SPECIAL REPORT: The New VHSL Configuration

Here we go again.

Four years removed from the largest reclassification effort that the Virginia High School League (VHSL) had undertaken in over forty years, the league is making major adjustments to classifications, regions, the postseason structure and more.

As the 2017-18 high school season officially begins in full this week with all fall sports teams reporting for practices and tryouts, now is a good time to let you know what you can expect as a player and as a fan of your school, or alma mater, as sports get underway.

We will list the new Classes and Regions within the RVA Sports Network coverage area at the end of the article. First, let's review the major changes that are now in effect:

1) No Conferences, Just Regions: The four-year experiment of having "conferences" replace the formerly used "districts" for playoff purposes at the most "local" level have been eliminated. So no more Conference 3, Conference 11, etc. In theory, the conferences "replaced" the districts in the major reclassification effort of 2013, but, in reality, the districts never fully resolved, in that schools have continued to use districts for the basis of the bulk of all regular season sport schedules, and will continue to do so into the future. In case you are not familiar with your district, these are the four major districts that encompass most of the Metro Richmond area:

CAPITAL: Atlee, Armstrong, Hanover, Henrico, Highland Springs, Lee-Davis, Patrick Henry and Varina.
CENTRAL: Colonial Heights, Dinwiddie, Hopewell, Matoaca, Meadowbrook, Petersburg, Prince George, Thomas Dale
COLONIAL: Deep Run, Douglas Freeman, Glen Allen, Hermitage, J.R. Tucker, John Marshall, Mills Godwin, Thomas Jefferson, Maggie Walker Governors School
DOMINION: Clover Hill, Cosby, George Wythe, Huguenot, James River, L.C. Bird, Manchester, Midlothian, Monacan

When school begins September 5th, no classes in high school will have played sports under the old "Central Region" format; they've only known the Conference/Region/State model. Now, with conferences dissolved, sports will begin immediately at the region level, as football has done in the past.

2) Regions And Their Tournaments: Here's the murky part, currently. The VHSL has yet to officially announce all Region Tournament formats in most sports. For example, we still don't know how field hockey, volleyball, and competition cheer will work at the first level of the postseason (regionals) this fall. How many teams will qualify? Different regions have different numbers of teams (as you will see below).

We do know football doesn't change. The top eight teams will advance to the postseason in each region.

We do know that each classification now has four regions instead of two. When it comes to later rounds of the playoffs (State Quarterfinals and Semifinals), regions will be paired on a rotational basis. This year, the rotation places Region "A" and Region "B" together in one half of the bracket, Regions "C" and "D" in the other. As you'll see shortly, it means little change in football, but some changes elsewhere.

3) "Classes", Not "Groups", And "Goodbye 'A'": There are still six classifications, so six state champions crowned in various sports (save the few that aren't played statewide like boys volleyball and lacrosse). But they are no longer called "groups", so, "Group 6A", "Group 5A", etc, are dead.

The new names are "Class 6", "Class 5", "Class 4", "Class 3", "Class 2" and "Class 1". Each class has four regions named A, B, C and D respectively. So, for example, no more "5A South Region Champion", it will be the "Class 5, Region B Champion". These are simply semantics, but information everyone needs to know.

4) The Region Set Up: Below, you can find your team in their new region. The only school in Metropolitan Richmond that moved classification was Patrick Henry, going down from Class 5 to Class 4 (your Class is based on school enrollment, and they are updated every two years in odd-numbered years).

CLASS 6:

REGION A (12 Teams): Bayside, Frank Cox, First Colonial, Granby, Grassfield, Floyd Kellam, Landstown, Ocean Lakes, Oscar Smith, Tallwood, Western Branch, Woodside

REGION B (8 Teams): Clover Hill, Colonial Forge, Cosby, Thomas Dale, Franklin County, James River, Manchester, Riverbend

REGION C (18 Teams): Annandale, Charles Colgan, Fairfax, Forest Park, Freedom-PW, Gar-Field, Hayfield, CD Hylton, Lake Braddock, Mount Vernon, Robinson, South County, JEB Stuart, West Potomac, West Springfield, TC Williams, Woodbridge, WT Woodson

REGION D (17 Teams): Battlefield, Centreville, Chantilly, Herndon, Stonewall Jackson-PW, Langley, James Madison, George Marshall, McLean, Oakton, Osbourn, Osbourn Park, Patriot, South Lakes, Washington & Lee, Westfield, Yorktown

CLASS 5:

