Chicago Catholic League

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Chicago Catholic League
ConferenceIllinois High School Association
No. of teams17
RegionChicago, Illinois

The Chicago Catholic League (CCL) is a high school athletic conference based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. All of the schools are part of the Illinois High School Association, the governing body for Illinois scholastic sports. While some of the schools are coeducational institutions, the conference only supports athletics for male teams. (The Girls Catholic Athletic Conference serves as its female counterpart.)

The CCL is perhaps best known for its success in football, water polo, wrestling, and baseball. Since the Illinois High School Association began a state football tournament in 1974, the CCL has placed first or second more than any conference or league in the state. Since 2002 when the IHSA first sponsored a state tournament in water polo, the CCL has not failed to win the state title for boys, until Lyons in 2012. Since 1984, when the IHSA moved to a dual-team state series in wrestling (previously, the team champion was based on the advancement of individuals in the individual state tournament), the CCL has also finished first or second more than any conference or league.

The conference's alumni include stars of the past like Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Lattner, Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Denny McLain and Basketball Hall of Fame member Moose Krause and more contemporary athletes such as former NBA player Corey Maggette and All-Pro quarterback Donovan McNabb, Antoine Walker. Perhaps the conference's most accomplished alumnus[according to whom?] is Duke University men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Member schools[edit]

School Town Team name Colors IHSA Classes 2/3/4 Reference
Brother Rice High School Chicago Crusaders     AA/3A/4A
DePaul College Prep Chicago Rams       AA/2A/3A
Fenwick High School Oak Park Friars     AA/3A/4A
Leo Catholic High School Chicago Lions     A/1A/2A
Loyola Academy Wilmette Ramblers     AA/3A/4A
Marmion Academy Aurora Cadets     A/1A/2A
Montini Catholic High School Lombard Broncos       A/3A/4A
Mt. Carmel High School Chicago Caravan     AA/3A/4A
Providence Catholic High School New Lenox Celtics     AA/3A/4A
Providence St. Mel School Chicago Knights     A/2A/3A
St. Francis de Sales High School Chicago Pioneers     A/1A/2A
St. Ignatius College Prep Chicago Wolfpack     AA/3A/4A
St. Laurence High School Burbank Vikings     AA/3A/4A
St. Rita of Cascia High School Chicago Mustangs     AA/3A/4A
Chicago Hope Academy Chicago Eagles     A/A1/A2
De La Salle Institute Chicago Meteors     A/A1/A2
Hales Franciscan High School Chicago Spartans       A/A1/A1
St. Francis High School Wheaton Spartans     A/A2/A3
IC Catholic Prep Elmhurst Knights     A/A2/A2

St. Joseph High School joined the conference in 2011, however the school has since closed in 2021. Lake Forest Academy joined the conference for football only in 2011. St.Viator High School joined in 2010 to compete in the conference for lacrosse. Additionally, St. Patrick High School, Notre Dame High School, and Marist High School participate in the conference for Boys Bowling.

For those schools which are coed, most of the girls teams compete in the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference. The girls teams from Bishop McNamara, Fenwick, and Providence compete in the East Suburban Catholic Conference.

Holy Trinity (Tigers) (1443 W. Division St) was also a Catholic League team. Last Catholic League season for football was 1965.

History[edit]

The Chicago Catholic League was formed in 1912 as a way to give the all-male Catholic schools of the area interscholastic competition.[1] The move to form the league was precipitated when the dominant high school league in the metropolitan area, the Cook County High School League, delayed the application of St. Ignatius Academy and DePaul Academy.[1] Representatives of eight schools met at the Great Northern Hotel—De Paul Academy, St Ignatius Academy, St Rita College, St. Cyril College (which would become Mount Carmel High School), Cathedral High, St. Philip High, Loyola Academy, and De La Salle Institute — but could not get together on the particulars to form a football–only league.

In the third week of November, the schools managed to form a league and drew up a schedule of games in basketball and indoor baseball. The founding members of the league were St. Stanislaus, De la Salle, De Paul, St. Ignatius, St. Cyril, St. Philip, Loyola, and Cathedral. By the spring when a baseball schedule was drawn up, Holy Trinity had joined the league, but Cathedral dropped out, leaving an eight-team circuit. In the fall of 1913, the league introduced football. By the following year, league champion De Paul, felt feisty enough to invite St. John's Preparatory from Danvers, Massachusetts, to Chicago to engage in an intersectional contest. De Paul narrowly lost the game, but it demonstrated to the league that its program was thriving. Two years later De Paul traveled to Boston and met Beverly High in Fenway Park, destroying the team 30–7. More schools joined the circuit before the decade was up, St. Patrick in 1913, and St. Mel in 1918.

