Competitive balance creates upward movement for local high school spring sports teams
By TIM GAYLE
Sports classifications for teams competing in the Alabama High School Athletic Association were decided on Thursday during a Central Board teleconference, placing many of those teams in new areas and sections for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.
Alignments in fall and winter sports were held until the end of their respective seasons to include the Competitive Balance Factor on private schools. It was applied to spring sports as well, although many of the private schools were spared a move upward in classification once the 2020 spring season was canceled by the coronavirus pandemic.
Four programs weren’t as fortunate, moving up in classification based on 2019 results – Altamont in soccer, St. Bernard in outdoor track and Montgomery Academy and St. James in tennis. The Trojans catch a break with the CBF elevation to 4A-5A, however, because the school is moving up in classification from 3A to 4A.
Three other local programs – Alabama Christian softball, Montgomery Academy soccer and St. James outdoor track -- would have been strong candidates for elevation based on two years of data but were spared until at least 2022 because of the pandemic.
The cancelation of the 2020 season froze private schools in place, however, because the Central Board only had one year of data to consider instead of two, which meant teams could move up but not down. As a result, four schools that would have moved down based on current standings will be forced to compete at an elevated level for the next two years – UMS-Wright and Faith Academy in baseball, Westbrook Christian in soccer and girls’ golf and St. Paul’s Episcopal in boys’ golf.
The sports placed in new classifications for 2020-21 and 2021-22 include baseball, softball, soccer, outdoor track, tennis, boys’ golf and girls’ golf.
The new classifications, already set in the fall, have Robert E. Lee moving down from 7A to 6A; Holtville and Elmore County moving up from 4A to 5A; Pike Road moving up from 3A to 5A; St. James moving up from 3A to 4A; and Catholic and Trinity moving down from 4A to 3A.
The other schools will remain in their current classifications – Prattville and Jeff Davis in 7A; Carver, Wetumpka, Stanhope Elmore, Park Crossing and Lanier in 6A; Tallassee, Brew Tech and Marbury in 5A; Alabama Christian, LAMP and BTW Magnet in 4A; Montgomery Academy and Prattville Christian Academy in 3A; and Billingsley and Autaugaville in 1A.
Baseball and softball areas are the same in the River Region, with Catholic, Prattville Christian, Montgomery Academy and Trinity in 3A Area 6 and Alabama Christian, Bullock County, LAMP, St. James and Booker T. Washington in 4A Area 3.
Beauregard, Brew Tech, Pike Road and Tallassee are in 5A Area 5, while Elmore County, Holtville, Jemison and Marbury are in 5A Area 6. Carver, Lee, Lanier and Park Crossing are in 6A Area 3, with Benjamin Russell, Wetumpka and Stanhope Elmore in 6A Area 5. Jeff Davis and Prattville will remain in 7A Area 3 with Dothan and Enterprise.
In soccer, Goshen, Houston Academy, Catholic, New Brockton, Pike County, Providence Christian and Trinity are all part of 1A-3A Area 2. ACA, Brew Tech, LAMP, St. James, Montgomery Academy and BTW Magnet are in 4A-5A Area 4, while Beauregard, Elmore County, Holtville, Marbury, Pike Road and Tallassee are in 5A Area 5.
In tennis, Montgomery Academy will now be part of 6A Section 2, joining Carver, Eufaula, Robert E. Lee, Opelika, Park Crossing, Trinity and Valley. St. James will move into 4A-5A Section 2, joining Andalusia, Brew Tech, Carroll, Charles Henderson, LAMP, Pike Road and BTW Magnet.