Tuesday evening, Elizabethton Director of Schools Dr. Corey Gardenhour confirmed that, at this point, Elizabethton football will request to from 3A to 4A.

“Generally, this will be more competitive for us,” he said. “This will also give us more local conference games and a better travel situation for fans.”

The move would put Elizabethton in the Region 1-4A conference, which currently includes Greeneville, Cherokee, Sullivan East, Grainger, Seymour, Volunteer, Sullivan South, Sullivan Central. However, according to the new classification list that was released Tuesday by the TSSAA, Cherokee and Volunteer have been moved to the 5A classification. Region assignments have not been made and will be decided later in the year. Teams that want to move up have until Oct. 25 to let the TSSAA know.

Elizabethton’s current conference has three teams that require trips of more than 10o miles on away games (Northview Academy, Pigeon Forge, and Claiborne). If EHS played in the current Region 1-4A conference, excluding Volunteer and Cherokee, the Cyclones would only have two opponents that require more than 90-mile trips on away games. (Seymour and Grainger).

If the current Region 2-4A conference stands, Elizabethton’s future path in the playoffs could include teams like Knox Catholic and Fulton instead of Christian Academy of Knoxville and Alcoa.

New classification effects local soccer team

The new classification list breaks soccer into three evenly distributed classes instead of the current two classes (A/AA and AAA). The new classification has Elizabethton soccer playing in Class AA, while conference foe University High, which defeated EHS during this year’s District 1-A/AA Girl’s Championship, moves into Class A. Happy Valley soccer has also been placed in Class A.