Ripping open region alignments

The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) created a proposal that adds a sixth classification to high school sports.This proposal means the smallest classification is single A and the largest is AAAAAA  – GHSA denotes classifications by using the letter “A”, meaning 2A equals AA, when spoken one would say “Two A” or “Double A.” Decatur plays in the 6-AA region, the six signifies the sixth region in the AA classification.

Good  

By Jake Rogers

Why Decatur wants to see this proposal happen, Buford and Blessed Trinity leave Decatur’s region. Buford has won the state championship in football four years in a row and looks to make it five this season Blessed Trinity ranks 41st in state in baseball and came in third in the region last spring, guess who was number one? Buford.

Other schools leaving Decatur’s region are Clarkston, Therrell and South Atlanta. All three schools did not challenge Decatur much in football, but South Atlanta beat Decatur 61-43 in basketball last season.

Greater Atlanta Christian and Maynard Jackson will remain in Decatur’s region. Also, Lovett and Westminster will rejoin the region. Currently, with the large amount of schools in 6-AA,  GHSA has split the region into division A and division B. Decatur plays in division A, while Lovett and Westminster are in B.

Bremen, Bowdon and Temple High Schools, all three are A schools, would move into the AA classification and enter Decatur’s region.

Bremen were champions in their region for football from 2006-2008 and Bowdon won the region most recently in 2009 and is second in their region this season.

In the end, all that matters is Buford leaves. Removing Blessed Trinity from a baseball standpoint will also soften up Decatur’s region. Strong competition is a good thing, it makes players better, but when Buford wins seven football state championships in the past decade, its time for them to play at a higher level.

Bad

By Sam Levy

One word: Marist. Ranked 34th in the nation and second in the state at baseball, the War Eagles have been a force to reckon with. Marist has won the last two state champions in the 4A division, and finished their 2011 season with an astonishing 33-4 record. In the past two years, the War Eagles have sent kids to play baseball at Florida State University, Duke University and the United States Naval Academy.

Baseball’s not their only strength. Last year, Marist went 9-3 in football, and made the state playoffs. They are currently 4-1, and are ranked 45th in the state of Georgia. Last year alone, they sent 4 kids to play collegiate football at schools like the University of Virginia, Furman and Presbyterian.

There’s still more. The boys lacrosse team at Marist went 12-5 in their 2010-2011 season, advancing to the state playoffs, and finishing in the top 25 in state.

All in all, the athletics at Marist are incredibly impressive. Almost all of their varsity teams finished with winning records, and according to their school website, over 25 kids were sent to college to play sports.

Marist isn’t the only new school that could cause problems for Decatur in the upcoming years. The Temple Tigers, another school that will enter our region, are in the 2A region. They are currently 4-1 in their 2011 football season.

If the proposed plan gets passed, Decatur might have its hands full.