Photo: Will Clemons and the 2021 Hokes Bluff baseball team will compete in Class 3A (Courtesy of Alex Chaney)
By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor
Some local high school sports teams found themselves in new area and region alignments, others stayed put and a few programs were discontinued following the release of the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s re-alignment of baseball, softball, soccer, track and field, tennis and golf for 2021-22 and 2022-23 spring seasons.
In baseball, Gadsden City shares Class 7A, Area 6 with Hewitt-Trussville, Spain Park and Vestavia Hills; Southside shares 6A, Area 13 with Springville, Oxford and Pell City; Sardis shares 5A, Area 13 with Sand Mountain neighbors Boaz, Crossville and Douglas; Etowah shares 4A, Area 10 with Ashville and Oneonta; Hokes Bluff shares 3A, Area 12 with Collinsville,
Geraldine and Asbury; Glencoe shares 3A, Area 11 with Piedmont, Ohatchee and Pleasant Valley; Westbrook Christian and Gaston share 2A, Area 12 with Sand Rock and Spring Garden; West End shares 2A, Area 11 with Southeastern, Cleveland and Locust Fork; and Coosa Christian shares 1A, Area 12 with Cedar Bluff, Gaylesville and Appalachian.
In softball, both Class 7A Gadsden City and Class 1A Coosa Christian will not field a team for the 2021-22 season. GCHS did not have the team for the 2020 season. Joining Southside in 6A, Area 13 are Springville, Oxford and Pell City; Joining Sardis in 5A, Area 13 are Boaz, Crossville and Douglas; joining Etowah in 4A, Area 10 are Ashville and Oneonta; Joining Glencoe and Hokes Bluff in 3A, Area 12 are Collinsville and Geraldine; Joining Gaston in 2A, Area 12 are Sand Rock and Spring Garden; and joining West End in 2A, Area 11 are Southeastern, Cleveland and Locust Fork.
With Hokes Bluff fielding its inaugural soccer boys and girls teams next spring, the Eagles and Glencoe will compete in Class 1A-3A, Area 6 along with Brindlee Mountain, Collinsville, Susan Moore and Sylvania.
With Westbrook Christian playing up a classification due to the Competitive Balance Rule that affects successful private school programs, the Warriors reside in 4A/5A, Area 11 with Etowah, Ashville, One-onta and St. Clair County.
Southside, which was ranked No. 1 in boys and No. 3 in girls when the 2020 season ended prematurely, shares 6A, Area 13 with Oxford, Pell City and Springville.
Gadsden City finds itself sharing 7A, Area 6 with Birmingham-area Hewitt-Trussville, Spain Park and Vestavia Hills.
In boys and girls outdoor track, Coosa Christian shares 1A, Section 4 with Appalachian, Athens Bible, Cornerstone, Donoho, Lindsay Lane, Ragland, Skyline and Woodville.
Class 2A, Section 4 consists of Gaston, Westbrook, West End, Cleveland, Colbert County, Falkville, Lexington, Locust Fork, Mars Hill Bible, North Sand Mountain, Pisgah, St. Bernard, Sand Rock, Section, Southeastern, Tanner and Whitesburg Christian.
Class 3A, Section 3 includes Glencoe, Hokes Bluff, Asbury, Brindlee Mountain, Collinsville, Fyffe, Geraldine, Holly Pond, Ohatchee, J.B. Pennington, Piedmont, Plainview, Pleasant Valley, Saks, Susan Moore, Sylvania, Walter Wellborn and Weaver.
Joining Ashville in 4A, Section 3 are American Christian, Bibb County, Central-Florence, Curry, Deshler, Dora, Fayette County, Fultondale, Gordo, Haleyville, Hamilton, Holt, Indian Springs, Montevallo, Northside, Oak Grove, Sumter Central and West Blockton.
Etowah competes in 4A, Section 4 along with Brooks, Cherokee County, Kate Smith DAR, Good Hope, Hanceville, Madison Academy, Madison County, New Hope, North Jackson, Oneonta, Priceville, Randolph, Rogers, St. John Paul II Catholic, West Limestone, Westminster, West Morgan and Wilson.
