Three Rivers Conference (Illinois)

The Three Rivers Conference, also known as the TRAC-8 (Three Rivers Athletics Conference), is a high school conference in northwest Illinois. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association. The conference comprises small public, and two private, high schools with enrollments between 200-600 students in portions of Bureau, Henry, Lee, Rock Island, and Whiteside counties.

Three Rivers Conference
AssociationIHSA
Members14
RegionNorthwest Illinois
Locations
The Three Rivers Conference within Illinois

Current Membership
School Location Mascot Colors Enrollment IHSA Classes 2/3/4[1] IHSA Music Class[2] IHSA Football Class[3] IHSA Cross Country
Class[2]		 IHSA Cheerleading Class[2]
Bureau Valley
High School		 Manlius, IL Storm     301 A/1A/2A B 1A 1A Small squad
Erie
High School		 Erie, IL Cardinals       213 A/1A/1A
(P'town Coop- A/1A/2A)		 C 1A
(P'town Coop - 3A)		 1A Small squad
Fulton
High School		 Fulton, IL Steamers     309 A/1A/2A C 1A 1A Small squad
Hall High School (Illinois) Spring Valley, IL Red Devils       394 2A Small squad
Kewanee
High School		 Kewanee, IL Boilermakers     536 A/1A/2A B 3A 1A Small squad
Morrison
High School		 Morrison, IL Mustangs     299 A/1A/2A B 1A 1A Small squad
Newman Central Catholic
High School		 Sterling, IL Comets       228 (376.2 adjusted) A/1A/2A B 2A 1A Small squad
Orion High School Orion, IL Chargers     336 A/1A/2A 2A 1A Small squad
Princeton High School Princeton, IL Tigers     518 3A Small squad
Prophetstown
High School		 Prophetstown, IL Prophets     278 A/1A/1A
(Erie Coop - A/1A/2A)		 C 1A
(Erie Coop - 3A)		 1A Small squad
Riverdale
High School		 Port Byron, IL Rams     302 A/1A/2A B 2A 1A Small squad
Sherrard High School Sherrard, IL Tigers     479 3A Small squad
St. Bede Academy Peru, IL Bruins     320 (468.6 adj.) 2A Small squad
Rockridge High School Taylor Ridge, IL Rockets     354 2A Small squad

Sources:IHSA Conferences,[4] IHSA Coop Teams,[5] and IHSA Member Schools Directory[6]

History

The Three Rivers Conference formed in 1975, and was largely the result of the dissolution of two conferences that had also included high schools in Iowa. Fulton, Morrison, Riverdale, Savanna and Sterling Newman had been part of the Illowa Conference along with Iowa schools North Scott of Eldridge, Central Clinton of De Witt, and St. Mary's High School of Clinton. Erie and Prophetstown were members of a league with the Iowa-based Pleasant Valley, Camanche and Northeast of Goose Lake. The seven Illinois schools joined with Amboy to form the new TRAC-8 conference.

Throughout the conference's history, alignment changes included the departure of Savanna, which went on to join the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference, and the additions of Bureau Valley in the mid-1990s and Kewanee in 2010. Upon the addition of Kewanee, the league became known as the TRAC-9. In addition, Erie and Prophetstown formed a cooperative to share certain sports programs, including football and wrestling.

On January 12, 2012 the conference approved expansion for six schools to join the league beginning in the 2013-14 school year. Included in the expansion are Orion, Rockridge, Sherrard, Princeton, St. Bede Academy of Peru and Spring Valley Hall. The six additions make the Three Rivers a 15-team league, one of the largest in Illinois. The conference will be split into two divisions, with Interstate 80 being the dividing line.

Current members Amboy, Bureau Valley, Erie, Fulton, Morrison, Prophetstown, Riverdale and Sterling Newman will comprise the North Division. New members Orion, Peru St. Bede, Princeton, Rockridge, Sherrard and Spring Valley Hall will join current member Kewanee in the South Division.

Following the 2015-16 school year, Amboy will leave the conference and join the Northwest Upstate Illini Conference for the 2016-17 school year.[7]

Football

The Three Rivers Conference dropped football from 1999 until the 2013-14 school year. During this hiatus, the league offered championships in other sports,[8] and member schools, either independently or as part of a co-operative, participated in the football-exclusive Big Rivers Conference.

