Football, in the early years of St. Louis County, Missouri was a small affair. In time, the population grew with large growth periods happening after World War I and World War II. The first football conference was formed in 1908, with three known teams, and has now grown to 31 public high schools in St. Louis County. The conference has not only included St. Louis County teams, but also has included western neighboring St. Charles High School in St. Charles County, Missouri and Northeast High School and Northwest High School in Jefferson County, Missouri.
History The first three teams playing public high school football in St. Louis County were Kirkwood, Webster Groves, and Ferguson. There was also the Kirkwood Military Academy in Kirkwood. Ferguson was in north St. Louis County and Kirkwood and Webster Groves were neighbors in eastern St. Louis County, along the Missouri Pacific Railroad route, which is what caused their creations as cities. Kirkwood's first teams were in 1894 and 1895 and they were forced to play teams in the City of St. Louis, where the heavy action in the game was happening. Webster Groves became a four-year high school in 1898, which is when they organized their first high school football team. The game between Kirkwood and Webster Groves is now the famed Turkey Day Game, but the first game they played was November 18, 1898 and ended in a 6–6 tie. Between 1898 and 1905, the teams played four games, the years in which the teams did not play were because one of the schools did not have a team. In 1906, Kirkwood and Webster Groves played two games, one at Kirkwood and one at Webster Groves. The first game, played at Kirkwood, ended in a 0–0 tie and the second game, held at Webster Groves was a 5–0 victory for Kirkwood.
Date Location Winner Score October 13, 1906 Kirkwood Tie 0-0 October 20, 1906 Webster Groves Kirkwood 5-0
The St. Louis County Football Championship The two games played in 1906 caused Kirkwood and Webster Groves to create a best of three series for the championship of St. Louis County. A cup was purchased by the schools and the first game was played at The Stadium (now named Francis Field) at Washington University. Kirkwood won the first two games but, regardless, the third game was still played Thanksgiving Day. Kirkwood again won the game and the cup, which was intended to rotate annually to the winner. Winning the cup three years in a row would cause a school to keep the trophy, with a new one being purchased.
By 1908, the St. Louis County League was started with new schools coming into existence, all joining the new league. Kirkwood and Webster Groves chose to play their own original championship but also played each other for the championship of the County League.1 Greene, Shawn Buchanan, Turkey Day Game Centennial 1907-2007. Kirkwood won both championships in 1908, causing a five-game win streak in two years against Webster Groves.
The 1907 Kirkwood football team was the first football champion of St. Louis County.
Date Location Winner Score October 5, 1907 The Stadium Kirkwood 5-0 November 4, 1907 Webster Groves Kirkwood 6-0 November 28, 1907 Kirkwood Kirkwood 5-0 November 7, 1908 The Stadium Kirkwood 17-12 November 26, 1908 Webster Groves Kirkwood 5-0
The St. Louis County League Football Championship The County League began in 1908 with Kirkwood, Webster Groves, and Ferguson. In time, other schools joined the County League which, in 1926, joined the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA). Those schools who later joined the County League were: Clayton, Maplewood, Normandy, Ritenour, St. Charles, University City, and Wellston. Webster Groves and Kirkwood dominated the championship of the County League until the latter part of the 1920s.
The 1908 Kirkwood football team was the first football champion of the St. Louis County League.
Year County League Champion 1908 Kirkwood 1909 Webster Groves 1910 Webster Groves 1911 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL BANNED 1912 Webster Groves 1913 Kirkwood 1914 Kirkwood 1915 Webster Groves 1916 Webster Groves 1917 Webster Groves 1918 Webster Groves 1919 Webster Groves 1920 Webster Groves 1921 Webster Groves 1922 Webster Groves 1923 Webster Groves, University City 1924 University City 1925 Webster Groves 1926 Webster Groves 1927 Maplewood 1928 University City 1929 University City, St. Charles 1930 University City, Normandy 1931 Normandy 1932 University City 1933 University City, Maplewood 1934 Maplewood 1935 Maplewood 1936 Normandy 1937 Normandy 1938 University City, Webster Groves 1939 University City 1940 University City 1941 Normandy 1942 University City 1943 University City 1944 Normandy 1945 Webster Groves 1946 Wellston
The St. Louis Suburban League Football Championship In 1947, the St. Louis County League was reorganized as the St. Louis Suburban League. From 1947 to 1951, all of the suburban teams played for one conference title.
