Foard, Hickory, St. Stephens all in same 3A conference
QUICK GLANCE
A quick breakdown of where each school in current Greater Hickory area conferences are in the first realignment draft, released Thursday by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association:
SOUTH FORK 2A
Bandys – 2A Conference No. 45
East Lincoln – 3A Conference No. 51
Lake Norman Charter – 3A Conference No. 68
Maiden – 2A Conference No. 45
Lincolnton – 2A Conference No. 45
Newton-Conover – 2A Conference No. 45
North Lincoln – 3A Conference No. 51
West Lincoln – 2A Conference No. 45
NORTHWESTERN FOOTHILLS 2A
Bunker Hill – 2A Conference No. 45
Draughn – 1A, 1A/2A Conference No. 42
East Burke – 2A Conference No. 45
Fred T. Foard – 3A Conference No. 51
Hibriten – 3A, 3A/4A Conference No. 52
Patton – 2A, 1A/2A Conference No. 42
West Caldwell – 2A, 1A/2A Conference No. 42
West Iredell – 3A West Conference No. 51
NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A
Alexander Central – 4A, 3A/4A Conference No. 52
Freedom – 3A, 3A/4A Conference No. 52
Hickory – 3A Conference No. 51
McDowell – 4A, 3A/4A Conference No. 53
St. Stephens – 3A Conference No. 51
South Caldwell – 4A, 3A/4A Conference No. 52
Watauga – 4A, 3A/4A Conference No. 52
ADDITIONAL DETAILS FROM NCHSAA: https://www.nchsaa.org/schools/schools-main-page/conferences/realignment-information
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
The Greater Hickory area will have high schools playing in four conferences – an increase of one – if the first draft of statewide athletic realignment is adopted.
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) staff developed the first look at leagues for the school years of 2021-2025 and released it on Thursday.
Five of the eight schools in the South Fork 2A – Bandys, Lincolnton, Maiden, Newton-Conover and West Lincoln — are in 2A Conference No. 45. They’d add Bunker Hill and East Burke from the Northwestern Foothills 2A to make a seven-team league.
That move would put Bunker Hill and Bandys back in the same league. Before the last realignment, the duo had played in the same conference since 1959.
Draughn, Patton and West Caldwell, now in the Northwestern Foothills 2A, will stay together in a 1A/2A conference (No. 42). Draughn goes 1A with Avery County, Mitchell County and Mountain Heritage also 1A and with 2As Madison, Black Mountain Owen, Patton and West Caldwell.
Five of the Northwestern 3A-4A’s seven schools stay together with Alexander Central, South Caldwell and Watauga as the 4As and Ashe County, Freedom and Hibriten as 3As in Conference No. 52.
The biggest area conference would be No. 51 in 3A with East Lincoln and North Lincoln from the South Fork 2A, Fred T. Foard and West Iredell from the Northwestern Foothills 2A, Hickory and St. Stephens from the Northwestern 3A-4A plus North Iredell and Statesville.
Lake Norman Charter will leave the South Fork 2A, going to 3A, and play in conference with Central Cabarrus, Concord, East Rowan, Carson, Northwest Cabarrus, South Rowan and West Rowan.
McDowell exits the Northwestern 3A-4A, staying 4A and playing in a 3A/4A conference with Enka, Asheville Erwin and North Buncombe plus other 4As Asheville, A.C. Reynolds and Asheville Roberson.
Lincoln Charter moves to 2A and into a 1A/2A conference with Christ The King, Langtree Charter, Mountain Island Charter, Piedmont Community and Community School of Davidson and Pine Lake Prep are the other 2As.
The rest of the process
Schools have until Jan. 8 to submit concerns or suggested adjustments to the NCHSAA, which is using a new formula in realignment for the first time.
In addition to average daily membership (ADMs), the NCHSAA developed use of State Cup points (athletic success) and the percentage of students at each school who receive free meals (ISP).
A predetermined geographical break of East and West was developed, and the final realignment scores were compared East to East and West to West rather than comparing statewide.
There will be a 25-percent split overall — 25 percent of schools will be 1A and 25 percent will end up 2A, 3A or 4A.
A second draft of realignment is due out Jan. 14 and schools will have one week to respond.
East and West ZOOM conferences are scheduled Jan. 27-28 to discuss where things are at, with a third draft due out on Feb. 4.
The realignment committee votes on a final draft in March 2021.
PROPOSED CONFERENCES
Where area schools are targeted to go in the first draft of statewide realignment, released Thursday by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA), with average daily memberships of each school:
1A/2A
Conference No. 39
Pine Lake Prep (2A) 657
LINCOLN CHARTER (2A) 638
Mountain Island Charter 533
Community School of Davidson (2A) 514
Langtree Charter 427
Piedmont Community 366
Christ The King 321
Conference No. 42
WEST CALDWELL (2A) 876
PATTON (2A) 834
Black Mountain Owen (2A) 748
Madison (2A) 712
DRAUGHN 630
Mountain Heritage 614
Avery County 539
Mitchell County 489
2A
Conference No. 45
East Burke 865
Maiden 840
Bunker Hill 838
Newton-Conover 816
West Lincoln 827
Bandys 818
Lincolnton 788
3A
Conference No. 48
Carson 1,238
Central Cabarrus 1,192
West Rowan 1,092
Northwest Cabarrus 1,048
Concord 974
South Rowan 942
East Rowan 939
LAKE NORMAN CHARTER 801
Conference No. 51
HICKORY 1,204
Statesville 1,193
ST. STEPHENS 1,163
North Iredell 1,133
NORTH LINCOLN 996
EAST LINCOLN 977
FRED T. FOARD 890
WEST IREDELL 861
3A/4A
Conference No. 52
SOUTH CALDWELL (4A) 1,630
WATAUGA (4A) 1,462
ALEXANDER CENTRAL (4A) 1,432
FREEDOM 1,275
HIBRITEN 1,001
Ashe County 907
Conference No. 53
McDOWELL (4A) 1,639
Asheville Roberson (4A) 1,484
Asheville (4A) 1,376
A.C. Reynolds (4A) 1,296
Asheville Erwin 1,257
Enka 1,124
North Buncombe 1,110
