Changes are in the works. The Mississippi High School ActivitiesAssociation has reclassified its member schools, a process thatoccurs every two years.

Football coaches have finalized their schedules for the 2011 and2012 seasons. A few are waiting on contracts of agreement beforerevealing their latest menu.

In basketball, coaches are preparing for next year’s campaigneven before the current playoff run has been completed. For sure,reclassification has affected basketball schedules as much asfootball.

For example, we can begin with Division 6-5A. Brookhaven andMcComb are the holdovers. Newcomers are Pearl and JacksonWingfield. They replace Forest Hill and West Jones.

Forest Hill has been promoted to Class 6A. West Jones has movedto Division 5-5A, including South Jones, Wayne County and StoneCounty.

In these 6A and 5A basketball divisions, only four teamsrepresent a division. The division tournament only sends two teamsto next week’s South and North Mississippi action.

It cuts the playoff season short, because other classificationsare advancing four teams to the North/South regionals next week. InBrookhaven’s case, the Panthers and Lady Panthers had an abruptending to their campaigns Tuesday. Forest Hill clipped the Panthersin overtime and West Jones trounced the Lady Panthers.

Friday’s finals at West Jones in picturesque Soso will featurethe McComb girls versus West Jones and the McComb boys vs. ForestHill. In our opinion, the Ole Brook boys had a shot at going deepin the playoffs but Forest Hill squashed that dream.

It was a bitter defeat for Coach Preston Wilson’s Panthers.After beating Forest Hill by a 4-point margin back in earlyJanuary, they lost an overtime decision at Forest Hill on Feb.1.

Wilson loses a large group of talented seniors to graduation.Realizing a third-straight 20-win season could be difficult.

By contrast, the Lady Panthers have struggled for three straightseasons since SEC signees Nikki Byrd (Ole Miss) and Swayze Black(LSU) graduated. Byrd and Black had directed the BHS girls to threestraight state tournament appearances, one under former coach BillyHolmes and two under current coach Freda Craft.

Each year, the Lady Panthers caught powerhouse Indianola Gentryon the Mississippi Coliseum’s portable hardwood. The Lady Rams,eventual Class 4A state champions, were led by two outstandingplayers in all-everything point guard Sareta “Bug” Cooper andcenter Veronica Walker; plus a strong supporting cast. Both girlsare having great careers at Delta State University.

Perhaps better days are ahead for the Lady Panthers. The talentpool has been rather shallow in recent years.

Back to basketball classification, Region 7-4A has some majorchanges with the departure of Port Gibson and Crystal Springs andthe addition of Tylertown and Purvis. Holdovers are LawrenceCounty, North Pike, South Pike and Columbia.

In Class 3A, the Franklin County, Hazlehurst, Jefferson County,Wilkinson County group will stay in Region 7-3A. Newcomers areCrystal Springs and Prentiss.

In Region 6-2A, Wesson, Enterprise and Loyd Star are remaining.Newcomers are Amite County, Bassfield and East Marion. Heading foranother region are Puckett (Region 6) and Madison St. Joseph(Region 5). Hinds AHS is dropping to Class 1A. St. Joe faces somelong bus rides to East Webster, Eupora, Ackerman, Pisgah andWilliams-Sullivan of Durant.

Unfortunately, the Puckett Wolves will be back in the samefootball region (6-2A) with Wesson, Loyd Star, Enterprise, St. Joeand Amite County. As long as veteran coach Jaris Patrick remains athe helm of Puckett’s football fortunes, the Wolves will be annualstate title contenders.

Now for a look at Class 1A. Region 7-1A is taking on a new lookfor football and basketball. The roundball sport will be dominatedby newcomers Piney Woods and Hinds AHS. In the past West Lincolnand Bogue Chitto ruled the basketball region that included MSD,Natchez Cathedral and Vicksburg St. Aloysius.

For the next two years, No. 3 and No. 4 seeding look mighty goodfor the Bears and Bobcats. Piney Woods, the private boarding schoolwith an international recruiting budget, currently is an awesomeforce in Class 2A. The Tornados whipped Class 5A Lanier on theBulldogs’ home court in Jackson during the recent the MLK Daytournament.

Hinds AHS, the basketball bully in 6-2A for years, had anoffseason in football. Look for the War Dawgs to rise again,starting in 1A.

Looking ahead to next week, the West Lincoln boys and BogueChitto girls are scheduled to host South Mississippi 1A action,starting Thursday. Both schools boast exceptional teams.

The Lawrence County (4A) and Franklin County (3A) could hostSouth playoffs next weekend. Much depends on the outcome of thisweek’s division tournaments.

Brookhaven Academy will host the MAIS Class AA State BasketballTournament next week and large crowds are anticipated. BA principalHerbert Davis said current holders of season tickets and reservedparking will have to pay for each session, like the rest of thefans.

Opening round games in John R. Gray Gymnasium are Tuesday andWednesday. Action resumes Friday with the semifinals; girls in theafternoon and boys at night. The same format will be followedSaturday, starting with the girls consolation at 1 p.m. and thetitle game at 2:15. Boys consolation and finals are at 6 and 7:15p.m.

Write to sports editor Tom Goetz, c/o The DAILY LEADER, P.O. BOX551, Brookhaven, MS 39602 or e-mail sports@dailyleader.com