Grading NCHSAA’s realignment: Eastern conferences

The N.C. High School Athletic Association has all but wrapped up the realignment process for the 2017-21 seasons, having submitted its final draft to be approved early next month by the board of directors.

The process, which shapes new conferences for the fall of 2017 through the spring of 2021, had a new twist this time around.

After removing non-football schools, the NCHSAA divided the four classes by percentage: the top 20 percent in 4A, next 30 percent in 3A, the following 30 percent in 2A and the smallest 20 percent in 1A. Non-football schools were then added back in, and the hope was to cut down on split conferences and reduce the large gaps between the largest and smallest schools in each class.

The NCHSAA’s criteria for realignment is based on just geography and school size, and results were positive across central and eastern N.C.

We’re going to give out grades – based on geography, conference strength in all sports and natural rivalries – that would make the honor roll at your school.

But first, here are a few reminders about realignment.

▪ These do not go into effect until the fall of 2017. You still get one more season in each sport to enjoy the current conferences.

▪ If you see two nearby schools that are in the same classification but not in the same league, it could be that one or both were needed to help conferences fulfill the six-team minimum (only one conference in the state had just five teams).

▪ Each conference gets to choose its name, so “Conference A,” etc. will be changed sometime next fall or spring by the schools in each league. If a conference doesn’t go through major changes, the same name is usually picked.

4A East

Conf. A - Corinth Holders, Heritage, Knightdale, Rolesville, Wakefield, Wake Forest

Description: I-540 meets U.S. Highway 64.

Grade: A

Thoughts: Corinth Holders, as Johnston County’s only 4A, was the starting point. It made a lot of sense for nearby Knightdale and the four northern Wake teams to join forces and let some of those rivalries take off. Finally, Rolesville is in a league that’s a geographic fit. The former Cap-8 teams may miss their old foes, but this is a good trade.

Conf. B - Broughton, Cardinal Gibbons, Enloe, Leesville Road, Millbrook, Sanderson, Southeast Raleigh

Description: Raleigh schools unite.

Grade: A+

Thoughts: Southeast Raleigh and Cardinal Gibbons each bring state championship contenders in multiple sports to a five-team core of the old Cap-8. The Cap-7 will be tightly-knit and it gives everyone some intriguing new rivalry prospects. Instead of Enloe-Broughton, how about Broughton-Cardinal Gibbons and Southeast Raleigh-Enloe spin-offs that might be more competitive?

Conf. C - Apex, Apex Friendship, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Middle Creek

Description: Southern Wake.

Grade: A+

Thoughts: Garner will be a natural fit though it’s a newcomer to the others. It’s hard to find a sport where this league isn’t great. Baseball and softball might get all six teams into the playoffs. Middle Creek/Fuquay-Varina/Garner in football or Garner/Apex/Middle Creek in boys basketball is tough sledding for the other three (plus South Garner in 2018).

Conf. D - Athens Drive, Cary, Green Hope, Jordan, Panther Creek, Riverside

Description: Durham duo meets western Wake.

Grade: B+

Thoughts: It’s not as ideal as others, but there’s a ripple effect. Riverside was joined at the hip with Jordan, which is right around the corner from Green Hope and Panther Creek, which are joined at the hip with Cary, which is joined at the hip with Athens Drive. So here we are. It has the potential to be really great in some sports (wrestling, volleyball, boys and girls basketball) but weak in others. This was the right call, but it isn’t as conducive to producing rivalries right away.

Conf. G - Hoke County, Jack Britt, Lumberton, Pinecrest, Purnell Swett, Richmond County, Scotland County, Seventy-First

Description: Southeastern 4A adds westernmost Cumberland schools.

Grade: A

Thoughts: There certainly won’t be a loss of gate revenue at football games, will there? Four of those teams have played for state titles in the last decade. Pinecrest finally gets more conference games, decreasing the amount of times it needs to drive up to Wake County to fill game slots in all sports. Jack Britt gives Pinecrest some much-needed competition in the country club sports.

4A/3A East

Conf. E - (4A) New Bern, South Central; (3A) C.B. Aycock, D.H. Conley, Eastern Wayne, J.H. Rose, Southern Wayne

Description: Same ol’ Eastern Carolina 4A/3A, but with more 3As.

