By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          For the second Thursday in a row, there is some suspense in Central Georgia regarding GHSA reclassification.

But it only affects three schools.

          Jones County, Crawford County, and Dodge County are among the nearly two dozen schools that have appealed to change regions in the next round of reclassification, for 2024-26.

9:10 am: Paulding County High School requests transfer from Region 2-AAAAAA to Region 3-AAAAAA 

9:20 am: Jones County High School requests transfer from Region 2-AAAA to Region 8-AAAA
9:30 am: Jonesboro High School requests transfer from Region 3-AAAA to Region 4-AAAA
9:40 am: Mundy’s Mill High School requests transfer from Region 3-AAAA to Region 4-AAAA
9:50 am: Holy Innocents’ requests transfer from Region 6-AAAA to Region 4-AAAA
10:00 am: Pace Academy requests transfer from Region 6-AAAA to Region 4-AAAA
10:10 am: Northview High School requests transfer from Region 6-AAAA to Region 5-AAAA
10:20 am: North Springs High School requests transfer from Region 6-AAAA to Region 5-AAAA

10:30 am: Spalding High School requests transfer from Region 2-AAA to Region 5-AAA
10:40 am: Gilmer High School requests transfer from Region 6-AAA to Region 7-AAA
10:50 am: Johnson-Gainesville High School requests transfer from Region 8-AAA to Region 6-AAA

11:00 am: North Cobb Christian School requests transfer from Region 5-AA to Region 7-AA
11:10 am: Union County High School requests transfer from Region 8-AA to Region 7-AA

11:20 am: Brantley County High School requests transfer from Region 1-A, Div. 1 to Region 3-A, Div. 1
11:30 am: Dodge County High School requests transfer from Region 1-A, Div. 1 to Region 2-A, Div. 1
11:40 am: Landmark Christian School requests transfer from Region 4-A, Div. 1 to Region 5-A, Div. 1
11:50 am: Armuchee High School requests transfer from Region 6-A, Div. 1 to Region 7-A, Div. 1

12:30 pm: Coosa High School requests transfer from Region 6-A, Div. 1 to Region 7-A, Div. 1
12:40 pm: Oglethorpe County High School requests transfer from Region 8-A, Div. 1 to Region 4-A, Div. 1
12:50 pm: Wesleyan School requests transfer from Region 8-A, Div. 1 to Region 5-A, Div. 1

1:00 pm: Crawford County High School requests transfer from Region 4-A, Div. 2 to Region 6-A, Div. 2
1:10 pm: Elite Scholars Academy requests transfer from Region 5-A, Div. 2 to Region 7-A, Div. 2
1:20 pm: Aquinas High School is appealing to move UP from A-Div. 1 to AAA because of isolation
1:30 pm: Screven County is appealing to move DOWN from A-Div. 1 to A-Div. 2 because of isolation 

          The meeting starts in Thomaston at 9 a.m. The reclassification committee has 17 members, including GHSA president and Monroe County superintendent Jim Finch.

          Jones County seeks to move from Region 2-4A to Region 8-4A, leaving the Henry County region for one that offers better travel for all Greyhound programs.

          Region 8 has Cedar Shoals, East Forsyth, Flowery Branch, Madison County, North Oconee and Walnut Grove.

          Three schools (Cedar Shoals, Madison County, and North Oconee) close to Athens, with Walnut Grove and Loganville between Athens and Atlanta, and Flowery Branch the longest ride, to Hall County.

          The travel may be a draw, but the fit is much better, Jones County looking to get out of that Henry County region.

          Dodge County is dropping from Class AA into Class A/Division I, and wants to move from Region 1 to Region 2.

          Region 2 is already loaded with 10 teams, eight in Central Georgia and four in Bibb County. Region 1 is also geographically friendly to Dodge County.

          Brantley County is another Region 1 team looking to move, to Region 3, a Savannah area region.

Crawford County wants to move from Region 4-A/Division II to Region 6, with Central-Talbotton, Chattahoochee County, Macon County, Taylor County, and Schley County.

Region 4 is more south-central Georgia with longer trips. Crawford County longest football trip in Region 6 would be shorter than most trips in Region 4

          Teams in Central Georgia-connected teams looking to move: Spalding from 2-AAA to 5-AAA; Brantley County from 1-A/I to 3-A/I.

          Aquinas is appealing to move up from Class A to Class AAA and Screven County down from Division I to II because of isolation.

          Aquinas is currently in the Central Georgia-heavy Region 2-A/I.

          The meeting is scheduled to conclude around 2 p.m., with the latest region update likely to be released within an hour of the meeting’s conclusion. There no appeals for a change in Class 5A.