Divisional changes abound for area sides

The new cycle of fall sports divisional alignments was unveiled June 13 by the Ohio High School Athletic Association, and a handful of changes are in the cards for News-Herald coverage area boys and girls soccer sides.

In all, nine area sides will be shifting divisional addresses as opposed to a year ago.

The largest transition comes with boys squads, as Geneva, Harvey, Kenston and Madison are all heading to Division II.

The Red Raiders, who went 16-4 last fall and bowed out with a 1-0 D-I district semifinal loss at eventual regional side and fellow News-Herald coverage area power University, is tied for being the third-largest D-II side. Harvey has an adjusted enrollment of 343 boys in grades 10-12 per OHSAA enrollment figures.

The Blue Streaks, at 342, will also be one of the largest D-II boys sides in Ohio and won’t be playing in D-I for the first time in recent memory.

The Eagles and Bombers, who generally fluctuate between divisions, are now comfortably below the D-II cutoff at 316 and 298, respectively.

Both Beachwood squads will be returning to D-III. The Bison boys went 10-6-1 in 2021. Both sides are well below the D-III maximum cutoff, which is 189 for girls and 186 for boys.

Also making the move to D-III will be the Villa Angela-St. Joseph girls.

Two other moves that will undoubtedly have district ramifications occur with a pair of ascensions for perennially strong girls sides.

Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, which was a 10-6-2 D-II district semifinalist last fall, returns to D-I. With an adjusted enrollment of 360, the Lions are well above the cutoff of 328.

The Berkshire girls, typically a threat in the D-III ranks, has vaulted to D-II after a 14-4-3 D-III sweet 16 campaign a year ago. The Badgers have an adjusted enrollment of 201, 10 above the cutoff.

One non-area note of interest is with the Rocky River girls, which Chagrin Falls defeated en route to the 2021 girls D-II state title in a state semifinal at Strongsville. The formidable Pirates are now a D-I side, the smallest on enrollment in Ohio, with an enrollment uptick to 328.

A list of all divisional alignments for girls Division I, D-II and D-III and boys D-I, D-II and D-III are available on OHSAA.org.