For the first time since the 2006-2007 season, North Montgomery will be changing the class that it competes in for it’s high school athletics. On Tuesday of this week the Indiana High School Athletic Association announced its classifications for the next two years based on the enrollment figures that were released earlier this year. North Montgomery currently sits at 513 students and that just met the threshold for the Chargers to be moved down to 2A in all sports except boys and girls soccer. North Montgomery football, volleyball and boys and girls basketball will compete in the 2A post-season beginning next year.
“We are excited to be 2A from an overall competitive standpoint,” Charger Athletic Director Matt Merica said. “It allows us to compete in sectionals with schools that are similar to us in enrollment. This move will also allow us to establish and continue some rivalries in the post-season.”
Of course the last time the Chargers were in 2A they found some pretty nice success. The Charger football program won back-to-back state titles in 1995 and 1996.
In basketball the IHSAA moved the four class system to the 20-25-25-30 ratio meaning the top 20% of schools will be in 4A with 3A and 2A being the next 25% respectively and the bottom 30% being in Class A.
In football the Chargers, with their 513 students, will be tied with fellow Sagamore Conference (and later Monon Athletic Conference) foe Western Boone as the two biggest schools in 2A. Benton Central is also at 513 enrollment but will be competing in 3A as the smallest school.
With the Chargers move down to 2A there is a chance that they could square off in the post-season with county rival Southmont who stood pat in 2A in all sports except boys soccer (moved down to Class A). Southmont’s enrollment stands at 453 students. Crawfordsville remains firmly in 3A in all sports (2A in boys and girls soccer) as the Athenians enrollment sits at 710 students. Other schools in the current Sagamore Conference and the enrollments include Frankfort with 910, Tri-West 806, Lebanon 1,033, and Danville 820. Other area school in the Fountain Central Mustangs will remain in Class A in all sports as FC stands at 289.
The official sectional pairings for next season will be announced later this spring when the IHSAA Executive Committee approves the pairings.
