Braveland Conference
Former Wisconsin high school athletic conference

The Braveland Conference is a former high school athletic conference in Wisconsin, formed in 1953 and ending competition in 1993. Its membership was concentrated in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and members were affiliated with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association.

History

1953–1955

Map
30km
19miles
Watertown
Port Washington
Menomonee Falls
Cedarburg
Location of Original Braveland Conference Members

The Braveland Conference was formed in 1953 by four high schools in the outer suburbs of Milwaukee: Cedarburg, Menomonee Falls, Port Washington and Watertown.[1] Cedarburg and Menomonee Falls had previously been members of the 4-C Conference, and Port Washington and Watertown competed independent of conference affiliation.[2] It was formed after several failed attempts by the four original members to join the Little Ten Conference, dating back to the late 1940s.[3][4][5] The Braveland Conference was named after the National League's Milwaukee Braves, who had just relocated from Boston a few months earlier.[6]

1955–1963

Due to the rapid growth around the Milwaukee area occurring after World War II, new school districts began to pop up in and around Milwaukee County. In 1955, Salem Central in western Kenosha County joined the conference,[7] followed by Brookfield and Nicolet in 1956.[8] Salem Central left in 1958 to join the Southeastern Wisconsin Conference and cut down on the long travel distances to Milwaukee’s northern suburbs that they had been experiencing as Braveland members.[9] They were replaced by the new high schools in Granville and Muskego that same year.[10] Oak Creek joined the conference in 1959,[11] just as Watertown left to rejoin the Little Ten Conference.[12] In 1961, the conference added six schools: Brookfield East,[13] Greendale (formerly of the Suburban Conference), Greenfield, Homestead, New Berlin and Whitnall. Brookfield East and New Berlin joined as junior varsity members before attaining full membership in 1962. To accommodate this growth, the conference split into two divisions.[14]

Northern Braveland Southern Braveland
Cedarburg Brookfield Central
Granville Greendale
Homestead Greenfield
Menomonee Falls Muskego
Nicolet Oak Creek
Port Washington Whitnall

In 1962, Brookfield East and New Berlin joined as full members, and they were placed in the Southern Braveland. The newly renamed Brookfield Central shifted to the Northern Braveland to accommodate the expansion. Hamilton High School in Sussex joined that same year as a junior varsity member.[15]

Northern Braveland Southern Braveland
Brookfield Central Brookfield East
Cedarburg Greendale
Granville Greenfield
Homestead Muskego
Menomonee Falls New Berlin
Nicolet Oak Creek
Port Washington Whitnall

1963–1980

Map
13km
8.1miles
Sussex Hamilton
Port Washington
Nicolet
Menomonee Falls North
Menomonee Falls East
Homestead
Cedarburg
Brown Deer
Brookfield East
Brookfield Central
Location of Braveland Conference Members (1969-1980)

The influx of new high schools in the Milwaukee area led both the Braveland and Suburban Conferences to begin discussing realignment options in the early 1960s.[16] With three more high schools set to join as full members in 1963 (Franklin, St. Francis and Sussex Hamilton), conference leadership decided that a seventeen-member conference was too unwieldy to continue.[17] The eight members in the southern suburbs left to form what later became the Parkland Conference:[18] Franklin, Greendale, Greenfield, Muskego, New Berlin, Oak Creek, St. Francis and Whitnall.[19] Their departure solidified the Braveland as a conference for the Milwaukee area's northern second-ring suburban schools. In 1966, Granville High School changed its name to Brown Deer High School,[20][21] due in part to annexation of the formerly unincorporated town of Granville into the city of Milwaukee a few years earlier.[22][23] Conference membership increased to ten in 1969 with the split of Menomonee Falls High School into Menomonee Falls East and Menomonee Falls North.[24]

1980–1985

After years of discussion on high school conference realignment without any sort of resolution, the WIAA presented a sweeping realignment plan for southeastern Wisconsin to take effect for the 1980-81 school year. Two conferences were dissolved (the Scenic Moraine and South Shore)[25] and four of the thirteen displaced schools joined the Braveland, bringing membership to fourteen. Arrowhead, Germantown and Grafton joined from the Scenic Moraine and Kenosha Bradford from the South Shore.[26][27] The Braveland Conference competed as a single division for most sports with the exception of football, which subdivided into two groups that were originally referred to Division A and Division B:[28]

