The Four County Conference, more commonly known as the 4-C Conference, is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin. Formed in 1934 and disbanded in 1953, its membership was concentrated in southeastern Wisconsin, northwest of the Milwaukee area. All members were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History

The 4-C Conference was organized in 1934 by four small high schools on the outskirts of the Milwaukee suburbs: Cedarburg, Juneau, Menomonee Falls and Pewaukee.[1] The conference was named after the four counties in southeastern Wisconsin (Dodge, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha) where member schools were located.[2] Hartland joined from the Little Five and Slinger joined from the Fox Valley Tri-County League in 1935, bringing conference membership to six schools.[3] Grafton was also invited to join the 4-C Conference that year, but ultimately decided to remain in the Kettle Moraine Conference.[4] The 4-C Conference operated as a six-member circuit for eighteen years before disbanding in 1953. Cedarburg and Menomonee Falls, the two largest schools in the conference, had previously submitted multiple bids to join the Little Ten Conference dating back to 1947, all of which were rejected.[5][6][7] Both schools joined with longtime independents (and fellow failed Little Ten applicants) Port Washington and Watertown to form the Braveland Conference and dropped any further pursuit of Little Ten membership.[8] Three of the remaining schools (Hartland, Pewaukee and Slinger) joined the Southeastern Wisconsin Conference,[9] and Juneau became members of the Madison Suburban Conference.[10]

Conference membership history

SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsJoinedLeftConference JoinedCurrent Conference
CedarburgCedarburg, WIPublicBulldogs1934[2]1953[8]BravelandNorth Shore
HartlandHartland, WIPublicTrojans1935[3]1953[9]Southeastern WisconsinClosed in 1956 (replaced by Arrowhead)
JuneauJuneau, WIPublicChiefs1934[2]1953[10]Madison SuburbanClosed in 1969 (merged into Dodgeland)
Menomonee FallsMenomonee Falls, WIPublicIndians1934[2]1953[8]BravelandGreater Metro
PewaukeePewaukee, WIPublicPirates1934[2]1953[9]Southeastern WisconsinWoodland
SlingerSlinger, WIPublicRedmen1935[3]1953[9]Southeastern WisconsinNorth Shore

List of conference champions

Boys Basketball

SchoolQuantityYears
Menomonee Falls71937, 1938, 1939, 1945, 1949, 1950, 1951
Cedarburg61943, 1944, 1947, 1950, 1952, 1953
Hartland51940, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1948
style="background: #582c83; color: white; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #ffc72c, inset -2px -2px 0 #ffc72c;” | Juneau31935, 1936, 1939
Pewaukee0
style="background: #d50032; color: white; box-shadow: inset 2px 2px 0 #0032a0, inset -2px -2px 0 #0032a0;” | Slinger0

Football

SchoolQuantityYears
Cedarburg101935, 1938, 1941, 1942, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1952
Juneau51935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1940
Menomonee Falls41935, 1937, 1945, 1950
Hartland0
Pewaukee0
Slinger0
Champions from 1943 and 1944 unknown

References

  1. ^ Armbruster, John (28 November 1934). "A Column of News About High School". Ozaukee County News Graphic. p. 1. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  2. ^ "School Notes (see "4C Conference is Organized")". Dodge County Independent-News. 16 November 1934. p. 8. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  3. ^ "County Seat Cagers Leading Conference Race". Beaver Dam Daily Citizen. 28 December 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  4. ^ "Forensic Contest Winners in Conference Are Announced". The Sheboygan Press. 17 April 1936. p. 2. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  5. ^ "School Denied Little 10 Entry". Cedarburg News. 2 April 1947. p. 9. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Little Ten Holds Spring Meeting; No New Members". Hartford Times-Press. 10 March 1950. p. 1. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Little Ten Rejects Four New Applications". Hartford Times-Press. 11 December 1952. p. 10. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  8. ^ "16 Game Schedule for Cedarburg High Basketball Team". Ozaukee County News Graphic. 11 November 1953. p. 13. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  9. ^ "14 Lettermen On Hand at County Aggies". Burlington Free Press. 25 August 1953. p. 13. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  10. ^ Hinrichs, Art (11 September 1953). "Suburban League Elects Officers". The Capital Times. p. 16. Retrieved 17 December 2024.