The Selma Times-Journal

It took Selma High dropping down to be considered the top dog.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association will officially release its school reclassification today, and Selma will move out of 6A to become the largest school in 5A.

“It’s such a big difference between 5A and 6A that one class is a heck of a jump in the state of Alabama,” Selma athletic director and football coach Brian Montgomery said. “One thing is that it’s going to be challenging for our basketball program. Either Selma or Carver is going to come out of our area every year. I didn’t realize we had more students than Carver. I was definitely shocked by that.

“I’m glad they (the AHSAA) finally got it right. This is definitely where Selma needs to be playing.”

The reclassification will be effective beginning with the 2008-09 school years and will last until 2010.

According to information released by the Montgomery Advertiser, Selma’s average attendance in grades 10-12 is 682.25, putting it ahead of Carver-Montgomery (674.45), Hartselle (666.15), Carver-Birmingham (659.55) and Albertville (643.05).

Dallas County will also move down a class from 5A to 4A. The school is the second largest in its class, behind West Point (410.65) and ahead of Bibb County (407.5).

The Hornets will play football in Region 3 and basketball in Area 4, both of which include Southside.

Although no other area teams move classes, many of them will face one another in playoff battles.

Keith, Francis Marion and R.C. Hatch are all in the same football and basketball groups in 2A.

Selma’s seven-team football region will include Wilcox-Central, and the Saints will play Chilton County and Demopolis to round out their four-team basketball area.

Montgomery said he was confident his football team could win region championships the next two years, and at the very least make the playoffs.

He got as much assurance when Selma scored three touchdowns against Prattville Oct. 26, just the second time that had happened in 29 games.

“We started on next season the week after we finished playing this season,” Montgomery said. “The kids want to get in the weight room on their own. With us competing the way we did on the 6A level, now being in 5A will make a world of difference.”