The East Suburban Catholic Conference (ESCC) is an athletic conference consisting of 9

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

high schools in the suburbs of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

(though despite its name, two schools are located in the city itself). The conference became independent in 1974. While originally only supporting competition in men's sports, the conference began supporting women's athletics in 1991. Today, there are eleven women's teams and ten men's teams. Despite not being as old as other conferences, and not having any women's sports until relatively recent history, the teams in the conference have finished in the top four o
Illinois High School Association
(IHSA) sponsored state tournaments 76 times in nine different sports.

Current membership

Membership timeline

Beginning in 1960 as a portion of the Suburban Catholic Conference, the East Suburban Catholic Conference became independent in 1974 with competition in 11 boys, 13 girls and 13 coed sports and activities within the IHSA. DateFormat = yyyy ImageSize = width:1100 height:auto barincrement:20 Period = from:1960 till:2024 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:20 left:0 bottom:50 top:5 #> to display a count on left side of graph, use "left:20" to suppress the count, use "left:20"<# Colors = id:barcolor id:line value:pink id:bg value:white id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports id:FullxF value:rgb(0.551,0.824,0.777) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in all sports except for football id:AssocF value:rgb(0.98,0.5,0.445) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member for football only id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.78,0.391,0.654) # Use this color to denote a team that is a member in some sports, but not all (consider identifying in legend or a footnote) id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference where OtherC1 has already been used, to distinguish the two id:OtherC3 value:rgb(0.253,0.63,0.146) # Use this color to denote a team that was a member of the Upstate Illini Conference PlotData= width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:1960 till:1974 text:Carmel (1960–Present) bar:1 color:Full from:1974 till:end text: bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1960 till:1974 text:Holy Cross (1960–2004) bar:2 color:Full from:1974 till:2004 text: bar:2 color:white from:2004 till:end text:School Closed bar:3 color:OtherC1 from:1960 till:1974 text:Marist (1960–Present) bar:3 color:Full from:1974 till:end text: bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1960 till:1974 text:Notre Dame (1960–Present) bar:4 color:Full from:1974 till:end text: bar:5 color:OtherC1 from:1960 till:1974 text:St. Francis de Sales (1960–1976) bar:5 color:Full from:1974 till:1976 text: bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:1960 till:1974 text:St. Joseph (1960–1975) bar:6 color:Full from:1974 till:1975 text: bar:6 color:Full from:1976 till:2010 text:(1976-2010) bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:1960 till:1974 text:St. Patrick (1960–Present) bar:7 color:Full from:1974 till:end text: bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:1960 till:1974 text:St. Viator (1960–Present) bar:8 color:Full from:1974 till:end text: bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1964 till:1974 text:Woodstock Marian (1964–2022) bar:9 color:Full from:1974 till:2022 text: bar:10 color:Full from:1982 till:end text:Joliet Catholic (1982–Present) bar:11 color:Full from:1990 till:end text:Benet Academy (1990–Present) bar:12 color:Full from:1990 till:end text:Marian Catholic (1990–Present) bar:13 color:Full from:1996 till:end text:Nazareth (1996–Present) ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:5 start:1960 TextData = fontsize:L textcolor:black pos:(0,30) tabs:(400-center) text:^"East Suburban Catholic Membership History" #> If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following six options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space. <# Notre Dame and St. Patrick are all male institutions, and thus do not field women's teams. The rest of the schools are coed, and are represented in the ESCC by both their men's and women's teams. Marian Central Catholic High School joined at the end of 2013-2014 football season for all sports except football. Marian Central Catholic began competing in the ESCC for football in the 2014-2015 season. Somewhat unusual by the standards of the metropolitan Chicago area, the conference is spread over a four county area. While most of the members are in

Cook County Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...

. Joliet Catholic is in

Will County Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

to Chicago's southwest. Benet Academy is in

DuPage County DuPage County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, and one of the collar counties of the Chicago metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 932,877, making it Illinois' second-most populous county. Its county seat is ...

which is to the west of Chicago. Carmel is far to the north in Lake County. The distance between the furthest schools (Carmel and Marian Catholic) is approximately 66 miles (106.2 km).

