GHSA proposed region alignment
Region 6-AAAAAA AllatoonaCreekviewDaltonHarrisonOsborneRiver RidgeSequoyahSouth CobbSprayberryRegion 6-AAAA Gilmer CountyHeritageLaFayetteNorthwest WhitfieldPickens CountyRidgelandSoutheast WhitfieldRegion 6-AAA AdairsvilleBremenCalhounCoahulla CreekHaralson CountyLakeview-Ft. OglethorpeMurray CountyNorth MurrayRinggoldSonoravilleRegion 7-AA ArmucheeChattoogaCoosaDade CountyGordon CentralModelPepperellRockmartRegion 6A-A BowdonChristian HeritageDarlingtonGordon LeeMt. ZionNorth Cobb ChristianTrion* Excel Christian* Ga. School for Deaf* Morris Innovative* - non-football playing schools
The Georgia High School Association released its new region alignments for the 2016-18 school years Tuesday, and the news was especially good for a pair of northwest Georgia athletic programs.
Ridgeland and Southeast Whitfield, slated to move up to Class AAAAA when student enrollment figures were released last month, will remain in Class AAAA after the GHSA moved the schools down to help balance out its middle classes.
After seven schools requested to play up from 4A to 5A, the GHSA moved six schools down based on enrollment figures. That the moves included Ridgeland and Southeast means this year's Region 7-AAAA will return intact (though it will be called Region 6) except for Cartersville, which moves to Region 5.
"We're enthusiastic with being able to stay in this region and avoid the travel," Ridgeland athletic director Rob Stinson said. "We're still trying to get a sense of how everybody feels but we feel it's best.
"Us and Southeast were going to be affected the most, so it's good they asked if they would like us to stay in this region. It would have been very expensive travel-wise for us to move up to 5A, and we would have lost gates."
The other change from preliminary lists is the formation of a 10-team Region 6-AAA that will keep the current region together except for the subtraction of Gordon Central, which has been moved to Class AA, and the addition of Haralson County and Bremen.
The large region, under guidelines detailed in the GHSA constitution, will have to be subdivided. According to the rule, "There will be a mandatory subdivision of each region containing 10 or more schools."
There is, however, a way the region can remain whole and have teams play a nine-game region schedule, though it's unclear if 6-AAA will meet the requirements. The constitution says any region that is subdivided because of geographical considerations can vote by two-thirds majority to play a full region schedule.
However, since none of the 10 schools likely would be considered isolated, there may not be a choice. Either way, the schools are meeting Thursday at noon in Adairsville to discuss options.
"To me first of all, it's kind of crazy to have a 10-team region with only 50-something teams in triple-A," Ringgold athletic director and football coach Robert Akins said. "It might be a fight to see which way it goes. Our county wants us and Lakeview(-Fort Oglethorpe) to play Heritage, but we want to be able to schedule more money games like Northwest Whitfield.
"If we don't subdivide, we will be limited."
The issue to be decided is how to subdivide. If the region goes north and south, then Ringgold, LFO, Coahulla Creek, Murray County and North Murray would be in one group with Calhoun, Adairsville, Sonoraville, Bremen and Haralson in the other.
If it goes east and west based on Interstate 75, then there will be a completely different look.
Gordon Central's move down, along with Rockmart's and Pepperell's, creates an eight-team Region 7-AA with holdovers Chattooga, Dade County, Armuchee, Coosa and Model.
Gordon Lee rejoins old foes Trion and Christian Heritage in the subdivided Region 6-A, which includes 18 schools, 15 of which play football.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22.
Robert Akins and his Ringgold High School athletic program will be part of a 10-team region as laid out by the GHSA on Tuesday.