Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 4B -- THE COMMERCE (GA) NEWS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2007
Local Reclassification Figures
School
Currently
Starting '08-09
Proj. FTE
Change
Commerce
Class A
Class A
402.5
None
Jefferson
Class A
Class AA
636
Up one class
E. Jackson
Class AA
Class AA
978.5
None
Jackson Co.
Class AAAA
Class AAA
1,020
Down one class
Mill Creek
Class AAAAA
Class AAAAA
3,771.5
None
Expected number of schools per classification (08-09):
Class AAAAA 66
Class AAAA 81
Class AAA 81
Class AA 82
Class A 100 (71 in football)
Reclassification Meeting
May Affect Local Teams
By Allen Luton
When the Georgia High School
Association’s reclassification
committee meets Thursday,
schools across the state are
expected to begin to find out
what region they will be placed
in for the next two years begin
ning with the 2008-09 school
year.
For local schools in Jackson
County that means learning of
the finer details of just how much
the reclassification process will
affect their athletic departments.
Jackson County Comprehen
sive High School is slated to
change classifications, as it will
be moving down one class from
Class AAAA to Class AAA
next year. However, when the
preliminary reclassification fig
ures were released earlier this
month, JCCHS was kept in the
state’s second highest classifica
tion (AAAA), which was a big
surprise to school officials. But,
that was due to an error in the
GHSA’s figuring of its projected
enrollment that has since been
corrected following an appeal by
the school. It was one of seven
reclassification appeals approved
last week by the GhSA The cor
rect enrollment of 1,020 for next
year places JCCHS among the
top half of Class AAA, based
on size.
“We were anticipating (mov
ing down to Class AAA) all
along,” JCCHS athletic director
Joe Lancaster said.
Now that the school is correct
ly placed in Class AAA, it waits
to hear what region it will fall
into, which remains a question.
“We don’t know exactly where
we’re going to be,” Lancaster
said. “It looks like we’ll be in
(Region) 8-AAA; that’s histori
cally where we’ve been, but there
are rumors that 7-AAA would be
split up and some of them might
come into 8-AAA, (but) nobody
knows until after that meeting on
Thursday.”
Region 7-AAA is made up of
schools in the Gainesville and
Hall County area, while 8-AAA is
made up of Northeast Georgia’s
other AAA schools located
south and east of Gainesville on
down into the Athens area.
Jefferson High School will
move up one classification to
Class AA next year. Just how the
region alignment process works
out will have a big impact on
its sports and how JHS will be
able to schedule over the next
two years. Jefferson is expected
to have 636 students next year,
which, based on size, would
place it in the bottom third of
Class AA. Depending on how
many teams are in its region,
Jefferson may or may not be
able to schedule longtime arch
rival Commerce in football and
perhaps other sports. That said,
with more Class AA schools in
the area, moving up will likely
make scheduling games against
schools closer to home a bit
easier.
As for what takes place on
the field, Jefferson athletic direc
tor Tim Corbett said the impact
on his school may or may not
be significant from an athletics
point of view.
“I think overall on the state
level, I think we have some sports
— looking at it from an athlet
ic standpoint — that you aren’t
really going to notice much of a
change,” he said. “There’s going
to be some people in different
uniforms and schools represent
ed, but I would hope that we
would enjoy some of the same
success, and in some sports we
won’t. (But), it’s hard for me to
stand here and speculate which
one’s are going to be more com
petitive than others.”
The Jefferson AD said there
hasn’t been much communica
tion between his school and the
GHSA regarding where it might
fall in terms of region place
ment, meaning that, like a lot of
schools, there are still a lot of
questions to be answered.
“A lot of people talk about not
having rivalries and stuff, but
I don’t see where that’s going
to be a problem, I really don’t,”
Corbett said. “Unless — and
there’s a minute chance — that
we won’t be able to schedule
Commerce in football if we get
put in a huge region and we don’t
have an opening.”
Corbett said he thinks it will
likely be next week before he
hears anything regarding what
region his school will be placed
in next year.
Elsewhere, the opening of East
Jackson Comprehensive High
School just outside of Commerce
siphoned off many students
from JCCHS as well as some
from Commerce High School.
