Cloverwood Conference
The Cloverwood Conference is a former high school football conference comprising schools in both the Cloverbelt and Marawood Conferences in west central Wisconsin. It was founded in 2008 and ran through the 2019 football season, and its members were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.
History
[edit]The Cloverwood Conference was formed in 2008 as a partnership between four schools in the Marawood Conference (Abbotsford, Assumption, Athens and Newman Catholic) and six in the Cloverbelt Conference (Augusta, Gilman, Greenwood, Loyal, Owen-Withee and Thorp), and was created to bring together schools of similar size in the region for football competition.[1] Conference membership remained stable through most of its history with only a few changes to the roster. In 2010 Greenwood joined with Granton on a football cooperative that lasted six seasons.[2][3] In 2011, Augusta shifted to the Dairyland Conference as a football-only member (they would join as full members three years later) with McDonell Central Catholic in Chippewa Falls taking their place.[4] They would leave the conference along with Newman Catholic after the 2016 season,[5] leaving the loop with eight members to end its run.
In February 2019, in conjunction with the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association, the WIAA released a sweeping football-only realignment for Wisconsin to commence with the 2020 football season and run on a two-year cycle.[6] This meant the end for the Cloverwood Conference, as members were dispersed to the Marawood Conference (Abbotsford, Athens, Owen-Withee and Thorp) and Central Wisconsin Conference's small-school (Assumption and Loyal) and eight-player (Gilman and Greenwood) divisions.[7][8]
Conference membership history
[edit]| School | Location | Affiliation | Enrollment | Mascot | Colors | Seasons | Primary Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abbotsford | Abbotsford, WI | Public | 241 | Falcons | 2008-2019 | Marawood | |
| Assumption | Wisconsin Rapids, WI | Private (Catholic) | 139 | Royals | 2008-2019 | Marawood | |
| Athens | Athens, WI | Public | 127 | Bluejays | 2008-2019 | Marawood | |
| Augusta | Augusta, WI | Public | 226 | Beavers | 2008-2010 | Cloverbelt | |
| Gilman | Gilman, WI | Public | 97 | Pirates | 2008-2019 | Cloverbelt | |
| Greenwood | Greenwood, WI | Public | 112 | Indians | 2008-2009, 2016-2019 | Cloverbelt | |
| Loyal | Loyal, WI | Public | 163 | Greyhounds | 2008-2019 | Cloverbelt | |
| Newman Catholic | Wausau, WI | Private (Catholic) | 128 | Cardinals | 2008-2016 | Marawood | |
| Owen-Withee | Owen, WI | Public | 126 | Blackhawks | 2008-2019 | Cloverbelt | |
| Thorp | Thorp, WI | Public | 170 | Cardinals | 2008-2019 | Cloverbelt | |
| Greenwood/Granton | Greenwood, WI | Public | 174 | Indians | 2010-2015 | Cloverbelt | |
| McDonell Central Catholic | Chippewa Falls, WI | Private (Catholic) | 206 | Macks | 2011-2016 | Cloverbelt |
Membership timeline
[edit]
List of state champions
[edit]| School | Year | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Gilman | 2010 | Division 7 |
| Greenwood/Granton | 2011 | Division 7 |
| Owen-Withee | 2014 | Division 7 |
List of conference champions
[edit]Source:[9]
| School | Quantity | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Abbotsford | 4 | 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 |
| Athens | 4 | 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 |
| Gilman | 3 | 2008, 2009, 2010 |
| Loyal | 2 | 2012, 2017 |
| Owen-Withee | 2 | 2012, 2013 |
| Assumption | 0 | |
| Augusta | 0 | |
| Greenwood | 0 | |
| Greenwood/Granton | 0 | |
| McDonell Central Catholic | 0 | |
| Newman Catholic | 0 | |
| Thorp | 0 |
References
[edit]- ^ Ziemer, Joe (12 January 2007). "WIAA approves latest realignment plan". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. pp. 4D. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ "Greenwood/Granton Football (2015) History". MaxPreps. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ Massoglia, Mark (18 August 2015). "Greenwood/Granton continues to build". Marshfield News-Herald. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ "Standings (see Cloverwood and Dairyland)". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. 10 September 2011. pp. C3. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ "Standings & Schedule (see Cloverwood)". Chippewa Herald-Telegram. 28 September 2017. pp. B3. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ "Revised Football-Only Conference Plan Released". Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. 9 February 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ "WFCA/WIAA Football-Only Realignment Proposal" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2025.
- ^ "Proposed Football Only Conference Alignment - 8-Player" (PDF). Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ Lacke, Mark (18 October 2024). "Marawood Conference Football Champions (see Cloverwood section)" (PDF). Marawood Conference. Retrieved 9 July 2025.