The Southern Worcester County League (SWCL) was a high school athletic conference in the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. The league was formed circa 1923 and during its final year consisted of twelve public high schools in the southern part of Worcester County, Massachusetts. The league would fold in 2025 after merging with the Central Massachusetts Conference, Colonial Athletic League, Dual Valley Conference, and the Inter-High League, to form the Central Massachusetts Athletic Conference.
History Early members of the league included Bartlett, Blackstone (which became Blackstone-Millville Regional in the sixties), Grafton, Holden (which became Wachusett Regional in 1954), Mary E. Wells (which would become Southbridge High in the sixties), Millbury, Northbridge, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Spencer (which would soon become David Prouty), Uxbridge, and Warren (which would become Quaboag Regional forty years later).
In 1931, Ware High School left the Twin State Conference to join the SWCL for "[a] circuit more beneficial to them" However, their stint in the league was short lived, as they had joined the new Valley Wheel League only a few years later. By the 1960's, the landscape of the league had changed drastically. Shrewsbury and Wachusett, having outgrown the other schools had left for the Central Mass League. Blackstone-Millville left in 1965 to help form the Tri-Valley League. Charlton (which became Shepherd Hill Regional not long after), Leicester, Westborough, and West Boylston had now joined, proving to be great fits due to their size and location. In 1967, longtime member Warren left to join the newly formed Quaboag League, and Charlton followed a year later.
A new league was formed out of the SWCL in 1966 called the Border Conference, the name coming from the fact that the schools in the conference were on or near the Connecticut border. The SWCL schools that became a part of this new league were Bartlett, David Prouty, Tantasqua, and Southbridge, Auburn would join a couple years later. Westborough returned to the Midland League in 1974, now that the league had re-formed; David Prouty replaced them after leaving the Border Conference. After West Boylston left in 1992, the SWCL grabbed Auburn from the Border Conference. Thus began the beginning of the end for the Border Conference, now that longtime member Auburn was returning to the SWCL for the 1993 season. In 1997, the rest of the conference was absorbed by the SWCL, giving them schools Bartlett, Shepherd Hill, Southbridge, Tantasqua, and Quaboag. North Brookfield was the only member of the Border Conference not to join the SWCL, instead going to the Dual Valley Conference.
Finally in 2013, Shepherd Hill once again left the league, this time going to the Midland Wachusett League, looking for better competition as they had outgrown their fellow members. This would be the last change in lineup before the conference ended in 2025.
Former members +SchoolLocationMascotColorsCurrent ConferenceAuburn High SchoolAuburn, MassachusettsRocketsBlue & White Central Massachusetts Athletic ConferenceBartlett High SchoolWebster, MassachusettsIndiansGreen & White Central Massachusetts Athletic ConferenceBlackstone-Millville Regional High SchoolBlackstone, MassachusettsChargersPurple & Gold Central Massachusetts Athletic ConferenceDavid Prouty High SchoolSpencer, MassachusettsPanthersBlack & Orange Central Massachusetts Athletic ConferenceGrafton High SchoolGrafton, MassachusettsGatorsGreen & White Midland Wachusett LeagueLeicester High SchoolLeicester, MassachusettsWolverinesCentral Massachusetts Athletic ConferenceMillbury High SchoolMillbury, MassachusettsWooliesMaroon & White Central Massachusetts Athletic ConferenceNorthbridge High SchoolNorthbridge, MassachusettsRamsMaroon & White Central Massachusetts Athletic ConferenceOxford High SchoolOxford, MassachusettsPiratesOrange & Black Central Massachusetts Athletic ConferenceQuaboag Regional Middle High SchoolWarren, MassachusettsCougarsMaroon & White Central Massachusetts Athletic ConferenceShepherd Hill Regional High SchoolDudley, MassachusettsRamsMaroon & Gold Midland Wachusett LeagueShrewsbury High SchoolShrewsbury, MassachusettsColonialsNavy Blue & Vegas Gold Midland Wachusett LeagueSouthbridge High SchoolSouthbridge, MassachusettsPioneersRed & White Central Massachusetts Athletic ConferenceTantasqua Regional High SchoolSturbridge, MassachusettsWarriorsGreen & Gold Central Massachusetts Athletic ConferenceUxbridge High SchoolUxbridge, MassachusettsSpartansBlack & Orange Central Massachusetts Athletic ConferenceWachusett Regional High SchoolHolden, MassachusettsMountaineersGreen & White Midland Wachusett LeagueWare High SchoolWare, MassachusettsIndiansGreen & White Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic ConferenceWestborough High SchoolWestborough, MassachusettsRangersCardinal & Navy Blue Midland Wachusett LeagueWest Boylston Middle/High SchoolWest Boylston, MassachusettsLionsBlue & White Midland Wachusett League
State Championships This is a list of MIAA State championships won by schools while a part of the Southern Worcester County League
Football Source:Football Championship History
Note: From 1972 to 2012, football state championships were separated by region, so there would be multiple champions from each division. From 1972 to 1977 and from 1997 to 2008, it was split between Eastern Mass and Central/Western Mass and there would be two champions in each division. From 1978 to 1996 and from 2009 to 2012 Central and Western Mass split so there would be three champions in each division. In 2013 everything was combined and therefore only allowed one state champion per division. Northbridge - 1974, 1997, 1998 D3 Central/Western; 1987, 1989 D3 Central; 2001, 2002 D2 Central/Western; 2007 D2A Central/Western; 2011 D4 Central; 2015 D5 Grafton - 1984, 1985, 1986 D3 Central; 2012 D4 Central West Boylston - 1988 D3 Central Uxbridge - 1991, 1992 D3 Central; 2023, 2024 D7 Millbury - 1993 D3 Central; 2003 D2A Central/Western Oxford - 1997 D3A Central/Western Liecester - 2000, 2004 D2A Central/Western; 2011 D5 Central Shepherd Hill - 2007 D2 Central/Western Auburn - 2008 D2A Central/Western; 2009, 2010, D2 Central; 2011, 2012 D3 Central Tantasqua - 2008 D2 Central/Western David Prouty - 2009 D2 Central
Field hockey Source:Field Hockey State Championships
Quaboag - 1998, 2007 D2 Uxbridge - 2021-2024 D4
Soccer Source:Boys Soccer State Championship History
Boys
David Prouty - 1998 D2 Grafton - 2003 D3 Bartlett - 2006 D3
Girls
Grafton - 1996 D3 Shepherd Hill - 1997 D2 Auburn - 2011 D2 Millbury - 2015, 2016 D3; 2019 D4
Basketball Source:Basketball Boys State Champions
Boys
Tantasqua - 2007 D2
Girls
Oxford - 1992, 1993 D2 David Prouty - 1999 D2 Quaboag - 2004, 2006 D3
Ice hockey Source:Boys Ice Hockey State Champions
Boys
Auburn - 1968 Grafton - 2017 D3A (Co-Champs with Blackstone Valley Tech) Northbridge - 2019 D3A
Baseball Source:Baseball State Championship History
Grafton - 1976 D2 West Boylston 1977 D3 Millbury - 1984 D3 Oxford - 1986 D3 Auburn -1998, 2009 D2; 2017, 2018 D3 Northbridge - 1999 D3; 2010 D2
Softball Source:Softball State Championship History
Grafton - 2012, 2013, 2017 D2
References
External links
School websites Auburn High School Grafton High School Northbridge High School Tantasqua Regional High School Bartlett High School Millbury Memorial High School Southbridge High School Uxbridge High School David Prouty High School Leicester High School Oxford High School Quaboag Regional High School