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GHSA Groups Tigers with Newnan, East Coweta

New Manchester and Lithia Springs have a familiar region in the new six-class system, while Chapel Hill will spend a lot of time in Atlanta, and Alexander could pile up miles on I-85.

 

The solution seemed simple when the Georgia High School Association announced last month that Douglas County High School would move up next year to the new AAAAAA classification, at least one step higher than the other county schools.

Just add the Tigers to what is Region 4-AAAAA in the current five-class system, grouping Douglas County with the likes of South Cobb (12 miles away), Pebblebrook (13 miles), McEachern (18 miles) and Hillgrove (18 miles).

The GHSA decided to go a different direction with its move to six classes for the next two school years.

In proposed regions unveiled this afternoon, Douglas County is the northernmost member of the six-school Region 3-AAAAAA.

Joining the Tigers in one subregion are Newnan and East Coweta, each more than 30 miles away and about an hour’s drive, traffic willing. The other subregion has Westlake (14 miles away), Langston Hughes (16 miles) and Tri-Cities (27 miles).

Schools have until noon Dec. 16 to ask for a lateral move; the GHSA’s Reclassification Committee will hear those appeals Dec. 19.

A primary reason for the GHSA to switch from five to six classes was to cut travel time, the association says on its website. “The Reclassification Committee continued to emphasize that viewpoint by establishing sub-regions in nearly every region.”

Enrollment differences split the five Douglas County high schools into four classes even though all are now in Region 5-AAAA. And Douglas County High has been placed in a subregion with the schools farthest away in its new region.

With only six teams, however, Region 3-AAAAAA is likely to play a full region schedule rather than divide in two.

Meanwhile, two Douglas County schools, New Manchester and Lithia Springs, are staying in the second-highest class, albeit with an extra A, and they’ll find familiar foes and travel times in their new region.

The Lions and Jaguars will be in Region 5-AAAAA with current Region 5-AAAA rivals Hiram, South Paulding, Villa Rica, East Paulding, North Paulding and Paulding County, plus newcomers Woodland and Rome from Region 7-AAAA and Allatoona from 7-AAA in place of Osborne, Kell, Pope and Sprayberry.

Things are more complicated for Alexander, which will be in AAAA, and Chapel Hill, moving to AAA.

Alexander is in Region 5-AAAA with Carrollton, Fayette County and Sandy Creek in one subregion; far-off Columbus, LaGrange, Shaw and Troup make up the other half of the region down Interstate 85.

Chapel Hill figures to see a lot of the city of Atlanta in Region 4-AAA; it’s in a subregion with Douglass, Jackson, and single-sex schools BEST Academy (boys) and Coretta Scott King (girls). Calloway, Central-Carrollton, Haralson County and Rockmart make up the other half of the region.

What do you think of the planned regions for Douglas County’s high schools?

Related Topics: Alexander High School, Chapel Hill High School, Douglas County High School, GHSA, Lithia Springs High School, New Manchester High School, and Reclassification

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