Toledo Area Athletic Conference (OHSAA)

The member schools of the TAAC. Full-members are in red, football-only members are in green, and future football-only members for 2016 are in blue.

The Toledo Area Athletic Conference (TAAC) is a high school athletic conference located in northwest Ohio, with member schools stretched across Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, Williams, and Wood counties. It was formed in 1988,[1] and the league sponsors football, cross country, volleyball, golf, basketball, wrestling, baseball, softball, and track & field.

Current members

School Nickname Location Region Colors Type Membership Type Joined League
Calvert Senecas Tiffin 7:24 Royal Blue, White
         
Parochial Full 2014-2016
Cardinal Stritch Catholic[2] Cardinals Oregon 7:24 Red, Black
         
Parochial Full 1995
Danbury Lakers Lakeside 7:24 Blue, White
         
Public Full 1988
Edon Bombers Edon 7:24 Blue, White
         
Public Football-only 2005
Emmanuel Christian Warriors Toledo Green, White
         
Parochial No football 1988
Gibsonburg Golden Bears Gibsonburg 6:20 Orange, Black
         
Public Full 2011
Hilltop Cadets West Unity 7:24 Red, White
         
Public Football-only 2005
Maumee Valley Country Day Hawks Toledo Navy, White
         
Independent No football 1988
Northwood Rangers Northwood 6:20 Blue, Yellow
         
Public Full 2000
Ottawa Hills Green Bears Ottawa Hills 7:24 Kelly Green, White
         
Public Full 1988
Toledo Christian Eagles Toledo 7:24 Blue, Gold
         
Parochial Full 1988

Edon and Hilltop are primarily members of the Buckeye Border Conference for all sports, except for football, which is the only sport that they compete in the TAAC for.

Emmanuel Christian and Maumee Valley currently do not have football teams. Maumee Valley dropped football after the 1978 season.

Future members

School Nickname Location Region Colors Type Membership Type Joining League
Montpelier Locomotives Montpelier 6:20 Navy Blue, Columbia Blue, White
              
Public Football-only 2016

Former member

School Nickname Location Colors Type Membership Type Tenure in League
Lorain Catholic Spartans Lorain Scarlet, Gray
         
Parochial Football-only 1999-2004

League history

The TAAC began in 1988 when long-time rivals Danbury, Emmanuel Christian (then known as Emmanuel Baptist), Maumee Valley, and Ottawa Hills joined together with the recently expanded Toledo Christian (formerly McAuley High School) to compete in basketball. When Cardinal Strich joined in 1995 after going without sports for a while, the league teamed with the Buckeye Border Conference to create the 12-team Toledo Buckeye League, which involved cross-over games with both leagues' members.[3] This setup only lasted until June 1998, but both leagues continue to have members compete against each other.[4]

The first season for TAAC football was in 1999 with Cardinal Stritch, Danbury, Ottawa Hills, Toledo Christian and the recently added football-only Lorain Catholic competing for the inaugural title.[5]

In 2000, Northwood left the Suburban Lakes League for the TAAC, wanting to compete with schools closer to their size.[6] They initially joined in all sports but football, but fully joined the league the next year.

The TAAC lost its only member to date when Lorain Catholic closed at the end of the 2003-04 school year.[7]

Tired of competing in the South Central Athletic Association that was composed of several Michigan schools, Edon and Hilltop left to compete as football-only members in the TAAC in 2005. Former ties created in the old TBL made for the easy transition.

Emmanuel Baptist changed its name to Emmanuel Christian in the spring of 2006.[8]

In September 2009, Gibsonburg applied for membership when it became evident that the Suburban Lakes League was going to fold in the spring of 2011. On October 7, they were admitted as the 8th full member school in the league, after being complimented for their facilities and comparable enrollment to current members. They became a full-voting member on January 1, 2010 and joined the league for the 2011-12 school year.[9]

Former commissioner Dick Nowak noted that although the league was set with members, their five-year plan involved adding two more members and possibly going to a two-division format. He would not indicate which schools are interested in TAAC membership at the time. Rick Kaifas became the new TAAC commissioner on April 6, 2011.

In July 2012, Lakota High School and Fremont St. Joseph CC both sent letters of inquiry about joining the TAAC, concerned that the Midland Athletic League would dissolve after losing many members to other new leagues.[10]

On May 13, 2013, Tiffin Calvert announced that they would join the TAAC right after the Midland Athletic League disbanded in the spring of 2014. [11]

In May 2014, the TAAC approved adding NWOAL member Montpelier to its league for football only beginning with the 2016 season. Montpelier's school board approved the move in June 2014.[12][13]

On December 10, 2014, Tiffin Calvert announced plans to join the Sandusky Bay Conference beginning with the 2016-7 school year as part of the SBC's expansion plans.[14]

League championships

Football champions

Year Champions
1999 Cardinal Stritch Catholic
2000 Ottawa Hills
2001 Northwood
2002 Northwood
2003 Northwood
2004 Northwood, Ottawa Hills
2005 Ottawa Hills
2006 Cardinal Stritch Catholic
2007 Northwood
2008 Northwood
2009 Northwood
2010 Toledo Christian
2011 Northwood
2012 Northwood
2013 Northwood
2014 Calvert

See also

Ohio High School Athletic Conferences

References

  1. Three teams share role of favorite for basketball championship. Toledo Blade Dec 12, 1989
  2. http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2011/05/19/Stritch-to-add-Catholic-to-its-official-name.html
  3. Brighter day soon may dawn in Stritch sports. Toledo Blade Dec 8, 1994
  4. As noted on a banner in Cardinal Stritch High School's gymnasium
  5. 1999 HS Football Schedules. Toledo Blade Aug 26, 1999
  6. Stritch remains top team to beat. Toledo Blade Aug 23, 2000
  7. http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/19506/2/Lorain-Catholic-High-School-closes-its-doors-
  8. http://www.ecstoledo.org/who
  9. Gibsonburg becomes eighth member of TAAC. Toledo Blade Oct 7, 2009
  10. http://www.thecourier.com/Issues/2012/Jul/25/ar_sports_072512_story4.asp?d=072512_story4,2012,Jul,25&c=s
  11. Tiffin Calvert will join the Toledo Area Athletic Conference right after the Midland Athletic League disbands in the spring of 2014 Junga, Steve. Toledo Blade. May 14, 2013.
  12. http://www.bcsn.tv/news_article/show/386481?referrer_id=878183
  13. http://www.montpelier.k12.oh.us/userfiles/440/Montpelier%20League%20Change%20Press%20Release.pdf Montpelier League Change Press Release, June 5, 2014
  14. http://www.sanduskyregister.com/sports/football/6968216 Sandusky Bay Conference expansion finalized