The latest Mississippi Private School Association proposed athletic alignment has folks at Adams County Christian School and Huntington High smiling. Now they are hoping to keep that smile. According to the latest proposal released last week, ACCS would move down from Class AAAA&160;to Class AAA and Huntington would be in District 4-A.

An earlier ridiculous proposal had Huntington in a district with all of the Louisiana schools in MPSA.

Considering most of those schools are around Interstate 20 going all the way to Shreveport, Huntington appealed.

The latest proposal for the 2000-2001 school year has the Hounds in District 4A with Trinity, Rebul, Amite School Center (down from 2A), Clairborne, Sharkey-Issaquena, Chamberlain-Hunt, Glenbrook, Tri-County, Mount Olive, University Christian, Pine Hills, Plain Dealing, Woodland Hills, Covenant Christian, Riverdale, Ben’s Ford, First Baptist Church, Union and Trinity Heights.

Union is appealing, which could still be trouble for Huntington.

Trinity Episcopal has always been satisfied with the format.

There were some changes in the number of students in each class to allow for some of the adjustments.

Class AAAA is now 241-up. Class AAA is 156-239; Class AA is 121-155 and Class A is 1200-down.

Tensas Academy will be part of the Louisiana makeup in District 7A which would be comprised of Central School, Briarfield Academy, Grawood Academy, Porter’s Chapel Academy, River Oaks School, Tallulah Academy and Franklin.

Wilkinson County Christian Academy will be in District 4-AA with Canton Academy, Bowling Green, East Rankin Academy, Brookhaven Academy, Leake, Columbia Academy, Prentiss Christian School, Oak Forest Academy, Presbyterian Christian School and Simpson Academy.

ACCS&160;will move into 3-AAA if the proposal holds with Central Hinds, Copiah, Centreville, Lamar, Central Private, Madison Ridgeland, Manchester and Silliman.

Now Centreville and Silliman are no pushovers and Central Private is always loaded in basketball and baseball.

But just the fact there is no Jackson Prep or Jackson Academy has to make AC coaches feel good.

I’ve had AC coaches tell me in the past that kids would not come out for football because of having to play Jackson Prep or Jackson Academy.

Let’s face it, you can sit here and talk about competing year in and year out with the Jackson schools, but when they drive up in three buses and they line the sidelines with players, it can be intimidating.

And while Centreville can hang with those Jackson schools, they are not going to field the type of team Jackson Prep does each year.

You’re looking at a more level playing field as far as number of players. AC can compete in junior high athletics against the proposed foes and that carries over to the high school when they move up.

District 2AAAA, which is being called Super Eight, has Lee Academy, Hillcrest, Pillow, Starkville, Jackson Prep, Washington, Jackson Academy and Parklane.

More power to them.

Since this alignment is considerably different, the MPSA are going to allow for appeals, again. Appeals will be heard at the next Academy Activities Commission meeting, which will be Feb. 17.

Here’s hoping no more changes come down this way.

Joey Martin is sports editor of The Democrat. He can be reached by calling 446-5172 ext. 232 or at joey.martin@natchezdemocrat.com.

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