By Joshua Huff, sports editor
The Springville High School football team will spend the next two years competing in Class 6A, Region 7, following the bi-annual AHSAA reclassification on Tuesday.
The Tigers were moved from Class 5A following an increase in enrollment throughout the 9th, 10th and 11th grades. Only the fall sports were unveiled during the live broadcast. Winter and spring sports will learn their area destinations following the conclusions of each season.
The new classification determines where each team will now compete, which region they will compete in and who they will play against for a state championship throughout the next two years.
Springville, which finished its final season in Class 5A with a 4-6 record, will now jump into Class 6A for the first time in program history. The Tigers have not had a winning season since going 7-4 in 2009.
“The kids are really excited. It’s a good challenge,” Springville head coach Michael Graben said. “The excitement of playing in a bigger stage is good for them … It’s back to the grindstone. Class 6A still plays 11 on 11.”
The issue for Springville is that it only has three paid assistant coaches. The rest are college students; however, Graben believes that the community will rally around the program and get the team ready to compete with programs that are better funded.
Springville was at the bottom of the Class 6A reclassification cutoff with an enrollment of 569.45. Mountain Brook had the highest Class 6A enrollment at 1,039.35. The Tigers just missed out of remaining in Class 5A by three students.
Now, the Tigers will play in a region that includes:
- Arab (6-4, formerly of Class 5A, Region 8)
- Fort Payne (9-3, formerly of Class 6A, Region 8)
- Oxford (14-1, 2019 state champions, formerly of Class 6A, Region 6)
- Pell City (2-8, formerly of Class 6A, Region 6)
- Scottsboro (9-3, formerly of Class 5A, Region 8)
- Southside-Gadsden (2-8, formerly of Class 5A, Region 6)
Both Fort Payne and Oxford won its region title in 2019.