By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
Washington will likely be facing some new conference opponents beginning in 2009.
While J.H. Rose and New Bern would be out, perennial soccer powers White Oak and Jacksonville would be in if the proposed conference realignments are approved. The N.C. High School Athletic Association announced the realignment proposals, which would be effective from 2009-13, Friday.
The realignment committee can revise the plan at its next meeting in March.
With the new proposal, the Pam Pack wouldn’t have to face Class 4-A powers J.H. Rose and New Bern in conference play any more. It would strictly be a 3-A conference.
The Pack would be joined by the five other current Coastal Conference 3-A teams in D.H. Conley, Havelock, South Central, West Carteret and West Craven, along with the White Oak Vikings and Jacksonville Cardinals.
The area’s 1-A schools will also find themselves in new conferences beginning in 2009.
Under the proposal, Beaufort County schools Northside and Southside would be a part of an eight-school conference. The Panthers and Seahawks would be joined by Plymouth, Roanoke, Williamston, Camden, Manteo and Perquimans.
The area’s smallest schools will be in a seven-team conference. Under the proposal, the conference would consist of Bear Grass, Jamesville, Mattamuskeet, Creswell, Columbia, Cape Hatteras and Ocracoke.
Of course, if the merger of Martin County schools comes to fruition, that would alter things. The Martin County Board of Education voted to consolidate Bear Grass, Jamesville, Williamston and Roanoke.
Jamesville students would be sent to Williamston, while Bear Grass students would be sent to Roanoke.
The schools’ names, team colors and mascots would change with a merger.
The final conferences will be announced March 6.
NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
REALIGNMENT COMMITTEE PROPOSAL 2009-13
3-A CLASSIFICATION
CONFERENCE 3 (8)
West Carteret
Havelock
West Craven
Washington
South Central
Conley, D.H.
White Oak
Jacksonville
1-A CLASSIFICATION
CONFERENCE 1 (7)
Creswell
Bear Grass
Jamesville
Columbia
Mattamuskeet
Ocracoke
Cape Hatteras
CONFERENCE 2 (8)
Manteo
Camden
Perquimans
Plymouth
Northside
Southside
Williamston
Roanoke