Few changes made as realignment finalized by Georgia High School Association

Final appeals were heard and the new region alignments for the next two-year reclassification cycle were revealed by the Georgia High School Association last Tuesday.

As far as local teams in Classes 3A and 4A were concerned, there were no changes from the original alignment released earlier this month.

LaFayette, LFO and Ringgold will be a part of Region 6-AAA, along with Adairsville, Coahulla Creek, Murray County, North Murray, Rockmart and Sonoraville, while Ridgeland and Heritage will be in the new Region 7-AAAA starting next fall to be joined by CentralCarroll, Cedartown, Northwest Whitfield, Pickens and Southeast Whitfield.

Gordon Lee will still be a part of Region 6 in the public school-only division of the state’s smallest classification. Joining the Trojans for football will be Armuchee, B.E.S.T. Academy of Atlanta, Bowdon, Mount Zion and Trion.

Non football-playing members of the new region will include Atlanta Classical, DeKalb School of Arts, Drew Charter School,

Fulton Leadership Academy, Georgia School for the Deaf and Morris Innovative.

Fannin County won its appeal for a lateral transfer. The Rebels will now be a part of Region 7-AA which will also include Chattooga, Coosa, Dade County, Gordon Central, Model and Pepperell. Fannin County, who is currently in its final season in Class 3A, was originally placed into Region 8.

Dalton was denied its appeal for isolation and was also turned down for a lateral transfer. They will be a part of Region 5-AAAAAA, which will also include Carrollton, Rome and several of the schools in Paulding County, among others.

Private schools Christian Heritage, Darlington, Holy Innocents’ and Wesleyan were all denied in their attempts to go from Class 1A to Class 2A, though Pace Academy was approved to compete in Class 2A, where it will join Lovett as part of Region 6-AA.

Also notable was second-year school Denmark High School, who won its appeal to move all the way up to Class 7A. Denmark, who was classified as a 4A school when it opened its doors less than two years ago, had been placed into Class 6A after showing enrollment numbers of over 2,000 in the most recent counts. They will be part of a region mainly based in Forsyth County.