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The Siouxland Conference is a ten team high school athletic conference in the northwest corner of Iowa, consisting of schools ranging from the smallest class (1A) to the third largest class (3A), and known for its prominence in small school basketball.

Members

Common cooperatives

History

The Siouxland Conference was founded in 1952 and began play in the 1953–54 school year. Originally the league was made up of: Inwood, George and Rock Rapids from Lyon County; Orange City, and Hawarden from Sioux County; and Akron and Le Mars Gehlen from Plymouth County. Rock Valley replaced Augustana Academy of Canton, South Dakota, in 1960. West Sioux of Hawarden left the conference in 1965, and rejoined for a short period in the 1970s. Boyden–Hull became a conference member by 1965. Sioux Center, formerly of the Sioux Empire Conference, and Central Lyon of Rock Rapids joined the Siouxland Conference in 1967. Akron withdrew from the league at the conclusion of the 1975 baseball season. Little Rock merged with George to become George–Little Rock in 1989. The league then went through a set of changes in the early 1990s when it added Sibley-Ocheyedan from the Lakes Conference, and Hartley–Melvin–Sanborn and Okoboji from the disbanded Sioux Valley Conference. Maurice-Orange City merged with Floyd Valley to become MOC-Floyd Valley in 1994. The conference remained the same until Hartley–Mevin–Sanborn left for the War Eagle Conference in 2009 and longtime Sibley-Ocheyedan rival Sheldon moved in from the Lakes Conference. Current War Eagle Conference member Unity Christian, located in Orange City, Iowa has applied for membership to the conference at least 3 times, and been denied each time. Former Lake Conference member and current independent Western Christian has applied twice, and denied each time as well.

On 20 September 2022, George-Little Rock applied for membership to the War Eagle Conference. The War Eagle Conference approved membership of the Mustangs on October 20, 2022.

In October of 2022, the conference finally accepted the membership application of Unity Christian, whom will swap conferences with George-Little Rock.

Basketball

Men

As an independent school, Sioux Center won the big school state title in 1959, followed by the small school state title in 1967, in its first year within the Siouxland Conference. Maurice-Orange City claimed the 2A state championship in 1987–88 and again in 1988–89, and won the 3A title in 2004–05 as MOC-Floyd Valley. Rock Valley has won the championship in 1996, 1998, 2009, and 2010. In 2003, Boyden-Hull was class 1A state champ, while Sioux Center won the 2A title. George–Little Rock won the 1A title in 2006. Boyden-Hull won back to back 1A titles in 2012 and 2013. In 2013, Sheldon also won the 2A championship. West Lyon won the 1A championship in 2014, keeping it in the conference for three straight years. Boyden–Hull won its first 2A title in 2020. The Comets competed in the 2A basketball final again in 2021, losing to Western Christian, a team also located in Hull, as a member of the Lakes Conference. It was the first time since 2005 that the two teams had played against each other, and also the first time in Iowa High School Athletic Association history that two teams from the same city met in a title game.

Women

Sibley-Ocheyedan won two basketball titles (1986 and 1996), while Rock Valley has three (2001–2003). Central Lyon won the 1A title in 2013. MOC–Floyd Valley won the 3A championship the following season, besting their previous best result, second place in 1997.

Other sports

The schools hold many other state titles as well, including football, which is no longer a sanctioned conference sport since the state took control of the entire system in the mid-1990s and created a two-year rotating district system. Nevertheless, Sibley holds a title, while Sioux Center has two and Central Lyon holds two on their own and one more sharing with George–Little Rock with 2 runners-up in class 2A. West Lyon has won five titles (1998, 1999, 2010, 2013, 2019) and finished as class 1A runner up in 2008 and 2014 and 2A runner up in 1995. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley was class 2A runner up for football in 2009. Before sharing sports with Rock Valley, Boyden-Hull tied West Harrison for the 1970 Class B track championship. Maurice-Orange City has won the state track championship three times, Sioux Center twice, George and Okoboji once each. Rock Valley has three state golf titles, all won as a member of the Siouxland Conference. Central Lyon and Sheldon have each won a cross country championship. Sibley-Ocheyedan won a women's Class 2A cross country title in 1997. Rock Valley is the only team in the conference to win a baseball championship.

Sports offered

The conference offers the following sports:

• Summer – baseball and softball
• Fall – football, cross country and volleyball
• Winter – basketball and wrestling
• Spring – track and field and golf

