WARREN — Athletic Director Diane Laffey welcomes the news that Warren Regina will compete in Class A postseason state tournaments for the 2013-14 academic year.
“When you play better teams, it makes you better,” she said. “It doesn’t scare us.”
Regina was the only CHSL school whose classification was changed — from Class B to Class A — by the Michigan High School Athletic Association, though Laffey pointed out that Regina opted a year ago to move up to Class A in softball.
Laffey, who has coached at Regina since 1970, directed the Saddlelites to four consecutive state Division 1 (Class A equivalent) softball crowns from 2004-07.
The MHSAA bases its A-B-C-D classifications on a second-semester count date, which for MHSAA purposes was Feb. 13 this year.
Meanwhile, 2-year-old Wixom St. Catherine of Siena, with only 92 freshmen and sophomores, was allowed to estimate its enrollment for next year. “The MHSAA requested that we give a projection of incoming freshmen,” said Athletic Director Bruno Fernandez. “I told them 40, although we are shooting for 107.”
The Stars compete in softball, soccer and tennis on the varsity level.
After all the counts are submitted, the MHSAA ranks schools according to enrollment, and then split as closely into quarters as possible. For 2013-14, there will be 189 schools in each class.
Effective with the 2013-14 school year, schools with 893 or more students are in Class A. The enrollment limits for Class B are 429-892; Class C is 207-428; and schools with enrollments of 206 and fewer are Class D.
The traditional A-B-C-D rankings will apply only for boys and girls basketball and girls volleyball. Football will use the classifications to determine playoff points for its eight divisions. All other sports will compete in nearly equal divisions 1 through 4 that closely approximate enrollment figures.
The state classifications provide a general guideline for how the Catholic League sets up its divisions, according to Mike Evoy, CHSL associate director. “We also take into account school size, level of competition, and the potential for success.”
Here is the list of the classifications of CHSL schools. The numbers in parentheses are projected enrollment for this coming fall. Note, too, that in the case of single-sex schools (all boys or all girls) the MHSAA doubles the projected enrollment:
BOYS — Class A (893 and above): Novi Detroit Catholic Central (1066/2132), Warren DeLaSalle (782/1564), Detroit U-D Jesuit (748/1476), Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice (663/1326), Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (490/980).
BOYS — Class B (429-892): Dearborn Divine Child (802), Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (732), Ann Arbor Fr. Gabriel Richard (544), Allen Park Cabrini (504).
BOYS — Class C (207-428): Riverview Gabriel Richard (303), Madison Heights Bishop Foley (295), Detroit Loyola (141/282), Detroit Cristo Rey (278), Royal Oak Shrine (278).
BOYS — Class D (206 and below): Marine City Cardinal Mooney (182), Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (173), Clarkston Everest Collegiate (110).
GIRLS — Class A (893 and above): Farmington Hills Mercy (801/1602), Bloomfield Hills Marian (505/1010), Warren Regina (453/906).
GIRLS — Class B (329-892): Dearborn Divine Child (802), Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (732), Livonia Ladywood (253/586), Ann Arbor Fr. Gabriel Richard (544), Allen Park Cabrini (504).
GIRLS — Class C (207-428): Riverview Gabriel Richard (303), Madison Heights Bishop Foley (295), Detroit Cristo Rey (278), Royal Oak Shrine (278), Wixom St. Catherine (130/260), Bloomfield Hills Sacred Heart Academy (124/248).
GIRLS — Class D (206 and below): Marine City Cardinal Mooney (182), Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (173), Clarkston Everest Collegiate (110).
Also playing in the CHSL: Class B — Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood (791), Flint Powers Catholic (517), Macomb Lutheran North (501). Class C — West Bloomfield Frankel Jewish Academy (219).
Don Horkey is a freelance writer from Shelby Township.
