Mississippi Eight Conference — 1978-85
The
late 1970’s witnessed a growth in population in Iowa which caused the state’s
large metropolitan cities—Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Des Moines, and Waterloo—to
expand their secondary schools which subsequently led some of them to change
their classification from 3A to 4A. This fact mostly had positive results and
one outcome was the realignment of major conferences done so out of respect for
location and travel time—and this latter fact benefited schools based out or
near the Quad Cities and led to the creation of the Mississippi Eight
Conference.
The Mississippi Eight consisted of Bettendorf, Burlington, Clinton, Muscatine, North Scott, and the Davenport Schools Assumption, Central, and West. Some of the teams such as Bettendorf, Burlington, Clinton, and Muscatine had been playing one another for years while oddly enough, same-vicinity teams such as Bettendorf and Davenport West had never played one another. However, the prospect of playing both West and Central depended on one’s outlook as between the two schools they had won four of the first six state championships in Class 4A: Central in 1973 and ’76 and West in 1974 and ’77. To say the least, having teams with such pedigrees as members of the Mississippi Eight Conference only bolstered its status.
In just its first season of existence, Bettendorf and Central tied for the conference championship and ignited a cross-town rival that would last for the next 15 years. However, for the eight years the Mississippi Eight existed, the Blue Devils claimed the King of the Conference as they won a total of four league championships while Bettendorf claimed three—and in that time period the two schools combined for a total of seven playoff appearances which not only included two state championships, but also a runner-up and semifinal appearance.
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Mississippi Eight Conference Champions
Davenport Central Blue
Devils
Class 4A State Champs from the Mississippi Eight
Bettendorf
–
1981, 2nd Place in 1980 |
Mississippi Eight Conference Members Bettendorf Bulldogs Burlington Greyhounds Clinton River Kings Davenport Assumption Knights Davenport Central Blue Devils Davenport West Falcons Muscatine Muskies North Scott Lancers
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