AHSAA announces classifications for next 2 years

The Alabama High School Athletic Association announced new classifications Tuesday morning, effective for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years.

The AHSAA reclassifies every two years based on school enrollment numbers. The top 32 schools are placed in Class 7A, with Classes 1A-6A holding roughly 64 schools.

Homewood remained in 6A and John Carroll remained in 5A, with the exception of volleyball. As a private school, John Carroll is subject to the AHSAA’s competitive balance formula. The Cavs will still compete in 6A in volleyball due to their recent success.

Among schools in the Birmingham area, the most significant change in class was Chelsea, which moved up from 6A into 7A. 

Region and area alignments for fall sports (football, volleyball, cross-country and swimming and diving) were also released.

In football, Homewood will gain nearly an entire new set of region foes, as the Patriots move from Region 5 to Region 3. The Patriots will compete against the likes of Benjamin Russell, Briarwood, Calera, Chilton County, Helena and Pelham. 

John Carroll will stay put in 5A’s Region 5, where the Cavs will face Fairfield, Carver-Birmingham, Hayden, Jasper, Pleasant Grove, Ramsay and Wenonah. 

In volleyball, John Carroll will be in Area 8, with Homewood in Area 9. John Carroll will be in a tough area, featuring Briarwood, Helena and Pelham. Homewood gets a much easier path against Parker, Minor and Jackson-Olin. 

John Carroll will compete in Section 3 of 5A in cross-country, while Homewood is in 6A’s Section 4.

As for Homewood’s other football region foes from the past two years, Mountain Brook and Woodlawn are now in Region 5, Shades Valley and Huffman are in Region 6 and Chelsea is in 7A’s Region 3.