Because the Catholic school population relative to the mainstream public secondary schools and the private school was more an immigrant and working class population, the sports that the league initially sponsored reflected this demographic makeup. For example, during the first four years of the league's existence, only baseball, basketball, indoor baseball, and football were offered. Basketball was the most robust sport, as the league not only provided for heavyweight and lightweight schedules, but also bantamweight (added in 1919) and flyweight competition (added in the early 1920s). The Chicago Public High School League and Suburban League offered basketball only in the heavyweight and lightweight classes, after experimenting only a few years with a bantamweight class.

The Catholic League added track and field in 1917, but it was not until 1924 that three "country club" sports were added to the league's schedule golf, tennis, and swimming. The addition of these sports brought the league up to the level of offerings by the Chicago and Suburban public leagues. The 1920s also saw the addition of more schools to the league—St. George, Joliet De la Salle, and Fenwick.

Some working class sports that had great appeal in some Catholic schools were boxing and bowling, and the league sponsored competition for a few years during the Depression in boxing, and much longer in bowling.

By the late 1950s some of the Catholic League members were growing restive, wanting to participate in the state tournaments sponsored by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). The four Christian Brothers schools – De La Salle, St. George, St. Mel and St. Patrick – withdrew from the Catholic League and joined the IHSA upon its formation of the Chicagoland Prep League (CPL) on 27 February 1961. St. Ignatius would defect to the CPL two years later on 9 April 1963.[2][3]

The Catholic League finally joined the IHSA in 1974, and eventually saw the return of St. Ignatius, St. Patrick, and De La Salle into the league. Because of their membership in the IHSA, the 29-year-old tradition of a Catholic League All-Star basketball game ended in 1974.[4] In the beginning of 1996 the CCL and the East Suburban Catholic Conference and other Catholic high schools decided to make a super catholic conference. They called it the Chicago Metropolitan Conference. Every school from the East Suburban was in the conference except Nazareth Academy and Marian Central Catholic. This conference ended in the 2002–2003 season and both conferences went back to normal. Swimming and water polo founded the Metro Catholic Aquatic Conference in 1999 which included the all East Suburban Catholic and CCL teams and still hosts a conference championship for both sports. The MCAC won every state title in water polo from 1974 to 2011.

Past members[edit]

State championships[edit]

Baseball[edit]

State champions[5]

  • 1975–76 • Brother Rice (Class AA)
  • 1977–78 • Providence Catholic (Class A)
  • 1981–82 • Providence Catholic (Class A)
  • 2012–13 • Mount Carmel (Class 4A)
  • 2013–14 • Providence Catholic (Class 4A)
  • 2014–15 • Providence Catholic (Class 4A)
  • 2015–16 • Providence Catholic (Class 4A)
  • 2018–19 • Montini Catholic (Class 3A)

Basketball[edit]

Prior to the 2007–2008 season, the state basketball title was contested in two classes. Since then, it is contested in four classes.

State champions[6]

  • 1978–79 • Providence Catholic (Class A)
  • 1984–85 • Providence St. Mel (Class A)
  • 1984–85 • Mount Carmel (Class AA)
  • 2002–03 • Hales Franciscan (Class A)
  • 2003–04 • Leo (Class A)
  • 2008–09 • Seton Academy (Class AA)
  • 2010–11 • Hales Franciscan (Class 2A)

The 2004–05 Class A title was stripped from Hales Franciscan after it was determined that the school had not been approved by the Illinois State Board of Education between 2003 and 2005.[7][8]

Football[edit]

From 1974–79, IHSA had 5 classes based on enrollment for football (1A-5A).[9] In 1980, IHSA expanded to 6 classes. 2001 saw the latest change, which added 2 more classes, which is what is played to date.

