Tonight, the Coffee Trojans and the Ware County Gators face off at Memorial Stadium in Waycross.
The game has a number of subplots. There is, of course, the rivalry that inspires the teams and their respective fanbases. This year, for the Trojans, an undefeated regular season is at stake. And for both teams, the Region 1-5A championship hangs in the balance.
And if the new region realignments the Georgia High School Association has proposed go through, this could be the last meaningful game the two teams play against each other.
It has been common knowledge among high school sports fans that the GHSA would be making significant changes to the regions and classifications for next year. The general plan would be to eliminate the 7A classification and have a 6A classification as the largest in Georgia. Under that umbrella, however, no one really knew what would take place.
This week, the GHSA released its proposed new region alignments. For several South Georgia Schools, the landscape for the next three years will be quite different.
Just a few years ago, the Trojans played in the state’s highest classification. They worked their way down to 5A and have enjoyed a modicum of success as a 5A school. And, if the new classifications stand, Coffee will remain in 5A.
Initially, the GHSA had the Trojans in 3A. However, the agency made revisions to that original list on Thursday, November 2. One of the revisions was to move Coffee back to 5A. According to officials, the GHSA did not count students at the George Washington Carver Freshman Campus, which shorted Coffee about 500 students.
Ware County, on the other hand, will be in 4A while Lowndes, Valdosta, Colquitt, Tift, and Camden will be 6A schools.
The region alignments haven’t been released yet but Brunswick, Lee County, Northside (Warner Robins), Brasdwell Institute, Glynn Academy, Warner Robins, Statesboro, and Thomas County Central are all 5A schools that aren’t terribly far away.
The single-A classification is split into two divisions – Division 1 and Division 2. Atkinson County and Irwin County will be in Division 2. Berrien, Fitzgerald, Jeff Davis, Vidalia, Worth County, and Thomasville have been assigned to Division 2.
Schools have the option to appeal to the GHSA to play in a higher classification if they would like to. Appeals must be turned in by November 8; the GHSA will entertain appeals on November 9.