TSSAA districts/regions for 2017-20
FOOTBALLClass 1A› Region 3: Copper Basin, Lookout Valley, Sale Creek, South Pittsburg, WhitwellClass 2A› Region 2: Cumberland Gap, Meigs County, Oneida, Rockwood, Wartburg› Region 3: Bledsoe County, Marion County, Polk County, Tellico Plains, TynerClass 3A› Region 3: Brainerd, Loudon, McMinn Central, Red Bank, Signal Mountain, Sweetwater› Region 4: Cannon County, Grundy County, Sequatchie County, Smith County, Upperman, York InstituteClass 4A› Region 2: Anderson County, Central, East Hamilton, East Ridge, Hixson, Howard, SequoyahClass 5A› Region 4: Knoxville Catholic, Lenoir City, Rhea County, Soddy-Daisy, Walker ValleyClass 6A› Region 2: Bradley Central, Cleveland, Heritage, Maryville, McMinn County, Ooltewah, William BlountDivision II-A (16 in two regions)› East Region: Concord Christian, Donelson Christian Academy, Ezell-Harding, Friendship Christian, Grace Academy, Middle Tennessee Christian, Mt. Juliet Christian, King’s AcademyDivision II-AA (19 in three regions)› East Region: Boyd-Buchanan, Chattanooga Christian, Christian Academy of Knoxville, Knoxville Grace Christian, Notre Dame, Silverdale Baptist, Knoxville WebbDivision II-AAA (11 in two regions)› East/Middle Region: Baylor, Brentwood Academy, Ensworth, Father Ryan, McCallie, Montgomery Bell Academy, Pope John Paul IIBASEBALL, BASKETBALL, SOFTBALLClass A› District 4: Arts & Sciences, Bachman Academy, Chattanooga Girls’ Leadership Academy, Copper Basin, Sale Creek, Tellico Plains› District 5: Ivy Academy, Lookout Valley, Richard Hardy, South Pittsburg, Van Buren County, WhitwellClass AA› District 5: Loudon, McMinn Central, Meigs County, Polk County, Sequoyah, Sweetwater› District 6: Brainerd, Central, East Ridge, Hixson, Howard, Red Bank, Signal Mountain, Tyner› District 7: Bledsoe County, Cumberland County, Grundy County, Marion County, Sequatchie CountyClass AAA› District 5: Bradley Central, Cleveland, East Hamilton, McMinn County, Ooltewah, Soddy-Daisy, Walker Valley› District 6: Cookeville, Rhea County, Stone Memorial, Warren County, White CountyDivision II-A› East Region, District 2: Boyd-Buchanan, Collegedale Academy, Grace Academy, Notre Dame, Silverale Baptist, St. Andrew’s-SewaneeDivision II-AA› East Region: Baylor, Chattanooga Christian, Girls Preparatory, McCallieSOCCERClass A› District 4: Bledsoe County, Greenback, Polk County, Sale Creek, Sweetwater, Tellico Plains› District 5: Arts & Sciences, Chattanooga Girls’ Leadership Academy, Lookout Valley, Marion County, Signal Mountain, TynerClass AA› District 7: Central, East Hamilton, McMinn Central, Sequoyah› District 8: East Ridge, Hixson, Howard, Red Bank, Sequatchie CountyClass AAA› District 5: Bradley Central, Cleveland, McMinn County, Ooltewah, Walker Valley› District 6: Cookeville, Rhea County, Soddy-Daisy, Warren County, White CountyDivision II-A› District 2: Boyd-Buchanan, Collegedale Academy, Grace Academy, Notre Dame, Silverdale Baptist, St. Andrew’s-SewaneeDivision II-AA› East Region: Baylor, Chattanooga Christian, Girls Preparatory, McCallieVOLLEYBALLClass A› District 3: Bledsoe County, Clarkrange, Coalfield, Harriman, Monterey, Oakdale, Van Buren, Warburg› District 4: Brainerd, Chattanooga Girls’ Leadership Academy, Copper Basin, Polk County, Tellico Plains, Tyner› District 5: Arts & Sciences, Lookout Valley, Marion County, Richard Hardy, Sale Creek, South Pittsburg, WhitwellClass AA› District 5: Kingston, Loudon, McMinn Central, Sequoyah› District 6: Central, East Hamilton, East Ridge, Hixson, Howard› District 7: Grundy County, Red Bank, Sequatchie County, Signal MountainClass AAA› District 5: Bradley Central, Cleveland, McMinn County, Ooltewah, Walker Valley› District 6: Cookeville, Rhea County, Soddy-Daisy, Warren County, White CountyDivision II-A› District 2: Boyd-Buchanan, Collegedale Academy, Grace Academy, Notre Dame, Silverdale Baptist, St. Andrew’s-SewaneeDivision II-AA› East Region: Baylor, Chattanooga Christian, Girls PreparatoryWRESTLINGClass A/AA› Region 2: Alcoa, Brainerd, Central, Cumberland County, Greenback, Hixson, Kingston, Livingston Academy, Sale Creek, Tyner› Region 3: Eagleville, East Nashville, East Ridge, Forrest, Howard, Nolensville, Red Bank, Sequatchie County, Signal Mountain, Stratford, Watertown, WhitwellClass AAA› Region 4: Bradley Central, Cleveland, East Hamilton, McMinn County, Ooltewah, Rhea County, Soddy-Daisy, Walker ValleyDivision II› East Region: Baylor, Boyd-Buchanan, Chattanooga Christian, CAK, DCA, Friendship Christian, Knoxville Grace, McCallie, Montgomery Bell Academy, Notre Dame, Silverdale Baptist, St. Andrew’s-Sewanee, Webb
