By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

One of the big changes in this year’s recently released reclassification is the effect on private schools. A new rule change implemented takes a closer look at each private school in each individual sport over a three-year span to determine whether or not they should stay in the same classification, move up or move down.

It’s a rule change that had an impact on three of our county teams, Briarwood, Indian Springs and Westminster at Oak Mountain, as they were forced to move up in a handful of different sports.

Other than those changes, which can be found below, we break down all of the classification and region changes for every sport for the upcoming 2018-2020 seasons, including Calera’s and Montevallo’s jump up a classification.

If you would like to look at the football and basketball changes, you can access that link here.

7A

Thompson: Area 5 in baseball, soccer, softball, volleyball, with Oak Mountain, Hoover and Tuscaloosa County. Section 1 in wrestling. Region 2 in wrestling duals. Area 7 in bowling with Helena, Hoover, Indian Springs, McAdory and Pelham.

Spain Park: Area 6 in baseball, soccer, softball and volleyball with Hewitt-Trussville, John Carroll (volleyball only), Mountain Brook and Vestavia. Section 1 in wrestling. Region 3 wrestling duals. Area 6 in bowling with Benjamin Russell, Chelsea, Fayetteville, Oak Mountain and Winterboro.

Oak Mountain: Area 5 in baseball, soccer, softball and volleyball with Hoover, Thompson and Tuscaloosa County. Section 1 in wrestling. Region 2 in wrestling duals. Area 6 in bowling with Benjamin Russell, Chelsea, Fayetteville, Spain Park and Winterboro.

All three will compete in Section 3 in cross country, golf, outdoor track and field and tennis with Hewitt-Trussville, Mountain Brook, Hoover, Tuscaloosa County and Vestavia.

All three will be in Section 2 of the 6A-7A swimming and diving classification.

All three will be in section 1 in indoor track and field. This is the only section in the 7A classification.

6A

Calera

Chelsea: Section 4 in tennis with Benjamin Russell, Briarwood, Homewood, Opelika, Oxford, Pell City and Shades Valley. Will compete in Area 6 in bowling with Benjamin Russell, Fayetteville, Oak Mountain, Spain Park and Winterboro.

Helena: Section 3 in tennis with Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, Hueytown, McAdory, Northridge, Paul Bryant and Pelham. Will compete in Area 7 in bowling with Hoover, Indian Springs, McAdory, Pelham and Thompson.

Pelham: Will compete in Section 3 in tennis with Helena, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, Hueytown, McAdory, Northridge, and Paul Bryant. Will compete in Area 7 in bowling with Helena, Hoover, Indian Springs, McAdory and Thompson.

All four will be in Area 8 for baseball, softball and volleyball, competing solely against each other.

All four will be in Section 3 for cross country with Benjamin Russell, Homewood, Shades Valley, Stanhope Elmore and Wetumpka.

All four will compete in Section 2 in golf with a total of 13 boys and 14 girls teams, as well as Section 2 in outdoor track and field with a total of 17 teams.

All four will be in Section 1 for indoor track and field, which is the only indoor track and field section.

Chelsea, Helena and Pelham will compete against each other solely in Area 8 of soccer, Section 1 of wrestling and Region 5 of wrestling duals

Chelsea and Helena will be in Section 2 for swimming and diving. Calera nor Pelham field an AHSAA swimming and diving team.

Briarwood: Tennis is the only sport that jumped a classification for Briarwood under the new private school rule change. The Lions will compete in Section 4 in both boys and girls tennis with Benjamin Russell, Chelsea, Homewood, Opelika, Oxford, Pell City and Shades Valley. 

5A

Briarwood: Area 8 in baseball, softball and volleyball with John Carroll (Baseball and softball), Ramsay (All three) and Woodlawn (Volleyball only). Area 6 in soccer with Indian Springs, John Carroll and Montevallo. Will compete in Section 3 in outdoor track and field. 

Shelby County: Area 6 in baseball, softball and volleyball with Chilton County, Jemison and Marbury. Area 7 in soccer with Childersburg, Sylacauga and Talladega. Section 1 in wrestling. Region 3 in wrestling duals with American Christian, Central-Tuscaloosa, Gordo, Montevallo, Oak Grove and Ramsay.

Shelby County will compete in Section 3 in tennis with Chilton County, Holtville, Indian Springs, Jemison, Montevallo, Sylacauga, Talladega and Valley. They’ll compete in Section 2 in outdoor track and field.

Both will compete in Section 3 in cross country with 13 total teams in the section.

Both will compete in Section 1 in indoor track and field, which is the only section in the 5A classification.

Both will compete in Section 2 in golf with 14 total teams in boys golf and 25 in girls golf. Girls golf combines the 4A/5A classification.

4A 

Montevallo: Section 1 in wrestling. Will be in Region 3 for wrestling duals with American Christian, Central-Tuscaloosa, Gordo, Oak Grove, Ramsay and Shelby County.

Indian Springs: Section 2 in swimming and diving. Section 2 of boys and girls golf. Area 7 in boys and girls bowling with Helena, Hoover, McAdory, Pelham and Thompson.

Both will be in Area 8 in baseball, softball, volleyball with Childersburg, Indian Springs, Leeds and Oak Grove.

Both will be in Area 6 in soccer with Briarwood and John Carroll.

Both will be in Section 2 in cross country with American Christian, Danville, Good Hope, Haleyville, Leeds, Northside, Oak Grove, Sipsey Valley and West Blocton. They will also compete in Section 2 in outdoor track and field with 17 total teams.

Both will compete in Section 3 in tennis with Chilton County, Holtville, Jemison, Shelby County, Sylacauga, Talladega and Valley.

3A 

Westminster at Oak Mountain: Due to the rule change for private schools and Westminster at Oak Mountain’s success in cross country, the Knights will compete in the 3A classification in Section 2 for the sport with B.B. Comer, Dadeville, Glencoe, Pike Road Historical, Pleasant Valley, Prattville Christian, St. James, Saks and Booker T. Washington.

2A

Vincent: Area 10 in volleyball with Altamont School, Sumiton Christian and Tarrant. Area 9 in baseball with Altamont and Sumtion Christian. Area 8 in softball with Central Coosa, Fayetteville and Thorsby. The Yellow Jackets will also compete in Section 2 in boys and girls golf. They’ll also compete in Section 2 in outdoor track and field with Aliceville, Altamont, Central-Coosa, Fayetteville, R.C. Hatch, Tarrant and Westminster at Oak Mountain.

Westminster at Oak Mountain: Another change for the Westminster Knights will be in outdoor track and field as they make the leap up to 2A to compete in Section 2 with Aliceville, Altamont, Central-Coosa, Fayetteville, R.C. Hatch, Tarrant and Vincent. 

1A

Westminster at Oak Mountain: Area 8 in volleyball with Cornerstone Schools of Alabama, Heritage Christian and Jefferson Christian. Region 4 in soccer with Heritage Christian (Boys only), Holt, Holy Spirit and The Capitol School. Section 2 in swimming and diving. Section 1 in indoor track and field.

Section 3 in tennis with Cornerstone, St. Bernard, Sumiton Christian and The Capitol School. 

A link to the entire reclassification website can be found here.