In 1952, the suburban schools were organized as "Big" or "Little" schools, with a third "Middle" school conference being added in 1956.2 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 13, 1946, p. 3B Group 1, the "Big" schools, were Ferguson (which later changed its name to McCluer), Kirkwood, Maplewood, Normandy, Ritenour, University City, and Webster Groves.
Group 2, the "Middle" schools, were Affton, Hazelwood, Lindbergh, Mehlville, St. Charles, and Pattonville. Mehlville, which started as a Big school, would later become a Middle school and Ladue, which started as a Small school, would move into the Middle schools too.
The Group 3, or "Small" or "Little" schools, were Berkeley, Brentwood, Clayton, Ladue, Parkway, Pattonvile, and Wellston.
Year Suburban League Champion 1947 University City 1948 University City 1949 Clayton 1950 Maplewood 1951 University City
Year Suburban Big Six Champion Suburban Little Six Champion 1952 Ritenour Clayton 1953 Maplewood, University City, Webster Groves Ladue 1954 Webster Groves Ladue 1955 Kirkwood Ladue, Brentwood, Clayton
Year Suburban Big Six Champion Suburban Middle Champion Suburban Little Champion 1956 University City Ladue (Middle Five) Pattonville (Little Six) 1957 Normandy Ladue (Middle Five) Pattonville (Little Six) 1958 University City Ladue (Middle Six) Affton (Small Seven)
The St. Louis Suburban Conference Football Championship In 1959, the Suburban League was renamed the Suburban Conference and it continued using its standard of Big, Middle, Little designations until 1963.3 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 10, 1959, p. 2E In 1964, the Middle Conference teams were split between the Big and Little conferences until 1966, when the schools were reorganized as the Suburban North and Suburban South conferences. The Little Six remained a conference with the smallest St. Louis County schools staying in it.
In 1970, the Little Six Conference was renamed the Suburban League and kept that name until 1975. In 1974, the Suburban North divided its teams into an I-270 Division and a Rock Road Division, which only lasted a year. The Suburban South created a Red Division and a Green Division, which lasted two years.
In 1976, the Suburban Conference reorganized as the Suburban North, Suburban South, Suburban East, and Suburban West conferences and they remained organized that way until 2014.
Year Suburban Big Champion Suburban Middle Champion Suburban Little Six Champion 1959 Normandy, Webster Groves (Big Seven) Ladue (Middle Seven) Lindbergh 1960 University City (Big Seven) Ladue (Middle Seven) Brentwood 1961 Normandy (Big Seven) Ladue (Middle Seven) Berkeley, Clayton 1962 McCluer (Big Eight) Lindbergh (Middle Six) Brentwood 1963 Ladue (Big Eight) Lindbergh (Middle Six) Parkway
Year Suburban Big Ten Champion Suburban Little Nine Champion 1964 Webster Groves St. Charles 1965 Webster Groves Brentwood
Year Suburban North Champion Suburban South Champion Suburban Little Six Champion 1966 Riverview Gardens Kirkwood Brentwood 1967 Riverview Gardens Kirkwood, Parkway Brentwood 1968 McCluer Webster Groves Brentwood 1969 Riverview Gardens Ladue Brentwood
Year Suburban North Champion Suburban South Champion Suburban League Champion 1970 Riverview Gardens, Ritenour Webster Groves, Mehlville Affton 1971 McCluer Webster Groves, Lindbergh Lafayette 1972 Hazelwood Webster Groves, Ladue Berkeley 1973 Normandy Ladue Berkeley, Affton 1974 Hazelwood (I-270 Division), Normandy (Rock Road Division) Ladue (Red Division), Affton (Green Division) Maplewood 1975 Riverview Gardens Ladue, Webster Groves (Red Division), University City (Green Division) Brentwood, Eureka
