Only four schools remain in Bainbridge High School’s current  1AAAAA Region after GHSA’s reclassification Monday.
Lee County moved up to Class AAAAAA and holds the place for smallest school in that classification. Northside Columbus descended to Class AAAA, leaving Harris County, Hardaway and Thomas County Central as Bainbridge’s remaining region opponents.
The GHSA Reclassification Committee meets Dec. 3 to officially place schools in their regions. The reclassification is effective Fall 2014 Bainbridge’s region is projected to play against schools in the Columbus area, Warner Robins area or the East Coast of Gerogia.
“Either way, we’re going to have to travel,” Bearcats head coach Jeff Littleton said. “Our travel distances will be well over 100 miles.”
The former GHSA isolation rule allowed schools to play in a higher region class or lower region class if there were no other matching region schools within 100 miles. Two years ago, the rule was removed.
Bainbridge’s student population is 1,499 students away from being placed in Class AAAA.
Cairo could also see three of their Class AAAA region opponents, Albany, Dougherty and Worth County, drop to Class AAA.
All three have played up for the past two years due to travel.