Grade: B

Thoughts: This three-county league needed continuity, so it’s good that they’re sticking together. New Bern is always a tough school to place because it’s isolated among 4As. Having just two 4A teams means New Bern and South Central get an easy path to the playoffs in nearly every sport. Rose and Conley will do very well in 3A – they’ve each already won 4A titles in the last two years.

Conf. F - (4A) Ashley, Hoggard, Laney; (3A) New Hanover, North Brunswick, South Brunswick, Topsail, West Brunswick

Description: Same ol’ Mideastern 4A/3A, but with North Brunswick and a new 3A.

Grade: A+

Thoughts: The three counties that touch the ocean get to bring together eight of their 10 schools for one pretty cool by-the-beach split conference. No more long trips! New Hanover as the East’s largest 3A is a scary thought. Instant title contender in almost everything.

Conf. H - (4A) Overhills, Pine Forest, South View; (3A) Cape Fear, Douglas Byrd, E.E. Smith, Gray’s Creek, Terry Sanford, Westover

Description: Overhills + Cumberland’s central/eastern teams.

Grade: B+

Thoughts: There were enough 3A teams to make their own league, but a split was needed. Overhills, the only 4A left in Harnett County, is feeling more and more like an adopted Cumberland County school. The best part about this league is that it won’t be run by the 4As. Terry Sanford and Cape Fear are two schools that can and will win several league titles over the big three.

3A East

Conf. H - Asheboro, Eastern Guilford, Southeast Guilford, Southern Alamance, Southern Guilford, Southwestern Randolph, Williams

Description: Piedmont south of I-40.

Grade: D

Thoughts: I know the Randolph schools are isolated, but there was another way to do this without carving up Alamance County (psst: Asheboro, Southeast Guilford, Southern Alamance, Southern Guilford, Southwestern Randolph, Williams and Western and Eastern Alamance - rest go to Conf. I). Sadly, no one proposed an alternative to the NCHSAA that helped every school. Many of these schools – as well as in Conf. I – might get moved into western brackets now that there are so many new 3A teams east of I-74.

Conf. K - Harnett Central, Lee County, Southern Lee, Triton, Union Pines, Western Harnett

Description: Uniting the southern edge of the greater Triangle.

Grade: A+

Thoughts: We have a winner for best 3A league for travel. Yes, there’s no easy way to get from Union Pines to Triton, but it’s still a compact league that shares the same program weaknesses and strengths. Stronger rivalries will sprout up across all sports.

Conf. I - Eastern Alamance, McMichael, Morehead, Northern Guilford, Northeast Guilford, Person, Rockingham County, Western Alamance

Description: Piedmont north of I-40.. plus Person?

Grade: F

Thoughts: See thoughts on Conference H. I know the Piedmont presented lots of problems.. wait, what the heck is Person doing in this league? Person would’ve had one hour-long trip in the “Conf. J” but now they have five! Person may win more games in more sports, and maybe that’s worth the gas money.

Conf. J - Cedar Ridge, Chapel Hill, East Chapel Hill, Hillside, Northern Durham, Northwood, Orange, Southern Durham

Description: Hey, it’s the old District III/PAC-6!

Grade: A+

Thoughts: This is immediately the best 3A conference in the East if not the state. Pick a sport, any sport, and tell me there’s not a state title contender here? East Chapel Hill, Hillside and Northern will benefit greatly from moving down to 3A. This is a phenomenal league, especially in football. We should expect the top two teams to meet in the playoffs often.

Conf. O - Havelock, Jacksonville, Northside, Swansboro, West Carteret, White Oak

Description: Only the Croatan National Forest can separate us.

Grade: A

Thoughts: Havelock and West Carteret are hard schools to get to, yet no one in this league has to drive more than about 55 minutes one way. Perfect.

Conf. P - Fike, Franklinton, Hunt, Northern Nash, Rocky Mount, Southern Nash

Description: Big East 3A gets Franklinton.

Grade: B-

Thoughts: Franklinton is an outlier as the only 3A north of Raleigh. So there was no real option for them except to here, where the Nash-Wilson schools lost Nash Central to 2A. While those schools have a good thing going, it’ll be tough for them to establish a rivalry with Franklinton.

Conf. Q - Clayton, Cleveland, East Wake, Smithfield-Selma, South Johnston, West Johnston

Description: Johnston trades Corinth Holders for East Wake.