As with any type of change, when the TSSAA released the new district and region alignments, which determine where teams in all sports will compete for the next four years, several area coaches were not happy.
Schools wanting to appeal can do so at the Board of Control meeting on Nov. 17, which will be when the alignments are voted on.
Among the most unhappy contingents of area coaches are the football staffs at Soddy-Daisy, Rhea County and Walker Valley, which were grouped in the same Class 5A region with Knoxville Catholic and Lenoir City. The biggest issue there is having to deal with Knoxville Catholic, the defending 4A state champion, which chose to remain in Division I with the public schools rather than move to Division II along with most other independent schools.
"I don't think any of us are happy about how they've put our region together," said Soddy-Daisy coach Justin Barnes. "I've never had any interaction with them, but I know the word is that nobody in that (Knoxville) area wanted to play them, so they put them with us.
"And now we have to find six nonregion games, and that's tough."
That region grouping reunites Rhea County coach Mark Pemberton with his former team. Pemberton coached Catholic for seven seasons, winning a state title. Having to travel to the Chattanooga area several times a season is a better travel option for Catholic than it would have faced if it had joined D-II.
"There's a difference in traveling to Chattanooga versus going to Memphis," Catholic coach Steve Matthews told the Knoxville News-Sentinel. "I just hope we can fill a (nonregion) schedule."
Another new region alignment that will create tougher competition for area teams is in 6A, where Bradley Central, Cleveland, Ooltewah and McMinn County will be grouped with perennial power Maryville, Heritage and William Blount.
"As far as our classification system goes, I hate it," Cleveland coach Scott Cummings said. "We're the fourth smallest school in 6A. This whole system got started because of gas prices, to save money on travel, but I don't know of any coach, in any class across the state, who agrees with this system.
"But as far as our region goes, I've played Maryville for 14 years before coming to Cleveland. I know what they're about and why they are who they are. When I coached at Knox West, it helped us playing them because you learn about yourself and where you need to work, so I think playing the schedule we'll be playing will make us tougher and better."
In other head-scratching moves under the new alignments, Meigs County is no longer in the same region with Chattanooga-area opponents and will compete against Cumberland Gap, Oneida, Rockwood and Wartburg, which will mean more travel. The Tigers were replaced by Tellico Plains in their former region, which includes Bledsoe County, Marion County, Polk County and Tyner.
That means every other year, Marion County will pass Meigs County on its way to a 101-mile trip to Tellico Plains.
Also, Brainerd moved up to 3A and is joined in its new region by Loudon, McMinn Central, Red Bank, Signal Mountain and Sweetwater, which creates more travel for the Hamiton County teams.
Because so many independent schools opted to join Division II for the new alignment period, it has been expanded to three classifications. Baylor and McCallie will be among the 11 teams in DII-AAA, and Boyd-Buchanan, Chattanooga Christian, Christian Academy of Knoxville, Knoxville Grace Christian, Notre Dame, Silverdale Baptist and Knoxville Webb will make up the East Region of Class AA, which will have 19 teams in all.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis