School growth could mess with prep football

ATLANTA - Metro Atlanta&#39;s population explosion may soon mess with one of Georgia&#39;s most cherished traditions: high school football. <br> <br> Every two years, the Georgia High School Association looks at enrollments and assigns schools based on their size into one of five classes, from A to Five-A. The largest class this year will have a minimum of 1,700 students. Each classification is then organized into eight regions. <br> <br> This year, overwhelming growth, especially in metro Atlanta&#39;s northern suburbs, means the GHSA has to figure out how to organize what could be unwieldy regions. <br> <br> According to the new numbers, 51 of the state&#39;s 59 largest schools are in metro Atlanta. Of those, 36 are in the northern suburbs, with 14 each in Gwinnett and Cobb counties, four in north Fulton, three in Cherokee and one in Forsyth County. <br> <br> Gwinnett schools are likely to be the most affected by the reclassifications. They&#39;ve always played as one region, building strong rivalries and amassing large gate receipts from loyal fans. <br> <br> But with two new schools, Peachtree Ridge, which opens in the fall, and Grayson, growing quickly into Five-A, Gwinnett&#39;s 14 schools may end up reassigned into two regions. <br> <br> In Cobb County, which also has 14 high schools, 12 compete in one region and two are separated into another.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/5/179136