Cape Ann League Explained

Cape Ann League
Color:
  1. 800000
Font Color:
  1. ffd35a
Cape Ann League
Founded:1972
Conference:Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
Division:Division III & IV
Teams:12
Sports:24
Mens:12
Womens:11
Coed:1
Region:
Website:http://www.mascores.com?l=cal

The Cape Ann League (CAL) is a high school athletic conference in District A of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. The league is based mainly on or around Cape Ann, a small cape on the North Shore of Massachusetts.

Member schools

The CAL has twelve member schools in northeastern Massachusetts.[1] The schools in the Cape Ann League are split into two divisions: Cape Ann Kinney and Cape Ann Baker.

The Kinney division incorporates the schools with six largest enrollment within the league and compete in Division 3 for football. The Baker division incorporates the schools with six smallest enrollment within the league and compete in Division 4 for football.

Current members

InstitutionLocationFoundedNicknameEnrollment
(2022–23)
Kinney Division (Large)
Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical SchoolHathorne, Massachusetts2014Hawks1,564
Lynnfield High SchoolLynnfield, Massachusetts1960Pioneers600
Newburyport High SchoolNewburyport, Massachusetts1831Clippers798
North Reading High SchoolNorth Reading, Massachusetts1955Hornets661
Pentucket Regional High SchoolWest Newbury, Massachusetts1954Panthers673
Triton Regional High SchoolByfield, Massachusetts1971Vikings646
Baker Division (Small)
Amesbury High SchoolAmesbury, Massachusetts1882Red Hawks513
Georgetown Middle/High SchoolGeorgetown, MassachusettsRoyals337
Hamilton-Wenham Regional High SchoolSouth Hamilton, Massachusetts1936Generals524
Ipswich High SchoolIpswich, Massachusetts1642Tigers535
Manchester Essex Regional High SchoolManchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts2000Hornets459
Rockport High SchoolRockport, Massachusetts1865Vikings255

Former members

InstitutionLocationFoundedNicknameJoinedLeftCurrent
Conference
Wilmington High SchoolWilmington, MassachusettsWildcats19942011Middlesex League
North Andover High SchoolNorth Andover, MassachusettsScarlet Knights19712012Merrimack Valley Conference
Saugus Middle/High SchoolSaugus, Massachusetts1906Sachems20132014Northeastern Conference
Masconomet Regional High SchoolBoxford, Massachusetts1960Chieftains2020Northeastern Conference

History

Longtime Secretary and Treasurer of the Cape Ann League, Dick Baker, steps down after 41 years with the Cape Ann League. Baker also spent 18 years with the Northeastern Conference.[2]

Beginning in the 2011-12 season, Wilmington High School moved to the Middlesex League along with Arlington High School moving from the Dual County League.[3]

Prior to the 2012-13 school year, North Andover High School left the Cape Ann League after forty years to join the Merrimack Valley Conference (MVC).[4]

On December 14, 2012, Saugus High School announced on their Twitter account that they would join the Cape Ann League, leaving the Northeastern Conference for more success in their school athletics.[5] On January 18, 2013, the move was approved by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.[6]

At the conclusion of Saugus High School's first season in the Cape Ann League, they requested to rejoin the Northeastern Conference due to geographic and traveling issues.[7] The rejoin was approved by both high school conferences allowing Saugus High School to return to the Northeastern Conference. All sports would play in the Northeastern Conference, with the exception of football which would become independent for the 2014 fall season. The Saugus Sachems football team would play opponents from both the Cape Ann League and Northeastern Conference.[8]

Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, Essex Tech became a member of the Cape Ann League after many years playing in the Commonwealth Athletic Conference.[9]

Sports

The Cape Ann League sponsors championship competition in twelve men's, eleven women's, and one coed MIAA sanctioned sports.[10]

Men'sWomen's
Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country
Field hockey
Football
Golf
Gymnastics
Ice Hockey
Lacrosse
Soccer
Softball
Swimming & Diving7
Tennis
Indoor Track & Field
Outdoor Track & Field
Volleyball
Wrestling

Coed sponsored sports by school

School Swimming & Diving Total CAL Sports
Amesbury
Essex Tech
Georgetown
Hamilton-Wenham
Ipswich
Lynnfield
Manchester-Essex
Newburyport
North Reading
Pentucket
Rockport
Triton
Totals

Men's sponsored sports by school

SchoolBaseball Basketball Cross Country Football Golf Ice Hockey Lacrosse Soccer Tennis Track & Field
(Indoor)
Track & Field
(Outdoor)
Wrestling Total CAL Sports
Amesbury
Essex Tech
Georgetown
Hamilton-Wenham
Ipswich
Lynnfield
Manchester Essex
Newburyport
North Reading
Pentucket
Rockport
Triton
Totals

Women's sponsored sports by school

School Basketball Cross Country Field Hockey Gymnastics Lacrosse Soccer Softball Tennis Track & Field
(Indoor)
Track & Field
(Outdoor)
Volleyball Total CAL Sports
Amesbury
Essex Tech
Georgetown
Hamilton-Wenham
Ipswich
Lynnfield
Manchester-Essex
Newburyport
North Reading
Pentucket
Rockport
Triton
Totals

Notes and References

  1. Web site: MIAA League Directory. 6 January 2015. 6 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150106233533/http://www.miaa.net/gen/miaa_generated_bin/documents/menu/MIAA_League_Directory.pdf. dead.
  2. Web site: Joshua Boyd. Dick Baker steps down after 41 years with Cape Ann League, 18 with Northeastern Conference. Wicked Local Gloucester. 15 February 2015. 1–2. 31 March 2011.
  3. News: Joe Haggerty. Middlesex League adds Arlington and Wilmington to the league. 27 January 2015. HomeNewsHere.com.
  4. Web site: Mike Carraggi. North Andover joining MVC after 40 years with Cape Ann. The Boston Globe. 7 January 2015. 30 June 2011.
  5. Web site: Brendan Hall. Saugus officially moving to Cape Ann League. ESPN Boston. 27 January 2015. 17 December 2012.
  6. Web site: Saugus High School on Twitter. 27 January 2015. 18 January 2013.
  7. News: Mike Gaffney. Saugus High School return to Northeastern Conference proposed. 27 January 2015. Wicked Local. Saugus Advertiser. 11 April 2014. 1.
  8. News: Mike Gaffney. Saugus returning to Northeastern Conference. 27 January 2015. Wicked Local. Saugus Advertiser. 1–2.
  9. Web site: Writer . Nick Giannino Staff . Essex Tech athletics excited to make transition to Cape Ann League next year . 2023-02-26 . Salem News . en.
  10. Web site: CAL Sports . MAScores.com . 28 December 2015.