East Suburban Catholic Conference

The East Suburban Catholic Conference (ESCC) is an athletic conference consisting of 13 Catholic high schools in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois (though despite its name, two schools are located in the city itself). The conference became independent in 1974.

While originally only supporting competition in mens sports, the conference began supporting womens athletics in 1991. Today, there are eleven womens teams and ten mens teams.

Despite not being as old as other conferences, and not having any womens sports until relatively recent history, the teams in the conference have finished in the top four of Illinois High School Association (IHSA) sponsored state tournaments 76 times in nine different sports.

Current Membership

The conference has 13 current members. Two of them (Notre Dame and St. Patrick) are all male institutions, and thus do not field women's teams. Three members (Bishop McNamara, Fenwick, and Providence) are coed schools whose mens teams compete in the older Chicago Catholic League (CCL). Since the CCL does not sponsor competition for women, these schools are represented in the ESCC by their women's teams. The rest of the schools are coed, and are represented in the ESCC by both their men's and women's teams.

* Benet Academy Redwings ••••• Lisle [ [http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum1227.htm IHSA record page for Benet Academy] ]
* Bishop McNamara Irish ••••• Kankakee [ [http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum1101.htm IHSA record page for Bishop McNamara HS] ]
* Carmel Catholic High School Corsairs ••••• Mundelein [ [http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum1357.htm IHSA record page for Carmel Catholic HS] ]
* Fenwick Friars ••••• Oak Park [ [http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum1504.htm IHSA record page for Fenwick HS] ]
* Joliet Catholic Academy Hilltoppers/Angels ••••• Joliet [ [http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum1008.htm IHSA record page for Joliet Catholic Academy] ]
* Nazareth Academy Roadrunners ••••• La Grange Park [ [http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum1202.htm IHSA record page for Nazareth Academy] ]
* Marian Catholic High School Spartans ••••• Chicago Heights [ [http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum0330.htm IHSA record page for Marian Catholic HS] ]
* Marist High School Redhawks ••••• Chicago [ [http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum2817.htm IHSA record page for Marist HS] ]
* Notre Dame High School Dons ••••• Niles [ [http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum1416.htm IHSA record page for Notre Dame HS] ]
* Providence Catholic High School Celtics ••••• New Lenox [ [http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum1411.htm IHSA record page for Providence Catholic HS] ]
* St. Joseph High School Chargers ••••• Westchester [ [http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum2318.htm IHSA record page for St. Joseph HS] ]
* St. Patrick High School Shamrocks ••••• Chicago [ [http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum2833.htm IHSA record page for St. Patrick HS] ]
* St. Viator High School Lions ••••• Arlington Heights [ [http://www.ihsa.org/school/records/sum0118.htm IHSA record page for St. Viator HS] ]

Somewhat unusual by the standards of the metropolitan Chicago area, the conference is spread over a five county area. While most of the members are in Cook County, Bishop McNamra is in Kankakee County to Chicago's far south. Joliet Catholic and Providence are in Will County to Chicago's southwest. Benet Academy is in DuPage County which is to the west of Chicago. Carmel is far to the north in Lake County. The driving distance from the two furthest schools (Carmel and Bishop McNamara) is approximately 100 miles (160.9 km).

History

The conference can trace its roots back to the founding of the Suburban Catholic Conference in 1960. Among the six founding members, only Joliet Catholic, Notre Dame, and Benet Academy (then known as "St. Procopius") are currently ESCC members. Carmel joined in 1966.

In 1970, Joliet Catholic temporarily left, with four new schools joining: Marist, St. Joseph, St. Patrick, and St. Viator. With the conference now at 14, the conference divided into two divisions. The East Division included the four new schools, Carmel, Notre Dame, and Holy Cross High School. In 1971 St. Francis de Sales High School joined the East Division.

In 1974, the two divisions split forming the West Suburban Catholic Conference and the ESCC (in 1989, the West Suburban Catholic Conference would drop the "West" and return to using the original conference name). After one year, St. Joseph left to pursue one year as an independent school, and came back to replace St. Francis de Sales which left after the 1975-76 season. Joliet Catholic joined in 1982. The conference elected to expand in 1990 by adding Benet Academy and Marian Catholic.

As a result of the number of coed schools in the conference, the conference began sponsoring competition for women in 1991.

