100 Years of Excellence

100 Years of Excellence

During the 1924-25 school year, the Shelby County Schools embarked upon an ingenuity that has influenced our communities for the past 100 years. Throughout the 2024-25 school year, the Shelby County Schools will honor the Shelby County Athletic League by celebrating 100 Years of Excellence.

Bob Wise deserves significant recognition as he has documented the history of the Shelby County Athletic Association that later was renamed to the Shelby County Athletic League (SCAL). Mr. Wise published a book covering the history of Shelby County basketball spanning 75 years. Our Shelby County Schools played an organized league schedule in 1924-1925 for the first time. That same year, the Shelby County Athletic Association decided to sponsor a basketball league, as well as a county tournament, with the winner advancing to the district tournament and a chance to appear in the state tournament. Mr. Wise recounts the history of Shelby County sports, quoting memories of teams putting their uniforms on at the local grain elevators and walking in their uniforms to the location where the game would be played; squads playing in facilities before gymnasiums were in existence, such as dance halls, large schoolrooms, or other public buildings like stores; and fans so proud of their school and community that they created fierce rivalries, which often ended in skirmishes in the parking lot following the game.

Since the 1924-25 school year, the SCAL has expanded from just a basketball league. They have added golf, cross-country, volleyball, baseball, softball, and track and field. As our Shelby County athletes tee off, run for the finish line, and compete on the volleyball court during this season, they not only represent our schools and communities, but also an athletic league with a tradition that began a century ago. As the sports seasons of the 2024-25 school year unfold, join us in celebrating the rich history of 100 years of excellence of the Shelby County Athletic League!

Written by Joel Staudter with information provided by Bob Wise