MHSAA releases 2017-19 classification...

[Maroon Eagle]

Football: Link.

Basketball: Link.

Other sports: Link (and scroll to the appropriate sport).

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Surprises:

Football

1A - Going with a 7-team Region 4 (the other three regions have 9 teams apiece - and I suppose the MHSAA decided it'd be better for schools to be relatively close together instead of forcing Sebastapol to be in Region 4)
2A - Going with a 7-team Region 3 (the other seven regions have 5 teams apiece - schools being closer to each other in regions was again taken into consideration)
2A - Region 4-2A all being schools that have been in South 2A and were moved north.
5A - Wayne County is finally separated from the Jones County schools and are in Region 4.

 

[MarkDallas]

Just out of curiosity, I mapped the 6A regions to see how they were organized. They did a decent job with what they had to work with. For example, you'd like to see Starkville and Columbus in the same region, but it would be very difficult with balanced regions. I didnt bother to check the average distance between schools or anything, but a few things are obvious. The coast (region 4) is the tightest. Warren Central to Starkville is a hike, but so is Jim Hill to George County.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1q8lxKWhD5HErk6bt9AUiS3am9uY&usp=sharing

 

[Xenomorph]

Wow.. Starkville's travel expenses just went through the roof.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Starkville's been in this region for years. The only changes in its region is Callaway moving down to 5A and Provine up to 2-6A.

 

[Cousin Jeffrey]

Just out of curiosity, I mapped the 6A regions to see how they were organized. They did a decent job with what they had to work with. For example, you'd like to see Starkville and Columbus in the same region, but it would be very difficult with balanced regions. I didnt bother to check the average distance between schools or anything, but a few things are obvious. The coast (region 4) is the tightest. Warren Central is Starkville is a hike, but so is Jim Hill to George County.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1q8lxKWhD5HErk6bt9AUiS3am9uY&usp=sharing

Interesting to see it on a map.

Looking at the map, Starkville is obviously the farthest away from its region's opponents. The average distance from Starkville to the other Region 2 schools is 130 miles. The distances range from 112 miles to 161 miles. So no matter where they travel, it's going to be at least 2 hours away.
You mentioned how tightly grouped Region 4 is. It appears Hancock is the one most separated from the others, yet the average distance from Hancock to the other Region 4 schools is still only 40 miles, and all are under about 60 miles.

(distances measured by the first option as given by google maps)

 

[patdog]

MHSAA has had a problem with too few divisions with too many teams in the 6A and 5A classifications for years. They need to add a couple of teams to 6A and 5A and split them into 6 divisions with 5-7 teams each. Could save a LOT of travel that way. You'd have to come up with a way to decide which 2 of the the 3 third place teams in the North and South advance to the playoffs, but that could be done in any of several different ways. Divisions would look something like this.

1-6A - Southaven, Horn Lake, Olive Branch, Desoto, Hernando
2-6A - Starkville, Columbus, Tupelo, Oxford, South Panola
3-6A - Greenville, Madison, Warren, Clinton, Murrah, Callaway, Terry
4-6A - Provine, Hill, Forest Hill, NW Rankin, Pearl, Brandon, Meridian
5-6A - Oak Grove, Petal, George, Goula, Ocean Springs, St Martin
6-6A - Gulport, Biloxi, d-Iberville, Harrison, Hancock

Note that, for example, under my plan, Starkville and Colubmus are both closer to every school in their district than they is to any school in their MHSAA districts. Similar travel savings for George Co. and others as well.

 

[MarkDallas]

Having made the Vicksburg-to-Starkville drive many, many times, I can tell you it is definitely a haul. But much better now than in the mid-90s. Everything is 4-lane now.

Back then the longest trip Warren Central made (outside of the playoffs) was to the Delta. Although we did play Hattiesburg out-of-region one year. I believe the region was WC, Vicksburg, Clinton, Greenville (Greenwood or both?), Madison Central, Pearl, Jim Hill, Callaway... Im probably mixing up some of the Jackson schools.

No point to this post, just reminiscing.

 

[MSUDC11]

5A - Wayne County is finally separated from the Jones County schools and are in Region 4.

No more West Jones vs. Wayne County. That was an awesome rivalry until WJ started being bad again in the last few years. Easily the most intense rivalry in the state from 2003 to 2010 as far as high stakes, great atmosphere games go.

 

[coach66]

So these are good for the next 3 football seasons? No changes?

nm

 

[patdog]

I just hope if Pierson doesn't get it turned around they don't hang on to him forever like they did with Taylor. Both had a great 12 or so year run when they were hired, then slipped pretty badly.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Next two football seasons. 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years.

 

[Villagedawg]

2 years

Starkville's been in this region for years. The only changes in its region is Callaway moving down to 5A and Provine up to 2-6A.

They were in the equivilent 5 A region 13-15 and in the 6A region with Tupelo and Columbus before that.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

Just seems like it's been a long time...