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It’s hard to believe, but fall sports practices started a week ago Monday. Next week, we’ll once again start the nine-month journey known as the high school sports season.
Class expansion coming
In April, principals of member schools of the N.C. High School Athletic Association schools voted to expand the number of classifications. Starting with the 2025-26 school year, no more than 64 schools could be in a class, which would increase the number of classes from four to seven.
This is long overdue, and a step in the right direction. The athletic association has not expanded the number of classes since 1969. In the current 1A and 4A classes, smaller schools can routinely face those with double and triple their enrollment. This should even the playing field.
There are still numerous things to sort out – like staying with a conference format or going to a regional format, like they do in Georgia and Tennessee. Andrews, Hiwassee Dam, Nantahala and Tri-County Early College would stay 1A under the new format, while Murphy would be in 2A. The only other 2A school within 100 miles of Murphy would be Swain County.
Charter school question
Once again, 1A schools got a sliver of hope that the athletic association was coming to its senses about charters and non-boarding parochial schools. Part of one bill from the N.C. General Assembly proposed bumping them up a class. That was scrapped, but then another included language that would make them play in the same class of the school most of their students are zoned for. That language was also removed.
The language for class expansion says schools can only be placed by enrollment, which would not solve the problem. In the last round of realignment, some charter schools with 1A enrollment were bumped up to 2A due to their finish in the Wells Fargo Cup standings. They have not been nearly as dominant since moving up.
Meanwhile, last year in 1A, in the eight sports Cherokee County fields teams in that have a playoff bracket, only in football did a traditional public school bring home a title. Not every charter or private school is trying to be an athletic power, but the ones that are have an advantage over schools from traditional 1A areas.
Bumping them up one class was a sensible solution. It would be nice to see that reconsidered, but I doubt it will since the athletic association and state Legislature aren’t working in tandem these days.
New basketball rules
The free throw and foul situation will look different this fall. The National Federation of High School sports announced this summer that one-and-one free throws are no more, and that fouls will reset after each quarter. Teams will now be in the two-shot bonus after the opponent commits five fouls in a quarter.
The federation said this was done to reduce injury rate and increase game flow, and they’re definitely right about the latter. In Georgia, where fouls reset after the quarter, the games flow much better. Few things are worse than a game with an overzealous officiating crew that puts a team in the bonus early in a half.
Electronics in baseball
The federation also made a change for baseball. Starting next year, communications devices can be used between a coach in the dugout and a team’s catcher to call pitches. Similar technology has been used in college and the minor and major leagues.
The theory is that it will increase pace of play and reduce advantages between schools who may already be using it, but I’m not sure how this would work in Cherokee County. The device would have to be able to be used without Wi-Fi or internet access since it’s a challenge to have either at both Andrews and Hiwassee Dam.
There’s also the question of cost, though St. Aloysius, Miss., head coach Jay Harper told The Vicksburg Post his team used a PitchCom device that cost $600. That’s not cheap, but could be done through a small fundraiser or generous donation for a one-time purchase.
Murphy draft connections
When Murphy advanced to its first baseball state championship in 2017, the Bulldogs knew they had a herculean challenge ahead in game one of the championship series against Whiteville’s Mackenzie Gore. Gore was named Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year and was drafted No. 4 overall in the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft by the San Diego Padres. He made his MLB debut last year before being traded by the Padres to the Nationals as part of the Juan Soto trade.
Just facing one future top-10 pick would be enough, but Murphy faced two during that run. In Game 3 of the 1A West Regional Championship, the Bulldogs scored two unearned runs in six innings off of North Stanly freshman Rhett Lowder.
Six years later, Lowder was drafted seventh overall by the Cincinnati Reds after winning the ACC Pitcher of the Year award in both his sophomore and junior year at Wake Forest.
I doubt any team across the four classifications have had to face future top-10 picks in back-to-back games. Splitting those games was quite an accomplishment.
Justin Fitzgerald is sports writer for the Cherokee Scout. Call him at 828-837-5122, Ext. 18; or email sports@cherokeescout.com.