Announcement
THE UCAL AND MHAL LIST OF CHAMPIONS
By FEARLESS PHIL Rising from the aftermath of World War II, organized high school football in Ulster County solidified itself in the form of the Ulster County Athletic League (UCAL). Researcher and Section Nine stat man Rich Michaelis of New Paltz says that the Huguenots were playing touch football back in 1946 against the likes of Kerhonkson (later Rondout Valley) and Maybrook (later a part of Valley Central). From 1947 to 1953 the teams played one another in six-man football. After a year of playing both six-man and 11-man, 1955 saw New Paltz involved in an all 11-man schedule. Two years later (1957) saw a loosely confederated, five-team “Ulster County League” which included New Paltz, Kerhonkson (which would soon be Rondout), Onteora, Wallkill and Marlboro. Apparently there were no official league standings that first year.
In 1957 the first of 34 years of champions would be proclaimed. Liberty, Ellenville, Pine Bush, Highland, Red Hook and Saugerties would also join the league. In 1980 the league changed its name to the Mid-Hudson Athletic League (MHAL).
Here are the champs: UCAL 1957 – Onteora 1958 – Onteora & New Paltz (tie) 1959 – New Paltz 1960 – New Paltz/Rondout Valley/Onteora (tie) 1961 – New Paltz 1962 – Liberty 1963 – Liberty 1964 – Onteora 1965 – Highland 1966 – Highland 1967 – Rondout 1968 – Rondout 1969 – Pine Bush 1970 – Highland 1971 – Highland 1972 – Ellenville 1973 – Wallkill 1974 – Red Hook 1975 – Wallkill/Rondout/Pine Bush (tie) 1976 – Wallkill 1977 – New Paltz 1978 – Rondout 1979 – Marlboro MHAL 1980 – New Paltz 1981 – Ellenville 1982 – Ellenville 1983 – Marlboro 1984 – Marlboro 1985 – Marlboro 1986 – Rondout 1987 – Rondout 1988 – Red Hook/Onteora (tie) 1989 – Onteora 1990 – Saugerties In 1991 the section set up five divisions: Division I (Class A); II and III (Class B); IV (Class C); V (Class D). The MHAL teams went into divisions III and IV.
Sponsors
