Photo: Dre’sen Champagne (pictured at right batting) and the Southside High baseball team will compete in Class 5A for the next two seasons. (Chris McCarthy/Messenger)
By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor
A number of local high school changed areas for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association Central Board of Control recently approved school alignments for the spring sports of baseball, softball, soccer, tennis, golf and outdoor track for the. Alignments for fall and winter sports were released earlier this year. Some sports may include two or more classes in a division based on number of declared participants.
Reclassification is conducted every two years by the AHSAA Central Board of Control.
In baseball, Gadsden City, Southside and Westbrook Christian were placed in new classifications. The Titans moved from Class 7A Area 6 to 6A Area 13, which also includes Fort Payne, Oxford and Pell City. The Panthers went down from 6A Area 13 to 5A Area 12 along with Alexandria and Lincoln. The Warriors went up from 2A Area 12 to 3A Area 11 with holdovers Glencoe, Hokes Bluff and Ohatchee.
Coosa Christian switched from 1A Area 12 to 1A Area 13, which also features Cedar Bluff, Gaylesville and Appalachian. In 2A, West End will compete in Area 12 with Cleveland, Holly Pond and Locust Fork. Gaston left Area 12 for Area 13 and Collinsville, Pleasant Valley, Sand Rock and Donoho.
In 4A, Etowah left behind Ashville and Oneonta in Area 10 for Area 14, which includes Cherokee County, DAR and North Jackson. Ashville and Oneonta switched to Area 11 with Good Hope and Hanceville.
Sardis remained in 5A Area 13, which retained Boaz and Crossville and dropped Douglas.
In softball, Gadsden City dropped from 7A to 6A Area 12 along with Clay-Chalkville, Oxford and Pell City High. Southside stayed in Area 13 but moved from 6A to 5A. The area also includes Etowah County neighbor Sardis, Boaz and Douglas.
Etowah, Ashville and Oneonta switched from 4A Area 10 to 4A Area 12, which also includes Cherokee County.
In Class 3A, Hokes Bluff and Glencoe left Area 12 for Area 11 along with Ohatchee.
In Class 2A, Gaston and Sand Rock went form Area 12 to Area 11, which also features Fyffe and Collinsville. West End’s Area 10 competition will be Cleveland and Holly Pond.
Coosa Christian is in Class 1A Area 10 with Ragland, Talladega County Central and Winterboro.
In boys and girls soccer, Glencoe and Hokes Bluff share 1A-3A Area 6 with Collinsville, Faith Christian, Saks, Sylvania, Donoho and Weaver. Due to the Competitive Balance Rules which mandates that a private school move up or down a classification due to points earned by postseason success, Class 3A Westbrook will compete in Class 4A Area 6 with Etowah and
Cherokee County. Ashville moved to 4A Area 4 with Fultondale, Oneonta and Talladega.
Southside and Gadsden City dropped to 5A and 6A, respectively. The Titans share 6A Area 13
With Fort Payne and Oxford, while the Panthers will compete against Douglas, Lincoln, Saint Clair County and Springville in 5A Area 6.
In boys and girls tennis, Westbrook shares Class 1A-3A Section 3 with Decatur Heritage, Faith Christian, Lindsay Lane, Pleasant Valley, Victory Christian, Whitesburg Christian and the
Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering.
Making up Class 4A/5A Section 6 are Sardis, Etowah (girls only), Southside, Boaz, Cherokee County, Douglas, Jacksonville and Donoho.
Gadsden City will compete in Class 6A Section 6 with Cullman, Gardendale, Mortimer Jordan and Pinson Valley.
In boys golf, West End shares Class 1A-2A Section 3 with Cedar Bluff, Ider, Jacksonville Christian, North Sand Mountain, Pisgah, Pleasant Valley, Section, Skyline, Donoho, Valley Head, Whitesburg Christian and Woodville.
Class 3A Section 3 features a trio of local teams in Glencoe, Hokes Bluff and Westbrook. Also in the section are Asbury, Brindlee Mountain, Geraldine, J.B. Pennington, Ohatchee, Piedmont,
Plainview, Saks, Susan Moore, Sylvania, Walter Wellborn and Weaver.
Etowah and Ashville share Class 4A Section 3 with Anniston, Cherokee County, Good Hope,
Hanceville, Jacksonville, DAR, Madison County, Munford, New Hope, North Jackson, Oneonta and White Plains.
Sardis and Southside are in Class 5A Section 3 along with Alexandria, Boaz, Crossville, Douglas, Hayden, Jasper, Leeds, Lincoln, Moody, Saint Clair County and Springville.
Gadsden City’s 6A Section 4 competition for boys and girls will be Athens, Buckhorn, Columbia, Cullman, Decatur, Fort Payne, Hartselle, Hazel Green, Lee-Huntsville, Mae Jemison and Muscle Shoals.
In girls golf, Glencoe, Hokes Bluff and West End share Class 1A-3A Section 3 with Asbury, Brindlee Mountain, Cedar Bluff, Fyffe, Geraldine, Ider, Jacksonville Christian, Madison Academy. North Sand Mountain, Ohatchee, Piedmont, Pisgah, Plainview, Pleasant Valley, Saks, Section, Skyline, Susan Moore, Sylvania, Donoho, Valley Head, Walter Wellborn, Weaver, Whitesburg Christian and Woodville.
Along with local teams Sardis, Southside, Westbrook and Ashville, Class 4A/5A Section 3 includes Alexandria, Anniston, Arab, Boaz, Cherokee County, Crossville, Douglas, Guntersville, Hayden, Jacksonville, DAR, Lincoln, Madison County, Munford, New Hope, North Jackson, Oneonta, Scottsboro and White Plains.
In boys and girls track and field, Coosa Christian will compete in Class 1A Section 4 along with Alabama School for the Blind, Alabama School for the Deaf, Appalachian, Cedar Bluff, Gaylesville, Ragland, Skyline, Talladega County Central, Donoho, Valley Head, Victory Christian, Winterboro and Woodville.
In Class 2A Section 3, Gaston and West End will face Cleveland, Fyffe, Holly Pond, Locust Fork, North Sand Mountain, Pisgah, Pleasant Valley, Sand Rock, Section, Southeastern and Whitesburg Christian.
Along with Westbrook, Hokes Bluff and Glencoe, Class 3A Section 3 includes Brindlee Mountain, Geraldine, J.B. Pennington, Ohatchee, Piedmont, Randolph County, Saks, Susan Moore, Walter Wellborn and Weaver.
Etowah and Ashville share Class 4A Section 2 with Anniston, Booker T. Washington, Cherokee County, Cleburne County, Handley, Jacksonville, LAMP, Montgomery Catholic, Munford, Oneonta, Talladega, Montgomery Academy and White Plains.
Southside joins Class 5A Section 3 along with Alexandria, Fairfield Prep, G.W. Carver, Hayden, Jasper, John Carroll Catholic, Leeds, Lincoln, Moody, Pleasant Grove, Ramsay, Saint Clair County, Springville and Wenonah.
Sardis’ 5A Section 4 competition will be A.P. Brewer, Arab, Ardmore, Boaz, Douglas, East Limestone, Fairview, Guntersville, Lawrence County, Randolph, Russellville, Scottsboro and West Point.
Gadsden City shares Class 6A Section 4 with Athens, Buckhorn, Columbia, Cullman, Decatur, Fort Payne, Hartselle, Hazel Green, Lee-Huntsville, Mae Jemison and Muscle Shoals.