AISA shifts move Marengo Academy to Class A in all sports

The Alabama Independent Schools Association officially released its classifications for the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 academic years Tuesday.

The new groupings feature major changes on the AISA landscape including the shifting of Marengo Academy to Class A for football. The Longhorns have been to the state championship game in Class AA for the past two seasons where they lost to Edgewood each time. Three years ago, the Longhorns defeated Restoration in the Class A title game.

Marengo will compete in Class A, Region 2 for the next two seasons in a familiar grouping that includes rivals Southern, Patrician, South Choctaw, Sumter and Wilcox as well as North River Christian Academy. The other side of Class A consists of Abbeville Christian, Chambers, Crenshaw Christian, Lowndes, South Montgomery County and Sparta.

The football classifications included a count of all students in the eighth through 11th grades during the 2015-2016 academic year.

Other major changes on the AISA football landscape include the move of private school super power Edgewood, which has not lost a game since 2010, to Class AAA, Region 1 alongside power Bessemer Academy.

Basketball, baseball and softball classifications utilized the counts of all students in grades 8-11. That grouping leaves Marengo Academy in Class A, Region 2, Area 2 along with Jackson, Patrician and Sumter.

Marengo is also Class A in volleyball, which counted all female students in grades 8-11. The Lady Longhorns will compete with Patrician, Southern and Sumter in Region 2, Area 2 in that sport.