Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, August 7, 1995 TAG: 9508080013
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The two plans the Virginia High School League is considering for redistricting and reclassification affect Timesland schools more than any other area in the state.
After much debate, a reclassification and redistricting committee said it needed more input from the schools, and provided two alternatives. It is likely that one of the plans will be submitted in September to the VHSL Executive Council, although there may be modifications depending on the feedback from member schools.
In proposal I, all schools must play in classifications according to size with no option to play in a higher league. In Plan II, schools may appeal to move up to a larger classification, based on their enrollment.
In both plans, classification numbers are established by dividing the public schools in three and having an equal number of teams in groups AAA, AA and A.
Region IV principals and athletic directors have met and expressed displeasure with both plans. Officials of regions C and III will meet this week. The Group AAA Northwest Region, which houses the Roanoke Valley District, is virtually unaltered and would continue as in past years.
There are supporters and detractors for each plan. As Fieldale-Collinsville principal Brent Vann said of what will be the biggest change in years for state high school athletics, ``There are going to be a lot of unhappy people no matter what they do. But there were already a lot of unhappy people [with the present situation].''
Here are the possible changes Timesland schools face:
In both plans, the Blue Ridge District, composed of Alleghany, Lord Botetourt, Northside, Rockbridge County, Salem and William Byrd, will move to Region IV and be joined by current New River District schools Christiansburg and Blacksburg.
In Plan I, two long-time members of the Group AA Piedmont District, Laurel Park and Fieldale-Collinsville, will drop to a Group A district in Region C that includes Seminole District members Altavista and William Campbell as well as Dan River.
In Plan II, Parry McCluer would play in the Group A Skyline District, thus becoming Timesland's first Region B school. It would leave the Pioneer District, where it has been a perennial football and basketball power.
Carroll County, a long-time member of the New River District, would switch to another Region IV district, but for the first time would be out of a league that includes other Timesland schools.
Under both plans, Glenvar leaves the Pioneer District and joins the Three Rivers District. In Plan I, Narrows also becomes a member of the Three Rivers District, but in Plan II, the Green Wave stays in the Mountain Empire District.
In Plan I, George Wythe and Rural Retreat leave the Hogoheegee District and become members of the Mountain Empire District.
All regions are to hold meetings prior to Aug.17 and report to the committee, which will meet again on Aug.22 and draft a final recommendation to present to the VHSL Executive Council.
While both plans show Blacksburg and Christiansburg joining the Blue Ridge District, VHSL executive director Ken Tilley warned interested parties not to assume this will happen.
``Word from the Region IV meeting is they objected to that distribution,'' said Tilley, who added that the VHSL Executive Council could hear an appeal and reverse both plans in this particular case.
The objection in Region IV, according to Richlands athletic director Tom Rife, is that when the Blue Ridge met with other schools in his region last year, there was an agreement reached to send Blacksburg and Christiansburg to the Southwest District and have three six-team leagues.
That changed when two Group A schools - J.J. Kelly and Lebanon - were added to Region IV under both plans, thereby making a split of six schools for each district impossible.
Another official, who did not wish to be quoted, said Tilley is correct but that unless other Region IV schools can come up with a strong reason not to do it, Blue Ridge schools will be in the same league with Blacksburg and Christiansburg.
In this case, Blacksburg and Christiansburg are nearer to Blue Ridge District schools than they are Southwest District members Richlands, Grundy, Graham and Tazewell.
Christiansburg principal George Porterfield represented Region IV on the committee. ``It's been tough and we've had some pretty heated discussions over it,`` he said. ``As a committee, we focused as much as anything else on geography and previous alignments, and at the same time we tried to balance everything out. It think it's safe to say the Blue Ridge merging with two schools in the New River District is a good plan.''
Other Region IV schools were not happy with that stance, feeling that Porterfield might not have represented their wishes.
Laurel Park and Fieldale-Collinsville face the prospect of being split from other Henry County schools and Martinsville if Plan I is adopted.
``We talked about being single-A in an area dominated by Group AA schools,'' said Laurel Park athletic director Jim Summey. ``That presents a problem in football. A lot of those schools won't play single-A schools because it puts them in danger of not making the playoffs.''
Martinsville, which is perhaps Laurel Park's biggest rival, has said it won't play any Henry County school that drops to Group A in any sport. Magna Vista and Bassett, two Henry County schools, likely would continue to play the Lancers.
Vann takes a different outlook, though Fieldale-Collinsville faces the same scheduling problems.
``If we are Group A, we'll have to live with it,'' he said. ``We'll voice our opinion and see what happens. The Virginia High School League has been mandated to do something. It's more than Fieldale-Collinsville and the Piedmont District. It's a statewide decision. Whatever they do might not be the best thing for Fieldale-Collinsville, but we are part of the league. A majority of people felt these things had to be addressed.
``Often people think just about football. Now, we have some sort of athletic contest just about every night. So the size of the district is important.''
A big change awaits Glenvar, which has been a force in the Pioneer District in nearly every sport and a Region C powerhouse as well. Two years ago, the Highlanders won the Group A Central Fidelity Cup for overall statewide athletic excellence and they nearly did it again this past year.
When polled earlier this year, Glenvar coaches wished to stay in the Pioneer District rather than go into the Three Rivers, which is better for the Highlanders geographically.
``We requested [of the committee] to go either way,'' said Glenvar athletic director Roger Martin, who was shocked that both plans moved the Highlanders to the Three Rivers. ``If Plan I is adopted and schools can't play up, it will make it a more difficult region to advance beyond [to the state]. So our preference would be Plan II.''
Martin said he knows what Laurel Park and Fieldale-Collinsville face if they are mandated down to Group A. ``No one wants to step down community-wise. They like the competition and want to keep it there. So many times, there's pressure from communities to keep schools at an upper level.''
Across the state, there are other tough decisions. J.J. Kelly officials are livid at being reclassified in Group AA by both plans, but there may be no recourse for that school to continue as a member of the Lonesome Pine District. No plan that allows schools to play below their classification size will be adopted .
In the eastern part of the state, Hampton schools have been placed in a district with Norfolk schools and they are protesting that move.
Amherst County, a Group AA school in the Seminole District, will move up to the Western District and Heritage will drop down to Group AA from that league. Amherst County, which prefers to remain in Region III, faces the same problem as J.J. Kelly in that it is a Group AAA-sized school under both plans.
by CNB