Since the first reports of the new Georgia High School Association regions were released Tuesday, coaches and athletic directors have been feverishly trying to figure out what schedules for the next two years are going to look like.
Now that every school knows its region opponents, a host of new questions emerge.
Some are deciding whether to play a straight region schedule or a subdivided one, while others ponder how best to fill in the non-region schedule.
"Coaches are talking to each other all around the state, trying to figure out whose going to play who," said Chestatee athletic director Chip Underwood. "We're still weighing our options."
The rush is to figure out football schedules, which need to be put together by March 1st in order to prepare for the upcoming season. Ratification of the new GHSA realignment plan is scheduled to occur Jan. 10, and contracts for each game to fill out the schedule need to be put together as soon as possible afterward.
For schools like Chestatee, which is still waiting to determine whether football will play a straight region or a subregion schedule, there's a lot to figure out.
For a team like Flowery Branch, which will be playing against most of the same teams as the past two years and likely be in a straight region once again, there are just two open dates to worry about.
Either way, the future is quickly clearing up.
8-AAAAA
The new region isn't much different than the current 8-AAAA, save for fewer teams and the addition of Gainesville.
"It came through exactly the way we thought it would, not much change for us," said Flowery Branch athletic director Shannon Benton. "Just as long as we play a full region schedule, that's the biggest thing for us."
Most regions will determine whether to play a straight region or a subregion schedule within the next few weeks. For Region 8-AAAAA, which includes Flowery Branch and Gainesville, the decision will be made by the end of the week after a Thursday meeting. The schools will also determine how to play the numerous other sports, including whether or not to subdivide, and if so, whether to play crossover games or not.
"If there's not a tournament, if at all possible we want to play a region schedule," said Benton, who has already talked with numerous other schools in the region.
For a sport like basketball that does play a tournament, the question will be how to fill out a schedule for a region that if subdivided, would only mean six guaranteed games (playing each subregion team twice). Benton brought up the possibility of playing crossover games, but the Flowery Branch athletic director knows that even without crossover games, the Falcons would have plenty of teams to play thanks to the abundance of area schools in other regions.
"We wouldn't have a problem filling out a schedule," Benton said.
As for football, a straight region schedule takes out much of the scheduling issues. For each region, 2/3 of the schools need to agree to a straight region schedule or else it will be subdivided.
Red Elephants athletic director Wayne Vickery would like to see, and is expecting to see, a straight region schedule.
"By 9 p.m. (Thursday night) we should have eight games," Vickery said. "Hopefully we can pick up somebody close by for the other two."
Vickery and Gainesville football coach Bruce Miller are very interested in holding on to the rivalry with North Hall. The Trojans are in Region 7-AAA.
"From a money standpoint, Gainesville-North Hall is a big gate," Vickery said. "I think people in our community like to see North Hall-Gainesville."
Vickery mentioned Habersham Central, which moved up to Region 7-AAAAAA, or White County, in 7-AAA, as other possible non-region opponents in addition to the Trojans.
7-AAA
West Hall athletic director Scott Justus is determined that the community won't have to miss out on the Battle of Oakwood, even with Johnson rising to 8-AAAA.
"I've already been on the phone to talk to Johnson," Justus said. "I told them that we definitely want to play the Battle of Oakwood."
The Spartans will also try to continue playing another Hall County rival in Chestatee, which is now in 8-AAAA with Johnson.
Since the Hall County-centric Region 7-AAA that broke up after the 2009-2010 seasons, most county teams have been scattered.
East Hall, however, is regaining some of old county rivalries as the school's moves back into Class AAA and a region with West Hall and North Hall. For two years, East Hall was the lone Hall County school in Class AA.
"We felt that the best fit was exactly where we landed," said Vikings football coach Bryan Gray. "It's nice to stay in county and play as many people close to you as you can."
It's a sentiment shared by Buford, even though the school may be just outside of Hall in Gwinnett County. Previously, the Wolves played in 6-AA against mainly Atlanta schools, but the move into 7-AAA comes with a number of shorter travels and the chance to reignite rivalries with area teams.
"Most of our history has been in Region 8, so we're glad to be back in that geographical location," said Buford athletic director Dexter Wood, who attended the GHSA meeting Tuesday in Thomaston as part of the executive committee. "As a sports program we're very happy with moving up to 7-AAA."
Buford is also hoping to play a straight region schedule, a sentiment shared by a number of local administrators and coaches.
The GHSA's reasoning for putting together subregions was to help with traveling distances, which doesn't seem to be a big problem for many regions in Northeast Georgia.
"I think most regions are going to favor a full region schedule," Wood said. "Buford prefers a full region schedule; it's the best way to determine which teams are the best."
8-AAAA
Chestatee is still weighing the pros and cons of playing a full region vs. a subdivided schedule.
On one hand, Underwood and the War Eagles would like to continue playing more Hall County schools, most of which are now in 7-AAA.
"We'd love to continue those rivalries so that'd definitely be good for the subregion," Underwood said.
But dividing also means having to find many more non-region games to play, which isn't always an easy process.
Each school needs to make an agreement with another school in order to play, but contracts to play cannot be signed until after ratification on Jan. 10.
Chestatee has a number of non-region schools it would like to play, but the number that it will be able to play won't be known until the region meets to decide on the new arrangement.
Underwood is happy to have at least one other Hall County school in the region, even if both schools are on the small end of the new Class AAAA.
"It'll be different; we'll be two of the smaller schools, and that'll be a challenge," Underwood said. "But we're glad to see Johnson."
8-AA
Riverside Military Academy is now in a region that may need to subdivide based on the inclusion of Greene County and Washington-Wilkes, which athletic director Sheldon Ward said would be tough trips if done back-to-back weeks.
"We're going to really push for being subdivided," Ward said, "to cut down on travel."
Ward and the Eagles already have plans to get together a couple of non-region rivalry games. Riverside is working on playing against fellow Hall County schools Lakeview Academy, still in Class A, and Georgia Military College in Milledgeville, which would mean a resumption of the Military Bowl, last played in 1999.
"That would be a great one to get back," Ward said. "They still have the trophy and we want to get it back."
8-A
Lakeview Academy is one of the few area schools that didn't see much change in realignment. The Lions remain in 8-A, a region with very few moves.
Yet the football team could see a big change in the schedule if it moves to a region schedule after playing non-region slates the past few seasons.
"With the ability to subdivide and play a region schedule, we're looking to do that again," said Lakeview athletic director Deuce Roark. "We hope to make that decision before Christmas."
Region members still need to meet and iron out a few details. Although 8-A doesn't have a choice in playing a straight region schedule since it has more than 11 schools, the schools will steed need to determine if region crossover games will be played, and if so, how many.