The Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph (BCS) League is an athletic conference for high schools in southwest Michigan. Founded in 2014 with the inaugural season of play in 2014-15, the conference aspired to grow into a Southwest Michigan "super conference" with membership extending across all MHSAA classes and organized into divisions of schools with similar enrollments. Periodic realignment of divisions allowed members to remain in competition with like-sized schools within the conference thereby avoiding the disruptive effects of conference switching due to changing enrollment. The conference had a unique scheduling philosophy that did not force members to play against conference opponents in different divisions and respected the freedom of members to schedule rivals and other willing conference opponents regardless of size or division.[1][2]
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Conference | Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) |
---|---|
Founded | 2014 |
No. of teams | 3 Class C, 6 Class D |
Region | Southwest Michigan |
Locations | |
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Between 2017 and 2021, the BCS experienced frequent membership changes with eight schools departing & five schools joining. A final attempt to realize its "super-conference" aspiration was attempted in 2019, when membership invitations were extended to ten schools of diverse enrollments.[3] Niles and South Haven were the only two that accepted. However, Niles departed after only a single season and South Haven exited after two seasons. When expansion proved unsuccessful, the remaining larger schools decided to leave for other conferences.[4] Beginning with the 2022-2023 season, the BCS transitioned into being a league catering to small public and private schools in southwest Michigan.
Sponsored Sports
editBoys
editBaseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Track and Field, Wrestling
Girls
editBasketball, Cross Country, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball
Member schools
editThere are currently 9 member schools. The geographic footprint of the league includes Berrien, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties in Michigan.
Current members
editSchool data in the table below is current for the 2023-24 season according to the MHSAA website.[5]
School | Location | Mascot | Colors | Enrollment | Class | Sports Division | Football Division | Affiliation | Joined | Previous Conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Benton Harbor Countryside Academy | Benton Township | Cougars | Blue & White | 179 | C | BCS | n/a | Public Charter | 2016 | Red Arrow Conference |
Covert | Covert Township | Bulldogs | Navy Blue & Gold | 107 | D | BCS | n/a | Public | 2017[6] | Southwestern Athletic Conference |
Eau Claire | Eau Claire | Fighting Beavers | Maroon & White | 175 | C | BCS | n/a † | Public | 2020[7] | Southwest 10 Conference |
Marcellus Howardsville Christian | Flowerfield Township | Eagles | Red & White | 62 | D | BCS | n/a | Private | 2016 | Red Arrow Conference |
New Buffalo | New Buffalo | Bisons | Royal Blue & Gold | 178 | C | BCS | n/a † | Public | 2014[8] | Red Arrow Conference |
Our Lady of the Lake Catholic | St. Joseph | Lakers | Royal Blue, Gold & White | 61 | D | BCS | n/a † | Private | 2014[8] | Red Arrow Conference |
St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran | Royalton Township | Titans | Purple & White | 114 | D | BCS | n/a † | Private | 2015[9] | Red Arrow Conference |
Three Oaks River Valley | Chikaming Township | Mustangs | Navy & White | 155 | D | BCS | n/a | Public | 2015[9] | Red Arrow Conference |
Watervliet Grace Christian | Bainbridge Township | Patriots | Royal Blue, Gold & White | 19 | D | BCS | n/a | Private | 2016 | Red Arrow Conference |
† 8-man football team that is a member of the Southwest Michigan 8-man Football League[10]
Former members
editSchool | Location | Joined | Previous Conference | Departed | Successive Conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Berrien Springs Shamrocks | Berrien Springs | 2015 | Wolverine Conference | 2022 | Lakeland Conference |
Bridgman Bees | Bridgman | 2014 | Lakeland Athletic Conference | 2022 | Southwestern Athletic Conference |
Bronson Vikings | Bronson | 2014 | St. Joseph Valley League | 2017 | Big 8 Conference |
Buchanan Bucks | Buchanan | 2014 | Lakeland Athletic Conference | 2022 | Lakeland Conference |
Cassopolis Rangers | Jefferson Township | 2014 | Lakeland Athletic Conference | 2017 | Southwest 10 Conference |
Centreville Bulldogs | Centreville | 2014 | St. Joseph Valley League | 2017 | Southwest 10 Conference |
Comstock Colts | Comstock Township | 2015 | Kalamazoo Valley Association | 2021 | Southwest 10 Conference |
Lawrence Tigers | Lawrence | 2015 | Southwestern Athletic Conference | 2022 | Southwest 10 Conference |
