The Lorain County League (LC8) is an Ohio high school athletic league that began with the 2019-20 school year and is made up of eight schools predominantly based in Lorain County, Ohio. All schools are members of the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Previous versions of a Lorain County League existed from 1924–61 and again from 1968-2005.
SchoolNicknameLocationDistrictColorsOHSAA Member Schools , last accessed 17 August 2011Middle schoolTenureBlack RiverPiratesSullivan5:15Black, gold Black River Middle School2019-BrooksideCardinalsSheffield4:12Red, black Sheffield Middle School2019-ClearviewClippersLorain4:12Blue, gold Durling Middle School2019-Columbia RaidersColumbia Station5:16Kelly Green, white Columbia Middle School2019-FirelandsFalconsHenrietta4:12Red, white, black South Amherst Middle School2019-KeystoneWildcatsLaGrange4:12Purple, white Keystone Middle School2019-OberlinPhoenixOberlin6:19Red, blue Langston Middle School2019-WellingtonDukesWellington5:16Maroon, white McCormick Middle School2019-
League history The most recent idea for the new LCL was formed in 2017 when the eight primarily Lorain County schools (Brookside, Clearview, Columbia, Firelands, Keystone, Oberlin, and Wellington, as well as Black River) announced they would leave the Patriot Athletic Conference (PAC) to form their own league by 2020.Patriot Athletic Conference facing breakup in 2020 - cleveland.com
In response to the PAC's imminent dissolution, Brooklyn and Lutheran West were accepted by a league-wide vote in April 2018 to join the Chagrin Valley Conference in 2019-20.
In May 2018, Buckeye and Fairview were approved to join the Great Lakes Conference for the 2019-20 school year as their eighth and ninth members.
Since the four schools that weren't invited to join the new LC8 were able to leave the PAC after the 2018-19 school year, the LC8 was able to begin a year sooner than anticipated.
Previous Lorain County League/Conference memberships The first version of the Lorain County League began in 1924 as one of several small-school county leagues across Ohio. The league survived the consolidation wave until 1961, when the schools who weren't already aligned with the Inland Conference joined the Lakeland Conference. The conference revived itself in 1986 as the Lorain County Conference when the Lakeland Conference collapsed, and the schools banded together for roughly two decades until the schools split, this time to help form the Patriot Athletic and West Shore conferences.
First Version (Lorain County League, 1924–61) Avon Eagles1 (1924–61, to Inland) Avon Lake Shoremen (1924–1961, to Lakeland) Belden Bees (1924–55, consolidated into Midview) Brighton Bears (1924–52, consolidated into Wellington) Sheffield Brookside Cardinals1 (1924–61, to Inland) Brownhelm Bombers (1924–52, consolidated into Firelands) Kipton Camden Knights (1924–52, consolidated into Firelands) Columbia Station Columbia Raiders1 (1924–61, to Inland) Grafton Eaton Eels (1924–55, consolidated into Midview) Grafton Comets (1924–55, consolidated into Midview) Henrietta Hawks (1924–52, consolidated into Firelands) LaGrange Wildcats (1924–59, consolidated into Keystone) North Ridgeville Rangers (1924–27, to Northern Ohio Athletic League (NOAL), 1933–61, to Lakeland) Penfield Bombers (1924–59, consolidated into Keystone) South Amherst Cavaliers1 (1924–61, to Inland) Wellington Dukes (1924–27, to NOAL) Lorain Clearview Clippers (1928–38, to NOAL, 1947–53, to Lakeland) Oberlin Firelands Falcons1 (1952–61, to Inland) Grafton Midview Middies (1955–61, to Lakeland) Lagrange Keystone Wildcats2 (1959–61)
Concurrent with Inland Conference 1957-61. Concurrent with Inland Conference 1959-61.
Division Alignments
LCL Divisions 1924-38 Eastern Western Avon Brighton Avon Lake Brownhelm Belden Camden Brookside Clearview (1928–38) Columbia Henrietta Eaton LaGrange (1933–38) Grafton Oberlin (1924–37) LaGrange (1928–33) Penfield North Ridgeville (1924–27, 1933-) South Amherst Wellington (1924–27)
LCL Divisions 1938-47 Northeast Southeast West Avon Belden Brighton Avon Lake Columbia Brownhelm Brookside Grafton Camden Eaton LaGrange Henrietta North Ridgeville Penfield South Amherst
LCL Divisions 1947-55 Eastern Western Avon Brighton (1947–52) Avon Lake Brownhelm (1947–52) Belden Brookside (1952–55) Brookside (1947–52) Camden (1947–52) Columbia Clearview (1948–53) Eaton Firelands (1952-) Grafton Henrietta (1947–52) North Ridgeville LaGrange Penfield South Amherst
Second Version (Lorain County Conference, 1986-2005)
SchoolNicknameLocationColorsOHSAA Member Schools , last accessed 17 August 2011TenureLeft forAvonEaglesAvonPurple, Gold 1986-2005West Shore ConferenceBrooksideCardinalsSheffieldRed, Black 1986-2005Patriot Athletic ConferenceClearviewClippersLorainBlue, Gold 1986-2005Patriot Athletic ConferenceElyria WestWolverinesElyriaOrange, Brown 1986-1996Closed, absorbed by Elyria High SchoolFirelandsFalconsOberlinRed, White, Black 1986-2005Patriot Athletic ConferenceKeystoneWildcatsLaGrangePurple, White 1986-2005Patriot Athletic ConferenceMidviewMiddiesGraftonBlue, Silver 1996-2005West Shore ConferenceOberlinPhoenixOberlinRed, Blue 1986-2005Patriot Athletic ConferenceWellingtonDukesWellingtonMaroon, White 1986-2005Patriot Athletic Conference
See also Ohio high school athletic conferences Ohio High School Athletic Association
References
External links Patriot Athletic Conference - Official Site Fit for a Pirate?