Sardis shares 5A, Section 4 with Alexandria, Ardmore, Boaz, A.P. Brewer, Crossville, Douglas, Est Limestone, Fairview, Guntersville, Lawrence County, Lee-Huntsville, Mae Jemison, Russellville and West Point.
Class 5A, Section 4 features Southside, Arab, Athens, Buckhorn, Columbia, Cullman, Decatur, Fort Payne, Hartselle, Hazel Green, Muscle Shoals, Scottsboro and Springville.
Gadsden City competes in 7A, Section 3 along with Hewitt-Trussville, Hoover, Oak Mountain, Spain Park, Thompson, Tuscaloosa County and Vestavia Hills.
In girls and boys tennis, Westbrook Christian competes in 1A-3A, Section 3 with Decatur Heritage, Plainview, Pleasant Valley, St. Bernard Prep, Sylvania and Whitesburg Christian.
Class 4A-5A, Section 6 includes Etowah, Sardis, Boaz, Cherokee County, Kate Smith DAR, Douglas and Guntersville.
Gadsden City plays in 7A, Section 3 along with Hewitt-Trussville, Hoover, Oak Mountain, Spain Park, Thompson, Tuscaloosa County and Vestavia Hills.
The Southside boys share 6A, Section 6 with Gardendale, Huffman, Mortimer Jordan, Pinson Valley and Springville.
The Southside girls compete in 6A, Section 2 with Springville, Benjamin Russell, Briarwood Christian, Calera, Chelsea, Chilton County, Helena, Opelika, Oxford, Pelham, Pell City, Stanhope Elmore, Valley and Wetumpka.
In boys and girls golf, Southside shares 6A, Section 2 with Benjamin Russell, Briarwood Christian, Calera, Chelsea, Chilton County, Helena, Opelika, Oxford, Pelham, Pell City, Springville, Stanhope Elmore, Valley and Wetumpka. Gadsden City’s 7A, Section 3 competition includes Hewitt-Trussville, Hoover, Oak Mountain, Spain Park, Thompson, Tuscaloosa County and Vestavia Hills.
In boys golf, West End competes in 1A/2A, Section 2 with Altamont, Cleveland, B.B. Comer, Donoho, Fayetteville, Isabella, JCA, Locust Fork, Maplesville, Sacred Heart Catholic, Southeastern, Thorsby, Vincent and Westminster Christian. Glencoe, Hokes Bluff and Westbrook Christian share 3A, Section 3 with Asbury, Brindlee Mountain, Fyffe, Geraldine, J.B. Pennington, Piedmont, Plainview, Pleasant Valley and Sylvania.
Etowah and Ashville join Anniston, Cherokee County, Kate Smith DAR, Jacksonville, Madison County, Munford, New Hope, North Jackson, Oneonta and White Plains in 4A, Section 3.
In 5A, Section 4, Sardis competes against Alexandria, Ardmore, Boaz, A.P. Brewer, Crossville, Douglas, East Limestone, Guntersville, Lee-Huntsville, Lincoln and Mae Jemison.
In girls golf, 1A/2A, Section 3 features Glencoe, Hokes Bluff, Westbrook Christian, West End, Cedar Bluff, Cleveland, Asbury, Fyffe, Geraldine, Ider, Locust Fork, NSM, J.B. Pennington, Piedmont, Pisgah, Plainview, Pleasant Valley, Section, Skyline, Southeastern, Sylvania, Valley Head, Whitesburg Christian and Woodville. Competing in 4A-5A, Section 3 are Eto-wah, Sardis, Ashville, Alexandria, Boaz, A.P. Brewer, Cherokee County, Crossville, Kate Smith DAR, Douglas, Fairview, Guntersville, Hanceville, Jacksonville, Lee-Huntsville, Madison County, Mae Jemison, New Hope, North Jackson, Oneonta, Randolph, St. Clair County and White Plains.
Fall sports alignments were released at the conclusion of the fall sports season last December, while winter sports alignments were released last March after the conclusion of the winter sports season.