For the first time in a long time, things will be a little different in Milltown high school athletics next year.
Both Catawba Ridge High School and Nation Ford High School will drop from the biggest athletic classification – 5A, down to 4A. For Catawba Ridge, this isn’t unfamiliar to the still fairly new school. For Nation Ford, however, it will be a change for sure. Fort Mill High School will remain in 5A. Also, 5A will go back to one classification with 40 schools in it, instead of having a 5A Division I and a 5A Division II as it currently has.
Classification is based on enrollment count for high schools as well as what the S.C. High School League (SCHSL) calls a multiplier.
“Classification placement of schools is the initial phase of the process,” said Dr. Jerome Singleton, commissioner of the SCHSL. “The next step for the League staff is to place the schools into regions in their respective classifications.”
Fort Mill comes in as the 31st biggest 5A school with 1,681 students, just below South Florence, and right above Woodmont. Also remaining in 5A in the tri-county area is Rock Hill High, Northwestern, and Indian Land, which will all probably be a part of Region 3-5A when realignment starts to open the 2026-2027 school year. Regions have not been made yet, but in years past, Columbia based schools like Blythewood and Spring Valley has also been in the same region as Fort Mill.
For Nation Ford, this is the first time they have been back in 4A since the 2015-2016 school year. The first year for the 5A classification was in the 2016-2017 school year. Catawba Ridge was most recently in 4A in 2023-2024.
During the last realignment, which kept Nation Ford in 5A, they had 1,485 students. Catawba Ridge, which is currently the smallest 5A school, had 1,319 students. Nation Ford has gained 49 students over the time and Catawba Ridge has gained 58 students during the same period, but neither school as gained as many students as others had across the state, pushing them both back to 4A.
Based on SCHSL numbers, Nation Ford would be the third biggest school in 4A with 1,534 students behind Conway and TL Hanna when realignment starts next year. Catawba Ridge is 14th with 1,377 students, just below North Myrtle Beach and above North Augusta.
Locally other nearby schools in 4A would be South Pointe, York, Clover, which loses students to the new Lake Wylie High School opening in 2026, Legion Collegiate, and Lancaster. The new Lake Wylie High School will be a 4A school to start. Possible local Region 3-4A teams in the same region as Nation Ford and Catawba Ridge would be South Pointe, York, Clover, Lake Wylie, and Lancaster.
South Pointe could also be lumped in with Columbia based schools like it is now, while Legion Collegiate could also be in the same region as Nation Ford and Catawba Ridge, but does not have a football program.
Schools have an opportunity to appeal their new classification in January. Regions will be coming out after all appeals have been decided upon.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
