Central Georgia teams prepare for changes in classes and regions with preliminary GHSA region placements, after appeals (with chart of area regions)
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
The first round of appeals for reclassification with the GHSA was not a good for the four-dozen plus schools interested in a change.
They batted 32.7 percent, compared to almost double that rate two years ago.
Central Georgia schools didn’t fare as well as usual. Westside and Howard appeals to move down from 4A were denied as was Washington County’s hope to drop down from 3A. But Central (from 5A to 3A), Putnam County (3A to AA) and Twiggs County (AA to A) were approved.
That’s not good news for Westside – in the market for a new head coach with the impending end of Spoon Risper’s career with the Seminoles – and Howard, which is off its worst season since 2016.
The Huskies are in the second year in AAA after a decade in 4A, while the Seminoles have gone from 4A to 3A to 4A to 3A to 4A to AA in the last several reclassification cycles.
Central has had its appeals approved in recent years because of an enrollment bolstered by its IB program and unrelated to sports. The Chargers basic lack of much success across the board has made those appeals favorable toward approval.
Central, which was in 3A from 2010-2021, is with three other Bibb County public schools teams in 2-3A.
Mary Persons and Jasper County dropped down a class when some teams moved up.
Upon hearing Monday’s appeals, the GHSA set about to put the 450-plus schools into specific regions, and posted the new regions – for now – around dinnertime.
Conversations about further appeals then commenced.
The return of a Class 7A and elimination of divisions in Class A spread things out. Teams may be in a higher classification but against familiar teams. The difference in classifications will likely show more in the postseason
West Laurens is a candidate to appeal for a move to a different region in Class AAA, from a Savannah-heavy region to perhaps the Central Georgia-focused Region 2, particularly if any teams from that region look to move.
Taylor County is alone on the west side of I-75 in 5-A, yanked from schools surrounding for trips to Wilkinson County, Hancock Central, and Johnson County, among others.
Two years ago, Jones County petitioned to get out of the Henry County region for an Athens-area group, but was denied. The Greyhounds are likely much happier this go around, with two other teams not from around Henry County and a smaller region.
The huge 10-team Region 2-AA/Division I is no more, sending its teams to three regions in two classes, with three staying together in 2-3A and five in 2-AA.
Area teams for the most part avoided large regions allowing for minimal non-region games.
Central Georgia drops from 13 regions to 11.