Divisions change for Central Ohio football
Twenty central Ohio football teams will change playoff divisions this fall under alignments announced by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
Ten are moving up a division either because of competitive balance or increased enrollment, while the other 10 are dropping a classification for the same reason.
Nine more teams would have changed divisions, but remained in their current spots because of competitive balance.
The largest 70 schools are in Division I, and schools in the other six divisions are divided as evenly as possible.
Several area Division I schools moved between regions 2 and 3. Region 2 now consists of the western portion of the Columbus area and much of the Dayton area, and Region 3 encompasses Delaware, Fairfield, the rest of Franklin and Licking counties.
Classifications for baseball, boys basketball, girls basketball, boys soccer, girls soccer, softball and girls volleyball will be announced at a date to be determined. Tournament divisions in those sports are expanding starting this fall, with soccer growing from three to five divisions and the other sports from four to seven.
Here are the central Ohio football teams impacted by Thursday’s announcement:
On the move
● Watkins Memorial: From Division II, Region 7 to Division I, Region 3 because of competitive balance.
● Central Crossing: From Region 7 to Division I, Region 2 because of increased enrollment.
● New Albany: From Region 3 to Region 7 because of decreased enrollment.
● Westerville Central: From Region 3 to Region 7 because of competitive balance.
● Whitehall: From Division III, Region 11 to Region 7 because of increased enrollment.
● Hartley: From Division IV, Region 15 to Region 11 because of increased enrollment.
● Independence and West: From Region 7 to Region 11 because of decreased enrollment.
● Heath, Highland and Westfall: From Division V, regions 19, 18 and 20, respectively, to Region 15 because of increased enrollment.
● Johnstown and KIPP Columbus: From Region 15 to regions 18 and 19, respectively, because of competitive balance.
● East Knox: From Division VI, Region
23 to Region 18 because of competitive balance.
● Northridge: From Region 23 to Region 18 because of increased enrollment.
● Berne Union: From Division VII, Region 27 to Region 23 because of increased enrollment.
● Centerburg, Liberty Union and Madison-plains: From Division V, Region 19 to Division VI because of decreased enrollment. Centerburg and Liberty Union are in Region 23, and Madison-plains is in Region 24.
● Newark Catholic: From Region 23 to Region 27 because of decreased enrollment.
Staying put because of competitive balance
● Desales: Region 7
● Hamilton Township: Region 11
● Jonathan Alder and Ready: Region 15
● Africentric, Amanda-clearcreek and Harvest Prep: Region 19
● Fairbanks: Remains in Division VI but moves from Region 24 to 23.
● Mount Gilead: Region 23. Here are the regions that include central Ohio teams:
Division I, Region 2
Beavercreek, Centerville, Central Crossing, Clayton Northmont, Dublin Coffman, Dublin Jerome, Hilliard Bradley, Hilliard Darby, Hilliard Davidson, Huber Heights Wayne, Kettering Fairmont, Lebanon, Marysville, Middletown, Springboro, Springfield, Westland
Division I, Region 3
Delaware Hayes, Gahanna Lincoln, Grove City, Groveport, Lancaster, Newark, Olentangy, Olentangy Berlin, Olentangy Liberty, Olentangy Orange, Pickerington Central, Pickerington North, Reynoldsburg, Thomas Worthington, Upper Arlington, Watkins Memorial, Westerville North
Division II, Region 7
Ashland, Big Walnut, Briggs, Canal Winchester, Desales, Dublin Scioto, Franklin Heights, Licking Heights, Logan, Marion Harding, Massillon Perry, Massillon Washington, Mifflin, Mount Vernon, New Albany, Northland, St. Charles, Teays Valley, Walnut Ridge, Westerville Central, Westerville South, Whitehall, Wooster, Worthington Kilbourne
Division III, Region 11
Athens, Beechcroft, Bexley, Bloomcarroll,