Football-Only Alignment
Division A Division B
Arrowhead Brown Deer
Brookfield Central Cedarburg
Brookfield East Germantown
Menomonee Falls East Grafton
Menomonee Falls North Homestead
Kenosha Bradford Nicolet
Sussex Hamilton Port Washington

For the 1982 football season, Kenosha Bradford and Germantown swapped divisions, and Divisions A and B were renamed the West and East Divisions, respectively.[29] In 1983, Kenosha Bradford left the Braveland Conference to join the Milwaukee Area Conference,[30] and the next year, the two Menomonee Falls high schools merged to form a new Menomonee Falls High School[31][32] on East's campus. The new school inherited their predecessors' membership in the Braveland Conference.

1985–1993

Map
13km
8.1miles
Waukesha South
Waukesha North
Sussex Hamilton
Mukwonago
Menomonee Falls
Brookfield East
Brookfield Central
Arrowhead
Location of Braveland Conference Members (1985-1993)

In 1985, another round of conference realignment had occurred in southeastern Wisconsin, and seven schools left the Braveland Conference. Brown Deer joined the Parkland Conference, and six schools (Cedarburg, Germantown, Grafton, Homestead, Nicolet and Port Washington) left to form the North Shore Conference (along with former Suburban Conference members Shorewood, Wauwatosa East, Wauwatosa West and Whitefish Bay). Replacing the seven schools exiting the conference were Mukwonago from the Parkland Conference and Waukesha North and Waukesha South from the Suburban Conference.[33] For the final eight years of the conference's existence, all of its member schools were located in Waukesha County.

Epilogue

The Braveland Conference was realigned out of existence by the WIAA after the 1992-93 school year. Its four largest members (Arrowhead, Mukwonago, Waukesha North and Waukesha South)[34] joined the new fifteen-member Southeast Conference. The four smaller schools were dispersed to three different conferences: Brookfield Central and Brookfield East went to the new Woodland Conference, and Menomonee Falls and Sussex Hamilton went to the North Shore and Parkland Conferences, respectively.[35] Waukesha West High School was slated to become a member of the Braveland when they opened in 1993,[36] but the conference had been disbanded by that time and they joined the Southeast Conference.

Conference membership history

Final members

School Location Affiliation Enrollment [37] Mascot Colors Joined Left Conference Joined Current Conference
Arrowhead Hartland, WI Public 2,076 Warhawks       1980 1993 Southeast Classic 8
Brookfield Central[a] Brookfield, WI Public 1,270 Lancers       1956 1993 Woodland Greater Metro
Brookfield East Brookfield, WI Public 1,362 Spartans       1961 1993 Woodland Greater Metro
Menomonee Falls Menomonee Falls, WI Public 1,292 Indians     1984 1993 North Shore Greater Metro
Mukwonago Mukwonago, WI Public 1,619 Indians     1985 1993 Southeast Classic 8
Sussex Hamilton Sussex, WI Public 1,551 Chargers     1962 1993 Parkland Greater Metro
Waukesha North Waukesha, WI Public 1,018 Northstars       1985 1993 Southeast Woodland
Waukesha South Waukesha, WI Public 1,179 Blackshirts       1985 1993 Southeast Woodland

Notes

  1. ^ Known as Brookfield High School from 1956-1961.

