Reclassification is a tricky business.
It can force some schools into making some difficult decisions, and it’s the kind of issue where just about everyone has an opinion.
Reclassification numbers released Friday by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association formally resulted in four schools in Southwest Washington changing classification beginning next fall.
Union will move up to 4A from 3A; Kelso and Mountain View will drop down to 3A from 4A; and Ridgefield will move down to 1A from 2A.
Columbia River was another local school that could have been impacted by these numbers. When the reshuffling of numbers moved River’s enrollment into the 2A classification, the Chieftains decided to opt-up to 3A.
It was a decision that Ridgefield also was considering, possibly opting back up to 2A.
But after consulting with members of the community and looking at the benefits and drawbacks, Ridgefield decided to stay at 1A.
Now, like I said, there are a lot of opinions about what schools ought to do when it comes to opting up. But in the end, each school must make a decision on what is best for its students and teams.
For Columbia River, opting up to 3A was the best move.
When the original numbers came out earlier this month, Columbia River’s enrollment numbers were solidly in the 3A classification.
But then 22 schools with 2A and 1A enrollments decided to opt-up to 3A, causing a dramatic shift in the line between 2A and 3A.
That final line pushed River into the 2A range by fewer than 10 students.
But River decided the best place for it was in 3A. And that makes sense.
River has had a solid athletic program for many years, and regularly gets high turnout for its sports. But many schools at the 2A level don’t have that same level of turnout.
Not only would River have trouble filling out schedules for some of its junior varsity and C-squad teams, playing at 2A also could hurt its varsity teams’ schedules.
Take girls tennis, for instance.
Last spring, many area 3A tennis programs like Prairie, Camas, Union and River almost had more tennis players than they knew what to do with.
But in the 2A GSHL, only four of the six schools even fielded a girls tennis teams at all. That’s a considerable disparity.
And in cross country, the 2A GSHL holds three-team meets because many 2A programs struggle to fill out a seven-runner roster for its varsity team, particularly in girls cross country.
River’s cross country program gets high runner turnout and has been a regular participant at the 3A state meet in recent years.
On the flip side of the opt-up question was Ridgefield. When the first numbers came out, the Spudders were leaning toward staying at 2A.
But in the end, the issue of fair competition for its athletes led Ridgefield to slide down to 1A.
And that’s because the difference between one classification and the next becomes more pronounced the smaller the enrollment size becomes.
Consider this: Since the creation of the 2A GSHL four years ago, 2A GSHL football teams are 3-13 in district playoff games with the 2A Evergreen Conference.
A big reason for this is enrollment size. Football is a sport in which the turnout numbers are key to success.
Most of the schools in the current 2A GSHL rank among the smallest 2A schools in the state, while most of the schools in the 2A Evergreen Conference rank among the largest 2A schools.
And it’s not just football. If you were looking back over the past four years, you’d see the majority of 2A teams that qualified for state tournaments in all sports from District 4 would be from 2A Evergreen Conference schools.
Ridgefield has a history of success in football, dating back to its state championship in the mid 1990s. But recent seasons in the 2A GSHL have been a struggle for the Spudders, both in the win column and in player turnout.
I’m sure that weighed heavy into Ridgefield’s decision to play as a 1A school.
Change often breaks up some classic league rivalries. But in this case, it’s actually reigniting one. Next fall, Ridgefield and La Center will be league rivals again.
Moving from one classification to another does not guarantee success or struggle. But it can play a big role in pushing a program in the right direction.
That’s where Ridgefield wants to be headed for all of its athletic programs. And no one could blame the Spudders for that.
Tim Martinez is the assistant sports editor/prep coordinator for The Columbian. He can be reached by phone at 360-735-4538 or e-mail at tim.martinez@columbian.com
