Cardinal Conference

HS Conference
name = Cardinal Conference


imagedimensions =
caption =
established = 1960
dissolved = 1987
type = OHSAA
members = 7 (at peak)
sports = 13
champs = 2
states = 1 (Ohio)
founders =
comm = Don Welsh
O.J. Thompson
Joe Romano
Jim Roman


mapnote =
notes =

The Cardinal Conference was a high school athletic conference in north central Ohio that existed from 1960 to 1987. With is dissolution, several teams joined the Ohio Heartland Conference. In 2003, a new conference, the Ohio Cardinal Conference, was formed with the expressed intention of preserving the legacy of the original Cardinal Conference.

History

Attempts to form the Cardinal Conference began as early as 1949; by 1955, discussions began in earnest and on April 8, 1959, the new conference was officially formed.cite web|last=Dienstberger|first=Paul|title=A History of the Cardinal Conference|url=http://www.3lhloh.org/CC_History.htm|publisher=Lincoln Highway Leagues|accessdate=2008-06-18] The conference remained stable throughout the 1960s and 1970s. In 1981, Mansfield Malabar became the first school to leave the conference; in 1983, Coshocton High School followed suit. The remaining conference members discussed adding several schools, including readmitting Malabar, adding Mansfield Senior High School or Mt. Vernon High School, but travel considerations prevented any agreement from being reached.

By the mid 1980s, the conference began to disintegrate. Madison and Ashland left the conference for the newly formed Ohio Heartland Conference. [cite news|title=New league formed for Mansfield area|author=Associated Press|date=1985-11-07|publisher="Akron Beacon Journal"|language=English|accessdate=2008-06-17] Dover High School joined the Senate League. [cite news|title=Strong nucleus could keep Lions on top of Senate|author=Lilley, Bill|date=1987-09-01|publisher="Akron Beacon Journal"|language=English|accessdate=2008-06-18] Wooster and New Philadelphia both joined the Federal League. [cite news|title=Federal league takes a leap forward|author=Zban, Milan|date=1986-04-19|publisher="Akron Beacon Journal"|language=English|accessdate=2008-06-17] The Cardinal Conference officially disbanded following the 1986-87 school year.

Over the conference's history, the conference had four separate commissioners. The first commissioner, Don Welsh, was associated with Wooster. Welsh was succeeded by O.J. Thompson, and he by Joe Romano. New Philadelphia's Jim Roman was the final conference commissioner in the 1980s.

Members

The following schools were members of the Cardinal Conference during its duration.
*Ashland High School (1960-1987)
*Coshocton High School (1961-1983)
*Dover High School (1961-1987)
*Madison High School (1960-1987)
*Malabar High School (1961-1981)
*New Philadelphia High School (1961-1987)
*Wooster High School (1960-1987)

Conference rivalries

*Wooster vs. Madison [cite news|title=Must-win arch-rival in Wooster's playoff path|author=Paulk, Ralph|date=1985-10-31|publisher="Akron Beacon Journal"|language=English|accessdate=2008-06-17]

tate championships

Fall sports

This only includes state championships won while schools were members of the Cardinal Conference:

Notable athletes

*James Black, Dover (1980) ["James Black." Football Database. http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=BLACKJAM02]

References

ee also

Ohio High School Athletic Conferences