THS quarterback Tyler Ellis will be a senior next season when the new realignments go into effect. Photo by Kyle Thornton

Tigers to remain in 5A

By Michael Butler

The Alabama High School Athletic Association revealed its reclassification and relalignments for the 2022-24 sports years on Tuesday. The listing of the initial numbers show classes and regions for football, volleyball, cross country, swimming and diving.

Tallassee will remain in Class 5A beginning in the fall of the 2022 football season for a period of two years. Classes are determined based on high school enrollment.

Of 56 schools in 5A, Tallassee is the second smallest. Neighboring school Elmore County is third smallest. Pleasant Grove is the smallest 5A.

The Tigers and Panthers will be in six-team Region 4 similar to the one they participated in the past two seasons.

Holtville remained 5A but moved from Region 4 to Region 3. Valley dropped from 6A to 5A and will be in Region 4. Region foes from the past two years, Clay-Central and Sylacauga are also in Region 4. Tallassee tied with Clay and Sylacauga for the region football championship this past season.

"I like our region," Tallassee head football coach and athletic director Mike Battles said. "(There are) some familiar teams, and our non-region games are going to make for a very competitive schedule."

Battles has already got his non-region opponents in place.

"Week zero will be Reeltown. Week one is Booker T. Washington. Week four is Marbury. Week five is Chilton County. Week ten is Holtville."

Battles will have a meeting on Thursday about the region schedule to fill in those spots and home or road game status.

The Competitive Balance Factor, exclusive to private schools with the 1.35 per student multiplier, was applied to UMS-Wright in Mobile, which moves up to 5A. UMS will play in Region 1 with nine teams. Last year's Class 5A champion Pike Road moves up to 6A.

After playing the last two years in 3A, Reeltown drops back to 2A. The Rebels will play in eight-team Region 3 with Barbour County, Goshen, Highland Home, Horseshoe Bend, LaFayette, Lanett and Luverne.

*2022-24 Alignments

Fall Area/Region/Section Alignments for Tallassee:

2022-24 Football Class 5A/Region 4
Beauregard
Central of Clay County
Elmore County
Sylacauga
Tallassee
Valley

2022-24 Volleyball Class 5A/Area 7
Elmore County
Holtville
Marbury
Tallassee

2022-24 Cross Country Class 5A/Section 2
Beauregard
Brewbaker Tech
Central of Clay County
Demopolis
Elmore County
Holtville
Montgomery Catholic
Shelby County
Sylacauga
Tallassee
Valley

2022-24 Swimming and Diving Class 1A-5A/Section 2
Alabama Christian
Altamont
Appalachian
Beulah
Donoho
Elmore County
Eufaula
Faith Christian
Holy Spirit
Indian Springs
Jasper
John Carroll Catholic
LAMP
Montgomery Academy
Oneonta
Prattville Christian
Ramsay
Shelby County
Southeastern
Tallassee
Trinity Presbyterian
Valley
Westminster