By By Matthew Nascone
The Northview High School football Chiefs will face a tougher schedule in 2007 and they will also face two more district foes during the year.
Holmes County and Vernon will join NHS, Baker and South Walton in FHSAA Class 2B District 1 for the 2007 season. Vernon and Holmes County move in from District 2, as all the districts in the FHSAA have been shifted slightly.
The two teams offer no extreme challenge for the head coach Cody Keene's Chiefs, as they attempt to defend their District 1 championship. Holmes County and Vernon combined to go 3-17 in 2006, and Baker and South Walton were not much better, combing for an 8-12 record. Baker went 6-4.
The road to a third straight district championship should be no problem based on paper alone, but the games are not played on paper. Only time will tell whether the Chiefs will be walking around with three peat shirts for the second semester.
And over on the Alabama side of the Atmore Advance coverage line, the Escambia County Blue Devils and Escambia Academy Cougars will face the same regional competition as last year.
Region 1 of the AHSAA Class 4A will consist of ECHS, Hillcrest-Evergreen, Jackson, Monroe County, Southside-Selma, T.R. Miller, Thomasville and W.S. Neal.
The Blue Devils and head coach Kyle Davis will attempt to march back into the playoffs in 2007 and win a game, as they had a quick exit last year.
Davis has had the team in the weight room all summer and he said they are ready to prove that ECHS has improved.
In Canoe, the Cougars remain in AISA Class 2A Region 1 Area 1 with Jackson, Sparta and Wilcox. Region 2 consists of Marengo, Marion, Patrician and Southern. The Cougars will look to improve upon the 5-5 record from last season.
The regions may not have shifted at all in 2007, but the AISA regions will get an update after the 2008 season. The AHSAA was reclassified last year and will stay as is until the 2009 season is completed.