(An Analysis)

By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

News surfaced this week that the Mississippi High School Activities Association could be implementing a “1.5 multiplier” policy that would pertain only to private schools that chose to play in the public realm and be governed by the MHSAA.

We ran some preliminary numbers and took a quick look at how this could come in to play for our four high schools in the “Southern Six” that this would include.

Again, these are just scenarios that could happen, if the new policy is put into play later this Fall when the bi-annual reclassification process takes place. All of these estimations are based on enrollment numbers used in the Fall of 2024 in the last reclassification process.

First of all, Resurrection could be affected more than anyone else, more than likely. The Eagles, if some preliminary numbers for the next cycle obtained on Wednesday are close to correct, would move up two classifications, from Class 1A to Class 3A.

Also, RCS could move up to Class 2A for the first time as well.

If the Eagles are elevated up to Class 3A, RCS could join st. Stanislaus in Region 8-3A for boys’ sports and that would also include OLA in girls’ competition.

Early indications are that, because SSC and OLA are already using a “x 2 multiplier” because each school only includes one gender, that neither school would be affected by the new policy.

Many observers feel like the new policy is in response to Presbyterian Christian recently winning the Class 3A state baseball championship in its first season after moving over to the MHSAA from the private school ranks,

PCS is currently a member of Region 8-3A also, but would move up to Class 4A or Class 5A under the new process.

However, St. Patrick, which is also in Region 8-3A, could move up to Class 4A in the news process. If so, the Fighting Irish might join Moss Point, Bay High and Pass Christian in a revamped Region 8-4A, along with either Poplarville and Greene County, if not both.

There’s an outside chance that SPHS, just like RCS, would move up two classifications and land as a small Class 5A program. In that case, the Fighting Irish could join Vancleave, Stone and East Central, among others, in Region 4-5A.

We’ll know more in the Fall, Y’all….