~ Scott County Central moved up to Class 2 in basketball

The Scott County Central boys basketball team will not have a chance to defend its Class 1 state championship next season.

The Missouri State High School Activities Association announced new class and district assignments on Saturday, and SCC will compete in Class 2 for at least the next two years.

Class assignments are based on school enrollment. According to MSHSAA's website "the 128 schools with the smallest enrollments make up Class 1. The next 128 schools would make up Class 2, with the next 128 making up Class 3. The next 96 largest enrollments make up Class 4, while Class 5 includes all of the remaining schools."

The Braves have won 17 state titles, 16 of which have come in Class 1. They won the Class 2 championship in 1980.

SCC will play in Class 2 District 1 with Bernie, Bloomfield, Campbell, Chaffee, Cooter, Holcomb and defending district champion South Pemiscot.

Advance and Oran, who have played each other for a Class 2 boys basketball district title the past four seasons, both dropped down to Class 1. They'll have a chance to continue their rivalry in Class 1 District 2, where they'll be joined by Bell City, Delta, Oak Ridge, Richland, Risco -- the winners of four district titles in the last five years in Class 1 District 1 -- and The Fulton School at St. Albans.

Leopold, which competed in Class 1 District 2 the last two seasons, was moved back to District 3 with Bunker, Eminence, Lesterville, Marquand, South Iron, Summersville and Zalma.

The Oran girls basketball team will play in Class 1 District 1 with Delta and The Fulton School while the SCC girls move to Class 2 District 1 with Campbell, Chaffee and South Pemiscot.

Perennial power Charleston remains in Class 3, but was moved from District 1 to District 2, where the Bluejays will compete against Kelly, Saxony Lutheran and Woodland, among others.

To decide football classes "the largest 32 schools based on student enrollment in grades 9-12 are classified in Class 6, while the smallest 64 schools are assigned to Class 1," according to the MSHSAA website. "The next-largest 64 schools are then classified in Class 2, the next 64 in Class 3, and the next 64 in Class 4. The remaining schools are assigned to Class 5."

The Chaffee and St. Vincent football teams will face some new and some familiar competition in Class 1 District 1, which includes the Barat Academy, Crystal City, Louisiana, Mark Twain, Monroe City and Valle Catholic.

Jackson's Class 5 District 1 football competition no longer includes Seckman, but both Oakville and Parkway South dropped down from Class 6 to join the district.

District assignments

BOYS BASKETBALL

Class 1 District 2 -- Advance, Bell City, Delta, Oak Ridge, Oran, Richland, Risco, The Fulton School at St. Albans

Class 1 District 3 -- Bunker, Eminence, Leopold, Lesterville, Marquand-Zion, South Iron, Summersville, Zalma

Class 2 District 1 -- Bernie, Bloomfield, Campbell, Chaffee, Cooter, Holcomb, Scott County Central, South Pemiscot

Class 2 District 3 -- Bismarck, Kingston, Meadow Heights, Southern Reynolds, St. Vincent, Valle Catholic, Valley (Caledonia), Viburnum

Class 3 District 2 -- Arcadia Valley, Charleston, Clearwater, East Prairie, Kelly, Saxony Lutheran, Scott City, Woodland

Class 4 District 1 -- Central, Dexter, Kennett, Notre Dame, Perryville, Sikeston

Class 5 District 1 -- Fox, Jackson, Northwest (Cedar Hill), Poplar Bluff, Seckman

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Class 1 District 2 -- Delta, Oran, The Fulton School at St. Albans

Class 2 District 1 -- Campbell, Chaffee, Scott County Central, South Pemiscot

Class 2 District 3 -- Bismarck, Kingston, Meadow Heights, Southern Reynolds, St. Vincent, Valle Catholic, Valley (Caledonia), Viburnum

Class 3 District 2 -- Arcadia Valley, Charleston, Clearwater, East Prairie, Kelly, Saxony Lutheran, Scott City, Woodland

Class 4 District 1 -- Cape Central, Dexter, Kennett, Notre Dame, Perryville, Sikeston

Class 5 District 1 -- Fox, Jackson, Northwest (Cedar Hill), Poplar Bluff, Seckman

FOOTBALL

Class 1 District 1 -- Barat Academy, Chaffee, Crystal City, Louisiana, Mark Twain, Monroe City, St. Vincent, Valle Catholic

Class 2 District 1 -- Caruthersville, Charleston, East Prairie, Hayti, Kelly, Malden, Portageville, Scott City

Class 4 District 1 -- Central, De Soto, Farmington, Festus, Hillsboro, North County, Perryville, Sikeston

Class 5 District 1 -- Fox, Jackson, Oakville, Parkway South, Poplar Bluff, Rockwood Summit, Vianney