The West Central Conference is a high school conference in western central Illinois. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association. The conference comprises 11 small public high schools and 1 private high school with enrollments between 120-590 students in Adams, Hancock, McDonough, Pike, and Warren counties.
History The West Central conference was formed in 1969 with Brown County, Camp Point Central, Carthage, Hamilton, Mendon Unity and Warsaw its charter football members. The first new addition to the football wars was Rushville in 1984. There was no West Central conference for football in 1998, the league's teams participated under the Western Illinois Conference which the North division consisted of Avon/Roseville coop, Carthage, Monmouth Yorkwood, Sciota NW/LaHarpe coop, Spoon River Valley and Stronghurst Southern. The South consisted of Brown County, Camp Point Central coop, Hamilton, Mendon Unity, Rushville and Warsaw coop. The West Central name was restored in 1999 for football with the previous 7 teams plus Beardstown, Pittsfield and the Sciota NW/La Harpe coop forming a 10 team loop. In 2003 Colchester joined the Sciota NW/LaHarpe coop and it was renamed West Prairie. In 2004 Hamilton and Warsaw began the West Hancock coop and the Biggsville Union/Stronghurst Southern coop addition kept this a 10 team circuit. In 2005 both Brown County and the Biggsville/Stronghurst coop left and Pleasant Plains was added. From 2006-07 to 2009-10 the league's football teams played in the West Prairie Trail mega football conference. In 2010 Beardstown and Rushville-Industry left for the Prairieland Conference; and West Prairie left for the Lincoln Trial Conference. In 2010 Macomb, Monmouth-Roseville, Orion, Rockridge, and Sherrard joined from the Olympic Conference; Griggsville-Perry, Liberty, and Payson-Seymour joined from the Pike County Conference, the latter three schools (along with Pittsfield and Western) maintaining concurrent membership in both conferences.
Member Schools
North Division School Location(Population) Mascot Colors School type 20179–12 enrollment Year joined Joined fromNorth Division CentralHigh School Camp Point, Illinois(1,132) Panthers Black and Gold Public 241 1969 HamiltonHigh School Hamilton, Illinois(2,951) Titans Red, Black, and White Public 174 1969 Illini West High School Carthage, IL Chargers Blue, Orange, and White Public 346 1969, 2021 Prairieland Conference Quincy Notre Dame High School Quincy, Illinois(40,633) Raiders Navy, Gold, and White Private 416 / 686.40 (multiplied) 2013-14 (football only)2018-19 (full) Mid-State 6 Conference WarsawHigh School Warsaw, Illinois(1,607) Titans Red, Black, and White Public 196 1969South Division LibertyHigh School Liberty, Illinois(516) Eagles Red and White Public 182 Payson-Seymour High School Payson, Illinois(1,026) Indians Blue and White Public 152 Rushville-Industry High School Rushville, Illinois Rockets Purple, Gold, and White Public 353 1984, 2021 Prairieland Conference SoutheasternHigh School Augusta, Illinois(587) Suns Blue and Gold Public 122 UnityHigh School Mendon, Illinois(953) Mustangs Maroon, White, and Blue Public 228 1969 WesternHigh School Barry, Illinois(1,318) Wildcats Red, Silver, and Black Public 142 Sources:IHSA Conferences, IHSA Coop Teams, and IHSA Member Schools Directory.
2017-18 Administration and Leadership President: Cyle Rigg, Southeastern High School
Contact: Matt Long, Central High School
Cooperative Arrangements Hamilton+Warsaw=West Hancock coop for all sports Payson-Seymour and Unity coop for football Western and Pleasant Hill (Pike County Conference) coop only for football
Football The West Central Conference for football has 3 teams. Those 3 teams are: West Hancock(Hamilton/Warsaw), Quincy Notre Dame, and Macomb. The rest of the schools play in nearby conferences. Monmouth-Roseville plays in the Three Rivers (Mississippi) Conference. The Payson-Seymour and Unity coop play in the Western Illinois Valley (North) Conference. Also Central plays in the Western Illinois Valley (North) Conference. The Western and Pleasant Hill coop plays in the Western Illinois Valley (South) Conference. Liberty and Southeastern do not play football.
Former Members School Location Mascot Colors 2017 9-12 Enrollment Year Departed Conference Joined BeardstownHigh School Beardstown, IL Tigers Black and Orange 419 2010 Prairieland Conference Griggsville-Perry High School Griggsville, Illinois Tornadoes Maroon and White 115 2013 Pike County Conference Orion High School Orion, Illinois Chargers Scarlet and Black 344 2013 Three Rivers Conference (Illinois) Illini WestHigh School Carthage, Illinois Chargers Blue, Orange, and White 346 2018 Prairieland Conference Macomb High School Macomb, Illinois Bombers Orange and Black 581 2021 Prairieland Conference Monmouth-Roseville High School Monmouth, Illinois Titans Navy, Silver, and White 515 2021 Three Rivers Conference PittsfieldHigh School Pittsfield, IL Saukees Red and Black 316 2013 Pike County Conference Rockridge High School Taylor Ridge, Illinois Rockets Maroon and White 367 2013 Three Rivers Conference (Illinois) Rushville-IndustryHigh School Rushville, IL Rockets Purple and Gold 353 2010 Prairieland Conference Sherrard High School Sherrard, Illinois Tigers Purple and Gold 475 2013 Three Rivers Conference (Illinois) West PrairieHigh School Sciota, IL Cyclones Black and Silver 162 2010 Lincoln Trail Conference Sources:IHSA Conferences, IHSA Coop Teams, and IHSA Member Schools Directory.
Competitive Success The West Central Conference has won 11 state championships in IHSA sponsored athletics and activities, 12 including championships my member school participating in the West Prairie Trail conference, at the conclusion of the 2008-2009 academic year.
State Champions
Boys Basketball Pittsfield (1990-1991 A) Warsaw (1996-1997 A)
Boys Football Carthage (1995-1996 1A) Carthage (1998-1999 1A) Carthage (1999-2000 1A) Carthage (2000-2001 1A) Illini West (2008-2009 3A)* Illini West (2010-2011 3A)
*as member of West Prairie Trail Conference
Boys Golf Pittsfield (1982-1983 A)
Girls Basketball Carthage (1992-1993 A) Hancock Central (1991-1992 A) West Hancock (Hamilton-Warsaw) (2007-2008 2A)
Conference Shakeup The makeup of the West Central Conference changed dramatically in 2010. Many member schools departed, many of them for the Prairieland Conference. In their place came the remaining members of the now-dissolved Olympic Conference. The conference then divided into north and south divisions for most athletics and activities.
See also List of Illinois High School Association member conferences
References
External links West Central Conference - Football Central High School Griggsville-Perry High School Hamilton High School Illini West High School Liberty High School Macomb High School Monmouth-Roseville High School Orion High School Payson-Seymour High School Pittsfield High School Rockridge High School Sherrard High School Southeastern High School Unity High School Warsaw High School Western High School