Board upholds HA appeal
Published 12:03 am Saturday, January 25, 2014
Nothing changed for local football teams as a result of the Alabama High School Athletic Association Central Board of Control’s decision to uphold Houston Academy’s appeal on Friday morning.
The decision moved HA back to Class 2A in the new reclassification system after the Dothan private school had been placed in 3A on Wednesday when the new reclassification realignment system for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years was approved by the board, which also voted for a new seven-class system.
According to a press release by the AHSAA, it was determined that HA had reported incorrect enrollment numbers to the athletic association by counting grades 9-12, instead of grades 10-12. The school requested that the AHSAA made an adjustment, but the request was denied according to the AHSAA constitution, which allows only the Central Board to make classification changes.
With HA moving back down from Class 3A, the only other change is that New Brockton shifts from Region 2 to Region 3 in Class 2A.
Andalusia High School Athletic Director Richard Robertson, who serves on the Central Board of Control, said something similar happened in relation to HA’s appeal back in 1999, when Carver and Alexander City both did something wrong.
The ruling yesterday morning didn’t change any of the local school’s classification or region.
The new seven-classification football alignment places the 32 largest high schools in the new Class 7A. the remaining six are divided as “equally as possible” with 60 schools in 6A, 61 in 5A, 60 in 4A, 60 in 3A, 58 in 2A and 58 in 1A.
Andalusia and Straughn will be competing in Class 4A, Region 2 with Ashford, Bullock County, Headland, Montgomery Catholic, St. James and Trinity Presbyterian starting this fall. W.S. Neal stays in Class 4A, Region 1.
Opp stays in Class 3A, Region 1 with Bayside Academy, Cottage Hill, Excel, Geneva, Hillcrest-Evergreen (a former 4A school) and T.R. Miller.
AHS and SHS will also be in the same area in baseball, along with Ashford and Headland in Area 2.
Opp’s teams will be in Area 2 with Hillcrest, Geneva and T.R. Miller.
Florala will be playing in Class 1A, Area 2 with Brantley and Kinston in baseball, while RLS and PHS will be in Area 3 with McKenzie.
Area alignments for local teams in softball are the same as baseball.
In volleyball, AHS and SHS join Ashford and Headland in Area 2; Opp is in Area 2 with Geneva and Hillcrest-Evergreen; Florala and Pleasant Home are in Class 1A, Area 2 with Kinston, and Red Level is in Area 3 with Georgiana and Brantley.
HA was assessed a $500 fine for failing to comply with the AHSAA rules and was also required to pay the expenses of the special-called meeting.