After GHSA’s elimination of Class 7A, Midtown moved from Class 5A to 4A starting this fall. For the first time since 2017, the Knights will be competing in a new classification.Athletic Director Roderick Hill believes Midtown has the athletic and managerial skill to perform well across the board in a new classification that includes teams like Marist, St.Pius, Westminster, Blessed Trinity, Starrs Mill, Pace Academy.
“With the addition of strong teams like Pace Academy [a private school], it’s difficult to predict exact seedlings,” Hill said. “However, I believe our teams can secure strong playoff positions. The key will be how we perform in crucial region matchups throughout the season against teams like Maynard Jackson. If we continue to play with the intensity and skill we’re known for, I’m confident we can secure favorable seeds.”
Midtown moved from Region 5-AAAAA to Region 4-AAAA, which changed Midtown’s region opponents. Midtown will still be competing against Maynard Jackson, Mays and Creekside, but will now compete against Pace Academy, Forest Park, Drew and M. L. King in region play. Region play determines if the Knights will make it to the playoffs.
“I do believe we will be able to compete in multiple sports with the schools that have transitioned into our classification and region,” assistant girls basketball coach Khaalidah Miller said. “Pace Academy will definitely make our region more challenging in all sports; however, specifically speaking for girl’s basketball, we welcome the challenge.”
Sophomore Nora Goodman, who played on varsity basketball and volleyball last year is excited for the competition this year. Having a private school as strong as Pace Academy, who has won six state championships in volleyball over the past eight years, Goodman believes adds more challenge to the region.
“I really like that we will have more competition this year in both region play and playoffs,” Goodman said. “I feel that a team cannot grow and develop without tougher competition. You get better from playing and working hard against teams that can either match skill level or even teams that are better than you. I think tougher competition can only help our teams succeed this year, but there will be an adjustment period.”
The previous region didn’t have the strongest opponents for girls soccer as girls soccer mercy ruled six out of eight region opponents. As a result, the Knights competed against high-level non-region opponents to better prepare for the playoffs.
“We always want our teams to be competitive,” Athletic Director and former girls soccer coach Blair Barksdale said. “In order to do that, we must schedule [a] high-level competition that will prepare us for the state playoffs.”
Senior softball co-captain Sari’ D’Agostino believes many Midtown athletics won’t see a huge difference in region competition with the exception of Pace Academy.
“I think Midtown athletics will do about the same, if not better, than last year in most sports except against Pace,” D’Agostino said. “We no longer have Villa Rica so that will definitely help. It’s like a trade off.”
Other teams, like boys cross country, specifically runner junior Cameron Collier, are facing more challenging competition that will affect their personal standings, recruitment and the team, as a whole.
“I like the idea to a certain extent,” Collier said. “Individually, had we not changed the classifications I was projected to win six individual state championships in the next two years over cross country, the 1600m and 3200m in track, and now I’m slated to win zero right now, at least on paper. It’s just a tougher challenge that I have to face now, but I think in the long run, it will be for the better to help push me more.”
Previously in Class 5A Midtown broke multiple school records and was successful in multiple sports. Both girls and boys soccer became state runner-up, along with girls basketball. With the new classification change, teams across different classifications that have championship programs will be competing for one. For instance, girls basketball will be competing against Marist, which won Class 6A girls basketball, North Oconee which won Class 4A, Maynard Jackson, which won Class 5A and other top teams.
“I love having tough competition,” Miller said. “It helps our players develop their skills and IQ. Marist, North Oconee and Maynard are all good teams, however, we are also a really good team and will continue to develop on a large scale this year. We can compete with any team in any classification, so I am ready to prove that we are one of the best teams in the state of Georgia.”
The new classification places Midtown in competition with more private schools. Goodman said she believes Midtown can compete with the private schools.
“Midtown can 100% compete with private schools,” Goodman said. “While I think it may make private schools harder to beat; I do not think that it is unfair that private schools with more funding compete against less-funded public schools. Better training and equipment can only go so far. If a team is more skilled and talented than another, no matter how much funding the team receives, the team will succeed against more funded schools.”
