Choctaw, S. Walton move classifications among other area happenings

By TRAVIS DOWNEY

Northwest Florida Daily News
(850) 315-4476 | travisd@nwfdailynews.com

FORT WALTON BEACH - One month after releasing its proposed realignment for the 2009 and 2010 State Football Series Assignments, the Florida High School Athletic Association - after reviewing its member school's varying requests - released an amended listing of classifications on Friday.

Both South Walton and Choctawhatchee, schools that had requested a drop in classification in mid-December, had their voices heard and their wishes granted.

South Walton, originally slated to play next season in District 1-2B - which had consisted of Bozeman, Chipley, Marianna, Northview, Pensacola Catholic and Walton - was moved down to a newly configured District 1-1A, where the Seahawks were grouped with Baker, Bozeman, Freeport, Holmes County, Jay, Northview, Sneads and Vernon.

After balking at the FHSAA's initial plan, citing a grouping of teams that disrupted the competitive balance he felt was already in place in the former district setting, South Walton coach David Barron was one part relieved and one part reenergized with the latest developments.

"Thank goodness," Barron said. "That's our grouping, that's our common opponents. That's a district of teams where when we play on Friday night, we have a chance to win and we have a chance to lose. It's a very good grouping."

Choctaw, meanwhile, has been dropped from District 2-4A to District 1-3A and won't face any county teams in district competition.

The move, which Indians coach Greg Thomas had hoped for all along, places Choctaw in an eight-school district comprised of Arnold, Bay, Gulf Breeze, Pensacola, Rutherford, Washington and West Florida.

"I'm pleased that we're in 3A because that's the size school we are," Thomas said. "I hate that we're not in the same league as the other schools in our county. There's a part of me that wishes our school was bigger so we could stay in 4A, but we're happy to be playing at the level we need to be playing at."

Thomas added that, ideally, he would be able to fill the three non-district openings on his 2009 schedule with Fort Walton Beach, Crestview and Niceville.

"If there's any way possible, we want to keep those games," Thomas said.

Last year's District 2-4A took another hit with the subtraction of Navarre, which was shifted into District 1-4A alongside Escambia, Milton, Pace, Pine Forest and Tate, leaving Crestview - which had been tentatively slated to compete in District 1 originally - Fort Walton Beach, Mosley and Niceville in the newly configured District 2-4A.

The reshuffling left District 1-4A with six schools and District 2-4A with just four, making scheduling for members of the latter district that much more difficult and several coaches perplexed.

"I don't understand why we ended up with a four-team district (2-4A) when the district right beside us (District 1-4A) has six teams," Niceville coach John Hicks said. "I would have thought they could have evened them out pretty easily."

A four-team district means each school has three district games, leaving their schedule with seven holes in need of being filled, a task Hicks said "won't be easy."

Navarre coach Chad Lashley, who had hoped to get shifted to District 1-4A, believed, while unbalanced number-wise, that neither District 1-4A nor District 2-4A presented an advantage over the other.

"I'm fine with it," Lashley said. "I don't think you can look at one (district grouping) and say one is more difficult or less difficult than the other."

Baker (District 1-1A), Freeport (District 1-1A), Walton (District 1-2B) and Rocky Bayou Christian (District 1-1B) remained in the same classification as released in December.