History

The conference can trace its roots back to the founding of the Suburban Catholic Conference in 1960. Among the six founding members, only Joliet Catholic, Notre Dame, and Benet Academy (then known as ''St. Procopius'') are currently ESCC members. Carmel joined in 1966. In 1970, Joliet Catholic temporarily left, with four new schools joining: Marist, St. Joseph, St. Patrick, and St. Viator. With the conference now at 14, the conference divided into two divisions. The East Division included the four new schools, Carmel, Notre Dame, and Holy Cross High School. In 1971 St. Francis de Sales High School joined the East Division. In 1974, the two divisions split forming the West Suburban Catholic Conference and the ESCC (in 1989, the West Suburban Catholic Conference would drop the "West" and return to using the original conference name). After one year, St. Joseph left to pursue one year as an independent school, and came back to replace St. Francis de Sales which left after the 1975-76 season. Joliet Catholic joined in 1982. The conference elected to expand in 1990 by adding Benet Academy and Marian Catholic. As a result of the number of coed schools in the conference, the conference began sponsoring competition for women in 1991. In 1996, for football only, the ESCC and Chicago Catholic League merged to form the Chicago Metro League. This relationship ended after the 2002 football season, with Holy Cross High School joining the Chicago Catholic League permanently for all sports, and Nazareth Academy joining the ESCC. In 2010, St. Joseph High School withdrew from the conference. In 2022, Marian Central Catholic High School in Woodstock IL, withdrew from the conference.

Sports sponsored

The conference sponsors competition for men and women in

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

, cross country,

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

, and

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

. Men's competition is sponsored in

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

, and

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

, while competition for women is sponsored in

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

. With each sport, the conference recognizes "All-Conference" and "Scholar Athlete" performances. All of these sports have state tournaments sponsored by the

Illinois High School Association The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is an association that regulates competition of interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level for the state of Illinois. It is a charter member of the National Fed ...

(IHSA).

Top finishes

The following teams, while members of the ESCC, finished in the top four of their respective state tournaments sponsored by the IHSA. *Baseball: Carmel (3rd 2003–04) • Joliet Catholic 3rd place (2007–08); 2nd place (1989–90, 99–2000, 03–04); State Champions (1993–94), (2008–09), (2012–13) • Marist (3rd 2000–01; State Champions 1977–78) • Notre Dame (State Champions 2003–04) • St. Patrick (2nd 2005–06) • St. Viator (4th 2015–16; State Champions 2016–17 ) • Marian Catholic (State Champions 2011–12; 2nd 2016–17 ) • Nazareth Academy (State Champions 2021–22, 4th 2010-11, 3rd 2011-12, 2017-18, 2nd 2014-15 ) *Basketball (boys): St. Joseph (4th 1983–84; 3rd 86–87; 2nd 77–78; State Champions 98–99) • Benet (2nd 2013–-14), (2nd 2015–-16) • Marian Catholic (3rd 2017–18) *Basketball (girls): Bishop McNamara (4th 07–08) • Benet (State Champions 2014–15, 15–16); • Fenwick (3rd 1999–2000, 03–04; 2nd 02–03; State Champions 00–01, 06–07) • Marian Catholic (4th 2003–04; 3rd 06–07; 2nd 01–02), (State Champions 2012–13), (3rd 2013–14,) • Joliet Catholic (2nd 2013–14) • Marist (4th 07–08) • Nazareth Academy (2nd 17–18) *Cheerleading: Marist (3rd 2011–12), ( 2nd 2012–13), (2nd 2017–18), (2nd 2018–19) • Saint Viator (1st 2011–12) *Cross Country (boys): Benet (3rd 1991–92) • Marist (4th 1982–83; 3rd 96–97 1st 10) *Cross Country (girls): Benet (4th 1996–97; 3rd 2006–07; State Champions 2019–20) *Football: Carmel (State Champions 2003–04) • Joliet Catholic (2nd 1992–93, 96–97, 09–10, 11–12; State Champions 1975–76, 76–77, 77–78, 78–79, 81–82, 87–88, 90–91, 99–00, 00–01, 01–02, 03–04, 04–05, 07–08, 2018–19, 2021–22) • Marian Catholic (State Champions 1993–94, 2nd 1999–00) • Marist (2nd 1986–87, 09–10, 15–16) • Notre Dame (2nd 1989–90) • Nazareth Academy (State Champions 2014–15, 15– 16, 18–19, 2nd 2017–18, 2nd 2019–20, 2022–23) *Golf (boys): Carmel (3rd 1975–76) • St. Viator (3rd 1983–84; 2nd 2006–07; State Champions 2003–04 07–08, 08–09) • Nazareth Academy (4th 2018-19) *Golf (girls): Marian Catholic (4th 2006–07; 3rd 07–08; 2nd 05–06) *Soccer (boys): Benet (State Champions 2000–01, 01–02; 3rd 2016–17) • St. Joseph (4th 1984–85, 2004–05; 3rd 1989–90, 99–2000; 2nd 1997–98) • St. Viator (4th 2001–02; 3rd 1996–97, 97–98, 2004–05; 2nd 2000–01; State Champions 2003–04) • St. Patrick (3rd 2019–20) *Soccer (girls): Fenwick (4th 2003–04) • St. Viator (State Champions 2001–02, 02–03, 04–05) *Softball: Benet (3rd 2010–11) • Fenwick (4th 1997–98) • Marist (State Champions 2011–12 , 14–15 , 4th 2016–17 ) • Nazareth Academy (4th 2016–17) *Volleyball (boys): Marist (4th 1995–96; State Champions 2001–02, 10–11 ) *Volleyball (girls): Joliet Catholic (4th 1998–99, 2005–06; 3rd 2006–07; State Champions 2003–04 08-09) • Benet (2nd 2008–-09, State Champions 2011–12, 12–13, 14–15 )• Marian Catholic (State Champions 2016–17) • Marian Central Catholic (2nd 2016–17) *Wrestling: Marist (3rd 1984–85, 88–89, 90–91; 2nd 96–97; State Champions 82–83, 86–87)

