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A number of schools change classifications in West Virginia realignments

By Bob Madison - For the Chronicle | Aug 9, 2024

Jefferson High School running back Rodrigo Delgado attempts to thwart a Martinsburg High School football player in his run to the end zone last September. David Pennock

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The WVSSAC has augmented a first-seen four class system for the upcoming 2024-2025 school.

The schools with the largest enrollments, as well as several other conditions, will now be placed in the Class AAAA.

All six of the public schools in Jefferson County and Berkeley County will be placed in the newly seen Class AAAA ranks.

Not all sports will institute the new four class system. Only football, softball, cheer, volleyball and baseball will employ the new system.

There will be seven high schools staying in Class AAA, instead of moving to the higher level. Those seven schools are Hampshire, Bridgeport, Lincoln County, Ripley, Princeton, Greenbrier East and Brooke.

The Class AAA A ranks now have 25 schools, including all of the Jefferson County/Berkeley County “six.” Those 25 schools are Jefferson, Washington, Martinsburg, Spring Mills, Musselman, Hedgesville, Morgantown, Huntington, Cabell Midland, Parkersburg, Parkersburg South, Wheeling Park, University, Hurricane, George Washington, Woodrow Wilson, Riverside, Preston County, John Marshall, Oak Hill, Capital, Buckhannon, Spring Valley, St. Albans and South Charleston.

The four-class championship football games will all move to Charleston this season. In the past, Wheeling hosted the three-class state championship games, but they all move to Charleston this December.

Martinsburg is the defending state champion in football, having defeated Princeton in last season’s big-school state title game.

The Bulldogs have actually won 10 football state championships since the 2010 season.

Jefferson begins its 2024 season on Aug. 30 with a road game in Berkeley County against Spring Mills, a team that hosted its first-ever playoff game in Nov. 2023.

Jefferson reached the then-Class AAA playoffs a year ago and won its first game, before being defeated by eventual state champion Martinsburg.

Both girls and boys basketball already have four classifications and will remain a Class AAAA sport again this coming school year. The five other sports that are gaining a class will join basketball and have 25 schools competing for state honors.