CWC 8-Player Football Conference

The CWC 8-Player Football Conference is a former high school football conference with its catchment in north central Wisconsin. Consisting of eight-player football teams from various conferences over two divisions, the conference was active from 2020 through the 2023 football season and was affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History The CWC was founded in 2020 after a comprehensive realignment of Wisconsin's high school football conferences by the WIAA, in conjunction with the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association. Four of its original members previously competed in the eight-player division of the Central Wisconsin Conference (Bowler/Gresham, Marion/Tigerton, Port Edwards and Tri-County), three were part of the Lakeland Conference's eight-player division (Alma Center Lincoln, Bruce and New Auburn) and two previously competed in eleven-player football as part of the Cloverwood Conference (Gilman and Greenwood). The other three schools (McDonell Central Catholic, Newman Catholic and Phillips) competed as independents in the WIAA's eight-player football division. The twelve original members were partitioned into East and West divisions: CWC EastCWC WestBowler/GreshamAlma Center LincolnGreenwoodBruceMarion/TigertonGilmanNewman CatholicMcDonell Central CatholicPort EdwardsNew AuburnTri-CountyPhillips For the 2022-2023 competition cycle, the CWC lost half of its membership roster. Five schools (Bowler/Gresham, Marion/Tigerton, Newman Catholic, Port Edwards and Tri-County) formed a reconstituted eight-player football division in the Central Wisconsin Conference, and Phillips became members of the Lakeland Conference. The exiting schools were replaced by former members of the Lakeland Conference (Cornell, Lake Holcombe and Prairie Farm), Cloverbelt Conference (Owen-Withee and Thorp) and Marawood Conference (Athens). Alma Center Lincoln and Gilman were shifted to the CWC East to accommodate the new arrivals: CWC EastCWC WestAlma Center LincolnBruceAthensCornellGilmanLake HolcombeGreenwoodMcDonell Central CatholicOwen-WitheeNew AuburnThorpPrairie Farm The CWC was realigned out of existence by the WIAA and WFCA for the 2024-2025 cycle. All former members were dispersed to newly-created conferences: nine schools (Alma Center Lincoln, Cornell, Gilman, Lake Holcombe, McDonell Central Catholic, New Auburn, Owen-Withee, Prairie Farm and Thorp) went to the North Central Conference and two (Athens and Bruce) joined the eight-player division of the Northwoods Football Conference. The twelfth displaced member (Greenwood) entered into an eleven-player cooperative with Loyal in the Cloverbelt Conference.

Conference membership history SchoolLocationAffiliationMascotColorsSeasonsPrimary ConferenceAlma Center LincolnAlma Center, WIPublicHornets 2020–2023DairylandBowler/GreshamBowler, WIPublicCats 2020–2021Central WisconsinBruceBruce, WIPublicRed Raiders 2020–2023LakelandGilmanGilman, WIPublicPirates 2020–2023CloverbeltGreenwoodGreenwood, WIPublicIndians 2020–2023CloverbeltMarion/TigertonMarion, WIPublicThundercatz 2020–2021Central WisconsinMcDonell Central CatholicChippewa Falls, WIPrivate (Catholic)Macks 2020–2023CloverbeltNew AuburnNew Auburn, WIPublicTrojans 2020–2023LakelandNewman CatholicWausau, WIPrivate (Catholic)Cardinals 2020–2021MarawoodPhillipsPhillips, WIPublicLoggers 2020–2021MarawoodPort EdwardsPort Edwards, WIPublicBlackhawks 2020–2021Central WisconsinTri-CountyPlainfield, WIPublicPenguins 2020–2021Central WisconsinAthensAthens, WIPublicBluejays 2022–2023MarawoodCornellCornell, WIPublicChiefs 2022–2023LakelandLake HolcombeLake Holcombe, WIPublicChieftains 2022–2023LakelandOwen-WitheeOwen, WIPublicBlackhawks 2022–2023CloverbeltPrairie FarmPrairie Farm, WIPublicPanthers 2022–2023LakelandThorpThorp, WIPublicCardinals 2022–2023Cloverbelt

Membership timeline

List of state champions +8-Player FootballSchoolYearNewman Catholic2021Owen-Withee2024

List of conference champions SchoolQuantityYearsGilman32020, 2021, 2023McDonell Central Catholic22022, 2023Newman Catholic22020, 2021Owen-Withee12022Alma Center Lincoln0Athens0Bowler/Gresham0Bruce0Cornell0Greenwood0Lake Holcombe0Marion/Tigerton0New Auburn0Phillips0Port Edwards0Prairie Farm0Thorp0Tri-County0

References