PHOENIX — The long awaited new high school football regions have been completed by the conference committees in a grueling day long meeting at the AIA offices in Phoenix.
For the most part everything went as expected with the placement of the teams. Starting with the 2020 season teams will be reclassified each year depending on if they are moved up or down based on record.
According to many coaches and athletic directors that were in attendance at yesterday’s meetings, 3A teams will be required to play at least one 4A team and one 2A team during the regular season. Those teams will be scheduled by the AIA. So that means in a 10 game season you will have four conference games and 2 mandatory games as stated above. That leaves just 4 freedom games to schedule for each 3A team.
The Thatcher Eagles will join the Safford Bulldogs in the 3A South next season. That region also contains Sabino, Sahuarita and Pusch Ridge.
The 2A Black has been renamed as the 2A San Pedro and will be made up of Morenci, Pima, Willcox, Benson, Bisbee and Tombstone.
Round Valley was moved to the 3A East with the likes of Blue Ridge, Show Low and Snowflake.
The 1A South will have Fort Thomas, Duncan, Valley Union, St. David, Cibecue and Baboquivari.
Teams have only until tomorrow (January 30th) to appeal their region placement. After that teams can start scheduling their 2020 season which will be a new concept of just scheduling a year at a time.
