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AMERICUS – On Tuesday, November 5, the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) realigned several member public and private schools across the state into new classifications based on enrollment figures. Some schools were allowed to stay in their current classification. Others were moved up to higher classifications, while some, like Americus-Sumter High School (ASHS), were bumped down to a lower classification. The schools will begin competing in their new classifications in the fall of 2020 and will stay in those classifications until 2022 as part of a two-year cycle.

On Tuesday, November 12, the schools that were reclassified found out what new regions they would be placed in and who their region opponents would be when the 2020 school year begins next August.

According to published reports, Americus-Sumter will be in Region 2-AAA, which is made up of 10 schools. The Panthers will be competing with several schools in and around Macon. Those schools are Central (Macon), Mary Persons, Rutland, Peach County and Westside (Macon). The other region opponents of ASHS are Crisp County, Jackson, Pike County and Upson-Lee. Being that Crisp County (CC) and ASHS will be in the same region, that will make the annual “Battle of the Flint” rivalry between the two schools even more meaningful.

As far as travel is concerned, CC will be the Panthers’ closest opponent. The next closest region opponent for ASHS will be Upson-Lee in Thomaston, GA, located 57 miles north of Americus. The farthest the Panthers will have to travel is to Jackson, which is about an 85-mile trip. They will also be playing Pike County out of Zebulon, GA, as the Pirates were also placed in this region.

As for Schley County (SC), their new region will be Region 5A-Public. Most of the opponents in the region they’re in now will be in Region 5A-Public with them when August of 2020 comes around. The three exceptions are Hawkinsville, Dooly County and Crawford County. Dooly County and Hawkinsville will move to Region 4A-Public and will compete against Dublin, Wilcox County, Telfair County, Twiggs County and Wheeler County. Crawford County will move to Region 7A-Public, where they will join ACE Charter, Georgia Military, Glascock County, Hancock County and Wilkinson County. SC’s opponents in the new Region 5A-Public will be Central (Talbotton), Chattahoochee County, Greenville, Macon County, Manchester, Marion County, Stewart County and Taylor County.

Being that Southland Academy is not a member of the GHSA, they will not be affected by all of the reclassifications. However, their traditional long-time GISA rivals, Deerfield-Windsor (DWS), will make the move to the GHSA next fall. DWS will be in Region 1A-Private with four Macon-area schools: First Presbyterian, Tattnall Square, Mount de Sales and Stratford Academy. Strong Rock Christian out of Locus Grove, GA, will also be in that region.