In 1996, for football only, the ESCC and Chicago Catholic League merged to form the Chicago Metro League. This relationship ended after the 2002 football season, with Holy Cross High School joining the Chicago Catholic League permanently for all sports, and Nazareth Academy joining the ESCC. [ [http://www.illinoishsglorydays.com/id349.html History of the SCC and ESCC] ]

ports sponsored

The conference sponsors competition for men and women in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. Mens competition is sponsored in baseball, football, and wrestling, while competition for women is sponsored in softball. [ [http://www.eastsuburbancc.com/ List of sponsored sports] ] With each sport, the conference recognizes "All-Conference" and "Scholar Athlete" performances. All of these sports have state tournaments sponsored by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA).

Top Finishes

The following teams, while members of the ESCC, finished in the top four of their respective state tournaments sponsored by the IHSA. In total, the conference has finished fourth 14 times, 3rd place 21 times, 2nd place 15 times, and State Champion in their respective class 25 times. This information is referenced in the individual record pages for each school.

*Baseball: Carmel (3rd 2003–04) • Joliet Catholic (3rd 2007–08; 2nd 1989–90, 99–2000, 03–04; State Champions 1993–94) • Marist (3rd 2000–01; State Champions 1977–78) • Notre Dame (State Champions 2003–04) • St. Patrick (2nd 2005–06)
*Basketball (boys): St. Joseph (4th 1983–84; 3rd 86–87; 2nd 77–78; State Champions 98–99)
*Basketball (girls): Bishop McNamara (4th 07–08) • Fenwick (3rd 1999–2000, 03–04; 2nd 02–03; State Champions 00–01, 06–07) • Marian Catholic (4th 2003–04; 3rd 06–07; 2nd 01–02) • Marist (4th 07–08)
*Cross Country (boys): Benet (3rd 1991–92) • Marist (4th 1982–83; 3rd 96–97)
*Cross Country (girls): Benet (4th 1996–97; 3rd 2006–07)
*Football: Carmel (State Champions 2003–04) • Jolilet Catholic (2nd 1992–93, 96–97; State Champions 1987–88, 90–91, 99–2000, 00–01, 01–02, 03–04, 04–05, 07–08) • Marian Catholic (State Champions 1993–94) • Marist (2nd 1986–87) • Notre Dame (2nd 1989–90)
*Golf (boys): Carmel (3rd 1975–76) • St. Viator (3rd 1983–84; 2nd 2006–07; State Champions 2003–04 07–08)
*Golf (girls): Marian Catholic (4th 2006–07; 3rd 07–08; 2nd 05–06)
*Soccer (boys): Benet (State Champions 2000–01, 01–02) • St. Joseph (4th 1984–85, 2004–05; 3rd 1989–90, 99–2000; 2nd 1997–98) • St. Viator (4th 2001–02; 3rd 1996–97, 97–98, 2004–05; 2nd 2000–01; State Champions 2003–04)
*Soccer (girls): Fenwick (4th 2003–04) • St. Viator (State Champions 2001–02, 02–03, 04–05)
*Softball: Fenwick (4th 1997–98)
*Volleyball (boys): Marist (4th 1995–96; State Champions 2001–02)
*Volleyball (girls): Joliet Catholic (4th 1998–99, 2005–06; 3rd 2006–07; State Champions 2003–04)
*Wrestling: Marist (3rd 1984–85, 88–89, 90–91; 2nd 96–97; State Champions 82–83, 86–87)

Hall of Fame

Since 2006, the conference has recognized administrators, coaches, and former athletes for their excellence. Among the notable inductees: [ [http://www.eastsuburbancc.com/HallofFame.html Hall of Fame] ]

* Mike Alstott (Joliet Catholic) •• Class of 2006 •• fullback for the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Jim Les (Notre Dame) •• Class of 2006 •• NBA guard, collegiate coach
* Scott Stahoviak (Carmel) •• Class of 2007 •• Major League Baseball first baseman and first round draft pick (1991) for the Minnesota Twins
* Isiah Thomas (St. Joseph) •• Class of 2006 •• NBA player, coach, executive
* Jeff Zgonina (Carmel) •• Class of 2006 •• NFL defensive tackle

References

External Links

* [http://www.eastsuburbancc.com/ ESCC homepage]