REGION A (15 Teams): Bethel, Gloucester, Green Run, Hampton, Hickory, Indian River, Kecoughtan, Kempsville, Maury, Menchville, Nansemond River, Norview, Princess Anne, Salem, Warwick

REGION B (15 Teams): Atlee, L.C. Bird, Deep Run, Douglas Freeman, Glen Allen, Mills Godwin, Henrico, Hermitage, Highland Springs, Lee-Davis, Matoaca, Meadowbrook, Prince George, J.R. Tucker, Varina

REGION C (13 Teams): Briar Woods, Broad Run, John Champe, Thomas Edison, Falls Church, Freedom-LC, Thomas Jefferson S&T, RE Lee-SP, Potomac Falls, Rock Ridge, Stone Bridge, Tuscarora, Wakefield

REGION D (12 Teams): Albemarle, Brooke Point, William Fleming, Halifax, Harrisonburg, Patrick Henry-Roanoke, Massaponax, Mountain View, North Stafford, Orange, Potomac, Stafford

CLASS 4:

REGION A (13 Teams): Churchland, Deep Creek, Denbigh, Grafton, Great Bridge, Heritage-Newport News, Jamestown, King's Fork, Lafayette, Lake Taylor, Smithfield, Warhill, Woodrow Wilson

REGION B (13 Teams): Caroline, Chancellor, Courtland, Dinwiddie, Eastern View, Hanover, Patrick Henry (Ashland), Huguenot, King George, Louisa, Midlothian, Monacan, Powhatan

REGION C (14 Teams): Dominion, Fauquier, John Handley, Heritage (Leesburg), Kettle Run, Liberty-Bealeton, Loudoun County, Loudoun Valley, Millbrook, Park View-ST, Riverside, Sherando, James Wood, Woodgrove

REGION D (12 Teams): Amherst, Bassett, Blacksburg, William Byrd, Carroll County, Charlottesville, EC Glass, Jefferson Forest, Liberty Christian, Pulaski, Salem, George Washington-Danville

CLASS 3:

REGION A (12 Teams): Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Lakeland, New Kent, IC Norcom, Park View-South Hill, Petersburg, Phoebus, Southampton, Tabb, Booker T Washington, York

REGION B (12 Teams): Armstrong, Brentsville District, Culpeper, Thomas Jefferson, Manassas Park, John Marshall, James Monroe, William Monroe, Skyline, Spotsylvania, Warren County, George Wythe

REGION C (13 Teams): Broadway, Brookville, Fluvanna, Fort Defiance, Heritage (Lynchburg), Liberty (Bedford), Monticello, Rockbridge County, Rustburg, Spotswood, Turner Ashby, Waynesboro, Western Albemarle

REGION D (11 Teams): Abingdon, Alleghany, Cave Spring, Christiansburg, Hidden Valley, Lord Botetourt, Magna Vista, Northside, Patrick County, Staunton River, Tunstall

CLASS 2:

REGION A (14 Teams): Amelia, Arcadia, Bluestone, Bruton, Brunswick, Goochland, Greensville, King William, Nandua, Nottoway, Poquoson, Prince Edward, Randolph-Henry, Maggie Walker GS

REGION B (12 Teams): Buffalo Gap, Central-Woodstock, Clarke County, East Rockingham, RE Lee-Staunton, Luray, Madison County, George Mason, Page County, Strasburg, Stuarts Draft, Wilson Memorial

REGION C (13 Teams): Appomattox, Buckingham, Chatham, Dan River, Floyd County, Fort Chiswell, Giles, Glenvar, Gretna, James River-Buchanan, Nelson County, Martinsville, Radford

REGION D (13 Teams): John Battle, Central-Wise, Gate City, Graham, Grayson, Lebanon, Lee, Marion, Richlands, Ridgeview, Tazewell, Union, Virginia

CLASS 1:

REGION A (17 Teams): Colonial Beach, Charles City, Chincoteague, Essex, Franklin, King & Queen, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Northampton, Northumberland, Rappahannock, Surry, Sussex, Washington & Lee, West Point, Windsor

REGION B (10 Teams): Altavista, Appomattox Regional GS, William Campbell, Carver College & Career Academy, Central-Lunenburg, Cumberland, Galileo, Stonewall Jackson (Q), Rappahannock County, Riverheads

REGION C (12 Teams): Auburn, Bath County, Bland County, Covington, Craig County, Eastern Montgomery, Galax, Highland County, Parry McCluer, Narrows, Rural Retreat, George Wythe (W)

REGION D (15 Teams): J.I. Burton, Castlewood, Chilhowie, Council, Eastside, Grundy, Patrick Henry Glade Spring, Holston, Honaker, Hurley, Northwood, Rye Cove, Twin Springs, Twin Valley, Thomas Walker

NOTES:

1) The VHSL is scheduled to launch a new website on August 1st. We are hoping that, at that time, playoff formats for all fall sports will be available and we can better help everyone understand what to expect later this fall sports season and beyond. Golf is the first sport to be affected.

