High school realignment: Decatur Heritage baseball moving up to 3A
May 25—If you are a private school competing in the Alabama High School Athletic Association, success comes with a price.
The price for Class 1A Decatur Heritage Christian Academy is a baseball program moving up to Class 3A and a track and field program forced to compete in Class 2A.
"We knew it was coming and that's just the nature of the game," Decatur Heritage athletic director Ty Patterson said.
The AHSAA does realignment every two years. School enrollment determines in which classification a school's athletic programs compete.
Private schools enrollments have a 1.35 multiplier per student to determine numbers to compete in the AHSAA. There is also what is called "competitive balance." When a team reaches a certain competitive threshold it receives points. When the point total reaches a certain level, the program is forced to move up a classification.
Reaching the Class 1A baseball finals in 2017, forced Decatur Heritage to move up to 2A in 2019. Advancing to the finals this season means the Eagles will be in Class 3A next spring in Area 14 with Danville and Vinemont.
Decatur Heritage baseball will have a new person in charge next season due to the retirement of long-time coach Steve Meek.
Patterson will have his athletic programs stretched across three different classifications. Football will compete in Class 1A. Decatur Heritage basketball is moving up to Class 2A.
"One thing I hate about it is that it takes away some natural rivalries," Patterson said. "I really like it when all our sports are playing the same schools. Those year-long rivalries like we had with Falkville were really special."
Eight other private school baseball programs are affected by competitive balance. One is Westbrook Christian, which is also moving up to 3A. Decatur Heritage and Westbrook have squared off in the last three 2A playoffs.
Lindsay Lane, which lost in the 1A finals to Bayshore Christian of Fairhope, is moving up to 2A because of enrollment numbers and the multiplier. Also moving up to 2A are Bayshore Christian and Donoho, which lost in last year's 1A finals to Bayshore.
The spring realignment also covers softball, soccer, tennis and golf.
— david.elwell@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2395. Twitter @DD_DavidElwell.
