In less than a month, when contests officially begin for the Greyhounds and Lady Greyhounds for the 2024-25 season, their place in a new GHSA classification and region will become official.
Not only will reclassification move Jones County to the state’s AAAA classification, but they’ll also be in a region of 10 teams, nine of which will be from Henry County. Warner Robins and Dutchtown will be gone from last year’s region with incoming teams being Hampton, Eagles Landing Christian, McDonough, Stockbridge and Woodland Stockbridge.
With four playoff spots for that many teams, it’ll mean less margin for error for team sports. In the past two years, all but three teams in the region qualified for state postseason play. Now, six will be left out.
Additional region contests will also bring with them fewer non-region contests. In football, there will be only one non-region game, while the sports of softball and basketball will each have schedules loaded with 18 region contests, meaning fewer non-region games. In basketball, for example, there only be space for seven non-region games. Last year, the Greyhounds played seven non-region games before Dec. 7, alone.
“It really impacts our non-region games and schedules” JCHS athletic director Chad Alligood said. “Our coaches have done good job of maximizing those things. It’s a trickle- down effect with that many teams, and none of them are a natural rival. You have to be creative.”
In softball, the addition of teams has also already impacted postseason play within the region. In previous seasons, the top teams in the region vied for seeding in advance of the state tournament. That won’t be the case this year as the region’s top four seeds will be set by regular-season standings, eliminating the region tournament and the prospect of a lower-finishing team at the end of a regular season earning a top seed in a region tourney.
Though not adjusted by a new region schedule, another JCHS fall sport will have a new postseason alignment. In cross country, region meets will rather be replaced by sectionals, one of which will the hosted by Jones County that will have half of the state’s teams in AAAA and one other classification competing on the JCHS home course.
