LR moving to Class 3A in 2008
By Steve Wiseman, The State
Lower Richland High, a bell-weather basketball program in Class 4A for decades, will drop to Class 3A when the S.C. High School League realigns beginning with the 2008-09 school year.
Even though its enrollment placed it at No. 51 in the state, which left it out of the top 48 schools that make up Class 4A, Lower Richland appealed to the league's executive committee on Thursday to remain in the higher classification. But the request was denied by a 14-0 vote.
Lower Richland principal Marvin Byers said losing natural rivalries in Class 4A will hurt the Diamonds. Byers said he received a letter from Riverside, a Greenville County school slated to move up to Class 4A in 2008, agreeing to swap places.
But Riverside also agreed with Nation Ford, a new high school in northern York County, to swap places. Nation Ford rated No. 58 in the 135-day enrollment figures. But, being located in the fast-growing Charlotte suburbs, it is projected to experience tremendous growth in the coming years.
Lower Richland's proposal would have also caused Chapin, Dreher, Camden, Richland Northeast, Nation Ford and Rock Hill to change from the regions in the High School League's plan.
"The question is," Byers said, "Are we going to keep Columbia (schools) together or are we going to keep Rock Hill (schools) together? That�s the bottom line."
A.C. Flora High athletics director Mike Sisk spoke against Lower Richland's proposal, which would have placed Nation Ford in a Class 3A region with Midlands schools like Flora, Lugoff-Elgin and Camden.
"It�s 77.9 miles to Nation Ford and 9.7 miles to Lower Richland," Sisk said. "We have 44 teams at A.C. Flora. This would affect us economically and affect when your kids get out of school. This would his us hard."
Instead, A.C. Flora and Lower Richland will be in Region 4-3A along with Chapin, Chester, Fairfield Central and Lugoff-Elgin.
The committee also rejected a proposal from Northwestern High that would have made sweeping changes to the plans for Class 4A. The plan in place has York County rivals Rock Hill and Northwestern in different regions. Richland 2 rivals Spring Valley and Richland Northeast are also in different regions.
Northwestern sought to keep all seven York County schools in the same Class 4A region. It's plan also would have allowed Richland 2 schools Blythewood, Richland Northeast, Spring Valley and Ridge View in the same region.
Travel costs and traditional rivalries were the main reasons. Since Spring Valley and Richland Northeast share a stadium, as do Rock Hill and Northwestern, scheduling concerns were also raised.
But the committee voted 9-6 against the plan because it would have created unbalanced regions. The league's plan has four six-team regions in the Upper State.
Because of the decision, Region 3 consists of Gaffney, Northwestern, Clover, Fort Mill, Nation Ford and York.
Region 4 will consist of Ridge View, Spring Valley, Blythewood and Lancaster along with York County schools Rock Hill and South Pointe.
Both Rock Hill athletics director Billy Parker and South Pointe athletics director Mike Drummond argued against the league�s plan. The schools estimated they now face an additional $7,000 in annual travel costs by having to travel to the Midlands so often.
Richland Northeast will move to Region 5 along with Dutch Fork, Irmo, Lexington, Aiken, North Augusta, Orangeburg-Wilkinson and White Knoll.
High School League Realignment Plan for 2008-10
Class 4A
REGION 1
Easley
Greenwood
Laurens
T.L. Hanna
Westside
Wren
REGION 2
Boiling Springs
Byrnes
Dorman
Hillcrest
Mauldin
Spartanburg
REGION 3
Clover
Fort Mill
Gaffney
Nations Ford
Northwestern
York
REGION 4
Blythewood
Lancaster
Ridge View
Rock Hill
South Pointe
Spring Valley
REGION 5
Aiken
Dutch Fork
Irmo
Lexington
North Augusta
Orangeburg-Wilkinson
Richland Northeast
White Knoll
REGION 6
Carolina Forest
Conway
Hartsville
South Florence
Sumter
West Florence
REGION 7
Berkeley
Goose Creek
James Island
Stratford
Wando
REGION 8
Beaufort
Colleton County
Fort Dorchester
Summerville
West Ashley
Class 3A
REGION 1
Belton Honea-Path
Daniel
Pickens
Seneca
West Oak
Woodmont
REGION 2
Berea
Eastside
Greenville
J.L. Mann
Travelers Rest
Wade Hampton
REGION 3
Blue Ridge
Chapman
Clinton
Greer
Riverside
Union County
REGION 4
A.C. Flora
Chapin
Chester
Fairfield Central
Lower Richland
Lugoff-Elgin
REGION 5
Airport
Brookland-Cayce
Dreher
Midland Valley
South Aiken
Swansea
REGION 6
Camden
Crestwood
Darlington
Lakewood
Marlboro County
Wilson
REGION 7
Georgetown
Lake City
Myrtle Beach
North Myrtle Beach
Socastee
St. James
REGION 8
Battery Creek
Bluffton
Hilton Head Island
Lake Marion
North Charleston
Stall
Class 2A
REGION 1
Abbeville
Crescent
Emerald
Liberty
Pendleton
Walhalla
REGION 2
Broome
Carolina
Chesnee
Palmetto
Southside
Woodruff
REGION 3
Batesburg-Leesville
Gilbert
Mid-Carolina
Newberry
Saluda
Strom Thurmond
REGION 4
Andrew Jackson
Central
Columbia
Eau Claire
Keenan
Lee Central
REGION 5
Barnwell
Edisto
Pelion
Ridgeland
Silver Bluff
Wade Hampton
REGION 6
Ashley Ridge
Bishop England
Burke
Cane Bay
Garrett
Woodland
REGION 7
Andrews
Hanahan
Kingstree
Manning
Timberland
Waccamaw
REGION 8
Aynor
Cheraw
Dillon
Loris
Marion
Mullins
Class 1A
REGION 1
Calhoun Falls
Dixie
McCormick
Ninety-Six
Ware Shoals
Tamassee-Salem
REGION 2
Blacksburg
Christ Church
Gov. School of Arts
Greenville Charter
Landrum
Southside Christian
SCSDB
Whitmire
REGION 3
Buford
Chesterfield
Great Falls
Indian Land
Lewisville
McBee
North Central
REGION 4
Blackville-Hilda
Fox Creek
Hunter-Kinard-Tyler
C.A. Johnson
North
Ridge Spring-Monetta
Wagener-Salley
Williston-Elko
REGION 5
Allendale-Fairfax
Bamberg-Ehrhardt
Bethune-Bowman
Branchville
Calhoun County
Denmark-Olar
Estill
REGION 6
Academic Magnet
Baptist Hill
Cross
Hardeeville
Lincoln
Military Magnet
St. John's
REGION 7
C.E. Murray
East Clarendon
Governor's School
Hannah-Pamplico
Lamar
Scott's Branch
Timmonsville
REGION 8
Carvers Bay
Creek Bridge
Green Sea-Floyds
Hemingway
Johnsonville
Lake View
Latta
