For the second straight year the Missouri High School Activities Association has released its new football class and district assignments one week before the start of the season.
This move was made starting last year and the association changed when and how school enrollments were counted. In the past, schools took a count of all students grades 9-12 on a day in the fall. After those numbers were put together and after any challenges or clarifications the new football class and district assignments were announced usually around the first of April.
Starting in 2018 the enrollment count was done in the spring and it counted students currently enrolled in grades 9-11. Also starting last year football classifications were changed on a yearly instead of a two-year cycle which had been used for more than two decades.
In the last two years the overall number of schools playing 11-man football has shrunk. Schools have dropped programs, co-opted with another school or dropped from 11-man to 8-man football.
Since 2002 there have been six classes in Missouri. Originally the two biggest classes (5 and 6) each had 32 teams with Classes 1-4 each holding 64. As new schools came online Class 5 because the catch all and the other classes stayed at their original numbers.
Class 5 would grow to as large as 52 teams in the 2014-15 cycle but as of last year that number was down to 42. This year those numbers have dropped even more as 36 teams are in Class 5 which is the lowest number in a decade.
The new classifications have been released and for schools in the PrepsKC area there are quite a few changes.
Class 6
Class 6 stays the same with the 10 biggest schools in the Metro remaining in Class 6 just like last year. Blue Springs, Blue Springs South, Lee’s Summit, Lee’s Summit North, Lee’s Summit West, Liberty, Liberty North, Park Hill, Raymore-Peculiar and Rockhurst stay in the same class and district. Blue Springs and South are in District 2 with the rest in District 4.
Class 5
The shrinking of Class 5 affected two area schools. Raytown and Ruskin both move down to Class 4. Remaining in Class 5 are Belton, Fort Osage, Truman and William Chrisman in District 7 and North Kansas City, Oak Park, Park Hill South, St. Joseph Central and Staley in District 8. Sedalia Smith-Cotton is in District 4 Columbia Battle, Francis Howell North and Ft. Zumwalt North.
Class 4
Class 4 features 16 metro teams in two districts. Grain Valley, Grandview, Harrisonville, Raytown, Raytown South, Ruskin, Van Horn and Warrensburg are in District 7 while East, Excelsior Springs, Kearney, Lincoln College Prep, Platte County, Smithville, St. Joseph Lafayette and Winnetonka make up District 8.
Class 3
There are a few changes in Class 3 that move three notable teams down and move one of the Metro’s newest schools up. Maryville, St. Pius X and Hogan Prep Academy move down to Class 2 while St. Michael moves up to Class 3. The Guardians make their first-ever appearance in Class 3 and join Boonville, Center, Clinton, Oak Grove, Odessa, Pleasant Hill and Southern Boone. District 8 has Cameron, Chillicothe, Kansas City Central, Northeast, Pembroke Hill, Savannah, Southeast and St. Joseph Benton.
Class 2
The trickle-down effect has Hogan Prep and St. Pius X joining Holden, Knob Noster, Lafayette County, Lone Jack, Summit Christian Academy and University Academy in Class 2 District 7. Maryville joins Brookfield, Lathrop, Lawson, Lexington, Trenton, Richmond and St. Joseph Christian which is new to 11-man this year.
Class 1
New to Class 1 this year after moving down are Carrollton and St. Paul Lutheran. Those schools are in Class 1 District 5 with Fayette, Marceline, Salisbury, Santa Fe, Slater and Sweet Springs. Other PrepsKC schools in Class 1 are Adrian, Archie, Cass-Midway, Concordia, Crest Ridge and Wellington-Napoleon in District 4 with Sherwood and Windsor. District 7 features the six Class 1 schools from the KCI conference as East Buchanan, Mid Buchanan, North Platte, Penney, Plattsburg and West Platte are joined by Maysville and Polo.
Around the State
Other notable moves saw Eureka, Ozark and Ritenour moved down from Class 6 to 5 as Columbia Hickman, Holt and Timberland all moved up. Also in Class 3 defending Class 2 champ Blair Oaks moves back up to Class 3 where it has been off and on over the last decade.
