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Soccer districts, regions will realign for 2012 season

Soccer

January 31, 2012|By Jonathan Stark | jstark@jessaminejournal.com

It came as no surprise last Wednesday that the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) board of control approved the new alignment for soccer districts and regions.

KHSAA released a first draft of the new alignments in late November, and the same changes passed with approval last week.

Under the new alignment, which will take effect for the 2012 season, East Jessamine and West Jessamine will be in District 46 with Burgin High School and Mercer County High School.

District 46 will be in Region 12 with the 45th, 47th, and 48th districts, which include schools from Boyle County, Garrard County, Pulaski County, McCreary County, and Wayne County.

The new alignment is the same as the baseball, softball, and basketball alignments.

“I like it and think it bodes well for KHSAA to bring some consistency around the state in using the basketball, baseball and softball districts and regions as a template,” Jessamine County district athletic director Ken Cox said in November.

East and West have been in District 27, which is part of Region 14, since 2004.

Overall, all four area coaches (Tom Morgan, East boys; Brock Sutherland, West boys; DeAngelo Wiser, East girls; and Kevin Wright, West girls) approved of the realignment in November, but Sutherland and Wright had some reservations.

“I personally like the districts we are in,” West Jessamine boys’ coach Brock Sutherland said in November. “I felt like our district is one of the top two in the state. I understand the reasoning behind it and keeping it similar to basketball. But at the same time, it would make it a little easier on us to get out of the district, and our region might not be as tough.”

“In a way I’m for it, and in a way I’m against it,” Wright said. “I’m going to keep the same schedule I always play ... You’re away from those teams (Lexington Catholic, LCA, Dunbar) for a game or two (in the postseason) so you can get a little further, but sooner or later you have to win (and beat them) ... I’m for playing the best and that’s how you get better; I don’t really fear anybody.”

Wright thinks that in a way the move will help West (and East) because teams farther south aren’t as developed as Lexington teams.

“I’m kind of neutral on it really. I like to play the best, and to me it’s probably a couple notches down based on what we’ve been playing in our district,” he said.

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