NCHSAA releases second draft of conference realignment plan
The N.C. High School Athletic Association released the second draft of its realignment plan Friday to put schools into new conferences beginning in the fall of 2017. The next realignment period runs through the spring of 2021.
As in the first draft, A.L. Brown leaves the Charlotte-based MECKA 4A conference and returns to a 3A league with Cabarrus County teams. Also, Charlotte Catholic leaves the 4A SoMeck Charlotte conference and joins a 3A conference with Union County teams, including Monroe, which is moving up from 2A. Monroe (2AA) and Charlotte Catholic (4A) won NCHSAA state football championships in December. Catholic previously had been a member of a Union County conference.
For Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, the SoMeck 8 remains mostly unchanged, besides Catholic leaving. Lake Norman and Mooresville return to the MECKA conference, and Hickory Ridge joins the Southwestern 4A.
An initial draft was released Dec. 17 and member schools were invited to share concerns and opinions. After reviewing the feedback, the NCHSAA realignment committee has produced this second draft. The committee’s goal is to create conferences of schools of like sizes that are in geographic proximity. One of the main goals is to minimize travel. Union County Supt. Mary Ellis and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ athletics director Sue Doran are part of the 21-person committee.
Here are second draft proposals for Observer-area schools (schools with an * are not in the newspaper’s coverage area)
4A Conference K
Ardrey Kell
Berry
Harding
Olympic
Providence
South Mecklenburg
West Mecklenburg
4A Conference L
Hopewell
Hough
Lake Norman
Mallard Creek
Mooresville
North Mecklenburg
Vance
West Charlotte
4A Conference M
Butler
East Mecklenburg
Garinger
Hickory Ridge
Independence
Myers Park
Porter Ridge
Rocky River
3A Conference C
East Rowan*
Carson*
North Iredell
South Iredell
Statesville
West Rowan*
3A Conference D
AL Brown
Central Cabarrus
Concord
Cox Mill
Concord Robinson
NW Cabarrus
3A Conference E
Ashbrook
Burns*
Crest*
Forestview
Hunter Huss
Kings Mountain*
North Gaston
Stuart Cramer
3A Conference F
Charlotte Catholic
Cuthbertson
Marvin Ridge
Monroe
Parkwood
Piedmont
Sun Valley
Weddington
2A Conference E
Chase*
East Gaston
East Rutherford*
R-S Central*
Shelby*
South Point
2A Conference F
Bunker Hill*
Draughn*
East Burke*
Fred T. Foard*
Hibriten*
Patton*
West Iredell
2A Conference G
Bandys*
East Lincoln
Lake Norman Charter
Lincolnton
Maiden*
Newton-Conover*
North Lincoln
West Lincoln
2A Conference N
Anson County*
Central Academy
East Montgomery*
Forest Hills
Mount Pleasant
West Stanly*
1A Conference D
Bessemer City
Cherryville
Highland Tech
Lincoln Charter
Piedmont Community Charter
Thomas Jefferson*
1A Conference E
Bradford Prep
Carolina International
Community School of Davidson
Mountain Island Charter
Pine Lake Prep
Queens Grant
Union Academy
This story was originally published January 22, 2016 at 2:00 PM with the headline "NCHSAA releases second draft of conference realignment plan."