May River moving up in latest SC High School League realignment proposal
As expected, May River High is moving up classifications next year.
The Sharks’ athletic programs will compete in Class 4A, according to the South Carolina High League’s 2020-22 realignment proposal released Thursday. Realignment happens in the state every two years and is done to level the competitive playing field among schools.
May River is the 61st biggest school in the state, according to the 45-day enrollment figures used to determine where schools are placed.
May River will be in Region 7-4A along with fellow Lowcountry schools Hilton Head Island, Beaufort and Bluffton. The region also includes James Island, Colleton County and Lucy Beckham, a new school opening next year in Mount Pleasant.
The seven-team region has three more schools than before and will make it easier for scheduling and determining playoffs.
“Played those guys last four years and competed with them last three years. Definitely going to be a challenging region,” May River football coach Rodney Summers said. “Athletic department as a whole, it is not a bad region. We definitely can compete.”
May River enjoyed success the past two years in Class 3A, winning state titles in boys soccer, track and field and cross country. The Sharks football team made it to the Lower State championship this year and went unbeaten in the regular season in 2018.
In other moves involving Lowcountry teams, Battery Creek will stay in Class 3A and Ridgeland-Hardeeville in 2A. Whale Branch moves to Class A and will be in 7-A with Baptist Hill, Charleston Math & Science, Cross, Low Country Leadership, Military Magnet, Palmetto Scholars and St. John’s. Low Country and Palmetto Scholars do not have football.
Some of the biggest changes statewide included Ridge View moving up to Class 5A. Catawba Ridge, which opened this year, also will be in Class 4A. Oceanside Collegiate, a charter school in the Lowcountry, also is moving up to Class 3A. Wren, which just won the 4A football championship, is moving down to Class 3A in the same region with Daniel and Belton Honea Path.
Greenwood, Westside and Laurens are all moving down to Class 4A.
This year’s realignment is based on 45-day numbers from grades 9-11. In the past, the 135-day numbers were used throughout grades 9-12. The goal of this year’s realignment was to shrink the number of schools in Class 5A and increase Class A.
Class 5A went from 48 to 40 schools and Class went from 38 to more than 50 schools although not all play football. The top 40 schools were picked for Class 5A and next 40 for Class 4A. The remaining three classes were divided and factored on a plus or minus schools, giving more flexibility to move teams up or down. Geography also was used as a determining factor.
“I appreciate the hard work and commitment of the staff and the cooperation and patience of the member schools as we worked through this process,” SCHSL commissioner Jerome Singleton. “We truly appreciate the time and input from the reclassification/realignment guidelines committee as well. The newly formed group of individuals provided a wealth of experience and knowledge to assist us with this project.”
Each school can appeal their region or classification placement. Appeals to each classification’s executive committee will be heard Jan. 28-30. The SCHSL executive committee will hear appeals Feb. 12 and, if needed, they will go before an appellate panel that will hear them Feb. 19.
Class 5A
Region 1: Hillcrest J. L. Mann Mauldin T. L. Hanna Woodmont
Region 2: Byrnes, Dorman, Riverside, Spartanburg, Wade Hampton
Region 3: Boiling Springs, Clover, Fort Mill, Gaffney, Nation Ford
Region 4: Blythewood, Northwestern, Ridge View, Rock Hill,Spring Valley
Region 5: Chapin, Dutch, Fork, Lexington, River Bluff, White Knoll
Region 6: Carolina Forest, Conway, Socastee, St. James, Sumter
Region 7: Berkeley, Cane Bay, Goose Creek, Stratford, Wando
Region 8: Ashley Ridge, Fort Dorchester, Stall, Summerville, West Ashley
Class 4A
Region 1: Easley, Pickens, Travelers Rest, Walhalla, Westside
Region 2: Eastside, Greenville, Greenwood, Greer, Laurens
Region 3: Catawba Ridge, Indian Land, Lancaster, South Pointe, York
Region 4: AC Flora, Dreher, Lugoff-Elgin, Richland Northeast, Westwood
Region 5: Aiken, Airport, Irmo, Midland Valley, North Augusta, South Aiken
Region 6: Darlington, Harstville, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, South Florence, West Florence, Wilson
Region 7: Beaufort, Bluffton, Colleton County, Hilton Head Island, James Island, Lucy Beckham, May River
Class 3A
Region 1: Belton-Honea Path, Daniel, Pendleton, Seneca, West-Oak, Wren
Region 2: Berea, Blue Ridge, Carolina, Palmetto, Powdersville, Southside
Region 3: Broome, Chapman, Clinton, Emerald, Union County, Woodruff
Region 4: Chester, Fairfield-Central, Keenan, Lower Richland, Mid-Carolina
Region 5: Brookland-Cayce, Fox Creek, Gilbert, Orangeburg-Wilkinson, Strom Thurmond, Swansea
Region 6: Camden, Crestwood, Lake City, Lakewood, Manning, Marlboro County
Region 7: Aynor, Dillon, Georgetown, Loris, Waccamaw
Region 8: Academic Magnet, Battery Creek, Bishop England, Hanahan, North Charleston, Oceanside Collegiate
Class 2A
Region 1: Abbeville, Christ Church, Crescent, Greenville Tech, Liberty, Ninety Six
Region 2: Blacksburg, Brashier MC, Chesnee, Greer MC, Landrum, Legion Collegiate, St. Joseph
Region 3: Andrew Jackson, Buford, Central, Cheraw, Chesterfield, Legion Collegiate, North Central, York Prep
Region 4: Batesburg-Leesville, Columbia, Eau Claire, Gray Collegiate, Newberry, Saluda
Region 5: Barnwell, Edisto, Pelion, Silver Bluff, Wade Hampton
Region 6: Burke, Lake Marion, Philip Simmons, Ridgeland-Hardeeville, Timberland, Woodland
Region 7: Andrews, Kingstree, Latta, Lee Central, Marion, Mullins
Class A
Region 1: Calhoun Falls, Dixie, High Point Academy**, McCormick, SCSDB**, Southside Christian, Ware Shoals, Whitmire
Region 2: CA Johnson, Governor’s School**, Great Falls, Lamar (football only), Lewisville, McBee, Midlands Stem**, Riverwalk Academy**
Region 3: Blackville-Hilda, Calhoun County, Denmark-Olar, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler, North, Ridge Spring-Monetta, Wagener-Salley, Williston-Elko
Region 4: CE Murray, Carvers Bay, East Clarendon, Hemingway, Scott’s Branch
Region 5: Coastal Leadership**, Green Sea-Floyds, Hannah-Pamplico, Johnsonville, Lake View, Lamar, Timmonsville
Region 6, Allendale-Fairfax, Bamberg-Ehrhardt, Bethune-Bowman, Branchville, Bridges Prep**, Estill, Polaris Tech**, Royal Live Oak**
Region 7: Baptist Hill, Charleston Math & Science, Cross, Low Country Leadership**, Military Magnet, Palmetto Scholars**, St. John’s, Whale Branch
** denotes no football
This story was originally published December 19, 2019 at 2:12 PM.