Grade: A

Thoughts: The only county in the Triangle with five 3A teams loses Corinth Holders to 4A but gains East Wake, which adds just five minutes to your expected travel as they’re right across the Wake/Johnston county line from one another. Clayton, East Wake and West Johnston will all win more playoff games by moving to 3A and it’ll be great to see these rivalries – old and new – matter for a conference championship.

2A East

Conf. I - Bertie, Currituck County, First Flight, Hertford County, Northeastern, Pasquotank County

Description: Northeastern 2A, minus Edenton Holmes.

Grade: A

Thoughts: Do you think the realignment committee celebrated when Currituck fell just short of being 3A? That school would’ve been two hours away from the nearest 3A. There’s not much to add here. They’re the only 2A teams north of the Chowan River.

Conf. J - Beddingfield, Farmville Central, Nash Central, North Johnston, North Pitt, SouthWest Edgecombe

Description: Eastern N.C.

Grade: A

Thoughts: Something tells me the old “Tobacco Belt” name would be struck down these days, but it would work well between these six schools with a lot of farmland in between. This is essentially the same old Eastern Plains, but with Nash Central instead of Washington, which helps travel. If the first draft hadn’t had Bunn in here, I wonder if Ayden-Grifton may have been in this spot instead. The first draft sets the tone.

Conf. K - Ayden-Grifton, Greene Central, Kinston, North Lenoir, South Lenoir, Washington, West Craven

Description: Kinston central.

Grade: A

Thoughts: Only Washington is farther than 40 minutes outside of Kinston. It’s almost impossible to get 2A leagues this centralized. I wonder if Ayden-Grifton would’ve rather been with county foes Farmville Central and North Pitt. This league does save them travel, however.

Conf. M - Clinton, East Duplin, Goldsboro, James Kenan, Midway, Spring Creek, Wallace-Rose Hill

Description: Football will be king.

Grade: B-

Thoughts: For a football fan, this is an A-plus. Clinton, James Kenan and Wallace-Rose Hill have all won state titles in the last three seasons. Goldsboro, East Duplin and Midway are traditionally strong. But for the mileage, almost everything’s an hour unless you’re centrally-located James Kenan.

Conf. P - Eastern Randolph, Jordan-Matthews, Providence Grove, Randleman, Trinity, T.W. Andrews, Wheatmore

Description: Revolving around Randolph.

Grade: A

Thoughts: Four Randolph schools plus the two closest non-Randolph schools – Jordan-Matthews and T.W. Andrews – equals a great league for rivalries and travel. Easy call, and the right one. With many eastern 1As moving up to 2A, some of these schools might go into the west for playoff purposes.

Conf. Q - Bartlett-Yancey, Carrboro, Cummings, Durham School of the Arts, Graham, N.C. School of Science and Math, Reidsville

Description: Hodgepodge of central N.C./western Triangle.

Grade: B+

Thoughts: Ideally, you’d like to have more than five football schools in one league. But you can’t argue with putting NCSSM and DSA in a conference with Carrboro. Those three will compete for a number of titles in many sports. Reidsville and Bartlett-Yancey are those 2A outliers that have to go somewhere. Like Conference P, some of these schools might go into the west for playoff purposes.

2A/1A East

Conf. H - (2A) East Bladen, Fairmont, Red Springs, St. Pauls, South Columbus, West Bladen, Whiteville; (1A) East Columbus, South Robeson, West Columbus

Description: Four counties, two classifications, 10 teams.

Grade: A

Thoughts: With this many schools boxed in by the South Carolina border, the only question was whether or not to send East and West Bladen into Conference M. However, their addition helps take away nonconference dates (it’s hard to get people to drive to come play you anyway) and it’s only about one hour from end-to-end. It’s a home run.

Conf. L - (2A) Croatan, Dixon, Richlands, Southwest Onslow, Trask; (1A) East Carteret, Lejeune, Pender

Description: It looks like a box-and-whisker plot (how many of you know your statistical charts?).

Grade: C

Thoughts: This is no one’s fault. It starts with some traditional 1A teams in the area pushing up to 2A. East Carteret now sits 70 minutes away from the closest 1A, which is Lejeune. Another 70 minutes east of that is Pender. Anytime two conference teams are 2 hours and 20 minutes apart – even if other options don’t exist – is an automatic C. There is a solid core in the Onlsow County area to help break up the other trips.