In 2019–20, CCL merged with the ESCC for football only. The CCL/ESCC is divided into six divisions.[10]

Blue Green Orange White Purple Red
Brother Rice Joliet Catholic Academy IC Catholic St. Laurence St. Viator DePaul Prep
Loyola Academy Marist Nazareth Benet Academy Marmion Academy Leo
St. Rita Notre Dame Fenwick Montini St. Patrick De La Salle
Mt. Carmel St. Ignatius St. Francis Providence Catholic Carmel Marian Catholic

State champions[9]

  • 1976–77 • St. Laurence (Class 5A)
  • 1978–79 • St. Rita (Class 5A)
  • 1980–81 • Gordon Tech (Class 6A)
  • 1980–81 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 1981–82 • Brother Rice (Class 6A)
  • 1982–83 • Bishop McNamara (Class 3A)
  • 1985–86 • Bishop McNamara (Class 3A)
  • 1986–87 • Bishop McNamara (Class 3A)
  • 1987–88 • Providence Catholic (Class 4A)
  • 1987–88 • Bishop McNamara (Class 3A)
  • 1988–89 • Mt. Carmel (Class 6A)
  • 1989–90 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 1990–91 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 1991–92 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 1991–92 • Providence Catholic (Class 4A)
  • 1993–94 • Loyola Academy (Class 6A)
  • 1994–95 • Providence Catholic (Class 5A)
  • 1995–96 • Providence Catholic (Class 4A)
  • 1996–97 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 1996–97 • Providence Catholic (Class 4A)
  • 1997–98 • Providence Catholic (Class 4A)
  • 1998–99 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 1999–2000 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 2000–01 • Mt. Carmel (Class 5A)
  • 2001–02 • Providence Catholic (Class 6A)
  • 2002–03 • Mt. Carmel (Class 6A)
  • 2002–03 • Providence Catholic (Class 5A)
  • 2004–05 • Providence Catholic (Class 6A)
  • 2006–07 • St. Rita (Class 7A)
  • 2012–13 • Mt. Carmel (Class 8A)
  • 2013–14 • Mt. Carmel (Class 7A)
  • 2014–15 • Providence Catholic (Class 7A)
  • 2015–16 • Montini Catholic (Class 6A)
  • 2015–16 • Loyola Academy (Class 8A)
  • 2018–19 • Loyola Academy (Class 8A)
  • 2019–20 • Mt. Carmel (Class 7A)
  • 2021–22 • Fenwick (Class 5A)
  • 2022–23 • Mt. Carmel (Class 7A)
  • 2022–23 • Loyola Academy (Class 8A)
  • 2023–24 • Mt. Carmel (Class 7A)
  • 2023–24 • Loyola Academy (Class 8A)

Golf[edit]

State champions[11]

  • 1986–87 • Loyola Academy (Class AA)
  • 1992–93 • Bishop McNamara (Class A)
  • 1996–97 • Loyola Academy (Class AA)
  • 2000–01 • Loyola Academy (Class AA)
  • 2000–01 • Bishop McNamara (Class A)
  • 2001–02 • Loyola Academy (Class AA)

Swimming and Diving[edit]

State champions[12]

  • 1989–90 • Fenwick
  • 1990–91 • Fenwick
  • 1991–92 • Fenwick

Track and Field[edit]

State Champions[13]

  • 1980–81 • Leo (Class A)
  • 1994–95 • Leo (Class AA)
  • 1997–98 • Leo (Class A Co-Champions)
  • 2001–02 • Leo (Class A)
  • 2002–03 • Leo (Class A)
  • 2011–12 • Leo (Class A)
  • 2017-18 • Marmion (Class AA)

Water Polo[edit]

The IHSA began a state series in water polo with the 2001–02 school year. Prior to that, a high school state championship was sponsored by Illinois Water Polo. There was no Championship Game in 1979 as Water Polo switched from a Fall to a Spring sport.
State Champions[14]
ISA State Champions [15]

  • 1974 • Fenwick
  • 1975 • Mount Carmel
  • 1976 • Fenwick
  • 1977 • Fenwick
  • 1978 • Loyola
  • 1980 • Brother Rice
  • 1981 • Brother Rice
  • 1982 • Brother Rice
  • 1983 • Brother Rice
  • 1984 • Brother Rice
  • 1985 • Brother Rice
  • 1986 • Brother Rice
  • 1987 • St. Laurence
  • 1988 • Brother Rice
  • 1989 • Brother Rice
  • 1990 • Fenwick
  • 1991 • Fenwick
  • 1992 • Fenwick
  • 1993 • Fenwick
  • 1994 • Brother Rice
  • 1995 • Brother Rice
  • 1996 • Brother Rice
  • 1997 • St. Patrick
  • 1998 • Brother Rice
  • 1999 • Fenwick
  • 2000 • Fenwick
  • 2001 • Fenwick

IHSA State Champions

  • 2002 • Fenwick
  • 2003 • Brother Rice
  • 2004 • Fenwick
  • 2005 • Fenwick
  • 2006 • Fenwick
  • 2007 • Fenwick
  • 2008 • Fenwick
  • 2009 • Fenwick
  • 2010 • Fenwick
  • 2011 • Fenwick
  • 2013 • Fenwick
  • 2014 • Loyola

