HISTORY OF THE CAPE ANN LEAGUE
BY JOSEPH M. HYLAND
In 1931 the High Schools in this area met at Danvers High School for the purpose of organizing a league for basketball and baseball. The following schools were in attendance: Amesbury, Danvers, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester, Marblehead, Newburyport, Rockport, Saugus and Topsfield and so the Northeastern Conference came into being and the scheduling got under way. When football was added in 1934 all the smaller schools, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester, Rockport and Topsfield left the Conference.
The principals of the smaller schools in the Cape Ann area realizing the value of league play, not only for scheduling, but as a means of developing spirit and interest, met at Story High School in Manchester in 1937 to consider organizing a league. The following were in attendance from Rockport High: John Lane, Father Sullivan from St. Ann’s High of Gloucester, Philip Couhig representing Essex Aggie, Joseph Targonski from Essex High and from Manchester, Principal Whit Kimball and Coach Joe Hyland. So the birth of the Cape Ann League took place, with the league sports schedule, being basketball and baseball.
Essex High only stayed in the league for a short time, as their High School was closed, with their students attending Gloucester High. Soon other schools in the area showed interest in the Cape Ann League and it wasn’t long before Georgetown, Ipswich and Hamilton were taking part. By 1959 the league was no longer made up of schools just from Cape Ann, especially when Masconomet Regional became a member in ’59 followed by Pentucket in ’60. Football became part of the league program in 1960 with Pentucket Regional, Manchester taking part. (We should point out that Hamilton-Wenham Regionalized in 1962) The smaller schools in a few years found it difficult to play the large schools, so the football schedule was divided into two Divisions in 1966. The Directors of the league allowed Timberland Regional of Plaistow, New Hampshire to play in Division II to make up enough teams. In 1957 Manchester left the football league and after playing an independent schedule for two years, joined the Mayflower league for football only.
Great Changes took place from the period of 1965 to 1974 as many schools were interested in joining the Cape Ann League. In 1965 North Reading left the Dual County League to join us, in 1970 Amesbury was voted in, after leaving the Northeastern Conference. In ’71 Triton Regional opened its doors and was welcomed into the league, with North Andover right on their heels, after leaving the Merrimack Valley Conference. In 1973 Newburyport High felt the loss of students from Salisbury, Newburyport and Rowley who were now attending Triton, left the Northeastern Conference to join our family. Lynnfield High follows also in ’73 and our latest addition came twenty one years later when Wilmington High was accepted into the league. At this time the only schools left from the original group were Rockport and Manchester, with St. Ann’s dropping out in 1966 and Essex Aggie in 1970. (The Aggie did take part in our cross country program for a couple of additional years after).
Previous to 1970 the league had voted that each year the officers of President and Secretary-Treasurer would be rotated each year to a different school. This practice did not work out well with the Secretary-Treasurer’s position so the Directors voted to elect Richard Baker to this important position. This was one of the best moves that the league ever made, for under his guidance the Cape Ann League is rated one of the very best in the state.
In 1974 the league voted to establish a Cape Ann League Trophy that would be awarded to the school that had the best overall record for the year, based on both girls and boys teams. The Directors voted to name this trophy “The Joseph Hyland” in honor of his years of service to the league. Joe was in attendance at the first meeting and was there until his retirement in 1977. In 1990 the league voted to award The Hyland Trophy to the school in each Division that had the best record, which gave the smaller schools a chance to win this honor.
The Cape Ann League has come a long way since 1937 and will continue to add to its wonderful reputation in the years ahead.
