DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — The AHSAA releasing new spring sports alignments and shifting around some of Dothan’s successful programs.
Teams are shifted in classification because of the AHSAA’s Competitive Balance Factor that assesses points earned by a sport on a team’s overall finish each year over the two years of a current classification alignment.
Providence Christian and Houston Academy both have teams moving up from Class 3A to Class 4A because of their recent success.
The Eagles track and field teams moved up to Class 4A after the girls team won the state title in 2021 and finished fourth this year.
The boys team came in fourth and ninth this last season.
Head coach Cliff Carter says moving up will be a major added challenge for his teams because they’ll have much smaller class sizes than their competitors.
“You don’t get as many bad days at practice,” Carter said. “You don’t get as many opportunities to stumble and fall and that’s okay. Those are opportunities to learn, to improve, to hold each other accountable every day.”
Carter hopes this challenge will help teach his teams important lessons about life, like facing obstacles with joy.
Three Houston Academy teams also are all moving up to Class 4A.
The Raider’s softball team won the state three a state title last week and finished third last year.
Houston Academy boys golf won the Class 3A state tournament in 2021 and boys tennis won two straight titles moving them from 1A-3A a to the 4A-5A classification.