Cape Ann League

Cape Ann League

Conference	Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
Founded	1972
Sports fielded	24 men's: 12 women's: 11 coeducational: 1
Division	Division III & IV
No. of teams	12
Region	Massachusetts North Shore
Official website	http://www.mascores.com?l=cal

The Cape Ann League (CAL) is a high school athletic conference in District A of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. The league is based mainly on or around Cape Ann, a small cape on the North Shore of Massachusetts.

Member schools

The CAL has twelve member schools in northeastern Massachusetts.^[1] The schools in the Cape Ann League are split into two divisions: Cape Ann Kinney and Cape Ann Baker.

The Kinney division incorporates the schools with six largest enrollment within the league and compete in Division 3 for football. The Baker division incorporates the schools with six smallest enrollment within the league and compete in Division 4 for football.

Current members

Institution	Location	Founded	Nickname	Enrollment (2022–23)
Kinney Division (Large)
Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School	Hathorne, Massachusetts	2014	Hawks	1,564
Lynnfield High School	Lynnfield, Massachusetts	1960	Pioneers	600
Newburyport High School	Newburyport, Massachusetts	1831	Clippers	798
North Reading High School	North Reading, Massachusetts	1955	Hornets	661
Pentucket Regional High School	West Newbury, Massachusetts	1954	Panthers	673
Triton Regional High School	Byfield, Massachusetts	1971	Vikings	646
Baker Division (Small)
Amesbury High School	Amesbury, Massachusetts	1882	Red Hawks	513
Georgetown Middle/High School	Georgetown, Massachusetts	—	Royals	337
Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School	South Hamilton, Massachusetts	1936	Generals	524
Ipswich High School	Ipswich, Massachusetts	1642	Tigers	535
Manchester Essex Regional High School	Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts	2000	Hornets	459
Rockport High School	Rockport, Massachusetts	1865	Vikings	255

Cape Ann League

5km
3miles

North Reading

Georgetown

Manchester Essex

Ipswich

Hamilton-Wenham

Amesbury

Lynnfield

Trition

Pentucket

Newburyport

  

Locations of Cape Ann League members, 2021-2022 Kinney (large) Division member Baker (small) Division member

Former members

Institution	Location	Founded	Nickname	Joined	Left	Current Conference
Wilmington High School	Wilmington, Massachusetts	—	Wildcats	1994	2011	Middlesex League
North Andover High School	North Andover, Massachusetts	—	Scarlet Knights	1971	2012	Merrimack Valley Conference
Saugus Middle/High School	Saugus, Massachusetts	1906	Sachems	2013	2014	Northeastern Conference
Masconomet Regional High School	Boxford, Massachusetts	1960	Chieftains		2020	Northeastern Conference

History

Longtime Secretary and Treasurer of the Cape Ann League, Dick Baker, steps down after 41 years with the Cape Ann League. Baker also spent 18 years with the Northeastern Conference.^[2]

Beginning in the 2011-12 season, Wilmington High School moved to the Middlesex League along with Arlington High School moving from the Dual County League.^[3]

Prior to the 2012-13 school year, North Andover High School left the Cape Ann League after forty years to join the Merrimack Valley Conference (MVC).^[4]

On December 14, 2012, Saugus High School announced on their Twitter account that they would join the Cape Ann League, leaving the Northeastern Conference for more success in their school athletics.^[5] On January 18, 2013, the move was approved by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association.^[6]

At the conclusion of Saugus High School's first season in the Cape Ann League, they requested to rejoin the Northeastern Conference due to geographic and traveling issues.^[7] The rejoin was approved by both high school conferences allowing Saugus High School to return to the Northeastern Conference. All sports would play in the Northeastern Conference, with the exception of football which would become independent for the 2014 fall season. The Saugus Sachems football team would play opponents from both the Cape Ann League and Northeastern Conference.^[8]

Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, Essex Tech became a member of the Cape Ann League after many years playing in the Commonwealth Athletic Conference.^[9]

Sports

The Cape Ann League sponsors championship competition in twelve men's, eleven women's, and one coed MIAA sanctioned sports.^[10]

Teams in CAL Conference competition

Sport	Men's	Women's
Baseball	12	-
Basketball	12	11
Cross Country	11	11
Field hockey	-	12
Football	10	-
Golf	12	-
Gymnastics	-	2
Ice Hockey	7	-
Lacrosse	10	8
Soccer	12	12
Softball	-	12
Swimming & Diving	7
Tennis	10	11
Indoor Track & Field	11	11
Outdoor Track & Field	9	9
Volleyball	-	6
Wrestling	5	-

Coed sponsored sports by school

School	Swimming & Diving	Total CAL Sports
Amesbury	N	0
Essex Tech	N	0
Georgetown	N	0
Hamilton-Wenham	Y	1
Ipswich	Y	1
Lynnfield	Y	1
Manchester-Essex	Y	1
Newburyport	N	0
North Reading	Y	1
Pentucket	N	0
Rockport	N	0
Triton	Y	1
Totals	7	7

Men's sponsored sports by school

School	Baseball	Basketball	Cross Country	Football	Golf	Ice Hockey	Lacrosse	Soccer	Tennis	Track & Field (Indoor)	Track & Field (Outdoor)	Wrestling	Total CAL Sports
Amesbury	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	10
Essex Tech	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	11
Georgetown	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N	Y	Y	N	Y	N	Y	9
Hamilton-Wenham	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	12
Ipswich	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	10
Lynnfield	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	12
Manchester Essex	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	9
Newburyport	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	11
North Reading	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	11
Pentucket	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	12
Rockport	Y	Y	N	N	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	5
Triton	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	12
Totals	12	12	11	11	12	7	10	12	10	11	9	5	122

Women's sponsored sports by school

School	Basketball	Cross Country	Field Hockey	Gymnastics	Lacrosse	Soccer	Softball	Tennis	Track & Field (Indoor)	Track & Field (Outdoor)	Volleyball	Total CAL Sports
Amesbury	Y	Y	Y	N	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	8
Essex Tech	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	10
Georgetown	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	N	Y	9
Hamilton-Wenham	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Ipswich	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	10
Lynnfield	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	11
Manchester-Essex	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	N	9
Newburyport	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	9
North Reading	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Pentucket	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	N	10
Rockport	N	N	Y	N	N	Y	Y	N	N	N	N	3
Triton	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	Y	10
Totals	11	11	12	7	10	12	12	10	11	9	6	111

References

1. "MIAA League Directory" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2015. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
2. Joshua Boyd (31 March 2011). "Dick Baker steps down after 41 years with Cape Ann League, 18 with Northeastern Conference". Wicked Local Gloucester. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
3. Joe Haggerty. "Middlesex League adds Arlington and Wilmington to the league". HomeNewsHere.com. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
4. Mike Carraggi (30 June 2011). "North Andover joining MVC after 40 years with Cape Ann". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
5. Brendan Hall (17 December 2012). "Saugus officially moving to Cape Ann League". ESPN Boston. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
6. "Saugus High School on Twitter". 18 January 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
7. Mike Gaffney (11 April 2014). "Saugus High School return to Northeastern Conference proposed". Wicked Local. Saugus Advertiser. p. 1. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
8. Mike Gaffney. "Saugus returning to Northeastern Conference". Wicked Local. Saugus Advertiser. pp. 1–2. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
9. Writer, Nick Giannino | Staff. "Essex Tech athletics excited to make transition to Cape Ann League next year". Salem News. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
10. "CAL Sports". MAScores.com. Retrieved 28 December 2015.