Georgia’s new region landscape is set to make its debut next fall and since the Coronavirus outbreak wreaked havoc on the spring sports seasons (and spring football), it is worth taking a look ahead to the changes waiting on the horizon when the new school year gets underway. I have listed the new region assignments below and noted the changes that occurred from the previous landscape.
REGION 1-AAAA
Bainbridge
Cairo
Dougherty
Monroe
Thomas County Central
Westover
NOTES: Not surprisingly, the state's middle classification experienced a ton of turnover following the realignment and Region 1 is just one example. Only Cairo, Dougherty and Westover are back as Americus-Sumter, Carver-Columbus, Columbus, Hardaway, Northside-Columbus and Shaw have found new regions. Bainbridge and Thomas County Central arrive from Class AAAAA's Region 1 and Monroe is joining after competing in Class AAA Region 1.
REGION 2-AAAA
Carver-Columbus
Columbus
Hardaway
Jordan
Kendrick
LaGrange
Shaw
Spencer
Troup
NOTES: Region 2 returns none of the six schools that resided in it pre-realignment (Howard, Mary Persons, Perry, Spalding, Upson-Lee and West Laurens). Carver-Columbus, Columbus, Hardaway, LaGrange, Troup and Shaw are arriving from within the classification. Jordan and Spencer are coming all the way from Region 5 in Class AA and Kendrick arrives from Region 4 in Class AAA.
REGION 3-AAAA
Benedictine
Islands
Jenkins
New Hampstead
NOTES: There are no returning teams as Burke County, Baldwin, Cross Creek, Richmond Academy and Thomson departed. Four newcomers are set to join Region 3. This group includes former Class AAA programs Benedictine, Islands and Jenkins and former Class AAAAA program New Hampstead.
REGION 4-AAAA
Baldwin
Howard
Perry
Spalding
West Laurens
NOTES: Region 4's former eight-team region will be replaced by five new programs that all competed within the classification this past season. Howard, Perry, Spalding and West Laurens come from Region 2 and Baldwin comes in from Region 4.
REGION 5-AAAA
Fayette County
Hampton
Luella
McDonough
Mt. Zion-Jonesboro
North Clayton
Riverdale
NOTES: Region 5 will have no returning teams from its former alignment (Cartersville, Cedartown, Central-Carroll, Chapel Hill, LaGrange, Sandy Creek and Troup). Former Region 4 opponents Hampton, Luella, McDonough and North Clayton are now in the region. They will be joined by former Class AAAAA Region 3 opponents Fayette County and Riverdale in addition to Mt. Zion-Jonesboro, which arrives from Class AAAAAA's Region 4.
REGION 6-AAAA
Arabia Mountain
Druid Hills
Hapeville Charter
Mays
Miller Grove
Stephenson
NOTES: None of the seven teams that competed in Region 6 return as it shifts from a North-Georgia group of teams to a Metro-based lineup of teams. Druid Hills and Marist join from within the classification, while Arabia Mountain and Miller Grove make their way to Region 6 from Class AAAAA. Hapeville Charter makes a two-classification jump up from Region 6 in Class AA, while Mays and Stephenson make a two-classification descent from Class AAAAAA.
REGION 7-AAAA
Cedartown
Central-Carrollton
Heritage-Catoosa
Northwest Whitfield
Pickens
Ridgeland
Southeast Whitfield
NOTES: Region 7 saw a complete turnover with the departure of Blessed Trinity, Chestatee, Denmark, Flowery Branch, Marist, West Hall and White County). Four former Region 6 teams (Heritage-Catoosa, Northwest Whitfield, Pickens and Southeast Whitfield) and Cedartown and Central-Carroll from Region 5 now form the region.
REGION 8-AAAA
Cedar Shoals
Chestatee
East Hall
Flowery Branch
Jefferson
Madison County
North Oconee
NOTES: Madison County and North Oconee will be joined by five newcomers after the vacancies left by Oconee County, St. Pius and Stephens County. Jefferson and East Hall arrive from Class AAA and Cedar Shoals hails from Region 8 in Class AAAAA. Additionally, former Region 7 opponents Flowery Branch and Chestatee arrive from within the classification.
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