The GHSA is serious about leveling playing fields with the private and city schools that dominate the all-sports standings, but those schools got a break Monday when the GHSA’s reclassification committee voted not to move them more than one classification higher than their enrollment puts them in 2020.
That's the most expedient move politically. The GHSA would risk an uproar among those city and private schools, if not a legal challenge, if the association didn't proceed gently. But the stated rationale for the decision was questionable.
According to minutes of the meeting, GHSA president Glenn White “expressed his concern for possibly making a school go up two classifications by use of the out-of-zone multiplier. He said safety and competitive balance were issues with schools having to play opponents with almost twice as many students. Miller and Williams echoed those views.” Curt Miller is the committee chairman, Lisa Moore Williams the GHSA vice president.
It’s unknown how many schools might’ve faced a two-class jump, so the point could be moot. But are city and private schools really subject to safety and competitive harm if they played up two classifications?
Wesleyan of Class A played Meadowcreek of Class AAAAAAA just last week. Wesleyan won 30-19, avenging a 21-3 defeat from the previous season. Meadowcreek’s enrollment is about 3,200. Wesleyan’s is about 480.
“Schools like Wesleyan have proven that playing teams from higher classifications and more students does not put them at risk,” Meadowcreek coach Jason Carrera said. “Some of them have more players than us at 7A.”
Pace Academy, with Class A enrollment, played a recent home-and-home series with West Forsyth of the highest classification. Peach County of AAA is playing three AAAAAA opponents to open the season, starting with No. 4 Northside of Warner Robins this week and defending champion Lee County the next.
Mary Persons principal Dr. Jim Finch, a member of the reclassification committee, respectfully disagreed with his friend White's notion about player safety and competitiveness. His AAAA school played AAAAAA Gainesville last week and lost 27-21 after winning 42-0 the year before.
“At no time did I fear for our students’ safety,” Finch said. “I mean, come on, my own child is on the field playing against Gainesville, and I never once thought he was unsafe. ... GHSA schools play larger schools that are two classifications and sometimes more all the time.”
The GHSA’s concern also might be the collateral damage. While the top city and private schools might handle the tougher competition, perhaps other schools forced to move up for having excessive out-of-zone students could not.
“Mary Persons, Wesleyan and Pace Academy can play with almost any teams in the state and not be embarrassed,” GHSA spokesperson Steve Figueroa said. “What about teams that struggle to carry 20-25 kids on the roster? We have plenty like that. If that school had to go up two classes and play good teams in their new region — think 2A to 4A or 3A to 5A — that had twice as many or more kids dressed out, there would be a safety concern no matter what anybody says. Playing eight-nine kids both ways in August against a team that is two-platooning is a good way to get some kids hurt.”
Finch shares the GHSA committee’s concern that schools that can benefit from out-of-zone students and regulate their enrollment numbers may have competitive advantages. Those include city and private schools primarily, but others also.
Mary Persons is 28-0 in football over the past four seasons against non-city or non-private teams in Class AAAA while winning four region titles. Mary Persons has been eliminated four straight times in the playoffs by city or private schools.
The group of city and private schools that are most likely to be affected by the GHSA’s new rules are those 21 that compete currently from AA to AAAAA. Almost all have top-10 all-around sports programs in their current classifications, according to the Georgia Athletic Directors Association (see today's List).
For football, the computer Maxwell Ratings indicate that most of the 21 would still have top-10 teams if bumped up two classes and that 19 of the 21 would make the playoffs this season. Only two — city schools Decatur and Social Circle — would be outside the top 20 of their new classes, according to Maxwell.
In 2016, the GHSA adopted a rule that subjected schools that got more than 3 percent of their students from outside their counties to playing up in class. While the nine larger private schools were moved up as intended, the only city school that failed to escape the net was Buford.
This time, not so many are likely to swim away. The GHSA’s reclass committee is abolishing the 3-percent rule and counting students outside of attendance zones instead of the full county. Then, the GHSA would double-count those out-of-zone students for classification purposes.
How many schools would've faced a two-class jump — or any jump at all — is unclear. And though the reclassification committee is powerful, the GHSA's full executive committee must approve the plan. It meets Sept. 29-30.
Potential rankings
These would be the current Maxwell Ratings in football for three classifications if city and private schools were moved up two classes. Class A schools are exempt from playing in higher classes, and no school can be forced into the highest classification.
Class AAAAAA
1. Lee County
*2. Buford
*3. Cartersville
4. Northside (Warner Robins)
*5. Rome
6. Valdosta
7. Coffee
8. Allatoona
9. Harrison
10. Dacula
Others: *13. Carrollton, *54. Decatur
Class AAAAA
#1. Blessed Trinity
2. Warner Robins
#3. Marist
4. Stockbridge
*5. Calhoun
#6. St. Pius
7. Jones County
8. Dutchtown
9. Bainbridge
10. Kell
Others: #12. Woodward Academy, *17. Jefferson
Class AAAA
1. Troup
2. Burke County
#3. Greater Atlanta Christian
#4. Benedictine
#5. Lovett
6. Cairo
7. Mary Persons
8. Sandy Creek
*9. Dublin
*10. Thomson
Others: #11. Westminster, #16. Pace Academy, *17. Thomasville, *19. Vidalia, *20. Bremen, *53. Social Circle
* - City schools moving up two classes
# - Private schools moving up two classes
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