ECHS football region adds 3 teams in realignment

Things didn’t change much for Escambia County in the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s reclassification realignment for the 2018-2020 seasons.

The reclassification realignment, which was released on Nov. 30, is based on school enrollment. If a school increases enrollment, then it moves up in classification or region. If a school drops in enrollment, then it moves down.

ECHS will still play in Class 4A, Region 1 in football with three new schools in Hillcrest-Evergreen (up from Class 3A), Clarke County (up from Class 3A) and Williamson (down from Class 5A); and will face common region opponents in Andalusia, Monroe County, W.S. Neal and UMS-Wright.

Hillcrest and Clarke County played for a spot in the Super 7 Championships on Dec. 1 in the state semifinals.

Blue Devils head football coach Rico Jackson said he believes the region got more competitive, if it wasn’t already.

Jackson said the approach to every game, as it always has been, will stay the same — as if it was the biggest game every year.

“When you’re in an eight-team region, there’s no small room for error,” he said. “We’re going to have to have a really good off season, which we are so far. We’ll have to worry about those games when we come to them.”

See below where ECHS will be playing in its respective sports for the next three seasons.
Basketball

• Class 4A, Area 1 with WSN, UMS and Williamson

Volleyball

• Class 4A, Area 1 with Bayside Academy (up from Class 3A), WSN, UMS and Williamson

Baseball

• Class 4A, Area 1 with Mobile Christian (up from Class 3A), WSN and Williamson

Softball

• Class 4A, Area 1 with WSN, UMS and Williamson

Outdoor Track and Field

• Class 4A, Section 1 with Alabama Christian, Andalusia, Ashford, Dale County, Headland, Hillcrest-Evergreen, LAMP, Mobile Christian, Monroe County, Montgomery Catholic, WSN, Montgomery Academy, Trinity Presbyterian and Williamson.