Southampton Academy is a small, private school located in

Courtland, Virginia Courtland is an incorporated town in Southampton County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,295 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Southampton County. History Originally named "Jerusalem" by the first colonists to settle in ...

. Southampton Academy, also known locally as "SA" provides education for students from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade. Southampton Academy was founded in 1969, as a

segregation academy Segregation academies are private schools in the Southern United States that were founded in the mid-20th century by white parents to avoid having their children attend desegregated public schools. They were founded between 1954, when the U.S. ...

Athletics

The school contains students ranging from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, thus the team offers athletic teams from the middle school level (junior junior varsity) to the varsity level. Most of Southampton Academy's athletic teams participate in the Virginia Commonwealth Conference (VCC). At the state level, Southampton Academy participates in Virginia Independent Schools (VIS) in Division III (smallest schools classification). From the schools founding in 1969 to 1991 the school played 11 man football in both the VAAC (precursor to the VCC) and the Virginia Commonwealth Conference. From 1991 to 2004, the school fielded

eight-man football Eight-man football is a form of gridiron football, generally played by high schools with smaller enrollments. Eight-man football differs from the traditional 11-man game with the reduction of three players on each side of the ball and a field wi ...

teams that participated in the Colonial Carolina Conference, a conference that plays in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA). The school was forced to play in North Carolina because there were none or few schools in Virginia that participated in 8-man football during this time period. While participating in the Colonial Carolina Conference, the Raiders won conference championships in 1995, 1996, and 1999. In 1997 and 2004, the Raiders won the NCISAA state championship. Southampton Academy finished its time playing 8-man football with another NCISAA championship in 2004. In 2005, the Raiders resumed playing 11-man football and reentered the Virginia Commonwealth Conference. In 1995–1996, the girls teams at Southampton Academy finished a banner year in which they won VCC championships in girls basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, and softball. In 2007, the Raiders won the VIS Division III state baseball championship. In 2007, The Girls Varsity Basketball team won the VCC Conference and Tournament Championship. From 2000 through 2009 the Girl's Varsity Volleyball team won 10 consecutive regular season VCC Conference Championships as well as 9 VCC Tournament Championships.

References

{{authority control Private high schools in Virginia Preparatory schools in Virginia Schools in Southampton County, Virginia Segregation academies in Virginia Private middle schools in Virginia Private elementary schools in Virginia Educational institutions established in 1969