By Walter L. Johnson II
The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) announced the reclassification numbers for its member schools earlier this week (Tuesday). Expect tremendous changes for multiple schools within the Southwest Georgia Network coverage area for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years.
Here’s a quick recap on which schools are going where heading into 2020:
The Lee County Trojans will stay in Class 6A but will lose Coffee to Class 5A, while Northside (Columbus) moves up two spots from 4A to 6A. That means there could be two Northside’s in Region 1-6A next season, as the Columbus-based school could join their counterparts in Warner Robins, as well as Houston County, Lee County, and Valdosta.
The real shake-up starts within the Dougherty County School System, with the Westover Patriots moving up from Class 4A to Class 5A, while the Monroe Golden Tornadoes will move up from 3A to 4A. The Patriots could find themselves in a region that will likely include Coffee, Harris County, Veterans, and Warner Robins.
As for Monroe and Dougherty, both the Tornadoes and Trojans could end up in a new-look Region 1-4A that will likely include Bainbridge, Cairo, and Thomas County Central, as well as Columbus, Hardaway, and Shaw in the Columbus area. Dougherty gains Monroe as a region rival while losing Westover.
The now four-time Region 1-3A football champion Crisp County Cougars lose their other three region foes, as Cook and Worth County move down to Class 2A, while longtime archrival Americus-Sumter moves down from Class 3A. Both teams will probably play in a region that includes Columbus area schools Carver, Jordan, and Spencer.
After many years in Class 3A, the Worth County Rams will make the move down to Class 2A for 2020. The Rams could join Berrien, Cook, Early County, Fitzgerald, and Thomasville in a potentially loaded Region 1-2A, where many of those aforementioned teams have made deep postseason runs in the past.
Longtime Class 2A powerhouse Brooks County moves down to the Class 1A public school subdivision. The Trojans from Quitman, Ga. could either land in Region 1 with Mitchell County and Pelham or in Region 2 with Clinch County, Irwin County, and Turner County, among other schools.
Finally, the Deerfield-Windsor Knights from Albany will make history, as they’ll become the first Southwest Georgia school to join the Class 1A private school subdivision. DWS will join the GHSA in 2020 after many years in the GISA.
For a complete list of schools reclassifying, please click here.
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