Demopolis in familiar grouping after AHSAA re-class

January 20, 2016 Jeremy D. Smith AHSAA, Alabama, Demopolis, demopolis high school, DHS, football, prep sports, Tigers

The Demopolis High School football team’s new region looks an awful lot like its old region after the AHSAA announced its latest re-classification Wednesday.

The Tigers will play as members of Class 5A, Region 3 alongside five teams that were region mates each of the last two seasons and only one new face.

Calera, Central-Tuscaloosa, Dallas County, Jemison and Sumter Central return to 5A, Region 3. The only changes in the region see Helena jump to Class 6A and Wilcox-Central head south to join Class 5A, Region 1. Marbury is the only school new to the region.

“I like that we’re familiar with the teams that are in it but there is a little change,” Demopolis coach Stacy Luker said. “It’ll be competitive. Dallas County was a pretty good football team at the end of the year last year. I don’t know a whole lot about Marbury, but I think it’ll still be a competitive region.”

The biggest change for Demopolis is the shift from being in an eight-team region to being in a seven-team grouping. That means that Tigers will now have four non-region contests rather than the customary three.

Shakesaney Bell drives the lane and puts up a floater. Bell paced Demopolis with 18 points in a 50-17 win over Thomasville Friday night. — Shakesaney Bell drives the lane and puts up a floater. The AHSAA re-classification places Demopolis basketball in an area alignment with Sumter Central and Central-Tuscaloosa.

“I think with it being a seven-team region, it opens up our schedule a little more to have some different teams,”Luker said. “What could make it tougher is that there’s going to be an odd date in there that you have to match up. We know that one of the slots is going to be challenging to fill, but we’ll just have to see.”

Demopolis already has one of its four non-region dates filled after the announcement Tuesday that it will participate in the 2016 Champions Challenge against Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa. That game is set for Thursday, Aug. 18 at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery.

The re-classification also brings changes for each of Demopolis’ other sports. The DHS basketball teams will be grouped into Class 5A, Area 7 with Central-Tuscaloosa and Sumter Central. That same trio will comprise Area 7 for baseball and volleyball.

Class 5A, Area 7 for softball will include Demopolis, Central-Tuscaloosa and Dallas County.

Demopolis soccer will fall into Class 4A-5A, Area 7 against Central-Tuscaloosa, Holt and Sipsey Valley.