Mendon Hornets | Mendon | 2014 | St. Joseph Valley League | 2017 | Southwest 10 Conference |
Niles Vikings | Niles | 2020 | Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference | 2021 | Wolverine Conference |
Brandywine Bobcats | Niles Township | 2014 | Lakeland Athletic Conference | 2022 | Lakeland Conference |
Parchment Panthers | Parchment | 2015 | Kalamazoo Valley Association | 2020 | Southwestern Athletic Conference |
South Haven Rams | South Haven | 2020 | Wolverine Conference | 2022 | Southwestern Athletic Conference |
White Pigeon Chiefs | White Pigeon | 2014 | St. Joseph Valley League | 2017 | Southwest 10 Conference |
Membership Timeline
edit![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/timeline/8sv8zvnvtnhq8qk2ioq4jheskcd4mdc.png)
League championships
editBaseball
editRed Division | White Division | Blue Division | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | School | Division Record |
School | Division Record |
School | Division Record |
2015 | ||||||
2016 | ||||||
2017 | ||||||
2018 | ||||||
2019 | ||||||
2020 | ||||||
2021 | Buchanan | Bridgman[14] | 17-1 | |||
2022 | Buchanan[15] | 7-1 |
Boys Basketball
editRed Division | White Division | Blue Division | BCS Division | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | School | Division Record |
School | Division Record |
School | Division Record |
School | Division Record |
2015 | Bridgman | 7-1 | Cassopolis | 7-1 | ||||
2016 | Bridgman & Niles Brandywine | 8-2 | Marcellus Howardsville Christian | 9-1 | Cassopolis | 9-1 | ||
2017 | Niles Brandywine | 9-1 | Marcellus Howardsville Christian | 7-1 | Cassopolis | 8-2 | ||
2018 | Parchment | 9-1 | Marcellus Howardsville Christian, New Buffalo & St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic | 10-2 | ||||
2019 | Niles Brandywine | 9-1 | Marcellus Howardsville Christian | 13-0 | ||||
2020 | Niles Brandywine | 8-2 | Three Oaks River Valley | 14-0 | ||||
2021 | Niles Brandywine | 5-0 | Marcellus Howardsville Christian | 8-0 | ||||
2022 | Niles Brandywine | 5-1 | New Buffalo | 9-0 | ||||
2023 | Eau Claire | 13-1 |
Girls Basketball
editRed Division | White Division | Blue Division | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | School | Division Record |
School | Division Record |
School | Division Record |
2015 | Niles Brandywine | 8-0 | Bronson | 7-1 | ||
2016 | Niles Brandywine | 10-0 | St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran | 8-0 | Mendon | 9-1 |
2017 | Buchanan & Comstock | 9-1 | St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran | 8-0 | Centreville | 10-0 |
2018 | Comstock | 10-0 | St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran | 12-0 | ||
2019 | Comstock | 10-0 | St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran | 9-1 | ||
2020 | Niles Brandywine | 10-0 | St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran | 13-1 | ||
2021 | Buchanan | 6-0[16] | St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran & New Buffalo | 8-1 | ||
2022 | Buchanan & Niles Brandywine | 5-1 | Bridgman | 6-0 |
Football
editBlue Division | Red Division | White Division | BCS Division | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | School | Division Record |
School | Division Record |
School | Division Record |
School | Division Record |
2014 | Mendon | 4-0 | Bridgman | 4-0 | ||||
2015 | Bridgman | 4-0 | Cassopolis | 4-0 | Buchanan | 3-0 | ||
2016 | St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic | 4-0 | Cassopolis | 4-0 | Berrien Springs | 3-0 | ||
2017 | St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic | 4-0 | N/A | N/A | Berrien Springs | 3-0 | ||
2018 | Niles Brandywine | 3-0 | N/A | N/A | Berrien Springs | 3-0 | ||
2019 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Berrien Springs | 3-0 |
2020 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Buchanan | 4-0[17] |
2021 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Berrien Springs | 3-0[18] |
Softball
editRed Division | White Division | Blue Division | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | School | Division Record |
School | Division Record |
School | Division Record |
2014 | ||||||
2015 | ||||||
2016 | Bridgman[19] | 9-1 | ||||
2017 | ||||||
2018 | Three Oaks River Valley | |||||
2019 | Bridgman | Three Oaks River Valley | ||||
2020 | ||||||
2021 | Buchanan | |||||
2022 | Buchanan | 7-1 |
Volleyball
editRed Division | White Division | Blue Division | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | School | Division Record |
School | Division Record |
School | Division Record |
2014 | ||||||
2015 | ||||||
2016 | ||||||
2017 | ||||||
2018 | ||||||
2019 | Bridgman | [20] | New Buffalo | [20] | ||
2020 | ||||||
2021 | Buchanan | 6-0[21] |
State championships
editSchools that have participated in MHSAA state championship finals while being members of the BCS League.
