AHSAA Reclassification: Local schools stay put in class, but not in regions

Published 11:56 am Wednesday, November 4, 2009

The Alabama High School Athletic Association has released its reclassification list for the next two school years, and all five local public schools are staying in their current class – but there are major changes in regional alignments for football.

The biggest news comes for Gardendale High School, which was previously the smallest school in Class 6A. The Rockets stay in the state’s largest class, and are now sixth from the bottom of the 62 schools in the top class.

But importantly for the football team, Gardendale is no longer in the “Region of Doom” along with powerhouse teams like Hoover, Spain Park and Vestavia Hills. Instead, the Rockets will now play in Region 5, an eight-team region which includes Jess Lanier, Carver, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County, Minor (up from 5A), Jackson-Olin, and Northridge. It’s a region in which Gardendale stands a much better chance of making the playoffs.

Mortimer Jordan and Hayden remain in Class 5A Region 6, along with Cullman, which was expected to move up to 6A but did not. Springville, however, drops in class to 4A. Pleasant Grove and Erwin move to other regions, and are replaced by West Point and Hartselle, reducing the region to eight teams.

Corner stays in 4A, and the only change to its region is the addition of Tarrant, restoring the region to eight teams.

Fultondale also stays in 2A as expected, but is moved to Region 7, a nine-team region that includes Cleveland, Cold Springs, Falkville, Oakman, Sumiton Christian, Tanner, West End-Walnut Grove and Westminster Christian. That gets the Wildcats out of the region with perennial powers Pickens County and Hale County. Geographically, the move will mean somewhat less travel for the Cats, but three teams are located in the Decatur-Huntsville area.

More about the reclassification in Saturday’s edition of The North Jefferson News.

Robert Carter