A look at Jackson schools in TSSAA realignment

The Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association has rolled out its reclassification and alignment for high schools beginning with next school year, and some of the schools in Madison County will see drastically different regions or districts in different sports next year.

Football

Class 2A, Region 6

Jackson Central-Merry is the smallest football playing high school in Jackson-Madison County Schools and will be in TSSAA’s second-smallest public school classification. While being in a smaller class may appear to be easy from the outside looking in, the Cougars’ region foes are some of the tougher teams in West Tennessee and across the state – Adamsville, Camden, Riverside, Gibson County, Huntingdon, Milan and Peabody. Riverside, Huntingdon, Milan and Peabody are all still playing in the playoffs. Adamsville was eliminated this past week, and Camden and Gibson County were eliminated in the first round.

Class 3A, Region 7

As school enrollments have shifted in past years, Liberty has become smaller than its cross-town rivals from the north and south sides of town. Looking at a map of rural West Tennessee, Liberty is at the center of this region with the rest of the teams stretching near the edges. Bolivar, Covington, Dyersburg, McNairy Central, Ripley, Scotts Hill and Westview will all be in this region. Five of the seven other teams made it to the playoffs this year with Covington, Dyersburg and Ripley still playing.

Class 4A, Region 6

South Side and North Side will stay in the same class and region, and their rivals are all familiar foes. Chester County, Hardin County, Lexington and South Gibson make up the rest of this region. While Lexington is the only one still playing in this year’s playoffs, South Gibson and Hardin County were eliminated last week, while Chester County was eliminated the week before.

Division II-A West

Jackson Christian and Trinity Christian will stay in the smallest classification of Division II. They will have four other region rivals with Fayette Academy, First Assembly Christian School, Harding Academy and Tipton-Rosemark filling out the rest of the league.

Division II-AA West

University School of Jackson moved up a classification and will line up against a list of programs who have won or competed for state championships many times in the past. Evangelical Christian School, Lausanne, Northpoint, St. Benedict and St. George’s will fill out the region half of USJ’s schedule the next two years.

Basketball, baseball and softball

These three sports transitioned to four classes, and since most schools play all three sports, their districts will be the same.

District 13-AA

JCM and Liberty will be in the same district along with Madison Academic. There will be three other teams in their district, which will lean toward the east with Adamsville, Riverside and Scotts Hill.

District 12-AAA

The district for North Side and South Side looks similar to their football region with Chester County, Hardin County and Lexington involved. But in these sports, McNairy Central will be in the league.

Division II District 5A

Since there are only two classifications in these sports for the private schools, USJ is aligned with TCA and Jackson Christian. Also in their district is Sacred Heart of Jesus. The four Jackson schools line up with Carroll Academy, Fayette Academy and Natchez Trace Youth Academy in Waverly.

Cross Country

There are two public school classes in cross country, and everyone except JCM is listed in the A-AA class’ Region 7, which is essentially made of nearly every school that fields a cross country team in rural West Tennessee.

In Division II-A, all four Jackson teams are listed in District 5 with Carroll Academy, Fayette Academy, Natchez Trace and Tipton-Rosemark.

Track and Field

There are three classifications for Division I, and Liberty and Madison Academic are listed in District 3 in Class A.

North Side and South Side are in Class AA, District 3.

The Division II-A District 5 has the same schools as the district in cross country.

Golf

There are two classifications in Division I, and Liberty and Madison will be in District 15-A in a district that goes west.

In District 14-AA, North Side and South Side are in with teams stretching from Dyer County to Hardin County.

Division II’s District 5 has all four Jackson teams and their same foes from track and field and cross country.

Tennis

There are two Division I classifications.

Liberty and Madison are in District 15-A in a similar district to the golf alignment.

North Side and South Side are in District 14-AA.

Division II-A, District 5 has all the same teams as the preceding sports on this list.

Soccer

There are three classes in this sport.

Liberty and Madison are in District 14-A with Gibson County, Milan and Peabody.

North Side and South Side are in District 12-AA with Hardin County, Chester County, Lexington and McNairy.

The four Jackson schools and the teams in rural West Tennessee and Waverly continue to make up District 5 in Division II-A again.

Volleyball

Three classes make up the state for this sport.

Madison is in the smallest class in District 12-A with Clarksburg, Humboldt, Huntingdon, Milan, Peabody and West Carroll.

Liberty is in Class AA with North Side and South Side in District 12-AA with Chester, Hardin, Lexington, McNairy and Scotts Hill.

Division II-A’s District 5 is the same schools as most other sports – all four Jackson schools, Carroll, Fayette, Natchez Trace and Tipton-Rosemark.

This alignment will begin next August for the 2023-24 school year.