The Suburban Lakes League (SLL) was an OHSAA athletic league with 7 member schools located in northwest Ohio. The league was formed in 1972 by former members of the Northern Lakes League, Sandusky Bay Conference, and the Lakeshore Conference.

Members at the time of dissolution

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The all-time members of the SLL over 1972-2011.
School Nickname Location Colors Tenure
Eastwood Eagles Pemberville Red, White, Columbia
     
1972-2011
Elmwood Royals Bloomdale Royal Blue, White
   
1972-2011
Genoa Comets Genoa Maroon, Gray
   
1972-2011
Gibsonburg Golden Bears Gibsonburg Orange, Black
   
1972-2011
Lake Flyers Millbury Navy, White, Columbia
     
1996-2011
Otsego Knights Tontogany Black, Orange, White
     
1972-2011
Woodmore Wildcats Elmore Navy, Gold
   
1972-2011

Former members

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School Nickname Location Colors Tenure
Lakota Raiders Kansas Navy, White
   
1972–2009
Northwood Rangers Northwood Blue, Yellow
   
1986–2000
Oak Harbor Rockets Oak Harbor Red, Green, White[1]
     
1972–1986

League history

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1970s

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  • For the 1972-73 school year, Eastwood, Elmwood, and Genoa leave the Northern Lakes League to form the SLL with Gibsonburg, Lakota, and Oak Harbor from the Sandusky Bay Conference, and Otsego and Woodmore from the Lakeshore Conference. Geographic location and comparable athletic competition were acknowledged as sound reasons for establishing the league.[2]

1980s

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  • At the end of the 1985-86 school year, Oak Harbor leaves to rejoin the Sandusky Bay Conference, leaving the SLL with seven members.[3]
  • Northwood joined the league as the eighth member for the 1986-87 school year after the Lakeshore Conference had folded in the winter of 1985.

1990s

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  • Lake becomes the ninth league member in 1996, leaving the NLL in similar fashion to its SLL predecessors.[4]
  • In 1999, the SLL extended an invitation to Rossford to be its tenth member. Rossford declined, which caused the SLL and TAAC to consider realigning their members with other area schools based on enrollment.[5]

2000s

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  • In 2000, Northwood leaves the league for the TAAC after Rossford declines to join the SLL as its tenth member.
  • In 2008, realignment issues are stirred up again when Lakota decides to leave for the Midland Athletic League in 2009, opening the door for another potential member.[6] Rossford was considered as the prime choice for replacement, but a 4-3 vote amongst member schools (4 in favor, 3 against) turned them down. 6 schools would have had to approve Rossford's admission due to the 75% vote clause.
  • In 2009, both Rossford and Fostoria High Schools were turned down as potential members with the current members not gathering the necessary 6-1 vote. However, the 7 SLL school principals later considered expanding the league to 12 members by the 2011-12 school year, with 2 divisions (Big Schools and Small Schools). The 5 other schools were not specifically named, but it was noted that both Rossford and Fostoria fit the profile of the larger school division, which would have included Eastwood, Genoa, Lake, and Otsego. The smaller division would have consisted of Elmwood, Gibsonburg, Woodmore, and 3 other area schools close to their enrollment sizes. Geography and size pointed at Northwood, Ottawa Hills, Cardinal Stritch, and Toledo Christian.[7] Eastwood and Genoa's superintendents decided that the 12 team league would not work because they did not want Fostoria in their league.
  • In May 2009, Eastwood, Genoa, Lake, Otsego, and Woodmore agreed to withdraw from the Suburban Lakes League and form a new league with Rossford.[8] This was an attempt to circumvent the bylaws of the league after Rossford was voted down by a 5-2 vote (Rossford needed 75% (6 out of 7) of the vote to be added into the SLL). It was decided that league play for the new Northern Buckeye Conference would begin in the fall of 2011. This move left Elmwood and Gibsonburg as the lone members of the SLL for that time.
  • Elmwood was invited to join the Northern Buckeye Conference on August 12 along with Fostoria.[9]
  • On September 9, 2009, Elmwood officially joined the NBC[10] after being turned away from the MAL the day before.[11] Gibsonburg was also denied MAL membership, but they applied to join the Toledo Area Athletic Conference on September 16.[12]
  • Gibsonburg was invited to join the TAAC on October 7, 2009. They became a voting member of the league on January 1, 2010 and joined the TAAC when the Suburban Lakes League dissolved in 2011.[13]

2010s

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  • Athletic competition for the league ended with the conclusion of the spring sports seasons in 2011.

State Champions

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BOYS

GIRLS

  • Lakota - Track & Field (Class AA) - 1987
  • Otsego - Volleyball (Div. III) - 1992
  • Eastwood - Volleyball (Div. II) - 1993
  • Woodmore - Cross Country (Div. II) - 1992, 1993
  • Woodmore - Cross Country (Div. III) - 1994
  • Woodmore - Track & Field (Div. III) - 1993
  • Gibsonburg - Softball (Div. IV) - 2001, 2002, 2003

Football champions

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Year Champions
1972 Genoa
1973 Gibsonburg
1974 Eastwood, Oak Harbor
1975 Genoa
1976 Genoa, Gibsonburg
1977 Eastwood
1978 Genoa
1979 Gibsonburg, Lakota
1980 Gibsonburg
1981 Oak Harbor, Otsego
1982 Oak Harbor
1983 Woodmore
1984 Oak Harbor
1985 Otsego
1986 Eastwood, Woodmore
1987 Otsego
1988 Eastwood
1989 Genoa
1990 Genoa, Otsego
1991 Elmwood, Northwood
1992 Genoa, Otsego
1993 Otsego
1994 Genoa
1995 Woodmore
1996 Woodmore
1997 Elmwood, Woodmore
1998 Elmwood, Gibsonburg
1999 Gibsonburg
2000 Gibsonburg, Otsego
2001 Lake
2002 Eastwood
2003 Eastwood, Elmwood
2004 Eastwood
2005 Eastwood, Elmwood, Otsego
2006 Eastwood, Elmwood
2007 Genoa
2008 Genoa
2009 Genoa
2010 Genoa

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Information". schedules.myohsaa.org. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  2. ^ "New Prep Conference Set". Toledo Blade. December 16, 1970. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  3. ^ "Maumee Wrestlers Win Northern Lakes Crown". Toledo Blade. February 23, 1986. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  4. ^ "Northview to join Northern Lakes League". Toledo Blade. August 29, 1995. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  5. ^ Schooley, Duane (December 16, 1999). "SLL and TAAC mull realignment". Toledo Blade. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  6. ^ Junga, Steve (July 19, 2010). "New frontier ahead for area leagues". Toledo Blade. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  7. ^ "Sweeping changes are ahead for SLL". Findlay Courier. March 26, 2009. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  8. ^ Junga, Steve (May 22, 2009). "5 from SLL join Rossford for new league". Toledo Blade. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
  9. ^ Junga, Steve (August 13, 2009). "NBC gives invitation to Fostoria, Elmwood". Toledo Blade. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  10. ^ Junga, Steve (September 10, 2009). "Elmwood will be eighth school in NBC". Toledo Blade. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  11. ^ Junga, Steve (September 9, 2009). "MAL denies 2 SLL schools". Toledo Blade. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  12. ^ Junga, Steve (September 17, 2009). "Gibsonburg applies to become TAAC member". Toledo Blade. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  13. ^ Wagner, John (October 7, 2009). "Gibsonburg becomes eighth member of TAAC". Toledo Blade. Retrieved September 10, 2010.