2) The State Quarterfinal round, which has already returned to basketball, but has not been seen outside football in other sports since the Spring of 2013, will return in most sports. Thus, on state championship week, teams can expect a quarterfinal early in the week (by Tuesday), and, with a win, will advance to the usual neutral site for state semifinals and championship games.

Have questions? Send them to robwitham1@gmail.com and we'll do our best to answer them. The road to a trophy is different. Again.

Top 10 Moment/Game/Team Of 2016-17: #1: Highland Springs Is #AngieStrong In Football Repeat

After finally winning their first on the field state football championship in 2015, the target was squarely on the backs of the Highland Springs Springers entering 2016. L.C. Bird, Hermitage both loomed large, as usual, the Springers getting the best of the Panthers in their season opener.

A few weeks later, a scare for the Springers when quarterback Juwan Carter exited their game against Meadowbrook, and they suffered an 8-7 upset loss to the Monarchs. But Carter returned, and things returned to normal as Highland Springs dealt with Capital District play, getting big wins against Atlee, Hanover and Lee-Davis.

But as November, and the postseason, loomed, real life interrupted. One of the team's biggest supporters, not just in 2016, but for years, Angie Johnson, the mother of wide receiver Chris Thaxton, battled her final stages of cancer. Some team members had known Johnson for almost as many years as they could remember.

Angie, amazingly, rallied the strength and courage to attend the October 28th Senior Night against Patrick Henry, walking with Chris onto the field.

Springer Nation lost Johnson just two weeks later, November 12th, a day after their opening postseason win over Deep Run. The black and gold added purple to their uniform colors. An entire team lifted their teammate, strengthening each other in their grief and time of loss.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, after a cloudy, gloomy sky dominated Kreiter Stadium during warm-ups for their 5A South Region Semifinal showdown with L.C. Bird, just as the game began, the sun suddenly appeared, brilliantly bright for a chilly November day. Springer fans knew who made that happen.

A win over the Skyhawks, then a last-minute win in the state semifinal over Norview, 28-25, setting up a rematch with Stone Bridge, this time at Hampton University, for the 5A State Championship on December 10th. The 2015 matchup was an all-Highland Springs affair, a coronation for a team, a program, who had waited for so long.

The Bulldogs remembered, and the 2016 game was much, much different. The early lead this time went to Stone Bridge, 13-0, while the Springer offense sputtered before finally starting to strike, taking their first lead at 14-13 with 3:17 left in the third quarter on a Carter pass to Isaiah Winstead.

Stone Bridge took the lead at 29-28 with less than ninety seconds left. But a short kickoff was taken back to the Stone Bridge 34 by Billy Kemp. After a false start penalty, Carter runs for six yards, then finds Thaxton for 12 and a first down with the final minute underway.

Here's how our article at HenricoCountySports.net picked up the final moments (CLICK HERE to read it).

"Then, in a play Carter said after the contest was designed to go elsewhere, he saw an advantage.

'I saw they had one on one coverage with my man, and I knew if I put it up, he'd get it,' Carter said.

'He' was Winstead, who caught the jump ball at the three-yard line. It's first and goal with 30.5 seconds left. The time had come for a final appearance from the spirit of Angie Johnson.

On a day bathed in sunshine at Hampton University, Carter went back to pass, and found a second option, a streak of purple appeared in the middle of the end zone. It was Chris Thaxton. Carter threw a fastball, and Thaxton squeezed the football like he never had before. Touchdown Highland Springs with 26 seconds left.

Springer fans experienced cheers and tears in unison as the storybook ending unfolded. But there was one chapter left to be written. Stone Bridge began their final drive at their 40, but forced to do what they aren't comfortable doing: pass the football. It took over 31 1/2 minutes for the Springers to force Stone Bridge into a corner, but when they did the seized the opportunity.

After an intentional grounding call, a pass to midfield was easily intercepted by Billy Kemp. Sheer elation engulfed Springer Nation as Bulldog fans fell to the seats in disbelief. The Springers jumped, danced, even a backflip once the clock hit 0:00."

