Although the month of May brings an end to the academic year, it marks the start of off-season training in a variety of sports. It’s a time when Liberty County High School and Bradwell Institute sports fan can start to look forward to the upcoming athletic seasons, which will play out under a new classification system.
Every four years, the Georgia High School Association evaluates schools and reclassifies them based on their respective total student population.
The 2014-2016 classifications are as follows:
Class AAAAA
Although Camden County will remain in class AAAAAA for football, the Wildcats will drop back down to class AAAAA for every other sport. The region will be divided into sub-regions as follows:
• Sub-region A: Brunswick High, Camden County, Coffee County, Glynn Academy and Ware County High.
• Sub-region B: Bradwell Institute, Effingham County, Richmond Hill, South Effingham and Statesboro High School.
Class AAAA
The classification no longer will be divided into sub-regions, which places Liberty County High School in Region 3-AAAA with Burke County, New Hampstead, Thomson, Wayne County and Windsor Forest.
Long County High School will remain in Class AA, Region 2 along with Bacon County, Benedictine Military School, Bryan County, Groves High School, Jeff Davis, McIntosh County Academy, St. Vincent’s Academy and Vidalia.
Most all of the Savannah schools, which once were primary region opponents to Bradwell Institute, fell into Region 1, Sub-region B. They include Beach, Islands, Jenkins, Johnson, Savannah, Savannah Arts and Southeast Bulloch.
As soon as school begins, fans can prepare for football, softball, volleyball and cross-country events. The football teams were allowed to start spring training as of Feb. 1, but must wait until July 25 to start any official conditioning.
The week of June 29 through July 5 is GHSA’s designated “dead week,” which means no training is to be conducted during that time.
Softball, volleyball and cross country officially can start practices Aug. 1.
The GHSA has posted the 2014 football schedules on its website as of April 17. These schedules are tentative and subject to change to accommodate newly classified teams.
2014 football schedules
According to ghsa.net, the Bradwell Institute Tigers’ schedule is as follows:
• Aug. 29, Liberty County
• Sept. 5, @ Calvary Day School
• Sept. 12, Richmond Hill
• Sept. 26, @ Ware County
• Oct. 3 Glynn Academy
• Oct. 10, @ Effingham County
• Oct. 17, Statesboro High
• Oct. 24, @ South Effingham
• Oct. 31, Brunswick
• Nov. 7, @ Coffee County
Liberty County High School’s football schedule is as follows:
• Aug. 15 South Effingham (scrimmage)
• Aug. 22 Effingham County
• Aug. 29, @ Bradwell Institute
• Sept. 5, @McIntosh County Academy
• Sept. 12, Benedictine
• Sept. 20, @ Monroe High School
• Sept. 26, @Wayne County
• Oct. 10, @ Burke County
• Oct. 17, @Thomson
• Oct. 24, Windsor Forest
• Nov. 7, Richmond Hill
Long County’s football schedule is as follows:
• Aug. 29, Tattnall County
• Sept. 12, Metter
• Sept. 19, @ Jeff Davis
• Sept. 26, @ Bacon County
• Oct. 3, Vidalia
• Oct. 10, New Hampstead
• Oct. 16, @ Groves
• Oct. 24, McIntosh County Academy
• Oct. 31, @ Bryan County
• Nov. 7, @ Benedictine