GHSA Groups Tigers with Newnan, East Coweta

The solution seemed simple when the Georgia High School Association announced last month that would , 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 (12 miles away), (13 miles), (18 miles) and (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 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, and , 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 , , Villa Rica, , and , plus newcomers and Rome from Region 7-AAAA and from 7-AAA in place of , , and .

Things are more complicated for , which will be in AAAA, and , 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?