Hall of Fame

Since 2006, the conference has recognized administrators, coaches, and former athletes for their excellence. Among the notable inductees:Hall of Fame
/ref> *

Mike Alstott Michael Joseph Alstott (born December 21, 1973), is a former American football fullback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Nicknamed "A-Train", he played college football at Purdue an ...

(Joliet Catholic) •• Class of 2006 •• fullback for the

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

Jim Les James Alan Les (born August 18, 1963) is an American basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the UC Davis Aggies men's team. A former point guard, Les played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) after his ...

(Notre Dame) •• Class of 2006 ••

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

guard, Former head men's basketball coach at

Bradley University Bradley University is a private university in Peoria, Illinois. Founded in 1897, Bradley University enrolls 5,400 students who are pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate programs and more than 30 graduate programs in five colleges. The ...

Allie Quigley Alexandria "Allie" Quigley (born June 20, 1986) is an American and Hungarian professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Quigley played for DePaul University in Chicago. After gradua ...

(Joliet Catholic) •• Class of 2018 •• WNBA Champion, 4x WNBA Three Point Shootout Champion *

Scott Stahoviak Scott Edmund Stahoviak (born March 6, 1970) is a former Minnesota Twins first baseman. He attended Creighton University Creighton University is a private Jesuit research university in Omaha, Nebraska. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, ...

(Carmel) •• Class of 2007 ••

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

first base A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

man and first round draft pick (1991) for the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

Isiah Thomas Isiah Lord Thomas III (born April 30, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who is an analyst for ''NBA TV''. The 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History as well as the 75 Grea ...

(St. Joseph) •• Class of 2006 ••

player, coach, executive *

Jeff Zgonina Jeffrey Marc Zgonina (; born May 24, 1970) is an American football defensive line coach for the Washington Commanders and former defensive tackle who played seventeen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pu ...

(Carmel) •• Class of 2006 ••

defensive tackle

Notes

#Men's teams representing Joliet Catholic are stylized as the "Hilltoppers", while women's teams are stylized as the "Angels". This dates to the merger of the all–male Joliet Catholic High School (Hilltoppers) with the all–female St. Francis Academy (Angels) in 1990.

References

External links

ESCC homepage
{{Illinois High School Association High school sports conferences and leagues in the United States Sports competitions in Chicago Illinois high school sports conferences Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic sports organizations