "Shrewsbury Nine's Fine Record". The Boston Globe. June 15, 1929. p. 11.
- ^ "Shrewsbury High Keeps Worcester County Title". The Boston Globe. June 14, 1930. p. 9.
- ^ "Shutout Hoop Game". The Morning Union. February 15, 1930. p. 18.
- ^ a b c Springer, George (October 22, 1931). "Twin State League To Hold Meeting Monday". The Springfield Daily News. p. 20.
- ^ "Holden senior center - Holden high school" (PDF). www.holdenma.gov.
- ^ "Wells High Evens Series". The Boston Globe. March 14, 1928. p. 26.
- ^ "Albert LaPlante Will be Honored at Northbridge". The North Adams Transcript. April 3, 1925. p. 19.
- ^ a b "First Victory for Warren High". The Morning Union. February 14, 1925. p. 17.
- ^ "Schoolboy Hoop Contests Slated Tonight". The Springfield Daily News. January 4, 1935. p. 24.
- ^ a b "Raiders In Role Of Underdog". Athol Daily News. February 20, 1967. p. 5.
- ^ Walsh, Kevin (December 14, 1965). "New School Sport Loop Named Tri-Valley Conference Formed". The Boston Globe. p. 29.
- ^ "LHS Boosters Win Opener". Fitchburg Sentinel. September 26, 1967. p. 11.
- ^ "Quaboag Cage League Expands". The Springfield Union. May 13, 1967. p. 45.
- ^ Osgood, Dick (December 3, 1968). "Payne One of 12 New School Hoop Coaches". The Springfield Union. p. 28.
- ^ Kelley, Steve (October 23, 1970). "Classical Boosters Gain Interschool Laurels". The Republican. p. 28.
- ^ "Scoreboard". The Boston Globe. May 2, 1975. p. 34.
- ^ "Basketball". The Boston Globe. February 7, 1978. p. 31.
- ^ "SWCL approves Auburn as Entry". Worcester Telegram and Gazette. April 1, 1992. pp. B3.
- ^ Gaudet, Tom (May 1, 1997). "SWCL absorbs the Border Conference". Worcester Telegram & Gazette. pp. D3.
- ^ LaPlaca, Debbie. "Shepherd Hill seeks switch to Mid-Wach". The Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved 2025-02-08.
- ^ "Athletics - Bartlett High School". bhs.webster-schools.org. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ^ "Athletics". lhs.leicester.k12.ma.us. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ^ "Southbridge Pioneers Athletics". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
- ^ Football Championship History
- ^ Field Hockey State Championships
- ^ Boys Soccer State Championship History
- ^ Basketball Boys State Champions
- ^ Boys Ice Hockey State Champions
- ^ Baseball State Championship History
- ^ Softball State Championship History