Reclassification not quiiiite done yet for some Central Georgia teams: Rutland, Westside, Washington County, and Twiggs County appeal today
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
The GHSA reclassification and regions released last week that had folks talking, and thinking things were pretty much done, save for some expected appeals that had nothing to do with Central Georgia
Not so fast.
The GHSA Reclassification Committee is meeting in Thomaston all day to hear appeals from scores of schools mostly interest in lateral moves from one region to another in a classification.
But there are also many appeals to move up a classification.
Central Georgia schools are involved in both.
Washington County is asking to be moved from Region 3-AA to Region 4, which was a topic pretty soon after last week’s region assignments were announced.
And Twiggs County has petitioned to move from Region 4-A Public to Region 7.
Two surprises on the agenda: Rutland and Westside asking to move up from 3A to 4A.
Initially, Rutland had appealed to drop down from 3A to AA, and that was denied during last week’s appeal before the regions were announced.
Both are in the new Region 2-3A, which added Americus-Sumter, Crisp County, Mary Persons, and Upson-Lee while losing Kendrick, for a 10-team region.
Mary Persons and Upson-Lee left Region 2-4A, which was left with five teams: Baldwin, Howard, Perry, Spalding, and West Laurens, Baldwin joining the region from Region 3, an Augusta-area region.
Westside athletics director and head football coach Spoon Risper said the school decided Monday to appeal, and the deadline was Monday.
“It was several reasons,” Risper said before lunch Tuesday. “The number one reason is money, finances. The region we’re in now, it looks like we’re going to be playing a full region schedule, which leaves only one non-region game.”
And the Seminoles lose games against Southwest, Howard, and Perry from this year’s schedule, plus much chance to play Northeast, among other teams.
“We make our largest gates off of Southwest, Howard,” Risper said. “We did pretty good financially against Perry this year.
“It’s more of a financial thing.”
Rutland athletics director and head football coach Rusty Easom confirmed via text that the school was appealing for the same reason.
If those two appeals are approved, Westside and Rutland would join Baldwin, Howard, Perry, Spalding, and West Laurens in Region 4-4A, while Region 2-AAA would drop to eight teams, including Central, Mary Persons, Peach County, and Upson-Lee.
The move would give all the schools in 2-3A some scheduling flexibility.
Washington County hopes to join Butler, Glenn Hills, Jefferson County, Josey, Laney, and Putnam County. The Golden Hawks were with Butler, Laney, Josey, and Glenn Hills along with Hephzibah and Westside-Augusta in 3-3A for a few years, and competed with mostly-Augusta schools for years before moving to the Central Georgia AA region.
If approved, that would mean 3-AA lost Dublin (to Class A) and Washington County, and leave it with Bleckley County, Dodge County, newcomers Lamar County and Monticello, Northeast, and Southwest. East Laurens was moved to Region 2.
Region 4-A Public currently has Dooly County, Dublin, Hawkinsville, Telfair County, Twiggs County, Wheeler County, and Wilcox County. Region 7: ACE, Crawford County, GMC, Glascock County, Hancock Central, and Wilkinson County.
None of the Central Georgia appeals will be heard until after lunch, with Twiggs County at 12:50 p.m., Washington County at 3:40 p.m. and the two locals last on the list, at 4:50 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Several schools appealed to move into a Central Georgia region.
In Class AA: Oglethorpe County from 8 to 4;
In Class A Public: Treutlen from 3 to 4, Central Talbotton from 5 to 7, Warren County from 8 to 7, Montgomery County from 3 to 4; Johnson County from 3 to 4 or 7; Turner County from 2 to 4
In Class A Private: Eagle’s Landing Christian from 2 to 1 or 5.