Buckeye Valley, Carrollton, Centennial, Circleville, Dover, Dresden Trivalley, Eastmoor Academy, Granville, Hamilton Township, Hartley, Independence, Jackson, Licking Valley, Lindenmckinley, Marietta, New Concord John Glenn, New Philadelphia, South, Steubenville, Thornville Sheridan, Vincent Warren, Watterson, West, Wintersville Indian Creek, Zanesville
Division III, Region 12
Batavia, Bellbrook, Bellefontaine, Celina, Chillicothe, Cincinnati Hughes, Cincinnati Mcnicholas, Cincinnati Woodward, Dayton Carroll, Dayton Chaminade Julienne, Dayton Dunbar, Dayton Meadowdale, Dayton Ponitz, Franklin, Goshen, Greenville, Hamilton Ross, Hillsboro, London, Mount Orab Western Brown, New Carlisle Tecumseh, Oxford Talawanda, St. Marys Memorial, Tipp City Tippecanoe, Wapakoneta, Washington Court House Miami Trace, Wilmington
Division IV, Region 15
Bidwell River Valley, Cambridge, Canton South, Chillicothe Unioto, Circleville, Duncan Falls Philo, East, East Liverpool, Fairfield Union, Gallipolis Gallia Academy, Gnadenhutten Indian Valley, Heath, Highland, Jonathan Alder, Lakewood, Lisbon Beaver, Logan Elm, Marion-franklin, Mcarthur Vinton County, Millersburg West Holmes, Minerva, New Lexington, Ready, Richmond Edison, St. Clairsville, Waverly, Westfall, Zanesville Maysville
Division V, Region 18
Archbold, Creston Norwayne, Delta, East Knox, Fairview Park, Findlay Liberty-benton, Fostoria, Fredericktown, Genoa Area, Johnstown, Lagrange Keystone, Liberty Center, Milan Edison, Millbury Lake, Northridge, Northwood, Oak Harbor, Pemberville Eastwood, Port Clinton, Swanton, Utica, Wellington, West Salem Northwestern, Willard, Wooster Triway
Division V, Region 19
Africentric, Albany Alexander, Amanda-clearcreek, Barnesville, Belmont Union Local, Byesville Meadowbrook, Chillicothe Zane Trace, Coal Grove Dawson-bryant, Columbus Academy, Crooksville, Harvest Prep, Ironton, KIPP Columbus, Mcconnelsville Morgan, Mcdermott Northwest, Minford, Nelsonville-york, Oak Hill, Piketon, Pomeroy Meigs, Portsmouth, Proctorville Fairland, South Point, Wellston, Wheelersburg, Worthington Christian, Zanesville West Muskingum
Division V, Region 20
Arcanum, Batavia Clermont Northeastern, Camden Preble Shawnee, Carlisle, Casstown Miami East, Cincinnati Clark Montessori, Cincinnati Finneytown, Cincinnati Madeira, Cincinnati Mariemont, Cincinnati North College Hill, Jamestown Greeneview, Lewistown Indian Lake, Lima Bath, Marion Pleasant, Middletown Madison, North Union, Norwood, St. Paris Graham, Springfield Greenon, Versailles, Waynesville, West Liberty-salem, West Milton Milton-union, Williamsburg
Division VI, Region 23
Belpre, Berne Union, Beverly Fort Frye, Bucyrus, Bucyrus Wynford, Caldwell, Cardington, Centerburg, Fairbanks, Galion Northmor, Grandview Heights, Grove City Christian, Liberty Union, Lore City Buckeye Trail, Marion Elgin, Mechanicsburg, Mount Gilead, North Lewisburg Triad, North Robinson Colonel Crawford, Reedsville Eastern, Sarahsville Shenandoah, Waterford, West Jefferson, West Lafayette Ridgewood, Woodsfield Monroe Central, Zanesville Rosecrans
Division VI, Region 24
Anna, Bainbridge Paint Valley, Blanchester, Chesapeake, Chillicothe Huntington, Chillicothe Southeastern, Cincinnati Country Day, Cincinnati Deer Park, Cincinnati Miami Valley Christian Academy, Cincinnati Purcell Marian, Cincinnati Summit Country Day, Coldwater, Covington, Frankfort Adena, Ironton Rock Hill, Lima Perry, Lucasville Valley, Madison-plains, Miamisburg Dayton Christian, New Lebanon Dixie, New Paris National Trail, Portsmouth West, Sabina East Clinton, Springfield Northeastern, St. Bernardelmwood Place
Division VII, Region 27
Beallsville, Beaver Eastern, Bowerstown Conotton Valley, Bridgeport, Corning Miller, Crown City South Gallia, Danville, Fairfield Christian, Fisher Catholic, Franklin Furnace Green, Glouster Trimble, Hannibal River, Loudonville, Millersport, Morral Ridgedale, New Matamoras Frontier, New Philadelphia Tuscarawas Central Catholic, Newark Catholic, Portsmouth Notre Dame, Portsmouth Sciotoville Community, Racine Southern, Shadyside, Steubenville Catholic Central, Stewart Federal Hocking, Strasburg-franklin, Willow Wood Symmes Valley dpurpura@dispatch.com @dp_dispatch