Big Rivers Conference (Illinois)
Encyclopedia
The Big Rivers Conference is a football-only high school athletic conference represented by 10 schools in the northwest and north-central portions of Illinois. It is a member of the Illinois High School Association.
; Marquette from the Tri County Conference
; and St. Bede from the Tri-County Conference. Amboy and Erie both have football cooperatives with LaMoille High School of the Little Ten and fellow TRAC-9 member Prophetstown High School
respectively.
, Newman Central Catholic High School
, Fulton High School
, Riverdale High School
, Amboy High School
, Prophetstown High School
, and Savanna High School
. In 1999, Amboy joined forces with Tri-County Conference schools St. Bede Academy
, Bureau Valley High School
, Marquette High School
, Eureka High School
, and Bradford High School — who was part of a football co-operative with Midland High School
and Henry-Senachwine High School
— to form the newly formed Big Rivers' Conference's Illinois division. The Mississippi division consisted of former Three Rivers schools Morrison, Newman, Riverdale, Fulton, Erie, and Prophetstown. Savanna joined the Upstate Illini Conference, now known as the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference
.
After the 2000-01 school year, Bradford High School was deactivated. Their football cooperative relocated to Midland High School in Varna
and named the Marshall County Falcons. After one season, the Falcons renamed their co-operative "The River Valley Timberwolves". They remained at Midland High School and Varna. Erie and Prophetstown consolidated their football programs leaving an open spot in the Mississippi Division which was filled by Amboy. Amboy's spot in the Illinois division was filled by a football cooperative at LaMoille High School. LaMoille only lasted one season in the Big Rivers before pulling their football program for a season before forming a co-operative with Amboy. The Illinois division continued with five teams for the next two seasons.
After the 2003-04 school year, Eureka formed a co-operative with Roanoke-Benson High School
and joined the Corn Belt Conference. The reduction in the conference to ten teams prompted the Big Rivers to eliminate divisions and function as a ten team conference with no non-conference schedule.
The 2004 football season was notable for two Big Rivers' teams playing for state titles. Newman won the conference's first state crown by defeating Carthage 21-7 in 2A, while Bureau Valley lost to Driscoll
in 3A. Bureau Valley won the 3A state championship the following season highlighting a stretch that included six conference championships, three undefeated regular seasons, and two state title appearances in seven years.
n 2008, Kewanee High School agreed to leave the NCIC
and joined the Big Rivers Conference for football and the Three Rivers Conference for all other sports. They played their first season in the Big Rivers in 2010, replacing River Valley who left to play in the Lincoln Trail Conference
.
In 2009, Morrison brought the Big Rivers back to the state championship by winning the 2A title in 2009 becoming the 2nd 14-0 state champions in conference history. Newman repeated this feat in 2010 by going 14-0 winning the 2A state title.
In 2011, Marquette announced they were moving their football program to the Northeastern Athletic Conference for the 2012-13 academic year.
About
The Big Rivers consists of Amboy, Erie, Fulton, Kewanee, Bureau Valley, Morrison, Riverdale, and Newman Central Catholic of the Three Rivers Athletic ConferenceThree Rivers Conference (Illinois)
The Three Rivers Conference, also known as the TRAC-8 , is a high school conference in northwest Illinois. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association...
; Marquette from the Tri County Conference
Tri-County Conference (Illinois)
The Tri-County Conference is an affiliation of several small high schools in central Illinois. Current membership includes* Putnam County High School* Midland High School* Henry-Senachwine High School* Marquette High School* Roanoke-Benson High School...
; and St. Bede from the Tri-County Conference. Amboy and Erie both have football cooperatives with LaMoille High School of the Little Ten and fellow TRAC-9 member Prophetstown High School
Prophetstown High School
Prophetstown High School, or PHS, is a public four-year high school located at 310 West Riverside Drive in Prophetstown, Illinois, a small city of Whiteside County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States...
respectively.
History
The Three Rivers Conference played their last football season in 1998. Its' members for football were Morrison High SchoolMorrison High School (Illinois)
Morrison High School, or MHS, is a public four-year high school located at 643 Genesee Avenue in Morrison, Illinois, a small city of Whiteside County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States...
, Newman Central Catholic High School
Newman Central Catholic High School
Newman Central Catholic High School is a Diocesan Catholic high school in Sterling, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford....
, Fulton High School
Fulton High School
Fulton High School, or FHS, is a public four-year high school located at 1207 12th Street in Fulton, Illinois, a small city of Whiteside County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States. FHS is part of River Bend Community Unit School District, which serves the communities of Fulton and Albany,...
, Riverdale High School
Riverdale High School (Port Byron, Illinois)
Riverdale High School, or RHS, is a public four-year high school located at 9622 256th Street North in Port Byron, Illinois, a village in Rock Island County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States. RHS is part of Riverdale Community Unit School District 100, which also includes Riverdale Middle...
, Amboy High School
Amboy High School
Amboy High School, or AHS, is a public four-year high school located at 11 East Hawley Avenue in Amboy, Illinois, a small city of Lee County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States...
, Prophetstown High School
Prophetstown High School
Prophetstown High School, or PHS, is a public four-year high school located at 310 West Riverside Drive in Prophetstown, Illinois, a small city of Whiteside County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States...
, and Savanna High School
Savanna High School
Savanna High School is a high school in the Anaheim Union High School District , located in the city of Anaheim in Orange County, California, of the United States. Savanna was established in 1961 and is one of eight comprehensive high schools within the district...
. In 1999, Amboy joined forces with Tri-County Conference schools St. Bede Academy
St. Bede Academy
Saint Bede Academy is a private, four-year, Catholic college-preparatory high school located in Peru, Illinois. The campus buildings and monastery are situated on of wooded land. The monastery is home to 32 Benedictine monks who have taken a vow of stability, meaning that they remain at Saint Bede...
, Bureau Valley High School
Bureau Valley High School
Bureau Valley High School is a high school located on 9154 County Road 2125 North in Manlius, Illinois. The high school is part of Bureau Valley Community Unit School District #340. BVHS was the first high school in Illinois to construct and run a full-sized wind turbine...
, Marquette High School
Marquette High School (Ottawa, Illinois)
Marquette Academy is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Ottawa, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria.-History:...
, Eureka High School
Eureka High School (Illinois)
Eureka High School is a public secondary school located in Eureka, Illinois. The school is part of Eureka Community Unit District 140, with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes...
, and Bradford High School — who was part of a football co-operative with Midland High School
Midland High School (Illinois)
Midland High School, also known as Varna Midland, or MHS, is a public four-year high school located at 1830 Illinois State Route 17 outside of Varna, Illinois, a village in Marshall County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States. MHS serves the communities of Varna, Lacon, and Sparland...
and Henry-Senachwine High School
Henry-Senachwine High School
Henry-Senachwine High School, or HSHS, is a public four-year high school located at 1023 College Street in Henry, Illinois, a village in Marshall County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States. HSHS serves the communities of Henry and Putnam...
— to form the newly formed Big Rivers' Conference's Illinois division. The Mississippi division consisted of former Three Rivers schools Morrison, Newman, Riverdale, Fulton, Erie, and Prophetstown. Savanna joined the Upstate Illini Conference, now known as the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference
Northwest Upstate Illini Conference
The Northwest Upstate Illini Conference is a high school conference in western central Illinois. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association...
.
After the 2000-01 school year, Bradford High School was deactivated. Their football cooperative relocated to Midland High School in Varna
Varna, Illinois
Varna is a village in Marshall County, Illinois, United States. The population was 436 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area...
and named the Marshall County Falcons. After one season, the Falcons renamed their co-operative "The River Valley Timberwolves". They remained at Midland High School and Varna. Erie and Prophetstown consolidated their football programs leaving an open spot in the Mississippi Division which was filled by Amboy. Amboy's spot in the Illinois division was filled by a football cooperative at LaMoille High School. LaMoille only lasted one season in the Big Rivers before pulling their football program for a season before forming a co-operative with Amboy. The Illinois division continued with five teams for the next two seasons.
After the 2003-04 school year, Eureka formed a co-operative with Roanoke-Benson High School
Roanoke-Benson High School
Roanoke-Benson High School is a comprehensive high school located at 208 West High Street, in Roanoke, Illinois. The school is a member of the Tri-County Conference, and compete under the name Rockets....
and joined the Corn Belt Conference. The reduction in the conference to ten teams prompted the Big Rivers to eliminate divisions and function as a ten team conference with no non-conference schedule.
The 2004 football season was notable for two Big Rivers' teams playing for state titles. Newman won the conference's first state crown by defeating Carthage 21-7 in 2A, while Bureau Valley lost to Driscoll
Driscoll Catholic High School
Driscoll Catholic High School was a private college preparatory high school in the village of Addison, Illinois. It had been accredited by the State of Illinois and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools....
in 3A. Bureau Valley won the 3A state championship the following season highlighting a stretch that included six conference championships, three undefeated regular seasons, and two state title appearances in seven years.
n 2008, Kewanee High School agreed to leave the NCIC
North Central Illinois Conference
The North Central Illinois Conference, far better known as the NCIC, was an IHSA recognized high school extra-curricular conference. It location, as the name would indicate, was in the north-central part of the state...
and joined the Big Rivers Conference for football and the Three Rivers Conference for all other sports. They played their first season in the Big Rivers in 2010, replacing River Valley who left to play in the Lincoln Trail Conference
Lincoln Trail Conference
The Lincoln Trail Conference is a high school conference in western central Illinois. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association...
.
In 2009, Morrison brought the Big Rivers back to the state championship by winning the 2A title in 2009 becoming the 2nd 14-0 state champions in conference history. Newman repeated this feat in 2010 by going 14-0 winning the 2A state title.