Previous members

School Location Affiliation Enrollment [37] Mascot Colors Joined Left Conference Joined Current Conference
Brown Deer[a] Brown Deer, WI Public 579 Falcons     1958 1985 Parkland Woodland
Cedarburg Cedarburg, WI Public 1,087 Bulldogs     1953 1985 North Shore
Germantown Germantown, WI Public 1,332 Warhawks     1980 1985 North Shore Greater Metro
Grafton Grafton, WI Public 713 Black Hawks     1980 1985 North Shore
Greendale Greendale, WI Public 931 Panthers     1961 1963 Parkland Woodland
Greenfield Greenfield, WI Public 1,163 Hustlin' Hawks     1961 1963 Parkland Woodland
Homestead Mequon, WI Public 1,261 Highlanders     1961 1985 North Shore
Kenosha Bradford Kenosha, WI Public 1,765 Red Devils       1980 1983 Milwaukee Area Southeast
Menomonee Falls East Menomonee Falls, WI Public N/A Titans     1969 1984 Closed (merged into Menomonee Falls)
Menomonee Falls North[b] Menomonee Falls, WI Public N/A Indians     1953 1984 Closed (merged into Menomonee Falls)
Muskego Muskego, WI Public 1,683 Warriors       1958 1963 Parkland Classic Eight
New Berlin[c] New Berlin, WI Public 699 Vikings     1961 1963 Parkland Woodland
Nicolet Glendale, WI Public 1,086 Knights       1956 1985 North Shore
Oak Creek Oak Creek, WI Public 2,170 Knights     1959 1963 Parkland Classic 8 (2025)
Port Washington Port Washington, WI Public 815 Pirates     1953 1985 North Shore Glacier Trails
Salem Central[d] Paddock Lake, WI Public 1,220 Falcons     1955 1958 Southeastern Wisconsin Southern Lakes
Watertown Watertown, WI Public 1,170 Goslings     1953 1959 Little Ten Badger
Whitnall Greenfield, WI Public 826 Falcons       1961 1963 Parkland Woodland

Notes

  1. ^ Known as Granville Union High School from 1958-1966.
  2. ^ Known as Menomonee Falls High School prior to 1969.
  3. ^ Currently known as New Berlin West High School.
  4. ^ Currently known as Westosha Central High School.

Membership timeline

 Junior Varsity only  Northern Braveland  Southern Braveland

List of state champions

Fall sports

Boys Cross Country
School Year Division
Port Washington 1956 Small Schools
Port Washington 1957 Small Schools
Port Washington 1960 Small Schools
Brookfield Central 1964 Medium Schools
Homestead 1967 Medium Schools
Menomonee Falls North 1971 Medium Schools
Menomonee Falls North 1976 Class A
Menomonee Falls North 1982 Class A
Brookfield Central 1986 Class A
Girls Cross Country
School Year Division
Waukesha North 1992 Division 1
Football
School Year Division
Menomonee Falls East 1976 Division 2
Grafton 1981 Division 2
Grafton 1982 Division 2
Girls Golf
School Year Division
Nicolet 1984 Single Division
Girls Swimming & Diving
School Year Division
Homestead 1984 Single Division
Arrowhead 1987 Single Division
Girls Tennis
School Year Division
Nicolet 1975 Single Division
Nicolet 1976 Single Division
Nicolet 1977 Single Division
Nicolet 1978 Single Division
Nicolet 1980 Single Division
Nicolet 1981 Single Division
Nicolet 1982 Single Division
Brookfield Central 1983 Single Division
Brookfield Central 1984 Single Division
Brookfield Central 1985 Single Division
Brookfield Central 1986 Single Division
Brookfield Central 1987 Single Division
Brookfield Central 1991 Single Division

Winter sports

Girls Basketball
School Year Division
Brookfield Central 1985 Class A
Arrowhead 1988 Class A
Arrowhead 1991 Class A
Gymnastics
School Year Division
Homestead 1975 Single Division
Brookfield Central 1976 Single Division
Brookfield Central 1977 Single Division
Brookfield East 1978 Class A
Brookfield East 1979 Class A
Nicolet 1980 Class A
Nicolet 1981 Class A
Nicolet 1982 Class A
Brookfield Central 1988 Class A
Brookfield Central 1991 Class A
Boys Swimming & Diving
School Year Division
Greenfield 1963 Single Division
Boys Wrestling
School Year Division
Port Washington 1971 Single Division
Port Washington 1984 Class A

