GHSA sets regions for 2022-2024
♦ Rockmart faces new class, region for next 2-year cycle
The Georgia High School Association met to hear appeals for lateral transfers within classes on Nov. 18 in the GHSA office in Thomaston. While no changes were applied to Cedartown or Rockmart’s regions, several appeals were approved that affect other teams in the area.
No teams in Region 7-4A appealed to switch regions, therefore solidifying the six-team region of Cedartown, Central-Carroll, Heritage-Catoosa, Northwest Whitfield, Sonoraville, and Southeast Whitfield.
Region 5-2A stays the same as well, meaning Rockmart’s region opponents over the next two years include Callaway, Haralson County, Heard County, and Temple.
Rockmart’s previous region, Region 6-3A, has seen a plethora of shakeup since their departure. As Rockmart dropped to 2A and Sonoraville dropped to 4A, the region added Bremen and Ridgeland into the mix.
The nine-team region grew even larger last week, however, as the GHSA approved the appeals of Pickens and Gilmer. Region 6-3A now consists of eleven teams: Adairsville, Bremen, Coahulla Creek, Gilmer, LaFayette, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe, Murray County, North Murray, Pickens, Ridgeland, and Ringgold.
The statewide athletics association has yet to announce what the plan will be for this region in football, as the teams would either have to play a ten-game region schedule or the region would need to subdivide.
In Class 4A, much of the appeals revolved around Region 4, which was originally zoned to span from Troup County to southern Fulton County.
Hapeville Charter was approved for a move to Region 6-4A, where they will compete with other schools in Fulton and DeKalb counties. Fayette County, North Clayton, and Riverdale were denied their appeals, so they will stay in Region 4-4A with the likes of LaGrange, Starr’s Mill, Trinity
Christian, Troup County and Whitewater.
The newest school in the state, Seckinger High School in Gwinnett County, will be moving from Region 6-4A to Region 8-4A. The Jaguars will face off with Northeast Georgia schools like Cedar Shoals, Madison County, and North Oconee.
Villa Rica, which was initially zoned to compete in a stacked Region 7-5A with programs like Calhoun, Cartersville, and Dalton, was unanimously approved for a move to Region 5-5A. The Wildcats will consider teams on the west side of the metro area such as Chapel Hill, Lithia Springs, and Mays region opponents for the next two years.
At the end of last Thursday’s meeting the GHSA discussed a proposal to merge the Class A public and private schools and then split them into a large division and a small division leading to two state championship.
This comes after several private schools announced their plans to leave the GHSA for the Georgia Independent School Association following the implementation of the 3.0 out-of-district multiplier.
According to the GHSA’s official press release, “a spirited discussion ensued with members of the reclassification committee and members of the large audience voicing several different ideas and opinions.”
GHSA president Glenn White said that the committee was not ready to pass any proposal that had been brought up at the meeting regarding the Class A Public and Class A Private debate.