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Looking at West Tennessee enrollment numbers concerning basketball, baseball, softball

The enrollment numbers for high schools across the state have been turned into the TSSAA, and over the next couple of months the TSAA will divide those schools into classes and then into regions and districts.

So what does that mean for schools in West Tennessee?

Let’s look at basketball, baseball and softball.

I have 337 Division I schools that play basketball, baseball or softball, so TSSAA will divide that by four. So there will be 84 teams in each of the four classes, and then one of those classes would have an 85th team.

The easy one to put with 85 teams is Class 1A as No. 84 Mitchell and No. 85 Trousdale County both have an enrollment of 397.

ENROLLMENTS: Breaking down the new enrollment numbers in football for West TN

STANDINGS: West Tennessee football region standings after Week 7

RANKINGS: Peabody, Westview re-enter West Tennessee football rankings after Week 7

BRACKETS: 2022 Gibson County area fall sports postseason brackets

Here are the schools that would fall in 1A:

Big Sandy (38)

Clarksburg (95)

Gleason (122)

Greenfield (171)

Bradford (175)

South Fulton (186)

Bruceton (197)

Lake County (204)

Humboldt (267)

West Carroll (267)

Middleton (275)

Dresden (316)

Halls (342)

Union City (356)

McKenzie (357)

The biggest change in 1A is that Union City dropped down from 2A, while Huntingdon and Jackson Central-Merry moved up to 2A.

There are 13 Memphis schools in 1A, so that should take up two districts or one region.

Here are the schools in 2A:

Huntingdon (400)

Peabody (409)

JCM (431)

Madison (433)

Adamsville (442)

Gibson County (455)

Riverside (457)

Camden (510)

Milan (533)

Liberty (542)

Westview (558)

Scotts Hill (563)

Ripley (672)

Huntingdon is one of the three smallest schools in Class 2A with 400 students — along with Jackson County and Polk County.

Union City drops down to Class 1A, while Peabody and JCM move up a class.

Liberty and Ripley drop down to 2A from 3A, while Bolivar moves up to 3A.

There are 10 Memphis teams in 2A, so that should be two districts or one region, which would be a change from three district in the current cycle. Geographically, I could also see TSSAA putting Ripley in one of the Memphis districts because trips to Westview, Adamsville, Camden or Scotts Hill are really long distances.

It is tough to figure out how the TSSAA will do districts. One idea is putting Huntingdon, Peabody, Gibson County, Milan and Westview in one district, and then put JCM, Liberty and Madison in with Adamsville, Riverside and Scotts Hill. Those two would combine for one region with that region meeting up with Memphis in sectionals.

I don’t think they would put the three Jackson schools in that five-team district with Peabody, Gibson County and Milan because six would be too many.

The Class 3A teams would be:

McNairy Central (698)

Dyersburg (704)

Bolivar (710)

Covington (722)

Obion County (751)

South Gibson (790)

South Side (800)

Fayette-Ware (804)

Haywood (806)

Chester County (808)

North Side (872)

Crockett County (887)

Lexington (902)

Hardin County (1,021)

Dyer County (1,075)

Brighton (1,147)

Munford (1,186)

McNairy Central would be the second smallest 3A school in the state behind Scott.

Liberty and Ripley have dropped to 2A, while Bolivar has moved to to 3A.

11-3A should stay the same with Chester County, Hardin County, Lexington and McNairy Central. 12-3A can’t stay the same with Liberty gone, leaving North Side, South Gibson and South Side. Now they could put Bolivar in 14-3A with Brighton, Covington and Monford. Moving Haywood to 13-3A with Dyer County, Dyersburg and Obion County. And move Crockett County into 12-2A with North Side, South Gibson and South Side.

There are eight teams in Memphis, so there will be two districts in Memphis or one region, but TSSAA could move Brighton and Munford west with Memphis, but that would taking some figuring on what numbers look like in East Tennessee.

1 Comment

  1. Andy Crocker on October 5, 2022 at 9:31 am

    TSSAA please make a true 1A someday!!! Once in a blue moon the true 1A schools can compete with say Union City and McKenzie. Then it’s only in Basketball or baseball. If you have more than 320 kids your school will have a huge advantage when it comes to choosing athletes!!!!! My child went to a three A high school and had a disadvantage (along with the rest of the state) in football competing against Alcoa every year in high school! Tell me how they should be playing in three A? Please don’t let politics into the decision!!! Remember the kids are the number one reason sports competitions are set up in the first place. Even though I’m writing this and my child went to a 3A school, I’m really wanting you to help the small 1A teams who just don’t stand a chance against schools almost twice their size. Thank you for your time and I hope you will consider this letter.

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