References

1. "IHSAA: Classifications".
2. ^ "Akron withdraws from Siouxland Conference". Newspapers.com. May 15, 1974. p. 7. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
3. ^ "Won Conference". Le Mars Globe-Post. Newspapers.com. February 9, 1956. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
4. "Tickets on sale". Hawarden Independent. September 10, 1953. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
5. "Junior Gridsters Lack Experience". Hawarden Independent. September 17, 1953. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
6. "New Siouxland League Formed With Rock Valley". The Independent. December 24, 1959. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
7. "Football Facts Concerning W. Sioux". The Independent. Newspapers.com. August 29, 1974. p. 7. Retrieved January 12, 2014.
8. "Siouxland conference kicks off this Friday, Sept. 6". The Sioux County Index. Newspapers.com. September 5, 1974. p. 7. Retrieved April 20, 2014.
9. "Siouxland football report". Sioux County Index. September 16, 1965. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
10. ^ "Boyden–Hull will entertain Warriors in final grid contest at Hull Friday". Sioux Center News. October 28, 1965. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
11. "(Sioux Center and Central) Lyon Join Siouxland Conference". The Sioux County Index. Newspapers.com. January 26, 1967. p. 1. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
12. "Independent Auditor's Reports" (PDF). State Auditor of Iowa. June 30, 2004. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
13. Weber, Tim (February 7, 1990). "Okoboji Joins Siouxland". Spencer Daily Reporter. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
14. "School district changes in Iowa". November 1, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
15. Kroeze, Bethany (October 16, 2008). "Remsen-Union to join War Eagle Conference next fall". Le Mars Daily Sentinel. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
16. Kroeze, Bethany (January 15, 2009). "Sheldon says goodbye to Lakes Conference". Le Mars Daily Sentinel. Retrieved January 3, 2014.
17. "Byers: George-Little Rock officially applies to War Eagle". October 3, 2022.
18. "Byers: George-Little Rock officially applies to War Eagle". October 3, 2022.
19. "George-Little Rock is officially accepted into War Eagle Conference". November 2022.
20. "Byers: Siouxland Conference accepts Unity Christian on fifth attempt". October 24, 2022.
21. "Local Tribe Ends Perfect Season With 29 Wins". Sioux Center News. Newspapers.com. March 12, 1959. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
22. Hersom, Terry (March 21, 2003). "Sioux Center claims 2A championship". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
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26. "League in 13th Straight". Lyon County Reporter. March 24, 1999. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
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31. Hersom, Terry (March 5, 2012). "Sioux Center ousted after dropping controversial verdict". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
32. Hersom, Terry (March 18, 2006). "George-Little Rock wins Class 1A state championship". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
33. Harmelink, Margie (March 20, 2006). "George-Little Rock BB team welcomed home by fans". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
34. Johnson, Trent (March 9, 2013). "St. Mary's unable to deny Boyden-Hull repeat". Spencer Daily Reporter. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
35. Hersom, Terry (March 8, 2013). "Boyden-Hull downs Panthers for back-to-back titles". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
36. "Boyden-Hull, Sheldon Boys Claim State Basketball Titles". ExploreOkoboji.com. Retrieved January 5, 2014.
37. "West Lyon beats Dunkerton 60-32 for 1A title". Washington Times. Associated Press. March 14, 2014. Archived from the original on April 28, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2015.
38. James, Zach (March 13, 2020). "CLASS 2A CHAMPIONSHIP: Boyden-Hull wins fourth title, gets even with North Linn". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
39. Bain, Matthew (March 13, 2020). "Iowa boys' state basketball: Boyden-Hull gets revenge vs. North Linn for Class 2A title". Des Moines Register. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
40. Bain, Matthew (March 12, 2021). "Iowa boys' state basketball: Western Christian outlasts Boyden-Hull for Class 2A title". Des Moines Register. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
41. Butz, Dolly (March 11, 2021). "Excitement in Hull as crosstown high school boys basketball squads meet for state title". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
42. James, Zach (March 12, 2021). "TENTH TITLE :Western Christian defeats Boyden-Hull in All-Hull Class 2A boys basketball final". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
43. Wolter, Doug (December 23, 2014). "Girls basketball: Henry is back, and loving every second". Worthington Daily Globe. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
44. "Sibley-Ocheyedan hopes to defend state title". The Daily Reporter. December 5, 1986. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
45. "House Journal". Iowa General Assembly. March 12, 1996. p. 667. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
46. Allspach, Stephen (March 19, 2003). "Rock Valley's Remmerde named state's Miss Basketball". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
47. Thorstenson, Erik (March 6, 2013). "Central Lyon Girls Named KSFY/Taco John's Athletes of the Week". KSFY-TV. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
48. "MOC-Floyd Valley wins 3A title". Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Associated Press. March 8, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
49. Poe, Barry (March 11, 2014). "MOC-Floyd Valley's Conaway named Miss Iowa Basketball". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
50. Poe, Barry (February 28, 2011). "MOC-Floyd Valley puts unbeaten record on line tonight". Sioux City Journal. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
51. "41 Years of Football Playoff Champions" (PDF). Iowa High School Athletic Association. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
52. "West Lyon (takes home fourth state title)". West Lyon Herald. New Century Press Publications. November 27, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
53. "2013 State Championship Game Results and Score Updates". Iowa High School Athletic Association. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
54. "All-Time Track Team Champions and Runners Up" (PDF). Iowa High School Athletic Association. June 4, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
55. "2013-14 Golf Stat Book" (PDF). Iowa High School Athletic Association. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
56. "2013 IHSAA Cross Country Stat Book" (PDF). Iowa High School Athletic Association. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
57. Kelly, Dick (November 3, 1997). "McDermott,Pence run to state titles Cedar Falls' girls place sixth and boys are ninth at cross country championship". Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved July 8, 2014.
58. "IHSAA Baseball State Championship Game Results" (PDF). Iowa High School Athletic Association. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
59. "Constitution of the Siouxland Conference" (PDF). Central Lyon School District. May 2008. Retrieved April 8, 2014.

External links

• Official website

• High school sports in Iowa
• 1952 establishments in Iowa
• Sports leagues established in 1952