wvmat.com

Underclassmen returning and team ranks for AAA in region 4 are ranked
Team #1
Team #2
Team #3
Team #4
Team #6
Team #12
Team #16.

I'm very sorry to teams 12 and 16

The very best returning pre Ranked team not in region 4 is a #5 and then #7.
Region 4 accounting for total points scored at state tourney 276.

I've heard it was done based on geography... As if this was Texas and it's just too far for other teams to be in certain regions.
I would think this statistic alone should help to identify the problem.
I'm guessing some of these teams would travel some just to avoid 2 state championship weekends back to back.

Parity is a word I heard a lot to describe A/AA this week.
It wouldn't be used in a sentence with AAA for the next 4 years.

We probably need a common sense overrule here, something that's lost in the world today.
Proven recently by our Country's political candidates.

One of the teams in Region IV is located right in between Huntington and Charleston, about 25 minutes from either one. That puts them closer, geographically and travel time, to about half of the Region III teams like Capital, GW, South Charleston, and Riverside. Also closer geographically to Cabell Midland, Huntington, Nitro, Spring Valley, and St. Albans, than to either of the Wood County teams that are now in Region IV. So geography isn't the right selling point or justification. You are looking at a max travel time of 35-45 minutes for any school I listed vs. 1.5 hour travel to either Wood County school. It makes no difference, it is what it is, so get better or get beat is what has to happen, but geography isn't a good sell for the realignment.

Maybe people should look at who makes these decisions and what school he is for. Looks like his team was helped out greatly.

Regions 1-2-3 need to be concerned about this too. their 1s and 2s will be getting pretty good if not great 3s and 4s in the first round from region 4

Nitro moving to AA region 4

south supporter wrote:Maybe people should look at who makes these decisions and what school he is for. Looks like his team was helped out greatly.

I think that is a veiled reference to Bernie Dolan (former Wheeling Park AD and new head honcho at WVSSAC). If so, that's an unfair attack on someone who doesn't have anything to do with the process. It's easy to paint the WVSSAC as the devil but as I understand the administrative duties on this issue, you're complaining about the wrong person/people. Neither Mr. Dolan nor anyone else at the WVSSAC had anything to do with this decision. Talk to your local principal, their group was responsible for this fiasco. You can bet that the principals from Region 4 schools were not in favor of this but obviously there were more principals who were high fiving when this went through. Age old question, do these administrators have a duty to make WV sports better or give their particular school a competitive edge? Ask the Region 1 coaches if they're upset with their principal for making state qualification easier guessing their answer will indicate that they too are more interested in personal success than the good of the sport.