ABOUT THE BOOK

In the winter of 1904, with athletic competition among the city’s high schools on the rise, the leaders of the Cleveland schools decided to do something to regulate this athletic activity. They developed a constitution for an organization that would govern athletics for the high schools in the city. The new city league was called the Public Schools Athletic League of Cleveland, and the objective was “to regulate the athletic relations of the schools of the league, promote healthful rivalry, and stimulate the spirit of true sportsmanship.” Regular attendance and good grades were among the most important requirements for participation in school athletics.

Thus, what has been known down through the years as the “Senate Athletic League,” or simply “The Senate,” was born, growing from just five high schools to eventually encompass every high school within the Cleveland city limits; the growth of the Cleveland Senate would finally make it the largest interscholastic league in Ohio. At the same time, the overall high quality of the teams and athletes in the Senate ensured the continued high caliber of play for which the league was known.

The outstanding accomplishments of the Senate Athletic League teams and individual athletes are almost unprecedented for a high school league. Senate teams have won 114 state championships, going as far back as 1895 when the team from Central High School was named Ohio’s first state football champion. All-Ohio recognition was not given to athletes until the 1920s, but since then, almost 2,700 Senate athletes have earned that honor, an incredible average of twenty-seven per year. The Senate League has also produced some utterly unique athletic achievements. For example, six Senate League athletes, five of whom graduated from the same Senate school, participated in the same Olympic games, something no other high school league has ever accomplished.

Now, for the first time, these and many other outstanding accomplishments by Senate League teams and athletes are gathered and detailed in this book. Told as if you are “in the huddle,” you will at times be both thrilled and amazed to learn what Cleveland’s high school athletes have been able to accomplish over the last 120+ years – and continue to accomplish now and into the future.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Timothy L. Hudak lives in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from Saint Ignatius High School and the University of Hawaii, earning a bachelor’s degree in history. This is Mr. Hudak’s tenth book about high school sports, including The Charity Game, the story of Cleveland’s Thanksgiving Day high school football classic.  He is one of the “go-to” historians for the Ohio High School Athletic Association and a regular contributor of articles and book reviews for the College Football Historical Society.

Scan the QR code to pre-order a copy of the history book, or click on the images to order.

RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 26, 2024