In early 2012, it was announced that Orion, Rockridge, Sherrard, all former members of the Olympic Conference, and Princeton accepted an invitation for full membership in the Three Rivers Conference at the start of the 2013-14 school year. These four schools, along with Hall, Kewanee, and St. Bede Academy make up the seven teams in the newly created South Division. The North Division includes Amboy-La Moille, Bureau Valley, Erie-Prophetstown, Fulton, Morrison, Newman Central Catholic, and Riverdale. The decision to create a geographical North-South alignment was based upon a desire to maintain existing rivalries and minimize travel times.[9]

The football schedule includes six intra-divisional games and three rotating inter-divisional cross-over match-ups. Each division will award a conference champion.[10] Because the Big Rivers Conference and the Three Rivers Conference, co-operatives excepted, consist of the same member schools with this most recent expansion, the decision was made to drop the Big Rivers name in favor of the longer-standing Three Rivers Conference.[10][11]

Conference Champions

2013

NORTH- Sterling Newman

SOUTH- Taylor Ridge (Rockridge)

[12]

See the Big Rivers Conference article for information about its history, achievements, and participating schools.

Membership History
School Location Mascot Colors Year joined Previous conference Year left New conference Consolidations
Amboy HS Amboy Clippers       1975 SHARK 2016 Northwest Upstate Illini n/a
Bureau Valley HS Manlius Storm     1999 Tri-County n/a n/a Manlius+Walnut+Western+Wyanet=
Bureau Valley (1995)[13] Students from Bradford High School, Deactivated (2001)
Erie HS Erie Cardinals       1975 Bi-State n/a n/a n/a
Fulton HS Fulton Steamers     1975 Illowa n/a n/a added some Albany (1944)
Kewanee HS Kewanee Boilermakers     2010 NCIC n/a n/a n/a
Morrison HS Morrison Mustangs     1975 Illowa n/a n/a n/a
Newman Central Catholic HS Sterling Comets       1975 Illowa n/a n/a n/a
Prophetstown HS Prophetstown Prophets     1975 Bi-State n/a n/a added Lyndon (1969)
added Tampico (1996)
Riverdale HS Port Byron Rams     1975 Illowa n/a n/a Port Byron+Cordova+Hillsdale=
Riverdale (1955)[14]
Saint Bede Academy Spring Valley Bruins       n/a n/a n/a n/a

Competitive Success

The Three Rivers Conference has won 11 state championships in IHSA sponsored athletics and activities, 16 if wins by member schools participating in the Big Rivers Conference are counted.[15]

State Champions

Boys Golf

  • Riverdale (2017 1A)

Boys Track

  • Newman Central Catholic (2012-2013 1A)

Boys Cross Country

  • Newman Central Catholic (2009-2010 1A)

Girls Cross Country

Boys Football

  • Amboy (1984-85 2A)
  • Bureau Valley (2005-2006 3A)*
  • Fulton (1976-1977 2A)
  • Fulton (1991-1992 2A)
  • Hall (1995-1996 3A)**
  • Hall (2001-2002 3A)**
  • Morrison (2009-2010 2A)*
  • Morrison (2011-2012 2A)*
  • Newman Central Catholic (1990-1991 1A)
  • Newman Central Catholic (1994-1995 1A)
  • Newman Central Catholic (2004-2005 2A)*
  • Newman Central Catholic (2010-2011 2A)*

* Participating in Big Rivers Conference **Participating in NCIC

Boys Wrestling

  • Newman Central Catholic (2010-2011 1A)
  • Newman Central Catholic (1984-1985 A)
  • Savanna (1976-1977 A)
  • Savanna (1978-1979 A)
  • Savanna (1979-1980 A)
  • Savanna (1981-1982 A)

Softball

  • Morrison (2010-2011 2A)
  • Rockridge (2017-2018 2A)

References
  1. http://www.ihsa.org/school/enrolla.htm
  2. http://www.ihsa.org/school/enrollments.htm
  3. http://www.ihsa.org/activity/fb/2009-10/playoffs.htm
  4. http://www.ihsa.org/school/conf.htm
  5. http://www.ihsa.org/school/coop.htm
  6. http://www.ihsa.org/school/index.htm
  7. The Times, Ottawa, IL
  8. http://www.illinoishsglorydays.com/id349.html
  9. Doug Green (January 12, 2012). "Orion, Rockridge, Sherrard to join Big Rivers". Quad-City Times. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  10. "Prep football: Three Rivers North by the numbers". saukvalley.com (Sauk Valley Media). June 25, 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
  11. Mindy Carls (February 3, 2012). "Orion moving to Three Rivers Conference in 2013". Orion Gazette. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  12. http://ihsa.org/SportsActivities/BoysFootball/StateSeriesInformationResults.aspx?url=/data/fb/2summary.htm
  13. http://www.illinoishsglorydays.com/id10.html
  14. http://www.illinoishsglorydays.com/id75.html
  15. http://www.ihsa.org/
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