Angie's son, Chris, scores the winning touchdown, four weeks to the day she passed away. The Springers were champions again, and no one more deserving than Thaxton.

In the months since that Saturday in Hampton, the crowds have dispersed, the cheering faded, graduation has come and gone. But we sincerely hope, for the rest of Chris' life, his heart, on good days and on tough days, will be carried by not just the events of December 10, 2016, not just securing the catch of a lifetime, but in knowing all the love that will always be there for him, for his teammates.

A love that will forever be #AngieStrong.

CLICK HERE to see the championship-clinching touchdown as it was tweeted live on @henricosports from Hampton.

American Legion Baseball District Tournament Headquarters

FINAL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS:

South Richmond Post 137:    12-2 (win tiebreaker over 175)
Mechanicsville Post 175:       12-2
West End Post 361:                  9-5
Lakeside Post 125:                   8-6
Powhatan Post 201:                 7-7
Colonial Heights Post 284B:   5-9
Midlothian Post 186:               2-12
Colonial Heights Post 284P:   1-13

DISTRICT 11 TOURNAMENT:

FIRST ROUND (Sunday July 16):

GAME 1: #1 South Richmond Post 137 d. #8 Colonial Heights Post 284P via forfeit
GAME 2: #5 Powhatan Post 201 5, #4 Lakeside Post 125 4
GAME 3: #2 Mechanicsville Post 175 10, #7 Midlothian Post 186 2
GAME 4: #6 Colonial Heights Post 284B 10, #3 West End Post 361 3

SECOND ROUND (Monday July 17 at Higher Seed):

GAME 5: #1 South Richmond Post 137 15, #5 Powhatan Post 201 5
GAME 6: #2 Mechanicsville Post 175 11, #6 Colonial Heights Post 284B 1
GAME 7: #4 Lakeside Post 125 d. #8 Colonial Heights Post 284P via forfeit
GAME 8: #3 West End Post 361 d. #7 Midlothian Post 186 via forfeit

THIRD ROUND (Tuesday July 18 at Higher Seed)

GAME 9:  #1 South Richmond Post 137 9, #2 Mechanicsville Post 175 2
GAME 10: #4 Lakeside Post 125 11, #6 Colonial Heights Post 284B 9
GAME 11: #5 Powhatan Post 201 9, #3 West End Post 361 5

SEMIFINAL ROUND (Wednesday July 19, Shepherd Stadium, Colonial Heights)

GAME 12: #4 Lakeside Post 125 13, #5 Powhatan Post 201 11

SEMIFINAL ROUND (Thursday July 20, Shepherd Stadium, Colonial Heights)

GAME 13: #4 Lakeside Post 125 9, #2 Mechanicsville Post 175 5

CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND (Friday July 21, Shepherd Stadium, Colonial Heights)

GAME 14: #1 South Richmond Post 137 12, #4 Lakeside Post 125 2

South Richmond Post 137 represents District 11 at the 2017 Virginia State Tournament beginning Tuesday in Winchester.

Top 10 Teams: #2: Monacan Girls Basketball

Expected to win.
Expected to go unbeaten.
Expected to dominate every game.

Those are heady expectations for any team at any level. In the end, Monacan girls basketball earned two out of three expectations, but much more importantly, three state championships.

The Chiefs didn't set out to cruise to the Siegel Center. They participated in two major tournaments in December outside Richmond, played in the StatVa.com Classic, and were battle tested come playoff time.

That experience came in handy when they found themselves in an unexpected battle with King's Fork in the 4A State Championship, trailing by eleven after three periods. Scroll down below to read the story of how the Chiefs rallied to win in the final seconds.

It may be a very long time before we see a team this talented, and this successful, again. And, if we do, they can expect to be immediately compared to the Monacan Chiefs.

Top 10 Games: #2: Monacan 60, King's Fork 59

As we mentioned Wednesday in our #3 Moment of 2016-17, the 4A State Girls Basketball Championship was supposed to be a formality.

Driving towards what everyone thought would be an inevitable third straight state title, Monacan arrived at the Siegel Center already with a win over King's Fork in hand in regional play, 74-65. But most everyone forgot one important thing: with losing comes the ability to make adjustments in case you get that second chance. And that can be a dangerous thing.

So, when the scoreboard read King's Fork 43, Monacan 32 after the third quarter, Chief fans were in shock, and, from the actual play on the floor, there was little proof that a major comeback was imminent. But, a closer look beyond that gave Monacan fans all the hope they needed, and that was looking to the bench during the timeout and remembering, that's right, she's on our team.

