The 4A Conference will get a makeover, which will have a direct impact on Cactus, Peoria, Liberty and Sunrise Mountain high schools.
The Arizona Interscholastic Association announced conference and region alignments for the 4A Conference this week.
The new region lineups will take effect beginning in the 2009-2010 school year and last through the 2010-2011 school year.
The changes for the 5A Conference are scheduled to be announced today.
The biggest change in 4A will effect Sunrise Mountain, which is moving from Class 5A-II to Class 4A-I. The Mustangs will be in the West Valley Region, which will include Peoria, Dysart and Kellis.
Cactus will be moved from Class 4A-I to Class 4A-II next season. The Cobras will be in the Black Canyon Region along with Cortez, Greenway, Paradise Valley, Thunderbird and Washington.
Liberty will be in Class 4A-I, but will not have any Peoria Unified School District teams in its region. The Lions will be in the Western Sky Region, which will also have Apollo, Glendale, Independence, Moon Valley, Prescott and Sunnyslope.
The AIA realigns conferences based on Oct. 1 enrollment figures, which the schools reported to the AIA on Oct. 1. Those figures determine the makeup of the state's conferences.
Schools with student enrollment above 1,200, as well as schools that successfully appeal in, are designated as 5A or 4A schools. The largest half are 5A schools while the smaller half is 4A.
The student enrollment figures for Northwest Valley schools as of Oct. 1: Cactus (1,627); Peoria (1,659); Dysart (1,775); Kellis (1,775); Sunrise Mountain (1,786); Liberty (1,805, projected); Deer Valley (2,039); Centennial (2,144); Willow Canyon (2,175); Valley Vista (2,338); and Mountain Ridge (2,492).
Region Placements
4A-I
Desert Sky: Apache Junction, Cactus Shadows, Combs, McClintock, Saguaro, Shadow Mountain, Williams Field, Queen Creek.
Kino: Cienega, Marana, Nogales, Sahuaro, Desert View
Sonoran: Canyon del Oro, Catalina Foothills, Flowing Wells, Pueblo, Sabino
West Valley: Agua Fria, Bradshaw Mountain, Copper Canyon, Dysart, Kellis, Peoria, Sunrise Mountain
Western Sky: Apollo, Glendale, Independence, Liberty, Moon Valley, Prescott, Sunnyslope
4A-II
East Sky: Arcadia, Coronado, Higley, Maricopa, Notre Dame, Seton Catholic, Tempe
Gila: Amphitheater, Catalina, Cholla, Douglas, Palo Verde, Rio Rico, Sahuarita, Santa Rita
Grand Canyon: Coconino, Flagstaff, Mingus, Page, Sinagua
Skyline: Buckeye, Desert Edge, Mohave, Sierra Linda, Verrado, Youngker
Black Canyon: Cactus, Cortez, Greenway, Paradise Valley, Thunderbird, Washington
