Many people saw the news that the Missouri State High School Activities Association announced that a number of sports will be adding classes this school year and what impact that will have on our area schools.
Well, nothing is set in stone, now that MSHSAA waits the week before games to release Class and District Assignments but we can make guesses.
one of the biggest changes is the way Private schools are handled. No longer do they have the automatic multiplier. Instead they will have a success multiplier that takes a look at the past 6 years. The more successful they are the more likely they will play up a class, or two from their raw enrollment numbers. For instance, Catholic Football may very well drop to Class 2. A team like Greenwood Basketball may end up playing up a class.
Football- Football is not adding classes but will be evening out the distribution among classes now. Class 5 was the “catch all” class so they had much smaller Districts and got all kinds of byes come District time, even if you finished in the middle of your district. Now, the Top 32 teams in school enrollment will be Class 6. The smallest 64 will be Class 1. The rest of the teams will be equally divided between Classes 2 through 5. So many districts will now be short of 8 teams. This will most likely not effect any of out local teams (although their is a very slight chance Forsyth could get bumped up). The most likely effect will be the makeup and size of their districts. Branson will assuredly be in a larger district while the other three schools will most likely be rewarded with a bye for the first time if they were to win their district. Reeds Spring and Hollister, unless there are some drastic numbers changes are likely to lose Monett, Nevada, and Rogersville as potential district opponents.
Fall Softball is adding a Class. This will effect Branson. If nothing else, it will make a change in their District. Just like Soccer, they will be close to the line. They will either be a very big Class 4 or a very small class 5. For now I will go with the later. Reeds Spring is likely to stay Class 3 but the days of being in the same district as teams like Bolivar and Rogersville are likely over.
Spring Softball will see a huge change as they go from one class to 2. Blue Eye will be Class 1, while Hollister and Forsyth will be Class 2.
Volleyball is adding a fifth class. This could make for some changes. Blue Eye will almost certainly go up from Class 1 to Class 2. I think Forsyth moves from Class 2 to Class 3. Hollister is certain to stay in Class 3 and I think Reeds Spring does as well, although the numbers will be a lot closer. Branson will be Class 5.
Basketball will be interesting as they add a 6th Class. It is going to be very close, but I am going to guess that Blue Eye becomes a very small Class 3 team instead of a large Class 2. They will join Forsyth, which will be on the cut line but I project them to be a huge Class 3 instead of a tiny 4. When this all started it was my thinking that Reeds Spring would drop down to Class 3. I am now thinking they will instead stay Class 4. The difference will be, Hollister will join them but they will lose a most of the district they have been playing in. In fact I project that Reeds Spring will be the only team from the district they played in last year that wont be moving up. Branson is a huge guess, but I am thinking small Class 6 instead of really big Class 5.
Baseball is adding a class as well. Reeds Spring and Hollister are likely to stay together and could possibly be joined by Forsyth. Good chance Branson moves up a Class just like most of its current district.
This is all a guess. I have not crunched any numbers or really looked at the breakdowns other that what I already knew had been decided. Just some things to think about when not much else is going on. At this point just hoping we get to have all sports in the 20-21 school year.
