![[AMMENDED CAPTION] Stephenson's Marte Barton (12) hands off the ball during a GHSA high school football game between Stephenson High School and Miller Grove High School at James R. Hallford Stadium in Clarkston, GA., on Friday, Oct. 8, 2021. (Photo/Jenn Finch)](https://www.ajc.com/resizer/v2/H3HXVUQYMQJ3CAHFYW36VZSPWU.jpg?auth=76af27c2840ef0cc3f734bd1fd13230c75ad16790fa5286faedd121613401599&width=1600&height=900&smart=true)
The Class 4A landscape will look much different this season as 23 programs enter the classification this season and 17 programs that previously competed in Class 4A were sent to new classifications. In Region 1, Dougherty and Monroe were classed down to 3A and Thomas County Central moved up to Class 6A. Bainbridge, which is fresh off a 9-4 quarterfinal run remains in the region with Cairo and Westover and will be joined by Hardaway and Shaw, who arrived from Region 2 to form this new five-team region.
There is not a single team from last year’s Region 2 that is in it this year. Reigning region champion and state finalist Carver-Columbus were sent down to Class 3A with Columbus, Jordan, Kendrick and Spencer moved down to Class 2A and as previously mentioned, Hardaway and Shaw moved into Region 1. Now, this seven-team region consists of six teams that were in Region 4 this past season (Baldwin, Howard, Perry, Spalding, West Laurens and Westside-Macon) and Griffin, which comes down from Class 5A.
Region 3 was the smallest in the classification last season with state champion Benedictine and its Savannah-based neighboring schools Islands, Jenkins and New Hampstead. The Cadets return with Islands and New Hampstead, but Jenkins moved up to Class 5A. The other three programs that makeup this six-team region will be former Class 3A programs Burke County and Southeast Bulloch and Wayne County, which comes down from the outstanding Region 1 Class 5A.
Six teams from last year’s Region 4 went into Region 2 and Rutland moved down to Class 2A. Now, Region 4 will be comprised of former Region 2 rivals Troup and LaGrange and former Region 5 rivals Fayette County, North Clayton and Riverdale. In addition to these five schools that moved from other regions within the classification will be defending Class A Private state champion Trinity Christian and former Class 5A rivals Whitewater and Starr’s Mill.
Region 5 sent the previously-mentioned trio to Region 4 (Fayette County, North Clayton and Riverdale) and maintained the other four programs from last year with Hampton, Luella, McDonough and Mt. Zion-Jonesboro. These teams are now joined by Lovett and Pace Academy, which moved up from Class 2A and Stockbridge and Woodland-Stockbridge, which are coming down from Region 4 in Class 5A.
Region 6 returns Druid Hills, Hapeville Charter, Miller Grove and Stephenson and moves on from Marist, Mays and Arabia Mountain, which moved up to Class 6A and Class 5A. These four returning programs are now joined by Clarkston, Southwest DeKalb and Stone Mountain, Holy Innocents’ and Westminster to form a nine-team region. Clarkston, Southwest and Stone Mountain competed in the same Region 5-5A last season, Holy Innocents’ hails from Class A Private and Westminster moves up from Region 5 in Class 3A.
Region 7 experienced minor turnover with Pickens and Ridgeland moving down to Class 3A and Sonoraville coming into the region from Class 3A. Cedartown, Central-Carroll, Heritage-Catoosa, Northwest Whitfield and Southeast Whitfield are all back and Sonoraville will be the only new team in this region.
Region 8 is the only split region post-reclassification and will have a six-team Sub Region A and a five-team Sub Region B. Sub Region A consists of two teams that were in Region 8 last year (Chestatee and East Hall). Three former Region 7-3A teams moved into it (Cherokee Bluff, East Forsyth, North Hall) and Johnson-Gainesville comes in from Region 8 in Class 5A. Sub Region B returns three teams that competed in Region 8 last year with Cedar Shoals, Madison County and North Oconee and will also have Walnut Grove from Region 8-5A and the brand new Hall County high school Seckinger.
REGION 1
Bainbridge
Cairo
Hardaway
Shaw
Westover
REGION 2
Baldwin
Griffin
Howard
Perry
Spalding
West Laurens
Westside-Macon
REGION 3
Benedictine
Burke County
Islands
New Hampstead
Southeast Bulloch
Wayne County
REGION 4
Fayette County
LaGrange
North Clayton
Riverdale
Starr’s Mill
Trinity Christian
Troup
Whitewater
REGION 5
Hampton
Lovett
Luella
McDonough
Mt. Zion-Jonesboro
Pace Academy
Stockbridge
Woodland-Stockbridge
REGION 6
Clarkston
Druid Hills
Hapeville Charter
Holy Innocents’
Miller Grove
Southwest Whitfield
Stephenson
Stone Mountain
Westminster
REGION 7
Cedartown
Central-Carroll
Heritage-Catoosa
Northwest Whitfield
Sonoraville
Southeast Whitfield
REGION 8
Sub Region A
Cherokee Bluff
Chestatee
East Forsyth
East Hall
Johnson-Gainesville
North Hall
Sub Region B
Cedar Shoals
Madison County
North Oconee
Seckinger
Walnut Grove
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