Spring sports

Baseball
School Year Division
Watertown 1955 Single Division
Boys Golf
School Year Division
Brookfield Central 1978 Single Division
Nicolet 1980 Single Division
Waukesha South 1989 Single Division
Softball
School Year Division
Menomonee Falls East 1979 Class A
Arrowhead 1982 Class A
Boys Tennis
School Year Division
Nicolet 1959 Single Division
Nicolet 1967 Single Division
Nicolet 1968 Single Division
Nicolet 1969 Single Division
Nicolet 1970 Single Division
Nicolet 1971 Single Division
Nicolet 1972 Single Division
Nicolet 1973 Single Division
Nicolet 1974 Single Division
Nicolet 1976 Single Division
Nicolet 1977 Single Division
Nicolet 1978 Single Division
Brookfield East 1979 Single Division
Brookfield East 1980 Single Division
Brookfield East 1981 Single Division
Nicolet 1982 Single Division
Nicolet 1983 Single Division
Nicolet 1984 Single Division
Brookfield Central 1985 Single Division
Boys Track & Field
School Year Division
Port Washington 1954 Class B
Homestead 1963 Class B
Homestead 1964 Class B
Sussex Hamilton 1978 Class A
Brookfield Central 1983 Class A
Waukesha North 1993 Class A
Girls Track & Field
School Year Division
Homestead 1983 Class A

Summer sports

Baseball[a]
School Year Division
Granville 1966 Single Division
Brookfield Central 1969 Single Division
Homestead 1974 Single Division
Brown Deer 1975 Single Division
Brookfield Central 1976 Single Division
Brown Deer 1977 Single Division
Homestead 1978 Single Division
Sussex Hamilton 1981 Single Division
Nicolet 1985 Single Division

Notes

  1. ^ Baseball was sponsored by the WIAA as a spring and summer sport from 1965-2018. The Braveland Conference competed in baseball as a summer sport during this time period.

List of conference champions

Boys Basketball

School Quantity Years
(Brookfield) Central 9 1958, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1970, 1983, 1984, 1986
(Menomonee Falls) North 7 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1969, 1980
Waukesha South 5 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992
Brookfield East 4 1968, 1977, 1985, 1987
Cedarburg 3 1955, 1956, 1967
Homestead 3 1963, 1964, 1978
Nicolet 3 1971, 1972, 1973
Port Washington 3 1954, 1960, 1974
Sussex Hamilton 3 1975, 1976, 1979
Watertown 3 1955, 1956, 1957
Menomonee Falls 2 1988, 1993
(Granville) Brown Deer 1 1982
Greenfield 1 1963
Menomonee Falls East 1 1981
Waukesha North 1 1986
Arrowhead 0
Germantown 0
Grafton 0
Greendale 0
Kenosha Bradford 0
Mukwonago 0
Muskego 0
New Berlin 0
Oak Creek 0
Salem Central 0
Whitnall 0

Girls Basketball

School Quantity Years
Brookfield East 9 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987
Arrowhead 7 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
Menomonee Falls East 2 1981, 1982
Waukesha South 2 1990, 1993
Nicolet 1 1979
Waukesha North 1 1992
Brookfield Central 0
Brown Deer 0
Cedarburg 0
Germantown 0
Grafton 0
Homestead 0
Kenosha Bradford 0
Menomonee Falls 0
Menomonee Falls North 0
Mukwonago 0
Port Washington 0
Sussex Hamilton 0

Football

School Quantity Years
Port Washington 10 1957, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1964, 1971, 1972, 1978, 1979, 1983
(Brookfield) Central 9 1958, 1960, 1961, 1964, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972, 1974
Menomonee Falls East 5 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1982
Grafton 4 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984
(Granville) Brown Deer 4 1962, 1965, 1967, 1975
Menomonee Falls 3 1985, 1986, 1991
Waukesha South 3 1988, 1989, 1990
Arrowhead 2 1991, 1992
(Menomonee Falls) North 2 1981, 1982
Watertown 2 1954, 1956
Greenfield 1 1962
Homestead 1 1963
Mukwonago 1 1987
Muskego 1 1958
Nicolet 1 1966
Salem Central 1 1955
Sussex Hamilton 1 1980
Brookfield East 0
Cedarburg 0
Germantown 0
Greendale 0
Kenosha Bradford 0
New Berlin 0
Oak Creek 0
Waukesha North 0
Whitnall 0