EJCHS is projected to be one of
the largest Class AA schools in
the GHSA next year, with more
than 978 students. Commerce,
with more than 402 students
expected next year, will remain
comfortably in Class A, making
it the smallest high school within
Jackson County and the only
remaining Class A school. Mill
Creek, located in Hoschton, is
expected to become the state’s
largest school, with more than
3,771 students next year.
Schools have until Dec. 14 to
file a written appeal for a lateral
transfer within the same clas
sification once the region align
ments come out Thursday.
EJ Boosters
To Meet Monday
The East Jackson Athletic
Booster Club will hold its month
ly meeting, Monday, Dec. 3, at
6:30 p.m. in the East Jackson
Comprehensive High School
cafeteria.
Signed, Sealed and Delivered
East Jackson High School senior and pitch
ing ace Hayley Leissner officially signed last
week with Lander University in Greenwood,
SC. Leissner is the first Eagle to be signed
to a college scholarship. Pictured at the sign
ing are, standing, left to right, Coach Richard
Crumley, Athletic Director Johnny Tucker, Fast
Pitch Head Coach Jason Rainey, East Jackson
principal Pat Stueck; seated, left to right, par
ents Dan and Kim Leissner, Hayley Leissner,
and sister Kegan Leissner.
— East Jackson Wrestlers Are On The Mats
Cont. from Page 1B
around has helped him to get
ready for the wrestling season.
“I haven’t had the opportunity in
about eight or nine years to turn
around this fast,” he said. “It’s kind
of hard to catch your breath, but
it’s one of those things that has to
be done. Really, it’s sort of ener
gized me in a different way as far
as getting ready for wrestling as
opposed to football.”
Another challenge lays ahead
this weekend for his athletes, as
they’ll travel to JCCHS to take
part in the Panther Invitational.
Caputo said the Eagles are look
ing forward to the challenge.
“I think they’ll be excited to have
a chance to go over there and get
into tournament competition,” he
said . “They’ll see some of their old
buddies and have an opportunity
to show what they’ve been doing.
I think they’ll be excited about it.”
CLASSIFIED ADS
26,500 READERS
$10 PER WEEK
706-335-2927 • 706-367-5233
MasterCard • VISA
Save $3
by placing ads online at
classified@mainstreetnews.com
East Jackson Wrestling Schedule
Nov. 27 home vs. Towns Co., with Social Circle V-JV-MS
Nov. 30-Dec. 1 Panther Invitational @ JCCHS V
Dec. 4 @ Blessed Trinity; with East Hall V-JV
Dec. 7 @ Clarke Central; with Habersham Central V-JV-MS
Dec. 11 @ Banks County; with Stephens County V-JV-MS
Dec. 14 home vs. Blessed Trinity V-JV
Dec. 21 home vs. Dawson Co, Forsyth Central V-JV-MS
Dec. 21 Blessed Trinity Tournament JV
Dec. 28-29 Beef O'Bradys Tourney @ Winder-Barrow V
Jan. 4-5 Amicalola Classic @ Dawsonville V
Jan. 11-12 Area Duals V
Jan. 15 @ Dawson; also Fannin Co. V-JV
Jan. 18-19 State Duals @ Macon V
Jan. 26 Darlington Dual Tournament V
Jan. 29 @ Towns Co., with Fannin Co. V-JV
Feb. 5 @ JCCHS with Commerce, North Hall V-JV
Feb. 15-16 Area tournament at Morgan County V
Feb. 20-23 State tournament @ Gwinnett Arena V
HONOR A LOVED ONE
With A
Commerce Library Brick
The Commerce Public Library is selling bricks to be engraved
in honor of or in memory of your loved ones. The cost is $50. The
bricks will be used in the upcoming library expansion, and the
proceeds will help pay for the expansion.
Printing on the brick is limited to three lines of 13 spaces each
(including letters, punctuation and spaces).
For information, call 706-335-5946
The Glenn Beck
Program
Monday - Friday
9:00 am - 12:00 noon
www.WJJC.net
The Jim Rome
Show
Monday - Friday
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
WJJC Radio
1270 AM
The Mike McConnell
Show
Monday - Friday
3:00 pm - 7:00 pm
706-335-1270