Prep notebook: SCHSL to consider radical region reconfiguration

Not all that long ago, area high schools started to prepare for a Class AAAA region that included four local teams.

Growth at St. James was creating a seemingly guaranteed merger with current AAAA programs Carolina Forest, Conway and Socastee.

Instead, none of that will likely come to fruition. On Tuesday, the Executive Committee of the South Carolina High School League will vote on a move to either a five- or six-class system beginning with the 2016-2017 school year. It would abandon the four-classification format that has been in place since 1968.

The current system has been tweaked, including the addition of split football championships in three of the four divisions. However, those were done gradually. The next batch of changes will shift the look and feel of high school sports, both locally and across the state.

“I would love for our region to stay local,” St. James Athletics Director Paula Lee said. “The benefits of less travel [costs] and positive rival competition is always a plus in every way. Our current demographics are perfect.”

How much they will be taken into consideration, however, will be discovered Tuesday. It’s been difficult pinning down what could happen because of a large number of options and because the flow of information to local administrators has been minimal. No member of the 18-person SCHSL Executive Committee is from an area even bordering Horry or Georgetown County.

Several proposals have been published, and all will be addressed at the meeting.

One option is something similar to what North Carolina uses now. That state combines regions based on proximity and rivalries, regardless of enrollment, and then splits teams out for postseason purposes against like-sized schools.

Another proposal has the Grand Strand programs a bit more nervous.

An early region recommendation included a five-class system that placed Carolina Forest – by far the Grand Strand’s largest high school – in a region where all other teams were in the Charleston area. Incoming Athletics Director Tripp Satterwhite, football coach Marc Morris and several other Carolina Forest coaches have spoken out against that option. It would mean the school would take a significant monetary hit. That’s only one drawback.

“Charleston is a long ride for student-athletes, particularly during the week, which would not be beneficial to student-athletes academically with loss of instructional time and time to complete out-of-school assignments,” said Satterwhite, who officially takes over at Carolina Forest on May 1. “Additionally, it would tough on CFHS financially, and other schools in the region, with regard to transportation and low game attendance.”

Conway Athletics Director and football coach Chuck Jordan agreed.

“Region-wise, it’s not good for AAAA,” he said. “What it’s likely to do is put Carolina Forest in AAAAA by itself. That would be disastrous for Carolina Forest in terms of travel.”

Jordan and Doug Hinson, now at Aynor after serving as the athletics director at Green Sea Floyds, were part of a group that tried to push a major change two years ago. That proposal included the state cutting down to three classes with split titles in each sport in each class.

It was voted down.

This time around, it doesn’t appear an overhaul will fail.

“I’m afraid we’re going to adopt the five classification as a default,” Jordan said. “There are issues with four. … But any time you choose change as a default, it’s not real smart.

“When you see any kind of re-classification model, the first thing you do is say ‘What does this do to me?’ It’s really tough for the High School League to create a model that’s going to make everyone happy. It’s impossible.”

Final push for baseball and softball teams

The last week of the regular season is going to be anything but smooth sailing for most area baseball and softball programs.

Rainouts in recent weeks have jammed the schedule, leaving five Grand Strand teams entering Monday with 40 percent of their region games remaining. Even in regions in which the four playoff-qualified teams have been determined, seeding has yet to be determined.

A full list of region standings and remaining region games is available at MyrtleBeachOnline.com.

Five games to watch

Softball

▪ Dillon at Aynor, Tuesday | These teams are likely going to finish 1-2 in the final region standings. However, a regular-season title and a No. 1 seed has yet to be determined.

▪ Marion at Waccamaw, Tuesday | With one Warriors’ win in the doubleheader against Marion, not only is Waccamaw playoff bound; so, too, is Loris.

▪ Carolina Forest at Conway, Friday | Hard to argue with a rivalry game potentially determining everything that could be on the line in this one.

Baseball

▪ Myrtle Beach at Georgetown, Tuesday | The Seahawks were knocked out of first place in last week’s loss to St. James. A win over the Bulldogs keeps Myrtle Beach in the hunt.

▪ Socastee at Sumter, Tuesday | If the Braves don’t clinch the region title on Monday at South Florence, a victory over the Gamecocks on Tuesday does the trick. It also helps Carolina Forest.

St. James’ Grate selected for Clash off The Carolinas

St. James forward Quadarius Grate was named to the state’s top soccer all-star game, the Clash of the Carolinas.

Grate, who has led the Sharks to as high as No. 1 in the Class AAA state rankings this season, also has St. James in first place in Region VII-AAA. He was the lone area player selected for the game.

Grate recently verbally committed to continue his career at Coker.

Clash of the Carolinas will feature the top boys and girls seniors from South Carolina against their counterparts from North Carolina. The game will be played June 27 at Blackbaud Stadium on Daniel Island.

This story was originally published April 20, 2015 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Prep notebook: SCHSL to consider radical region reconfiguration."