Realingement is official

On Wednesday the NCHSAA approved the realingement for the 2009-2010 school year. The Northwestern Conference will be very different. Alexander Central, South Caldwell and Watauga remain. Joining them in what will be a 4A/3A league will be Hickory, St Stephens, Fred T Foard, and Hibriten. Gone is East Burke (now 2A), Freedom (now 3A), McDowell, and AC Reynolds. Very interesting league with short travel except Watauga.

 

I'm a bettin' travel had a lot to do with the new alignment. McDowell and AC Reynolds are now in the MAC (4A/3A) along with 5 other Buncombe Co. schools. Gone are Franklin and Tuscola. Man I hated that drive to Franklin.

 

When Asheville went 4A the deal was done. It made it possible to get AC Reynolds to be part of a combo league. It's my understanding that the NCHSAA does not like a combo league if there is only one school in a separate classification than the rest. With Reynolds and Asheville both 4A the move was inevitable.

 

East Rowan
West Rowan
Carson
South Rowan
Statesville
West Iredell
North Iredell

Not sure what moniker (NPC maybe?) this conference has now. I like that the 4 Rowan schools are together but the 3 Iredell schools don't excite me a lot. No rivalries with any of them (WR may have one but I dunno about that). I would have liked to have seen a 6 team conf myself with North Rowan and Salisbury replacing the Iredell members myself, even tho both are 2A schools. I'm sure the folks at SHS and NR would have liked it as well.

 

It's TC Roberson that's moved up to 4A

AC Reynolds 4A
McDowell 4A
Asheville 3A
Erwin 3A
Enka 3A
N. Buncombe 3A

 

North Rowan dropped to 1A in the next realignment.They have some long road trips starting in 2009.

 

I read in the Post that North Rowan's closet conference game is an hour long ride and a 2 1/2 hour ride will be the norm for a few games.