SCC > History

The History of the SCC

The 2007-08 academic year marks the 14th year of existence for the Southern Connecticut Conference. With the addition of Foran and Jonathan Law in 2004, the SCC is now composed of 23 high schools with over 23,000 students representing 17 communities.

The league was formed in 1994, when 20 schools came together from four different leagues:

District League
Wilbur Cross, Hillhouse, Hamden, West Haven
Housatonic League
Amity, Branford, Cheshire, Derby, East Haven, Lyman Hall, North Haven, Sheehan, Shelton
Shoreline Conference
Guilford, Hand
All-Connecticut Conference
Fairfield Prep, Notre Dame-WH, Xavier, Mercy, Sacred Heart Academy

The league's Board of Governors decided on a three-divisional format naming the three divisions after Native American rivers - Hammonasset, Housatonic, and Quinnipiac - in the Southern Connecticut region.

Housatonic
Amity, Cheshire, Derby, Lyman Hall, Sheehan, Shelton
Hammonasset
Branford, East Haven, Hand, Guilford, North Haven, Hillhouse
Quinnipiac
Fairfield Prep, Notre Dame-WH, Sacred Heart, Xavier, Mercy, West Haven, Hamden, Wilbur Cross

As stated in the league's constitution, the purpose of the SCC is to provide a central organization though which member schools may cooperate in order to promote the following ends:

A) To insure a desirable interaction among the schools in the Conference
B) To develop intelligent recognition of the place of athletics in education of our youth
C) To establish and unify policies of administration in interscholastic athletics
D) To offer a system that will provide for equitable competition
E) To foster and promote the spirit of good sportsmanship and cultural diversity.
F) To offer a variety of interscholastic, non-athletic programs which foster the academic and leadership abilities of students

In 1998, Career High School of New Haven joined the conference and was placed in the Housatonic Division. It was until 2004 when the league expanded again when the Board of Governors voted to accept two Milford-based schools - Jonathan Law and Foran. Also in 2004, Bill O'Brien stepped down after serving 10 years as Commissioner. Al Carbone was named to replace O'Brien.

Entering the 2004-05 year with 23 member schools, the SCC decided to realign its divisional format. The SCC added a fourth division - named after another Native American river, Oronoque - and also decided to realign its football-playing schools, primarily based on enrollment.

The SCC four-divisional format applies to 13 sports.

Housatonic
Amity, Cheshire, Lyman Hall, Shelton, Sheehan
Quinnipiac
Fairfield Prep, Hamden, Notre Dame-WH, West Haven, Sacred Heart, Xavier, Mercy
Hammonasset
Hand, Foran, Guilford, Hillhouse, Jonathan Law
Oronoque
Branford, East Haven, Derby, Career, North Haven, Wilbur Cross

The SCC football conference, with 20 member schools, also realigned into four divisions starting with the 2004 season.

Division I East
Cheshire, Hand, Notre Dame-WH, West Haven, Wilbur Cross
Division I West
Amity, Fairfield Prep, Hamden, Shelton, Xavier
Division II East
Derby, East Haven, Foran, North Haven, Sheehan
Division II West
Branford, Guilford, Hillhouse, Jonathan Law, Lyman Hall

26 Sports

The SCC currently sponsors 26 sports - eight in the fall (football, boys & girls soccer, field hockey, boys and girls cross country, girls volleyball, and girls swimming); eight in the winter (boys & girls basketball, ice hockey, boys swimming, wrestling, boys and girls indoor track, gymnastics), and 10 in the spring (baseball, softball, boys & girls lacrosse, boys & girls outdoor track, boys volleyball, boys & girls tennis and golf). The Conference also hosts a cheerleading competition in the winter.