By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@thecitizennews.com

The school year is set to begin soon and once school starts, the athletic season is not far behind.

The high schools in the state have undergone realignment and no area seems to have been affected more than here. McIntosh, Fayette County, Starr's Mill and East Coweta have all moved up into Region 4-AAAAA, while Sandy Creek moved from 4-AAA to 4-AAAA. The realignment will pit schools that have previously not played each other and will make for an interesting year of high school athletics.

Here's how things will probably shake out.

Football — Football is divided into subregions A and B. McIntosh is in subregion A with Starr's Mill, Mt. Zion- Jonesboro, Eagle's Landing, Morrow, Newnan, Stockbridge and Riverdale. The Chiefs, under new head coach Butch Prosser, have their work cut out for them. Their first game is against Fayette County and every game looks to be a battle.

The Starr's Mill Panthers have faced many of these teams over the past two years and have a fairly successful record against them. Depending on the strength of Mt. Zion and Morrow, the Panthers could win the subregion.

Fayette County will have as tough a season as it has ever had. The Tigers are in the same subregion as East Coweta, North Clayton and Lovejoy and will have tough games from week one on.

Sandy Creek's schedule includes some of last year's opponents and a few new ones, such as Westlake, Union Grove, Heritage and Rockdale County. The Patriots had a successful season last year under Coach Rodney Walker and should be prepared for another season.

In other fall sports, the subregions are divided by east and west. All sports will be grouped the same way for the remainder of the season.

In cross country, look for Fayette County, McIntosh and Starr's Mill to battle all season long. The girls cross country teams of both McIntosh and Starr's Mill placed in the state meet last year. The Lady Panthers placed second in AAA, while the Lady Chiefs placed third in the state. The county and regional championships should be tight.

In softball and volleyball, Fayette County, McIntosh and Starr's Mill will be matched together in the same subregion, making all of the regular season match-ups more important than before. All three teams had several key players from last year's squads graduate.

When the winter arrives, basketball season begins. There is not a wide talent gap between any of the county schools in 4-AAAAA and the season promises to be very competitive. All the teams are moving some new players into the starting lineups and will have new and talented opponents facing them. Basketball may be the most wide open sport in the coming year.

In wrestling, the AAA state champion Starr's Mill panthers move into AAAAA and will face Fayette County and McIntosh more than in the past. McIntosh has a new coach this year and will most likely have some difficulty in separating from former Coach Marty Hutsell's legacy. Expect another impressive year from the Panthers but don't count anybody out.

In swimming, McIntosh won the region last year, but all Fayette County schools have talented squads. The county and region championships could be very telling, but a state championship could still be a few years away.

In the spring, track and field will be another sport that will keep the county schools in tight competition. Factor in all of the new schools in the subregion and the top program in the state may come from the battle-tested 4-AAAAA.

In tennis, Brookwood and Marist won the state, but McIntosh and Starr's Mill had very talented squads. The Chiefs won the region in both boys and girls tennis last year and should field another talented squad. Look for matches between Starr's Mill and McIntosh to serve as an indicator for post-season finishes.

In baseball, McIntosh, Starr's Mill and Fayette County will battle tough schools all season long. The Tigers had a disappointing season last year and will look to rebound early. McIntosh and Starr's Mill had good squads last year and will stay competitive throughout the region schedule. As for the new competition in the region, no game will be easy.

The only wild card so far is soccer. If the subregions stay the same for soccer, the battle for regional supremacy and playoff spots will be both bloody and loud. McIntosh and Starr's Mill both fielded state champion boys and girls soccer teams last year and will have tough, talented and top-ranked squads next year as well. The Fayette County Tigers and Lady Tigers should also be strong, making the regular season match-ups incredible.

The subregion is likely to be changed, though. If things stayed the same, one of the top 10 programs in the state in both boys and girls soccer would not make the playoffs, and that would be unfair.

However you slice it, this 2000-2001 season of high school athletics will be intense, exciting and fun to watch.

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