Wrestling[edit]

State Champions[16]

  • 1977–78 • Providence Catholic (Class A)
  • 1980–81 • Providence Catholic (Class A)
  • 1987–88 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 1988–89 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 1989–90 • St. Laurence (Class AA)
  • 1991–92 • Mount Carmel (Class AA)
  • 1992–93 • Mount Carmel (Class AA)
  • 1993–94 • Mount Carmel (Class AA)
  • 1996–97 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 1997–98 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 1998–99 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 1999–2000 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 2000–01 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 2001–02 • Providence Catholic (Class AA)
  • 2002–03 • St. Rita (Class AA)
  • 2003–04 • St. Rita (Class AA)
  • 2017–18 • Montini Catholic (Class 3A)
  • 2018–19 • Montini Catholic (Class 3A)

Prep bowl[edit]

Main article: Chicago Prep Bowl

The Prep Bowl is an annual contest played between the Chicago Catholic League and the Chicago Public League and was long for most of its history played at Chicago's Soldier Field. It was first played in 1927, though after a forfeit in 1928, was not played again until 1933, and was the premier high school football event in Illinois until the IHSA formed the state championship football playoffs in 1974. The 1927 game between Mt. Carmel and Carl Schurz High School drew an estimated 50,000 fans; the largest crowd to see a prep football contest in American history, up to that time.[17] In subsequent years, larger crowds were drawn to the annual game.

With the advent of the IHSA state series, the Prep Bowl was contested by the winner of a special playoff in each league played by teams not qualifying for the state playoffs, and teams that were eliminated in early rounds of the state playoffs. It is traditionally played on the Friday after Thanksgiving, which is the same day which the IHSA plays its smaller school state championships in football. As of the 2009 game, the Catholic League holds a 51–23–2 advantage in the series.

In 1981, the IHSA membership voted on a limitation that prohibited member schools from participating in more than nine games, plus the IHSA state series. The Prep Bowl was given a special exemption from this.[18]

Notable alumni[edit]

Bishop McNamara

Brother Rice

  • Jim Adduci – MLB outfielder, starred collegiately at Southern Illinois
  • Bob Cummings – drafted #5 overall in the 1978 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants
  • David Diehl – offensive tackle for the New York Giants
  • Mark Donahue – former guard with the Cincinnati Bengals
  • Bobby Frasor – McDonald's HS All-American point guard, starred collegiately at North Carolina, where he won the 2009 national title
  • Phil Hicks – NBA forward, drafted #27 in 1976, starred collegiately at Tulane
  • Rico Hill – NBA forward, drafted #31 in 1999, starred collegiately at Illinois State
  • Paul Hutchins – tackle for the Green Bay Packers
  • Pete Mackanin – MLB infielder (1973–81), manager of Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds
  • John Meyer – AFL linebacker and NFL assistant coach, starred collegiately at Notre Dame
  • Ed Olczyk – NHL center and Stanley Cup champion, head coach and broadcaster with the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins
  • Lance Ten Broeck – PGA golfer currently[when?] on the Senior Tour, won 1984 Illinois Open Championship, starred collegiately as an All-American at Texas

DeLaSalle

DePaul Academy

Fenwick

Gordon Tech

  • Chris Bourjos – MLB player for the San Francisco Giants in 1980[20]
  • Gregg Bingham – (Class of 1969) – former Houston Oilers linebacker
  • Larry Langowski – wrestler who represented Mexico in the 120 kilogram weight class at the 2008 Summer Olympics[21][22]
  • Robert Meschbach – professional soccer player who set the (then) national high school record with 71 goals in one season; remains an Illinois state record (as of 2008).[23][24]
  • Ron Plantz – (Class of 1982) offensive lineman (center) for Notre Dame 1982–1986 and Indianapolis Colts 1987–90
  • Frank Santana – (Class of 1974) 1977 NCAA wrestling national champion (190 lbs.) and three-time wrestling All-American at Iowa State; first Cuban-American to win a collegiate wrestling national championship[25]
  • Jitim Young – basketball player who played at Northwestern University and professionally in Europe and the Dominican Republic[26]

Hales Franciscan

Holy Cross

Leo

Loyola Academy

Mount Carmel

St. George

St. Ignatius

  • Tom O'Hara – Olympian and former world record holder for indoor mile and NCAA champion in Division I cross country[27]
  • Mark Dalesandro – MLB catcher and infielder (1994–1995, 1998–1999, 2001).[27]

St. Laurence

St. Mel

St. Rita

Providence Catholic

  • Pete Bercich – NFL linebacker (1995–98, 2000) for Minnesota Vikings
  • Brad Guzan – goalkeeper for Chivas USA and Aston Villa of English Premier League; starting goalkeeper for 2008 U.S. Olympic team
  • Carmen Pignatiello – pitched for Chicago Cubs (2008)
  • Bryan Rekar – Major League Baseball pitcher (1995–2002)
  • Eric Steinbach – NFL offensive lineman
  • Miles Boykin - NFL wide receiver for Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers

Weber


Membership timeline[edit]

Beginning in 1912, the Chicago Catholic League competes in 11 boys, 13 girls and 13 coed sports and activities within the IHSA.

Chicago Catholic League full members Chicago Catholic League members (non-football)

Other conference Other conference


References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Catholics to Form League: Eight "Prep" Schools Will Enter New Football Body – Draft Schedule Tonight". Chicago Tribune. 3 October 1912. p. 10.
  2. ^ Stubits, Emil. "St. Ignatius Quits Catholic League," Chicago Sun-Times, Wednesday, 10 April 1963.
  3. ^ "St. Ignatius Drops Out of Prep League," Chicago Tribune, Wednesday, 10 April 1963.
  4. ^ "Last Catholic All-Star". Chicago Tribune. 17 February 1974. pp. b2. A distinguished basketball era will end in DePaul Alumni Hall ... the Chicago Catholic League will tangle in the 29th and last league all-star game ... With the league schools ... joining the Illinois High School Association next fall ... the all-star game ... in violation of IHSA rules, would be eliminated.
  5. ^ Boys Baseball Champions and Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008
  6. ^ Boys Basketball Championship Games, @ ihsa.org; accessed 3 February 2018
  7. ^ IHSA Announcement:Board Approves Class Expansion in 2007–08, Penalizes Hales Franciscan, 11 January 2006; accessed 7 October 2008
  8. ^ IHSA Announcement: Hales Franciscan High School Suspended From IHSA Membership, 23 November 2005; accessed 7 October 2008
  9. ^ a b Boys Football Champions and Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008
  10. ^ CCL/ESCC realigns its divisions for fall season, @ ShawLocal.com; accessed 3 October 2022
  11. ^ Boys Golf Team Champions and Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008
  12. ^ Boys Swimming & Diving Team Champions and Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008
  13. ^ Boys Track & Field Team Champions and Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008
  14. ^ Boys Water Polo Champions & Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008
  15. ^ Illinois Water Polo at Illinois Water Polo 2007 All-State Banquet. Retrieved 18 September 2008.
  16. ^ Boys Wrestling Champions & Runners-Up, @ ihsa.org; accessed 7 October 2008
  17. ^ "1st Prep Bowl attracted 50,000". Chicago Tribune. 3 December 1977. pp. j2. The game, played in freezing weather in Soldier Field, attracted 50,000 ... according to sportswriter Wilfrid Smith, was 'a record crowd for prep football in this country' ... In 1937, it attracted the largest crowd ever to watch a high school football game, when nearly 120,000 saw ... Austin (defeat) Leo, 26–0.
  18. ^ Shnay, Jerry (24 November 1981). "Football :Prep Bowl may be gone after 1982". Chicago Tribune. pp. d3. The Prep Bowl ... is in danger of being killed ... by a by-law ... This week, all high school principals in Illinois will vote on proposals to amend the Constitution of the IHSA, among them ... a plan that sets limits on all high school sports with a maximum nine game football season not including the state playoffs.
  19. ^ D Magazine (De La Salle Institute, Chicago, IL), Fall 2010.
  20. ^ "Chris Bourjos Stats".
  21. ^ Mexican wrestler Langowski a true Chicago story, 1 August 2008, Beacon News; accessed 24 August 2008
  22. ^ Couch, Greg, Mexico's one-man gang, 1 August 2008, Chicago Sun-Times; accessed 24 August 2008[permanent dead link]
  23. ^ "Robert Meschbach bio @FCUnitedPremiere.com". Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
  24. ^ IHSA individual all-time boys soccer records
  25. ^ "Iowa State Wrestling Welcomes Frank Santana Back to Iowa » News » College Wrestling » Iowa Public Television". Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
  26. ^ "Jitim Young bio @nba.com (dleague)". NBA.com. Archived from the original on 15 August 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
  27. ^ a b "St. Ignatius College Prep (Chicago, IL) Athletic Hall of Fame". Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2012.

External links[edit]

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