Reclassification
- Updated: December 18, 2023
Southside bumped up to Class 6A, Anniston and Jacksonville bump up to 5A and Alexandria down to 4A in the latest round of AHSAA reclassification, the AHSAA announced today.
Update: The AHSAA made reclassification adjustments Tuesday, citing a data reporting error. Coverage of the changes can be found on this link.
Link: The complete AHSAA fall-sports reclassification and realignment for the 2024-26 cycle.
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
Southside bumped up to Class 6A, Anniston and Jacksonville up to Class 5A and Alexandria down to 4A in AHSAA reclassification.
White Plains stayed 4A, and Ohatchee stayed 3A. Saks, Weaver and Wellborn moved from 3A South to 3A north.
The AHSAA Central Board finalized fall-sports reclassification and realignment for the 2024-26 cycle at Monday’s meeting at the AHSAA office in Montgomery and announced the finished project on a live webcast.
Reclassification is based on average daily attendance for grades 9-11 over the first 20 days after labor day. Private school enrollment includes a 1.35 multiplier, and private schools can move up or down in individual sports based on “competitive balance,” a scoring of postseason success.
In football, the AHSAA sought to avoid regions smaller than six teams.
“That was a priority of the board was to not have any six-team regions in football,” said Central Board president Mike Welsh, superintendent of Cherokee County Schools. “A lot of our coaches talked about fair and consistent play and to be able to try to get all of our regions to seven or eight teams, so that it’s a little more consistent.
“We did have a few nine teams thrown in there, due to travel and some situations, but no six-team regions was a priority for football this year.”
One nine-team region is 4A, Region 6, which included Munford, Etowah, Alexandria, Cleburne County, Cherokee County, Hokes Bluff, Ashville, White Plains and Oneonta.
As for reaction to changes in classification, Anniston football coach Rico Jackson said he was “definitely surprised” to see the Bulldogs move up to 5A for the first time since 2007 “but excited to compete in 5A.”
Alexandria will be Class 4A for the first time since 2013.
“It’s basically a combination to how I remember it being in the past,” said Alexandria football coach Todd Ginn, who also played for the Valley Cubs. “I’m glad they seem to have the north/south thing figured back out.
“There’s no way that all those 4A teams around us the past two years should’ve been classified as ‘south.”
Jacksonville will be 5A for the first time since 2001. The Golden Eagles’ move back up has been anticipated since the last reclassification cycle was announced two years ago.
The up also puts Jacksonville back in the north bracket after the Golden Eagles spent the past four season in 4A south.
Not that it will make the Golden Eagles’ lives any easier. They’ll share Region 6 with Springville, Moody, St. Clair County, Lincoln, Anniston and Leeds.
“It’s a whole new batch of characters,” Jacksonville coach Clint Smith said. “It’s a very competitive region.
“Going in, we knew it was going to be 5A. We just didn’t know which way they were going to send us, whether they’d send us west, which we thought they probably would, maybe, just switch with us an Alexandria, or if we might end up going north, with Boaz and that group.”
Another big mover was Southside, which bumped back up to Class 6A for the third time since 2014. The Panthers were 6A from 2014-17 and 2020-21.
Southside finished 8-3 with a region title in 2023, their best season since a 9-3 finish in 2014. Their new region will include Buckhorn, Fort Payne, Gadsden City, Hazel Green, Lee and Mae Jemison.
“I think this will give us a great opportunity to see how far our program has come in the last three seasons,” said Miles Holcomb, entering his fourth season as the Panthers’ head coach. “We feel like we are coming off a good season that didn’t finish the way we wanted it to, but we bring back a ton of experience on both sides of the ball.
“I’m excited to join a talented group of coaches and players, as well as, begin a new rivalry with Gadsden City.”
New football regions for area teams, 2024-26
Class 1A
REGION 6: Donoho, Wadley, Fayetteville, Victory Christian, Winterboro, Woodland, Talladega County Central.
REGION 8: Spring Garden, Valley Head, Appalachian, Gaylesville, Ider, Ragland, Woodville.
Class 2A
REGION 4: Central Coosa, Ranburne, Reeltown, Horeshoe Bend, Lafayette, Loachapoka, Lanett.
REGION 7: Pisgah, North Sand Mountain, Pleasant Valley, Section, Sand Rock, Gaston, Cedar Bluff.
Class 3A
REGION 4: B.B. Comer, Childersburg, Dadeville, Randolph County, Lee-Scott, Beulah, Glenwood.
REGION 6: Wellborn, Saks, Locust Fork, Ohatchee, Westbrook Christian, Glencoe, Piedmont, Weaver. (Ohatchee stays 3A. Saks, Weaver and Wellborn back to 3A north).
Class 4A
REGION 3: Handley, Booker T. Washington, St. James, Talladega, Bibb County, Tallasee, West Blockon, Bullock County.
REGION 6: Munford, Etowah, Alexandria, Cleburne County, Cherokee County, Hokes Bluff, Ashville, White Plains, Oneonta. (nine-team region, Alexandria moves down, White Plains stays 4A, Jacksonville presumably moves up. Anniston?)
Class 5A
REGION 4: Central-Clay, Beauregard, Valley, Sylacauga, Marbury, Holtville, Elmore County.
REGION 6: Springville, Moody, St. Clair County, Lincoln, Anniston, Leeds, Jacksonville. (Jacksonville and Anniston move up)
Class 6A
REGION 6: Huffman, Mountain Brook, Clay-Chalkville, Pinson Valley, Shades Valley, Oxford, Pell City. (Oxford stays put)
REGION 8: Southside, Buckhorn, Fort Payne, Gadsden City, Hazel Green, Lee, Mae Jemison.
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