Warrior Athletics

AHSAA accepts Warriors, Rams

Faith Academy, Cottage Hill Christian set to compete in the 2008-09 season
Thursday, September 20, 2007
By MIKE HERNDON
Sports Reporter
Faith Academy and Cottage Hill Christian, the Alabama Independent School Association's two largest schools and the only two AISA programs in Mobile, have been accepted for membership into the Alabama High School Athletic Association.
Athletics directors Woodie Head of Faith and Joe Downey of Cottage Hill both confirmed Wednesday that their schools have received letters of acceptance from the AHSAA. Head said Faith, by far the largest AISA school with more than double the enrollment of No. 2 Cottage Hill, expects to be placed in Class 5A while Downey said CHCA should land in Class 3A.
Their memberships will begin in the 2008-09 school year, which is a reclassification year in the AHSAA.
Both Head and Downey said travel and scheduling were the main reasons for the move. Downey said the Rams and Warriors are having to play three junior varsity football games against each other this season in order to fill a schedule.
"It's hard for us being the only two AISA teams (in Mobile)," Downey said. "It's hard to get people to come down and play us, especially in spring sports. Our kids would have to miss a whole day of school to go up to Montgomery or Selma. We feel like now we can schedule teams around here."
The closest AISA programs to Mobile are in Jackson and the Atmore area, but both of those are in a smaller classification. The closest comparably sized AISA programs to Mobile are in Grove Hill and Monroeville.
Head said that once Mobile Christian left the AISA to join the AHSAA as a Class 3A program in 2006, Faith and Cottage Hill both understood that if either one decided to make the switch, the other would have to follow.
"Cottage Hill at least left us one local team to play," said Head. "With Mobile Christian and Cottage Hill both leaving, our closest game would be about 90 miles away. We had a mutual agreement with them that if one decided to look at leaving, they would let the other one know."
Head said Faith coaches are confident they can compete at the 5A level, where they will play against Williamson, Vigor, St. Paul's and B.C. Rain. The AHSAA places an enrollment multiplier of 1.35 on private schools for classification purposes, although Faith -- which according to AISA records has an enrollment of 469 in grades 8-11 -- likely would have been a 5A school even without the multiplier.
"We think it's going to be a good move for our school," said Head. "Overall, I think there will be some sports where we're going to have to tighten our belts and work a little harder. In other sports, we'll be OK."
AHSAA executive director Steve Savarese said the association welcomes its two new schools. "We look forward to having them as new members of our association," he said Wednesday. "We like having the kids under us and we think they're in a great association."
Uses by Permission from Mobile Press-Register

 

Baseball

Basketball

Cheerleading

Cross Country

Football

Golf

Softball

Tennis

Track and Field

Volleyball