Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy
The Alabama High School Athletic Association recently released its basketball areas, indoor track and field alignments and wrestling sectionals and regions for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years.
In basketball, Gadsden City dropped from Class 7A to 6A, sharing Area 13 with Fort Payne and Oxford. Southside dropped from 6A to 5A, joining Alexandria and Lincoln in Area 12. Sardis remained in Class 5A, Area 12 along with Douglas, Boaz and Crossville. Etowah and Ashville stayed in Class 4A and will compete with Hanceville and Oneonta in Area 11. Westbrook Christian moved up from 2A to 3A alongside Glencoe, Hokes Bluff and Ohatchee. Gaston and West End remained in 2A, with the Bulldogs sharing Area 12 with Collinsville, Fyffe and Sand Rock and the Patriots competing in Area 13 with Decatur Heritage, Falkville and Holly Pond. Class 1A Area 12 includes Coosa Christian, Cedar Bluff, Gaylesville, Spring Garden and Jacksonville Christian.
In wrestling, Gadsden City will compete in Class 6A Section 2 along with Athens, Buckhorn, Center Point, Clay-Chalkville, Columbia, Decatur, Fort Payne, Gardendale, Hartselle, Hazel Green, Huffman, Lee-Huntsville, Mae Jemison, Mortimer Jordan, Muscle Shoals, Oxford, Pell City, Pinson Valley and Shades Valley. Southside joins Alexandria, A.P Brewer, Arab, Douglas, East Limestone, Hayden, Jasper, Leeds, Lincoln, Moody, St. Clair County, Scottsboro and Springville in Class 5A, Section 2.
Ashville shares Class 4A Section 2 with Cherokee County, Corner, Deshler, Dora, Fultondale, Madison Academy, Madison County, New Hope, Ohatchee, Piedmont, Pleasant Valley, Randolph, Southeastern, St. John Paul II, Susan Moore, Weaver, Wes End, Westminster Christian, White Plains and Wilson.
In bowling, Gadsden City joins Center point, Clay-Chalkville, Hewitt-Trussville, Huffman, Oxford, Pinson Valley and Shades Valley in Class 6A-7A, Region 7. Three local boys teams will compete in Class 1A-5A Region 6 – Southside, Etowah and Coosa Christian along with Springville, Southeastern, St. Clair County and Moody. Class 1A-5A Region 6 girls consists of Southside, Etowah, Springville, Southeastern, St. Clair County and Moody.
AHSAA school reclassification for the upcoming 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years was announced last November. Fall sports alignments were announced at the conclusion of the fall sports’ season last December. Spring sports alignments for the upcoming classification period will be released in May after the conclusion of the 2022 spring sports championships.
