There were a lot of changes announced Friday morning from the Missouri State High School Activities Association regarding winter sports district assignments.
With basketball expanding from five classes to six, some area teams moved up one class, and a few moved up two classes.
The Jefferson City Jays, the Helias Crusaders and the Capital City Cavaliers are in Class 6 District 9 for boys basketball, along with Sedalia Smith-Cotton.
The Lady Jays and the Lady Cavaliers are also in Class 6 District 9 with Smith-Cotton for girls basketball. However, the Lady Crusaders are in Class 5 District 9 with Camdenton, Marshfield, Rolla and West Plains.
According to the enrollment breakdown, Helias was placed in Class 5. However, due to the implementation of the championship factor for non-public schools this season - which took the place of the 1.35 multiplier - the Crusaders moved up one class to Class 6. In the past six seasons, the Helias boys have reached the Final Four twice and won a district title as well for five postseason points, which moved them up one class.
The Lady Crusaders have won two district titles in the past six seasons for a total of two postseason points. Teams with 0-2 postseason points remain in their original classification.
The Blair Oaks Falcons and Lady Falcons will be in Class 4 District 9, along with Cuba, Fatima, Owensville, Salem and St. James.
The Calvary Lutheran Lions and Lady Lions have been assigned to Class 2 District 8 with Eugene, Green Ridge, Lincoln and Smithton. Sedalia Sacred Heart will also be in the district for the boys tournament.
According to MSHSAA, the enrollment breakdown for basketball by each class was 15-78 for Class 1, 79-144 for Class 2, 145-258 for Class 3, 261-529 for Class 4, 530-1,020 for Class 5 and 1,029-1,793 for Class 6.
Enrollments by school at MSHSAA reflect each school's enrollment for grades 9-11 from the 2019-20 school year. According to MSHSAA, Jefferson City has 1,146 students, Capital City has 1,094, Helias has 550, Blair Oaks has 349 and Calvary Lutheran has 93.
In boys wrestling, Capital City and Jefferson City were placed in Class 4 District 6, along with Lee's Summit, Lee's Summit West, Raymore-Peculiar, Rock Bridge and Smith-Cotton.
Helias, which was a Class 3 wrestling program under the 1.35 multiplier, has dropped to Class 2 this season and was assigned to District 4 with Blair Oaks. Other teams in that district include Fulton, Mexico, Southern Boone, Winfield and Wright City.
Girls wrestling will continue to have just one class this season. Jefferson City, Capital City and Blair Oaks were all assigned to District 4.
Along with the district assignments, MSHSAA announced an update regarding winter sports championships Friday.
For basketball, state sectional and quarterfinal games will be hosted by a member school this season, rather than played at neutral sites.
Class 1-3 district tournaments will take place from Feb. 20-27, while Class 4-6 district tournaments are slated from Feb. 27-March 6.
Final Four games will be played on the Missouri State University campus at JQH Arena and Hammons Student Center.
Boys wrestling districts were expanded from four to eight in each class to reduce the number of competitors and coaches at each site, and to potentially allow for spectators to attend districts.
As a result, a sectional round has been added between the district and state tournaments. The top four finishers in each weight class at districts will qualify for sectionals, and the top three finishers from each weight class at sectionals will qualify for state. That reduces the number of state qualifiers in each weight class per classification from 16 to 12.
According to MSHSAA, the state wrestling championships will be broken down into five individual tournaments: one for each boys class and one class for the girls. Each tournament will start and finish the same day.
At this time, the postseason calendar for wrestling is still to be determined, as MSHSAA is waiting to confirm a state tournament site. Mizzou Arena has been the host site every season since 2006.
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Here are the winter sports district assignments for Jefferson City area high schools:
Boys Basketball
Class 6 District 9
Capital City, Helias, Jefferson City, Sedalia Smith-Cotton.
Class 4 District 8
Boonville, California, Father Tolton, Fulton, Southern Boone.
Class 4 District 9
Blair Oaks, Cuba, Fatima, Owensville, Salem, St. James.
Class 4 District 10
Buffalo, Eldon, School of the Osage, Versailles, Warsaw.
Class 3 District 7
Fayette, Missouri Military Academy, Monroe City, New Bloomfield, South Callaway, South Shelby.
Class 3 District 8
Belle, Iberia, Linn, Russellville, Stover, Tipton.
Class 2 District 8
Calvary Lutheran, Eugene, Green Ridge, Lincoln, Sedalia Sacred Heart, Smithton.
Class 2 District 9
Crocker, Laquey, Newburg, Plato, Richland, Stoutland, Vienna.
Class 1 District 5
Climax Springs, Halfway, Hermitage, Macks Creek, St. Elizabeth, Tuscumbia, Wheatland.
Class 1 District 10
Bevier, Chamois, Columbia Independent, Community, Higbee, Jamestown, Madison.
Girls Basketball
Class 6 District 9
Capital City, Jefferson City, Sedalia Smith-Cotton.
Class 5 District 9
Camdenton, Helias, Marshfield, Rolla, West Plains.
Class 4 District 8
Boonville, California, Fulton, Southern Boone.
Class 4 District 9
Blair Oaks, Cuba, Fatima, Owensville, Salem, St. James.
Class 4 District 10
Buffalo, Eldon, School of the Osage, Versailles, Warsaw.
Class 3 District 7
Father Tolton, Fayette, Monroe City, New Bloomfield, South Callaway, South Shelby.
Class 3 District 8
Belle, Iberia, Linn, Russellville, Stover, Tipton.
Class 2 District 8
Calvary Lutheran, Eugene, Green Ridge, Lincoln, Smithton.
Class 2 District 9
Crocker, Laquey, Newburg, Plato, Richland, Stoutland, Vienna.
Class 1 District 5
Climax Springs, Halfway, Hermitage, Macks Creek, St. Elizabeth, Tuscumbia, Wheatland.
Class 1 District 10
Bevier, Chamois, Community, Higbee, Jamestown, Madison.
Boys Wrestling
Class 4 District 6
Capital City, Jefferson City, Lee's Summit, Lee's Summit West, Raymore-Peculiar, Rock Bridge, Sedalia Smith-Cotton.
Class 2 District 4
Blair Oaks, Fulton, Helias, Mexico, Southern Boone, Winfield, Wright City.
Class 2 District 6
Center, Clinton, Eldon, Harrisonville, Nevada, School of the Osage, Pleasant Hill.
Class 1 District 3
California, Fatima, Knob Noster, South Callaway, St. Paul Lutheran: Concordia, Tipton, Versailles, Warsaw.
Girls Wrestling
Class 1 District 4
Battle, Blair Oaks, Boonville, California, Camdenton, Capital City, Centralia, Eldon, Fatima, Fulton, Hallsville, Hickman, Jefferson City, Kirksville, Macon, Mexico, Rock Bridge, School of the Osage, South Callaway, Southern Boone, Tipton, Versailles.