- Mid-Continent League
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Mid-Continent League Sport Basketball, football, boys golf, girls tennis, volleyball, track, cross country Founded 1947 No. of teams 9 The Mid-Continent League, (MCL), is a league of member schools of the Kansas State High School Activities Association. The league was formed in 1947 by six high schools in small towns in northwest Kansas. Today, the league consists of nine schools, none of which are above Class 3A in enrollment. The current members of the MCL have all been in the league since at least the 1977-78 school year, and three schools--Hill City, Plainville and Stockton--have been in the league continuously since its formation.
The MCL is known for its highly competitive football teams. MCL schools have won 22 state championships, eight by the Smith Center Redmen. The Redmen won five consecutive Class 2-1A state championships from 2004 through 2008 and won 79 consecutive games before losing the 2009 championship game to Centralia in overtime. In 1985, the MCL became the first, and through 2008 only, league to produce three state football champions in the same season: Norton (4A), Plainville (3A) and Victoria (2-1A).
Hill City and Stockton switched to Eight-man football in 2008 due to declining enrollment. Under KSHSAA bylaws, a school may play 8-man football if it has 100 students or fewer in grades 9, 10 and 11 when it is classified in September of odd-numbered years. Osborne and Trego will switch to 8-man in 2010.
Wrestling is a sport which draws great interest throughout the MCL. League schools have 16 state championships, 11 by the Norton Community Bluejays, including the 2010 and 2011 Class 3-2-1A titles, and three in a row from 2007-09 by Smith Center.
The MCL also sponsors basketball, volleyball, cross country, golf (boys only) and tennis (girls only). It also holds non-athletic competition in music, speech and debate and quiz bowl.
Contents
Member schools
Current members
School
School DistrictMascot Colors Year joined MCL Enrollment KSHSAA Classification Kansas county Ellis
USD 388Railroaders 1951 148 2A Ellis Hill City
USD 281Ringnecks 1947 (charter member) 120 2A
(8-man football)Graham Norton Community
USD 211Bluejays 1977 241 3A Norton Osborne
USD 392Bulldogs 1947 (charter member)
1976 (rejoined)114 2A
(8-man football)Osborne Phillipsburg
USD 325Panthers 1951 215 3A Phillips Plainville
USD 270Cardinals 1947 (charter member) 123 2A Rooks Smith Center
USD 237Redmen
Lady Red1977 157 2A Smith Stockton
USD 271Tigers 1947 (charter member) 89 1A
(8-man football)Rooks Trego Community
(WaKeeney)
USD 208Golden Eagles 1953 122 2A
(8-man football)Trego Former members
School Year joined MCL Year left MCL Current League Downs 1947 1951 School consolidated in 2003 Palco 1947 1971 Northern Plains Victoria 1974 2005 Central Prairie State championships
Football
- 1971 - Stockton (2A)
- 1980 - Plainville (3A)
- 1981 - Victoria (2A)
- 1982 - Smith Center (3A)
- 1983 - Osborne (3A)
- 1985 - Norton (4A), Plainville (3A), Victoria (2-1A)
- 1986 - Norton (4A), Smith Center (3A)
- 1987 - Stockton (2-1A)
- 1988 - Victoria (2-1A)
- 1992 - Stockton (2-1A)
- 1993 - Stockton (2-1A)
- 1995 - Stockton (2-1A)
- 1999 - Smith Center (3A)
- 2004 - Smith Center (2-1A), Victoria (8-man Division I)
- 2005 - Smith Center (2-1A)
- 2006 - Smith Center (2-1A)
- 2007 - Smith Center (2-1A)
- 2008 - Smith Center (2-1A)
NOTE: Victoria won the 8-man Division II state championship in 2006 after it left the MCL.
Wrestling
- 1959 - Norton
- 1962 - Norton
- 1965 - Norton
- 1968 - Norton (A-B)
- 1970 - Norton (3-2-1A)
- 1973 - Norton (3A)
- 1987 - Phillipsburg (3-2-1A)
- 1988 - Plainville (3-2-1A)
- 1992 - Plainville (3-2-1A)
- 1993 - Stockton (3-2-1A)
- 2004 - Norton (3-2-1A)
- 2005 - Norton (3-2-1A)
- 2006 - Norton (3-2-1A)
- 2007 - Smith Center (3-2-1A)
- 2008 - Smith Center (3-2-1A)
- 2009 - Smith Center (3-2-1A)
- 2010 - Norton (3-2-1A)
- 2011 - Norton (3-2-1A)
NOTE: Norton was a member of the Northwest Kansas League prior to the 1977-78 school year.
Basketball
- 1970 Hill City boys 2A
- 1976 Hill City girls 2A
- 1978 Hill City boys 2A
- 1981 Stockton boys 2A
- 1983 Norton girls 4A
- 1998 Hill City boys 2A
- 2000 Osborne girls 2A
- 2002 Osborne girls 2A
- 2003 Norton Boys 3A
- 2006 Trego Boys 2A
Track
1969 Hill City Boys 2A
1970 Hill City Boys 2A
1971 Hill City Boys 2A
1977 Wakeeney-Trego Boys 2A
1978 Hill City Boys 2A
1979 Hill City Boys 3A
1982 Norton Girls 3A
1984 Smith Center Boys 3A
1985 Smith Center Girls 3A
1985 Ellis Boys 3A
1989 Victoria Girls 2A
1991 Victoria Girls 2A
1997 Wakeeney-Trego Boys 3A
1997 Hill City Boys 2A
1999 Osborne Girls 2A
2000 Osborne Girls 2A
2001 Osborne Girls 2A
2002 Osborne Girls 2A
2005 Smith Center Boys 2A
2007 Osborne Girls 2A
2008 Norton Girls 3A
2009 Ellis Girls 2A
Categories:- Kansas State High School Activities Association leagues
- Kansas State High School Activities Association
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