Big Changes Coming

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association Board of Directors have set the wheel turning in order for a major change in the 2017 high school realignment.  They have adopted the 20-30-30-20 rule.  Where are we headed during the next realignments?  Let's say there are 360 schools during the next realignment.  The smallest 20 per cent or 72 schools will be classified 1-A while the next  30 per cent or 108 schools will be 2-A, the next 30 or 108 schools will be 3-A and the largest 20 percent will be classified as 4-A or 72 schools.

Get out last  years ADM's or average daily attendance figures and there may be a major shift in the Big East.    There might be some that drop to 2-A.  Too early to tell how this is going to play out but say a Washington, West Craven just might wind up associated with what is called the Big East now and gone will be this tight compact conference.

The next biggest issue is that the basketball playoff  will now have four rounds at the home of the highest seeded team instead of going to a regional sight like Fayetteville.  The regional final will be played at a neutral site suitable to host large crowds.  That will go into effect this upcoming basketball season  as a one year trial to reevaluate after seeing it done this way for a year.

Many football rules are being adjusted including only one hour of full tackling contact per week of practice  per group.  This is an obvious attempt to reduce injury but one side bar from this could lead to poor quality of tackling during games. This will go into affect August First of this year.

During preseason if you practice twice a day the two hour session cannot have full contact.  It has finally come.  10 days of spring football practice is here.  It is being called unlimited skills development.  This must be completed before ten days of final exams.

Thursday night both softball and baseball will be playing the tournament finals in the Big East.  Northern Nash boys will play at Fike while Northern Nash girls will play Southern Nash.

Looks as if Mike Fox after his Tarheel baseball team has had a week off for exams is setting up his pitching rotation for the ACC Tournament.  Tuesday Fox pitch Benton Moss in a Tuesday game against  UNC -Asheville.  The Heels won 11-2 getting Benton to 7-0 on the season and his 26th Tarheel win which is five short or now tied for eighth all time in Tar Heel wins.

Surely looks at though Fox is lining up his pitcher for possible Wednesday-Thursday-Friday ACC Tournament.  Looks as if Benton is being set to pitch the Tar Heels first Tournament game regardless of what day it is on.  The Heels still have Notre Dame and Virginia to finish ACC play the next two weekends.  The way the ACC tournament format is set up you just about have to win game one or the other two games don't matter.