Conf. R - (2A) Bunn, J.F. Webb, Northern Vance, Roanoke Rapids, South Granville, Southern Vance, Warren County; (1A) Granville Central, Louisburg

Description: Franklinton’s missing out.

Grade: A-

Thoughts: What a year for that growth in Franklinton to come fruition. It is the only traditional public school in Granville, Franklin, Warren or Vance County not to make this new split league. Travel is great (Roanoke Rapids has been an outlier for so many years the trip doesn’t faze many coaches anymore) and the rivalries are ripe to catch fire. Louisburg and Bunn are reunited as are the Vance teams. For the first time ever, all three Granville schools share a league. Fans should be pumped. I do think Louisburg and Granville Central should’ve stayed in a 1A league and tried to play football-only in this conference.

1A East

Conf. G - Bear Grass Charter, Cape Hatteras, Columbia, Creswell, Mattamuskeet, Ocracoke

Description: 1As south of the Albemarle Sound (mostly)

Grade: B

Thoughts: OK I lied. I actually can give a grade higher than a C for a league that has a two-hour road trip, because this one has a four-hour trip. Isn’t taking a ferry to Ocracoke fun? These teams struggle to field the full complement of teams, but now they get to work it all out with schools that are in the same boat.

Conf. H - Camden County, Edenton Holmes, Gates County, Manteo, Perquimans, Plymouth

Description: 1As north of the Albemarle Sound (mostly).

Grade: A

Thoughts: Manteo is a bit of an outlier but it plays the same sports as most of their counterparts. For that reason, this is a really good league and travel is as good as you can ask for northeastern 1A teams. These teams and Conference G certainly had a plan that they could present to the committee that satisfied everyone.

Conf. J - KIPP Pride, North Edgecombe, Northampton County, Northwest Halifax, Rocky Mount Prep, Southeast Halifax, Weldon

Description: No-man’s-land no more.

Grade: A+

Thoughts: The lightly-populated parts of the area north of Rocky Mount can’t ask for better than this. No one has longer than a one-hour trip, which is an improvement for every team in this league.

Conf. I - Jones, Northside, Pamlico County, Riverside, South Creek, Southside, Tarboro

Description: It’s a U-shaped conference, but that U is 266 miles long.

Grade: D

Thoughts: Almost everything’s an hour, which isn’t unheard of in 1A, but it doesn’t make sense why Tarboro is here. Tarboro is a quick trip to Riverside and South Creek, but everyone else is about 90 minutes away. Conference J would’ve made more sense.

Conf. L - Hobbton, Lakewood, Neuse Charter, North Duplin, Princeton, Rosewood, Union

Description: Carolina 1A trades James Kenan and Spring Creek for Union.

Grade: A+

Thoughts: The addition of Union doesn’t throw anything off. It’s about an hour from Princeton to Union but everyone has at least two teams that are just down the road.

Conf. N - Chatham Central, Chatham Charter, Kestrel Heights, Raleigh Charter, Research Triangle, River Mill Academy, Woods Charter

Description: 1A teams south of U.S. Highway 70.

Grade: B+

Thoughts: The charter school boom around the high school created so many teams it had to be split into two leagues. That works to Chatham Central’s benefit. The Bears cut down on travel considerably but still get to play football with traditional public schools to its west. North Moore, which was originally scheduled for this league, would’ve been wise to have done the same thing.

Conf. O - East Wake Academy, Falls Lake Academy, Franklin Academy, Oxford Prep, Roxboro Community, Voyager Academy

Description: 1A teams north of U.S. Highway 70.

Grade: B-

Thoughts: If this is the new North Central Athletic 1A, it’ll be interesting to see how league powers Roxboro, Voyager and Franklin Academy fare now that Raleigh Charter is out of the picture. Falls Lake Academy, in Creedmoor, begins full-fleged NCHSAA play next year. Oxford Prep did the same this year, which means of these six, only four will have established programs. One more member would’ve been ideal – maybe Raleigh Charter should’ve been included?

This story was originally published April 22, 2016 at 4:36 PM with the headline "Grading NCHSAA’s realignment: Eastern conferences."