Bandys, Bunker Hill will go back into the same league in August
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
The final draft of statewide realignment for high schools was approved intact by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) board of directors on Wednesday at its annual meeting.
The NCHSAA released the complete statewide realignment on Thursday. It is effective with the next school year that begins in August and in place for four years.
There are currently 23 schools playing in three conferences — the South Fork 2A, Northwestern Foothills 2A and Northwestern 3A-4A in the final year of the previous statewide realignment.
Those 23 schools have now been moved into seven conferences — a 1A/2A, two 2As, two 3As and two 3A-4A — with 52 schools.
Draughn will go 1A and into a seven-team 1A-2A league in which its enrollment is third-highest and highest among the 1As in the conference.
Patton will remain 2A and its enrollment is second-highest in a seven-team conference.
The other area 2A league has eight schools with West Caldwell the largest and Lincolnton the smallest.
An eight-team 3A league will have Hickory as its biggest school and West Iredell as its smallest.
Lake Norman Charter, now 2A, is going to 3A and and an eight-team conference. It will be the smallest in that league and Carson has the highest enrollment.
Alexander Central and Watauga go from 3A to 4A, joining South Caldwell, and the 3A schools are Ashe County, Freedom and Hibriten.
McDowell remains 4A and moves into a seven-team 3A-4A league in which it has the highest enrollment.
Finalized conferences with average number of students
CONFERENCE NO. 42 (1A/2A)
Black Mountain Owen (2A) 748
Madison (2A) 712
Draughn 630
Mountain Heritage 614
Avery County 539
Mitchell County 489
Rosman 299
CONFERENCE NO. 41 (2A)
R-S Central 845
Patton 834
Brevard 791
E. Rutherford 766
Hendersonville 745
Chase 722
Polk County 614
CONFERENCE NO. 51 (2A)
W. Caldwell 876
E. Burke 865
Maiden 840
Bunker Hill 838
W. Lincoln 827
Bandys 818
Newton-Conover 816
Lincolnton 788
CONFERENCE NO. 51 (3A)
Hickory 1,204
Statesville 1,193
St. Stephens 1,163
N. Iredell 1,133
N. Lincoln 996
Fred T. Foard 890
E. Lincoln 877
W. Iredell 861
CONFERENCE NO. 48 (3A)
Carson 1,238
Central Cabarrus 1,192
W. Rowan 1,092
NW Cabarrus 1,048
Concord 974
S. Rowan 942
E. Rowan 939
Lake Norman Charter 801
CONFERENCE No. 52 (3A-4A)
S. 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 (3A/4A)
McDowell (4A) 1,638
Asheville Roberson (4A) 1,484
Asheville (4A) 1,376
A.C. Reynolds (4A) 1,296
Asheville Erwin 1,257
Enka 1,124
N. Buncombe 1,110
GLANCE AT WHERE SCHOOLS ARE GOING
SOUTH FORK 2A
Bandys: 2A, Conference No. 45
East Lincoln: 3A, Conference No. 51
Lake Norman Charter: 3A, Conference No. 48
Lincolnton: 2A, Conference No. 45
North Lincoln: 3A, Conference No. 51
Maiden: 2A, Conference No. 45
Newton-Conover: 2A, Conference No. 45
West Lincoln: 2A, Conference No. 45
Note: Bandys and Bunker Hill will again be in the same conference. They were original members of the Southern District 7 2A in 1959 and together until Bunker Hill was moved in the last realignment.
NORTHWESTERN FOOTHILLS 2A
Bunker Hill: 2A, Conference No. 45
Draughn: 1A, Conference No. 42 (1A-2A)
East Burke: 2A, Conference No. 45
Fred T. Foard: 3A, Conference No. 51
Hibriten: 3A, Conference No. 52 (3A/4A)
Patton: 2A, Conference No. 41
West Caldwell: 2A, Conference No. 45
West Iredell: 3A, Conference No. 51
NORTHWESTERN 3A-4A
Alexander Central: 4A, Conference No. 52 (3A/4A)
Freedom: 3A, Conference No. 52 (3A/4A)
Hickory: 3A, Conference No. 51
McDowell: 4A, Conference No. 53 (3A/4A)
St. Stephens: 3A, Conference No. 51
South Caldwell: 4A, Conference No. 52 (3A/4A)
Watauga: 4A, Conference No. 52 (3A/4A)
COMPLETE THIRD DRAFT: https://www.nchsaa.org/sites/default/files/attachments/2021-2025ConferenceAlignment_ThirdDraft.pdf
REVIEW SECOND DRAFT: https://hobbsdailyreport.com/north-carolina-high-school-athletic-association/realignment-patton-w-caldwell-go-to-new-leagues-in-second-draft/
