Board agrees to try 2-title plan

MIDVALE — It is a decision that leaves a lot of unanswered questions.

After months of discussing changes that ranged from a total overhaul to barely noticeable, the high school regions were finalized by the Board of Trustees of the Utah High School Activities Association on Thursday in a 20-2 vote.

The board finalized a region alignment plan that it slightly adjusted by moving Logan to 3A and shifting Grantsville and Tooele, Morgan and Judge, and Carbon and Emery into regions that eliminated some travel-related issues for those schools. The board also agreed to have two championships in 3A and 1A, on a trial basis, for at least one season in an attempt to deal with parity issues.

Utah County schools American Fork, Lone Peak, Mountain View, Pleasant Grove, Spanish Fork and Timpanogos will make the jump to 5A and comprise Region 4. Lehi was elevated to 4A, and will join Orem, Payson, Provo, Springville and Timpview in Region 7.

There is, however, still a lot to be decided about how postseason play will look in prep sports in the 3A and 1A classifications.

John Aland, Region 16 representative, revived a plan to have a large-school 3A championship and a small-school 3A championship, with a more specific plan on how it would work and limiting it to team sports like football, basketball and softball.

"We don't want to disrupt the regions; we don't want to disrupt other classifications above and below, and we don't want to create another state tournament," Aland said. "But in thinking about the disparity in 3A (populations ranging from 450 to 1,199), the issue hadn't been resolved. Large 3A schools are going to continue to grow and small, rural 3A schools are going to continue to get smaller."

His plan was met with discomfort from the UHSAA staff and 4A and 5A schools because it in effect will divide the state into six classifications. Evan Excell, executive director of UHSAA, said he wasn't sure it was really an issue because, for example, in football this fall, three of the four semifinalists were considered small schools. Assistant director Jerry Bovee agreed and said creating the extra championships would be a "fundamental shift" in the UHSAA's current philosophy.

"How far do you classify before it's watered down?" Bovee asked. "What we're saying is, 'Your size dictates your success, and we can't prove that.' Coaching, the coach's interaction with the players, interest from a school and community, that's all secondary to size."

Rulon Homer, the 5A principal's representative who was one of two who voted against the final plan, said he feared it sent exactly the opposite message that the UHSAA intended to give.