[12/6/04] The schedule just got a whole lot tougher for the Vicksburg High and Warren Central football teams.

The Gators and Vikings will remain together in Region 2-5A under the new reclassification plan released Friday by the Mississippi High School Activities Association, but Provine and Northwest Rankin two of the top programs in the state will join them.

Provine advanced to the second round of the Class 4A playoffs and allowed seven points in the regular season this fall. Northwest Rankin reached the second round of the Class 5A playoffs before losing to state finalist Ocean Springs.

The two schools will replace Grenada and Forest Hill in Region 2-5A. The other schools in the region WC, VHS, Madison Central, Clinton, Murrah and Greenville-Weston are unchanged. The region will still compete for the North State championship, and will match up with Region 1-5A in the first round of the playoffs.

“We’re going to sub out two teams and pick up two pretty good ones,” VHS offensive coordinator Jackie Williamson said. “You’re talking about a Provine team that’s been strong the last four years and is known for its power game. And Northwest Rankin has gotten consistently better with coach (David) Coates.”

WC and VHS aren’t the only ones affected by the reclassification. Vicksburg Warren athletic director Lum Wright Jr. said he will not appeal the new district.

St. Aloysius will move into Region 3-1A, which includes none of the teams from their current region. Only Puckett and Pisgah, which were in a division with St. Al in the late 90s, are familiar faces, and the new alignment will mean long road trips to Noxapater and Nanih Waiya.

St. Al’s division for basketball remains largely unchanged.

“What happened in that district was the three biggest schools left, which were Union, Scott Central and Pelahatchie. They moved up to 2A,” St. Al football coach and athletic director Jim Taylor said. “The worst thing about it is the travel, and losing some teams you had built a rivalry with.”

VHS and WC will stay together for basketball, but get a couple of new mates in Division 3-5A. Forest Hill and Natchez are out, while Greenville and Madison are in.

Greenville was in the same division with VHS and WC from 1997-2000.

“It’s going to be toward the top half as a whole,” WC girls coach Donny Fuller said of the new division’s status. “Vicksburg ought to be pretty strong next year, Greenville has a good program and Madison Central is always tough.”

Port Gibson will return to Class 4A, but it will share a region with the same teams as during its last stint there, from 2001-02.

Hinds AHS will return to Region 6-2A in football. Only Amite County has been added.

South Delta will also remain in Class 3A, after nearly dropping to 2A. The school made the cut by only nine students. Raymond will also stay in Class 3A, but finds itself in a new Region 6-3A. Crystal Springs is the only familiar face joining the Rangers. Richland, Yazoo County, Jefferson County, Hazlehurst and Bailey round out the revamped region.