National Trail Conference
Encyclopedia
The National Trail Conference is an historic high school conference in east central Illinois
. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association
(IHSA). The conference comprises ten public high schools and one private high school with small enrollments in portions of Effingham, Fayette
, Shelby, Cumberland and Jasper
counties.
Founded in 1935, the National Trail Conference was named after the National Road
, which runs through the heart of the conference in Effingham and Fayette Counties and coincides with U.S. Route 40
.
While none of the schools in the NTC (as it is informally known) sponsor football, the conference is well-recognized around the state for having strong boys and girls basketball teams. The Teutopolis Lady Shoes have won five state titles, the second-most of any team in Illinois, while the Teutopolis boys have won one state title (in 1986) and numerous regional and sectional crowns. Effingham St. Anthony and St. Elmo have also made appearances at the Illinois high school boys basketball championship
, while Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City (a co-op between two member schools in girls basketball) has made an appearance in the girls final four.
Sources:IHSA Conferences and IHSA Member Schools Directory
After the consolidation of Cowden and Herrick, the conference's membership stayed stable until the 2009 season, when the Dieterich Movin' Maroons became full time members after leaving the Midland Trail Conference.
The conference has invited South Central High School, located in Farina
, to join beginning in the 2012-13 school year.
Teutopolis will leave the NTC following the 2011-2012 school year and became an independent.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. The conference participates in athletics and activities in the Illinois High School Association
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
(IHSA). The conference comprises ten public high schools and one private high school with small enrollments in portions of Effingham, Fayette
Fayette County, Illinois
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 22,140, which is an increase of 1.6% from 21,802 in 2000. Its county seat is Vandalia...
, Shelby, Cumberland and Jasper
Jasper County, Illinois
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counties.
Founded in 1935, the National Trail Conference was named after the National Road
National Road
The National Road or Cumberland Road was the first major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government. Construction began heading west in 1811 at Cumberland, Maryland, on the Potomac River. It crossed the Allegheny Mountains and southwestern Pennsylvania, reaching...
, which runs through the heart of the conference in Effingham and Fayette Counties and coincides with U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40
U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
.
While none of the schools in the NTC (as it is informally known) sponsor football, the conference is well-recognized around the state for having strong boys and girls basketball teams. The Teutopolis Lady Shoes have won five state titles, the second-most of any team in Illinois, while the Teutopolis boys have won one state title (in 1986) and numerous regional and sectional crowns. Effingham St. Anthony and St. Elmo have also made appearances at the Illinois high school boys basketball championship
Illinois high school boys basketball championship
The Illinois High School Boys Basketball Championship is a single elimination tournament held each spring. It is organized by the Illinois High School Association ....
, while Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City (a co-op between two member schools in girls basketball) has made an appearance in the girls final four.
Current Membership
| School | Location | Mascot | Colors | Enrollment | IHSA Illinois High School Association The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High... Classes 2/3/4 |
IHSA Illinois High School Association The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High... Music Class |
IHSA Illinois High School Association The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High... Cheerleading Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altamont High School | Altamont, IL | Indians | 260 | A/1A/1A | D | Small squad | |
| Beecher City High School | Beecher City, IL | Eagles | 138 | A/1A/1A | D | Small squad | |
| Brownstown High School | Brownstown, IL | Bombers | 121 | A/1A/1A | D | Small squad | |
| Cowden-Herrick High School | Cowden, IL | Hornets | 145 | A/1A/1A | D | Small Squad | |
| Dieterich High School | Dieterich, IL | Movin Maroons | 139 | A/1A/1A | D | Small squad | |
| Neoga High School Neoga Community Unit School District 3 Neoga Community Unit School District 3 is a unified school district located in the central Illinois city of Neoga, for which the district is named. Neoga, in turn, is a city located in northwestern Cumberland County. The district is composed of three schools: one elementary school, one middle... |
Neoga, IL | Indians | 249 | A/1A/1A | D | Small squad | |
| St. Anthony High School St. Anthony High School (Illinois) St. Anthony High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Effingham, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois. St. Anthony was established in 1874 by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. It is the only Catholic high school in a 50 mile... |
Effingham, IL | Bulldogs | 218 (353.1 with multiplier) | A/1A/2A | D | Small squad | |
| St. Elmo High School | St. Elmo, IL | Eagles | 156 | A/1A/1A | D | Small squad | |
| Stewardson-Strasburg High School Stewardson-Strasburg High School Stewardson-Strasburg Community High School , located in Shelby County, Illinois is the lone senior high school in Stewardson-Strasburg Community Unit School District 5A. Stewardson-Strasburg High School is located approximately three miles between Stewardson and Strasburg on Illinois Route 32... |
Strasburg, IL | Comets | 151 | A/1A/1A | D | Small squad | |
| Teutopolis High School | Teutopolis, IL | Wooden Shoes | 419 | A/1A/2A | C | Small squad. | |
| Windsor High School | Windsor, IL | Blue Devils | 156 | A/1A/1A | C | Small squad | |
Sources:IHSA Conferences and IHSA Member Schools Directory
History
The National Trail Conference (NTC) was established in 1935. Ten of the eleven schools — all except Dieterich — have been members since the conference's founding. The conference lost Herrick High School when it was consolidated with Cowden High School in 1971 the merged school is considered a brand-new school district. Stewardson High School and Strasburg High School were also consolidated into one district, in 1951.After the consolidation of Cowden and Herrick, the conference's membership stayed stable until the 2009 season, when the Dieterich Movin' Maroons became full time members after leaving the Midland Trail Conference.
The conference has invited South Central High School, located in Farina
Farina, Illinois
Farina is a village in Fayette County, Illinois, United States. As of the 1990 census, the village population was 575, in 254 housing units. The population was 558 at the 2000 census...
, to join beginning in the 2012-13 school year.
Teutopolis will leave the NTC following the 2011-2012 school year and became an independent.
Competitive Success
National Trail Conference teams have won 16 state championships in IHSA sponsored athletics and activities, most recently the 2011 Class 2A state baseball championship, won by Teutopolis. The Wooden Shoes have won 9 state titles in four different sports (boys and girls basketball, baseball and track and field). NTC teams have won numerous regional and sectional titles and most have competed in the final four at least once in either boys or girls basketball.Cooperative Arrangements
Girls basketball in academic years 2009-2010 and 2010–2011- Cowden-Herrick and Beecher City
- Brownstown and St. Elmo
- Shelbyville and Windsor and Stewardson-Strasburg