Hockomock League

Hockomock League
ConferenceMassachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
Founded1932
DivisionMIAA Division I
No. of teams12
RegionNew England
Official websitehttps://hockomocksports.com/

The Hockomock League is an interscholastic high school athletic league located in Southeastern Massachusetts, founded in 1932.[1] The league took its name from a historic, freshwater swamp which served as a fortress for the Wampanoag native tribe during the King Philip’s War. The Wampanoags revered the area, naming it, “Hockomock,” an Algonquin word meaning, “Place where spirits dwell.” Today, the Hockomock Swamp is a protected environmental area and many local businesses, agencies and organizations use the Hockomock moniker to refer to their association with this region.

The league consists of 12 schools located in contiguous communities. All Hockomock League schools are public secondary schools and are members of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA). The director of the league rotates, with the athletic director of a different member school serving in the role each year.

For much of its existence, the League was made-up of nine schools but has twice undergone expansion[2] adding a tenth school, Attleboro, in 2010,[3] and then Taunton and Milford joined the League at the beginning of the 2012-2013 academic year.[4] [5][6] Enrollment disparities and the desire to balance the competitiveness of its sports programs, especially football, were major reasons to expand. With the addition of more teams, in 2010 the league implemented a divisional system.[7] Schools with larger enrollments were placed in the Kelley-Rex Division, while smaller schools are in the Davenport Division. Realignment of the divisions occurs every two years at a meeting of the school principals and athletic directors where each school reports their respective Department of Elementary and Secondary Education enrollment numbers for grades nine through eleven. Each division has six teams. Under the division format, both the Kelley-Rex and Davenport winners are considered Hockomock League champions.

In July 2019 the Hockomock League published a new logo embodying what it calls “the key components of the League’s long historical tradition and modern core values,” according to a press release.[8][9]

The division names give tribute to three long-time Hockomock League administrators: Bill Rex, Foxborough High School; Louis Kelley, North Attleboro High School; and Dudley Davenport, Sharon High School.[10]

Since its inception, the league has earned a reputation for its competitiveness in all sports and its member schools have produced numerous sectional and state champions. It is regarded as one of the premier high school sports leagues in Massachusetts and the New England region.

  1. ^ Diamond, Nick (10 July 2019). "A new logo for the Hock". www.wickedlocal.com. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  2. ^ Farinella, Mark (13 May 2008). "FARINELLA: Hockomock expansion still in exploratory stage". www.thesunchronicle.com Sun Chronicle Newspaper. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  3. ^ Barboza, Scott (7 July 2011). "Latest on Hockomock expansion, OCL's future". www.espn.com. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  4. ^ Libon, Dan (7 July 2011). "The Hockomock League is Expanding". www. patch.com. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  5. ^ Farinella, Mark (11 Jun 2011). "Hockomock League adds Taunton, Milford". www.the sunchronicle.com Sun Chronicle Newspaper. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  6. ^ Donahue, Connor (14 June 2011). "Hockomock Expansion". Franklin High School website. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  7. ^ Berger, Mike (19 August 2010). "Hockomock League to debut divisional format this fall". www.thecantoncitizen.com. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  8. ^ "Hockomock League showcases new logo". www.thesunchronicle.com The Sun Chronicle Newspaper Online Edition. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  9. ^ "Hockomock Logo Press Release 6-20-19 Final" (PDF). www.mhs-athletics.com. 19 July 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  10. ^ Muscato, Ross (7 Dec 2011). "Bring Back The Hockomock League - Not Today, But Yesterday". www.patch.com.