Year Suburban North Champion Suburban South Champion Suburban East Champion Suburban West Champion 1976 McCluer North Ladue Brentwood, Eureka Oakville 1977 Hazelwood Central Ladue Brentwood St. Charles 1978 Hazelwood Central Webster Groves Maplewood Lindbergh, Parkway West 1979 Hazelwood East Webster Groves Brentwood Lafayette 1980 Hazelwood East Ladue Brentwood Parkway West 1981 Hazelwood Central Parkway South Eureka Parkway West 1982 Hazelwood East Parkway South Brentwood Parkway West 1983 Hazelwood Central Webster Groves Berkeley, Jennings Kirkwood 1984 Hazelwood Central Webster Groves, Ladue Berkeley Parkway West 1985 Hazelwood Central Webster Groves Berkeley Parkway West, Lafayette 1986 Hazelwood Central Ladue Berkeley Mehlville 1987 Riverview Gardens Ladue Berkeley Mehlville, Lafayette 1988 McCluer North, Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood East Parkway South Affton Kirkwood 1989 Hazelwood Central Webster Groves Affton Lafayette 1990 Hazelwood East Eureka Jennings Mehlville 1991 Hazelwood East Webster Groves, Parkway South, Ladue Jennings, Affton Mehlville, Parkway Central 1992 Pattonville Webster Groves Ladue Parkway South, Lafayette 1993 Hazelwood East, McCluer North Eureka Ladue Parkway Central, Kirkwood 1994 Hazelwood East Eureka Ladue Mehlville 1995 Hazelwood East Parkway South Ladue Mehlville 1996 Pattonville Webster Groves Ladue Mehlville 1997 Pattonville Parkway North Clayton Kirkwood 1998 Hazelwood East, Riverview Gardens Eureka Clayton Kirkwood 1999 Pattonville Parkway South Ladue Mehlville 2000 Hazelwood East Parkway South Ladue, Clayton Parkway West 2001 Hazelwood East Eureka Ladue Mehlville, Parkway West, Parkway Central 2002 Hazelwood East, McCluer North Eureka, Parkway South Clayton Parkway Central 2003 Hazelwood East Webster Groves Ladue Mehlville, Lindbergh, Kirkwood 2004 McCluer North Eureka, Summit Clayton Kirkwood 2005 Hazelwood East Webster Groves Affton, Ladue, Clayton Kirkwood 2006 McCluer North Parkway North Jennings Kirkwood 2007 Hazelwood East, McCluer North Eureka Normandy Kirkwood 2008 Hazelwood Central, Hazelwood West Eureka Normandy Lafayette, Mehlville 2009 Hazelwood Central Webster Groves Normandy Lindbergh 2010 Hazelwood Central Webster Groves Ladue Eureka, Lindbergh, Marquette 2011 McCluer North Kirkwood Ladue Lafayette 2012 Hazelwood Central Kirkwood, Parkway Central, Webster Groves Ladue Lafayette 2013 Hazelwood Central Kirkwood, Parkway Central Ladue Eureka
The St. Louis Suburban Public High School Athletic and Activities Association Football Championship In 2014, the Suburban Conference reorganized as the St. Louis Suburban Public High School Athletic and Activities Association (SPHSAAA), with three conferences, each with two divisions: Suburban Central American, Suburban Central National, Suburban XII North, Suburban XII South, Suburban West American, Suburban West National. It operated in this format until 2019 but was reconfigured for the 2020 season, assigning each sport for a school into one of five conferences, based on the individual team's skill. The order of skill levels from strongest to weakest are: Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, and Blue.