News editor
Hillsboro High School will compete in Class 2A this year for regional and state events sponsored by Kansas State High School Activities Association, save for football, which remains in Class 3A.
The 2A classification applies to athletic teams and non-athletic events such as music, speech and drama, and scholars bowl. Hillsboro and Horton were the only two schools that moved from 3A to 2A.
“It doesn’t really matter one class or another,” USD 410 Superintendent Steve Noble said. “It’s not that different. When you get to state tournaments you get the best of the best in whatever class you’re in.”
Noble noted that many fellow Central Kansas League members, such as Haven and Pratt, are Class 4A schools, and that the volleyball team has routinely scheduled regular season tournaments where they’ve experienced success against larger schools.
“We don’t think small,” he said. “Hillsboro is willing to compete in the Central Kansas League, and will continue to compete in the CKL, because we believe in quality competition. We have strong relationships with our league schools.”
Overall classifications are determined each year based on total school enrollment, but KSHSAA divides schools for football differently.
KSHSAA used enrollment of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors for football classifications for 2016 and 2017, which left Hillsboro in Class 3A for that sport.
That raises the distinct possibility that Hillsboro and Marion will meet again on the gridiron, as the Warriors will move up to Class 3A the next two years. The schools have faced off before in district play when they shared the same classification.
“I’m glad we’re both 3A schools next year,” Noble said. “Marion and Hillsboro need to play each other. We need to play each other in every sport.”