In 2011, Marquette announced they were moving their football program to the Northeastern Athletic Conference for the 2012-13 academic year.
Conference Champions
- 1999 Big Rivers Illinois Division: St. Bede 6-3 (5-0)
- 1999 Big Rivers Mississippi Division: Newman 9-0 (5-0)
- 2000 Big Rivers Illinois Division: Amboy 6-3 (5-0)
- 2000 Big Rivers Mississippi Division: Fulton 9-0 (5-0)
- 2001 Big Rivers Illinois Division: St. Bede 7-2 (5-0)
- 2001 Big Rivers Mississippi Division: Fulton 9-0 (5-0)
- 2002 Big Rivers Illinois Division: Bureau Valley 8-1 (3-1)
- 2002 Big Rivers Mississippi Division: Fulton 7-2 (4-1)
- 2003 Big Rivers Illinois Division: Bureau Valley 8-1 (3-1)
- 2003 Big Rivers Mississippi Division: Newman 8-1 (4-1)
- 2004 Big Rivers: Bureau Valley 9-0 (9-0)
- 2005 Big Rivers: Bureau Valley 9-0 (9-0)
- 2006 Big Rivers: Bureau Valley 9-0 (9-0)
- 2007 Big Rivers: Morrison 9-0 (9-0)
- 2008 Big Rivers: Bureau Valley 8-1 (8-1)
- 2009 Big Rivers: Morrison (9-0) (9-0)
- 2010 Big Rivers: Newman (9-0) (9-0)
- 2011 Big Rivers: Newman (8-1) (8-1)
State Championships and Runners Up
- 2004 2A Champion: Newman Central Catholic
- 2005 3A Champion: Bureau Valley
- 2009 2A Champion: Morrison
- 2010 2A Champion: Newman Central Catholic
- 2004 3A Runner-Up: Bureau Valley
Current members
| School | Nickname | Colors | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amboy High School Amboy High School Amboy High School, or AHS, is a public four-year high school located at 11 East Hawley Avenue in Amboy, Illinois, a small city of Lee County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States... |
Clippers | Amboy, IL | |
| Erie High School Erie High School (Illinois) Erie High School, or EHS, is a public four-year high school located at 435 6th Avenue in Erie, Illinois, a village of Whiteside County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States. EHS is part of Erie Community Unit School District 1, which serves the communities of Erie and Fenton, and includes Erie... |
Panthers | Erie, IL | |
| Fulton High School Fulton High School Fulton High School, or FHS, is a public four-year high school located at 1207 12th Street in Fulton, Illinois, a small city of Whiteside County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States. FHS is part of River Bend Community Unit School District, which serves the communities of Fulton and Albany,... |
Steamers | Fulton, IL | |
| Kewanee High School Kewanee High School Kewanee High School, or KHS, is a public four-year high school located at 1211 E. Third Street in Kewanee, Illinois, a city in Kewanee Township of Henry County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States... |
Boilermakers | Kewanee, IL | |
| Bureau Valley High School Bureau Valley High School Bureau Valley High School is a high school located on 9154 County Road 2125 North in Manlius, Illinois. The high school is part of Bureau Valley Community Unit School District #340. BVHS was the first high school in Illinois to construct and run a full-sized wind turbine... |
Storm | Manlius, IL | |
| Morrison High School Morrison High School (Illinois) Morrison High School, or MHS, is a public four-year high school located at 643 Genesee Avenue in Morrison, Illinois, a small city of Whiteside County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States... |
Mustangs | Morrison, IL | |
| Hall High School | Red Devils | Spring Valley, IL | |
| St. Bede Academy St. Bede Academy Saint Bede Academy is a private, four-year, Catholic college-preparatory high school located in Peru, Illinois. The campus buildings and monastery are situated on of wooded land. The monastery is home to 32 Benedictine monks who have taken a vow of stability, meaning that they remain at Saint Bede... |
Bruins | Peru, IL | |
| Riverdale High School Riverdale High School (Port Byron, Illinois) Riverdale High School, or RHS, is a public four-year high school located at 9622 256th Street North in Port Byron, Illinois, a village in Rock Island County, Illinois, in the Midwestern United States. RHS is part of Riverdale Community Unit School District 100, which also includes Riverdale Middle... |
Rams | Port Byron, IL | |
| Newman Central Catholic High School Newman Central Catholic High School Newman Central Catholic High School is a Diocesan Catholic high school in Sterling, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford.... |
Comets | Sterling, IL |
External links
- Illinois High School Association/ (IHSA) official website
- IHSA Big Rivers Conference page
- Illinois Pigskin Big Rivers Conference page
- Amboy High School
- Erie High School
- Fulton High School
- Kewanee High School
- Bureau Valley High School
- Morrison High School
- Marquette High School
- St. Bede Academy
- Riverdale High School
- Newman Central Catholic High School