Baseball | |||
---|---|---|---|
Finish | Year | School | Division |
Runner-Up[22] | 2015 | Buchanan | 3 |
Runner-Up[22] | 2015 | Centreville | 4 |
Champion[23][24] | 2022 | Buchanan | 3 |
Boys Track & Field | |||
---|---|---|---|
Finish | Year | School | Division |
Runner-Up[25][26] | 2018 | Berrien Springs | 3 |
Champion[27] | 2022 | Berrien Springs | 2 |
Girls Cross County | |||
---|---|---|---|
Finish | Year | School | Division |
Champion[28][29] | 2019 | Bridgman | 4 |
Softball | |||
---|---|---|---|
Finish | Year | School | Division |
Runner-Up[30] | 2015 | Bronson | 3 |
Runner-Up[31][30] | 2021 | Buchanan | 3 |
Volleyball | |||
---|---|---|---|
Finish | Year | School | Division |
Champion[32] | 2015 | Bronson | C |
Champion[32] | 2016 | Bronson | C |
References
edit- ^ "Berrien-Cass-St. Joe Conference Archives". Leader Publications. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- ^ Tribune, Jack Walkden South Bend. "High school sports: A dream conference?". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- ^ "Jason Mitchell: BCS wants to expand. So who's signing up?".
- ^ "New athletic conference gets the go-ahead from school boards". December 17, 2021.
- ^ https://www.mhsaa.com/sites/default/files/Enrollment%20and%20Classification/2324enroll.pdf
- ^ a b "Southwest 10 Conference prepares for its debut in Fall 2017". mlive. January 17, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- ^ Correspondent, DEBRA HAIGHT-HP. "Eau Claire schools joins BCS Athletic Conference". The Herald Palladium. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
{{cite web}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - ^ a b "A Summer of Change | WSJM Sports". June 9, 2014.
- ^ a b "BCS expanding to 15 teams for 2015-16". Leader Publications. August 13, 2014. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- ^ Hafer, Val (November 15, 2018). "New 8-Man Football Conference Formed In SW Michigan". 106.1 & 1400 WSJM Sports. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- ^ "Southwest Schools Begin League Shuffle > SecondHalf". Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- ^ "South Haven, Parchment to join new athletic conferences in 2020". mlive. September 30, 2019. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
- ^ "Local athletic conferences could see movement".
- ^ "Bee baseball, softball teams win league titles; Mustangs advance from pre-district".
- ^ "Bucks sweep Bobcats to claim Red Division title". May 18, 2022.
- ^ "Buchanan boys, girls basketball teams sweep rival Niles, Lady Bucks clinch BCS Red title". March 20, 2021.
- ^ "Michigan football roundup: Historic night for BCS-champion Bucks as they beat Vikings for first time since 1966".
- ^ "Hailey runs wild as Berrien Springs bests short-handed Bobcats 26-6". October 16, 2021.
- ^ "Bees BCS Red softball champions".
- ^ a b "Bison, Bees claim conference volleyball titles".
- ^ "Buchanan wins outright BCS Red Division championship". October 24, 2021.
- ^ a b "Yearly Champions | Baseball | MHSAA Sports". Archived from the original on July 18, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ "Buchanan Baseball Closes 2021-22 Sports Year as Champ for 1st Time Since 1985".
- ^ "South Bend Tribune".
- ^ "Division 3 state track finals: All the best stories, photos and videos". June 3, 2018.
- ^ "Team Champions | Boys Track & Field | MHSAA Sports". Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ "2022 MHSAA Division 2 track and field state final highlights, champs, more". June 5, 2022.
- ^ "Bridgman girls win state cross country championship".
- ^ "Team Champions | Girls Cross Country | MHSAA Sports".
- ^ a b "Yearly Champions | Softball | MHSAA Sports". Archived from the original on April 13, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ "Oh so close: Gritty, unranked Buchanan upended after remarkable run to state title game".
- ^ a b "Yearly Champions | Girls Volleyball | MHSAA Sports". Archived from the original on May 16, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2021.