References

  1. ^ "Organize New Athletic Loop". Waukesha Freeman. October 5, 1953. p. 9. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  2. ^ "Port Washington, 2 Other Schools Form New Loop". West Bend News. April 7, 1953. p. 6. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  3. ^ "School Denied Little 10 Entry". Cedarburg News. April 2, 1947. p. 9. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  4. ^ "Little Ten Holds Spring Meeting; No New Members". Hartford Times-Press. March 10, 1950. p. 1. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  5. ^ "Little Ten Rejects Four New Applications". Hartford Times-Press. December 11, 1952. p. 10. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  6. ^ "New League". The Capital Times. September 25, 1953. p. 13. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  7. ^ "Kenoshans Had Banner Sports Year". Kenosha News. December 31, 1954. p. 16. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  8. ^ "Braveland Loop Adds Two Teams". Kenosha News. March 7, 1956. p. 13. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  9. ^ Sovitzky, George (January 9, 1958). "Central Quits Braveland, Joins Southeastern". Kenosha News. p. 19. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  10. ^ Dunn, Pat (January 12, 1958). "SEC Has Met Growing Pains by Expansion". Racine Journal Times. p. 35. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  11. ^ "Muskego Trims Oak Creek Quint". Waukesha County Freeman. December 10, 1958. p. 12. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  12. ^ "Watertown Quits Braveland Loop". Wisconsin State Journal. May 8, 1958. p. 43. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  13. ^ "Sorenson to Coach at Brookfield East". Waukesha County Freeman. April 19, 1961. p. 8. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  14. ^ "Greendale Enters Braveland League". The Waukesha County Freeman. September 20, 1960. p. 10. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  15. ^ Blanchard, Ken (February 4, 1962). "Moran, Dean of Coulee Coaches, To Leave Salem". La Crosse Tribune. p. 10. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  16. ^ "Braveland Conference May Be Reorganized". Sheboygan Press. January 27, 1960. p. 26. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  17. ^ "New Prep Conference Being Set Up Among 17 Braveland Teams". Sheboygan Press. February 21, 1962. p. 20. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  18. ^ "Vikings Gird For Opener - New Berlin Makes Debut In Parkland". Waukesha County Freeman. March 28, 1963. p. 16. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  19. ^ "President Selected For "New" Braveland Conference Divisions". Sheboygan Press. April 19, 1962. p. 30. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  20. ^ "School Building History". Brown Deer Public Library, School Building History, page 3 (see Brown Deer High School entry). 1986. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  21. ^ Associated Press (August 7, 1966). "Granville Wins State Baseball Title". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. p. 10. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  22. ^ "Village of Brown Deer, Wisconsin History". Village of Brown Deer. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  23. ^ United Press International (April 3, 1962). "Milwaukee Wins Major Victory in Annexation". Green Bay Press-Gazette. p. 29. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  24. ^ "Our History". Menomonee Falls Schools. Retrieved October 23, 2024.
  25. ^ Associated Press (April 4, 1979). "WIAA realignment OK'd". Baraboo News Republic. p. 13. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  26. ^ "Alignment to split Tremper, Bradford". Kenosha News. March 20, 1979. p. 29. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  27. ^ Mooren, Tony (March 20, 1979). "Suburban Could Become 15-School Conference". Waukesha County Freeman. p. 8. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  28. ^ "Grafton wraps it up". Ozaukee County News Graphic. October 29, 1980. p. 13. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  29. ^ "Grafton raps Red Devils to win division title". Ozaukee County News Graphic. November 1, 1982. p. 8. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  30. ^ Associated Press (March 2, 1982). "WIAA realigns conference". Oshkosh Northwestern. p. 19. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  31. ^ Brezonick, Michael J. (October 4, 1983). "Tough choices face officials in Menomonee Falls". Waukesha County Freeman. p. 5. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  32. ^ Brezonick, Michael J. (August 28, 1984). "Falls becomes football Goliath". Waukesha County Freeman. p. 11. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  33. ^ Fensin, Lee (August 27, 1985). "Waukesha teams begin play in new conference". Waukesha County Freeman. p. 19. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  34. ^ Fensin, Lee (August 8, 1992). "Many Braveland schools share in success". Waukesha Freeman. pp. 10D. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  35. ^ "High School Scoreboard". Waukesha Freeman. September 11, 1993. p. 31. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  36. ^ Moshier, Todd (January 26, 1991). "Alternate proposal being drawn up". Waukesha County Freeman. pp. 12–D. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  37. ^ a b Wilson, Travis (November 27, 2023). "All school enrollment figures for 2023-24 sports year with one- and five-year enrollment comparisons". Wisconsin Sports Network. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
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