Megan Walker is not the sole reason why Monacan has been so successful the past three seasons. Yes, as the #1 recruit in her class nationwide, she has grabbed the lion's share of attention. But it never fazed or changed her, as she always worked within the team framework. Decades from now, we'll look back at the roster that included Jaiden Morris, Jasmine Norman, Abby Oguich, Shalonda Wilkins, and Alex Parson, whose older sister Micaela helped start the Monacan drive to the top before being shocked, knocked early out of the 2014 playoffs.

Since then, the Chiefs had won two state titles, but a third was growing out of reach. Walker and her teammates did not lose hope, and, as a top player will do under such circumstances, Megan raised her game. Parson began the fourth with a three to cut the deficit to single digits. Back and forth the teams went, King's Fork showing no interest in letting the upset slip away.

Then came the final twenty seconds, when the Chiefs fed Walker in the paint, and she did what she does best, find the basket. Monacan finally took the lead at 60-59, but needed a defensive stop, and a little luck with the clock, to make the lead hold.

Norman did the defensive work, denying a would-be game winner. A battle for the loose ball knocked it out of bounds, and the horn sounded. Monacan began to celebrate, but the officials said otherwise. There were still three tenths of a second on the clock, enough time to try to tip an inbounds pass towards the basket for a miracle finish.

King's Fork inbounded the ball, and it went into the basket, and for a second, they thought the slipper fit. But officials waved off the basket, since the ball was caught ever so briefly before launched towards the hoop, and, by rule, with so little time left, there's no time to do that. The horn beat the ball, and Monacan survived, a script none of us saw coming earlier in the evening.

Monacan became the second Chesterfield County girls basketball team this decade to win three straight state titles, joining Cosby (2014-16), Walker and her senior teammates leaving a mark in Smoketree that will never be forgotten, and possibly never duplicated.

CLICK HERE to read our #3 Moment of The Year with video of Walker's game-winner.

Top 10 Moments: #2: #WeLoveArt

The RVA Sports Network lost a dear friend, and Deep Run High School lost one of its greatest supporters ever when Art Washburn passed away suddenly last February, a day after doing what he did best, watching his son compete in the Conference 11 Boys Basketball Tournament.

In his final message to me on Twitter after the Wildcats won their first round game Saturday, he was already trying to figure out how to handle an out of town trip the following week and still be able to get to the tournament semifinals that Wednesday.

In the immediate aftermath, the Deep Run family began to rally, making plans to honor Art and his contributions to the school, and in no time, other schools, usual rivals, came to their assistance, wanting to salute a man who could handle concessions, announce at soccer games, and, most importantly, be in those stands to support his sons.

#WeLoveArt became the social media rallying cry, and the following Wednesday at the Conference 11 Semifinals, a sea of white appeared, hundreds in t-shirts all in salute to Art, and in solidarity of support to his family.

Most of all, the sea of support swelled when Zack Washburn appeared on the court to play in the semifinals with his Wildcat teammates. It was, perhaps, Zack's finest hour, as people marveled at his ability to play, and play very, very well, under such circumstances.

But, in retrospect, it was no surprise, because Zack's parents prepared him for life and its challenges. And there's no doubt that the proudest person that evening was watching from a special seat in a special place.

Thank you Zack, for your courage on that night, and thank you to the Washburn family for sharing Art with us. He will never, ever be forgotten.

#WeLoveArt. Always.

--Rob Witham, RVA Sports Network

Top 10 Teams: #3: Atlee Softball

Big graduation losses left softball fans wondering, could the Atlee Raiders navigate the talented 5A waters and earn their third straight state title in 2017?

The answer was an emphatic yes.

With an historic season in the circle from senior Peyton St. George, Atlee allowed just single digit runs....for the year. No one scored more than one run in any game against them, their lone loss in nine innings to eventual 3A State Champion Warhill, 1-0.

At 24-1, the Raiders defeated Nansemond River, then, in the title game in a first ever all-Hanover County championship, used the same script as they used in a 1-0 win over Lee-Davis April 28th: a Peyton St. George solo home run and keeping Lee-Davis from striking late in the game, becoming the fourth team in Virginia High School League (VHSL) history to win three straight softball championships.

Congratulations to Atlee Softball, joining Monacan Girls Basketball and Cosby Girls Basketball this decade as girls' teams in the RVA to win three straight crowns in this decade!