Realignments and rule changes announced by Montana High School Association

The Montana High School Association’s Executive Boards recently announced a number of realignment and rules changes for winter and spring sports. There was also a major adjustment to each classification’s enrollment guidelines. Several schools from Classes A, B and C will reclassify their sports programs for the next school year, while Class AA in currently unaffected by the changes.

The new classification enrollments, which include an additional 10-percent leeway that allows schools to remain in lower classifications, are as follows:

Class AA: 779 students or more (compared to 826 students or more previously)

Class A: 307-778 students (compared to 340-825 students previously)

Class B: 108-306 students (compared to 120-339 students previously)

Class C: 107 students or fewer (compared to 119 students or fewer previously)

However, football will have its own classification guidelines, with the ability to apply the same 10-percent rule:

Class AA: 901 students or more

Class A: 351-900 students

Class B: 131-350 students

8-Man: 66-130 students

6-Man: 65 students or fewer

Football Realignments

Class B is most affected by the new classification’s enrollment guidelines, losing 11 football teams. Libby and Ronan are moving back up to Class A in all sports, while nine teams will be dropping to Class C 8-Man football. The teams dropping to Class C 8-Man include Choteau, Forsyth, Joliet, Lame Deer, Lodge Grass, Rocky Boy, St. Ignatius, St. Labre and Troy. However, they will remain in Class B for other sports.

Lame Deer and St. Labre did not field Class B football teams this year, but the two schools will play 8-Man next season.

In Class C, five teams have moved from 6-Man to 8-Man football for next season. They are Hobson/Moore/Judith Gap, Lone Peak, Stanford/Geyser/Denton, Box Elder, and Hot Springs.

Hot Springs appealed the move to 8-Man, with superintendent Mike Perry arguing that the Savage Heat will have only 10 boys on the football team next year. The MHSA board denied the appeal based on Hot Springs’ projected enrollment of 88 students next year and 83 the following year.

The board approved appeals from Chinook, Drummond-Philipsburg and Plains to remain in Class C 8-Man. Forsyth was permitted to drop to 8-Man after dissolving its co-op with Rosebud.

Also, the Twin Bridges football team is leaving the Southern C 8-Man Division for the Western C 8-Man Division.

With the additional teams, the Eastern C will grow from six teams to 10. The Southern C will also have 10 teams, while the North and West will each have 12 teams. The divisions for 8-Man football are as follows:

* indicates team placed in new division

East: Circle, Culbertson, Fairview, *Forsyth, *Lame Deer, *Lodge Grass, Plentywood, Broadus, *St. Labre, Scobey.

South: Absarokee, Broadview-Lavina, Ennis, Gardiner, Harlowton, Hobson-Moore-Judith Gap, *Joliet, Lone Peak, Park City, Denton-Geyser-Stanford.

North: Belt, *Box Elder, Cascade, Centerville, Chester-Joplin-Inverness, Chinook, *Choteau, Fort Benton, Great Falls Central, Hays-Lodgepole, *Rocky Boy, Simms.

West: Arlee, Charlo, Darby, Drummond-Philipsburg, *Hot Springs, Plains, *St. Ignatius, Seeley-Swan, Alberton-Superior, *Troy, Twin Bridges, Victor.

In Class C 6-Man football three teams have moved down from 8-Man. They are Noxon, White Sulpher Springs, and the Longhorns. The Longhorns announced their decision to drop from 8-Man earlier this fall, but the move was finalized by the MHSA board on Monday.

Four teams that did not play 6-Man football this year will be joining the classification next year – Wibaux, Shields Valley, Power-Dutton-Brady and Lima. Westby-Grenora appealed to remain in 6-Man and this was approved.

The 6-Man divisions are as follows:

* indicates team placed in new division

East: Bainville, Ekalaka, Froid-Lake, Jordan, Richey-Lambert, Savage, Terry, *Wibaux, Westby-Grenora.

South: Bridger, Custer-Hysham, Fromberg-Belfry, Grass Range-Winnett, Northern Cheyenne, Reed Point-Rapelje, Roy-Winifred, *Shields Valley.

North: Augusta, Big Sandy, Geraldine-Highwood, Heart Butte, North Star, *Power-Dutton-Brady, Sunburst, Valier.

West: Lincoln, *Lima, Noxon, St. Regis, Sheridan, Valley Christian, West Yellowstone, White Sulphur Springs.

In addition to the realignments there was also a rule change stating that a player must now have 10 days of practice to be eligible to play in a game, down from 12.

In other sports

More realignments were approved for the Class C Western divisions for basketball, track, and volleyball for next season. This includes Drummond and Philipsburg moving from District 13-C to 12-C and will join Ennis, Harrison, Lima, Sheridan, Twin Bridges.

In Class B/C tennis, Jefferson and Whitehall will move to the Southeast Division, along with Lone Peak and Townsend, while Anaconda will play in the South with Granite, Loyola Sacred Heart, and Valley Christian.

Another change to tennis for the upcoming season is the rule that an individual is now permitted to play on only 12 days of competition, excluding MHSA sponsored tournaments, with two day tournaments counting as two days of competition.

In softball, games may now end after three inning of play if either team is leading by 15 or more runs, and both coaches agree to end the game.

The finalization of these rules and realignments is expected to be finalized in January.