Group A expands number of state title winners

RICHMOND - The Virginia High School League announced Thursday that Group A baseball, softball and volleyball will join football and basketball by awarding state titles in two separate divisions, starting with the 2010-11 season.

Also, the VHSL Executive Committee will consider legislation to change the way it splits Division 1 and 2 for its football championships. That legislation will be looked at in May.
Group A football and basketball divisions are split along school population size in the team's respective region, with the larger schools playing in Division 2 and the smaller ones in Division 1.
Group A baseball, softball and volleyball championships will be split in the same manner.

Other sports not affected by the split will still operate under the same tournament structure.

"Other sports you don't have as many teams participating," said Danny Lee, Group A vice chairman and principal of Coeburn High School.

The VHSL Executive Committee will also consider new legislation brought forward by Group A to change the way football divisions are split starting in 2011. Currently the number of students it takes to qualify for Division 1 or 2 changes from region to region. Under the new format, if adopted in May by the VHSL Executive Committee, any school in Group A with less than 475 students would be classified as Division 1. Any school with more than 475 students would be Division 2. Group AA and AAA will still operate under the current system.

"This is a starting point for single A," Lee said. "It allows a team from Region A, B, C or D to play state championships against teams that are equal to their size."
The legislation would throw out the current four-week postseason and replace it with a five-week schedule. Region championships will also cease to exist, with two sections, divided geographically, taking their place.

The current schools that make up Region C and D will be put into the West Sectional with Region A and B playing in the East Sectional. In each sectional, 16 teams will be selected with the winner of the East and West sectionals playing for the Group A, Division 1 and 2 titles.

Most of the schools in Region B will be classified as Division 2 if the legislation passes.

"Region B was 100 percent in favor of this proposal," Lee said. "They had more to give than anyone."

Traditionally, Group A has been plagued by unequal matchups in the postseason, with schools with over 600 students playing schools with less than 250.
Lee hopes Group A's actions reignite discussion of changing the state's classification system.

"We hope this puts momentum back into a 4 or 5A classification system in the state of Virginia using hard numbers," he said.
The legislation would require a three-fourths approval by the VHSL executive committee at its May meeting.

If the new football system works, Lee said it may be used in Group A's other sports.

Robert Sisk is a staff writer for The News Virginian in Waynesboro.