MOUNT VERNON — The new-look high school sports landscape came further into focus earlier this week.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced in February the divisional expansion of several sports, including girls volleyball and boys and girls soccer, effective for the 2024-25 school year. On Tuesday, the OHSAA released its preliminary divisional assignments for those fall sports and the shake-up in Knox County will be significant.
The biggest 64 schools in terms of enrollment will make up Division I in sports targeted for divisional expansion, while the next 64 schools will be assigned to Division II. The remaining schools will be divided as evenly as possible among the remaining divisions.
Girls volleyball will grow from four divisions to seven this fall. Boys and girls soccer will jump from three divisions to five.
In girls volleyball, all five of the county’s programs will have a new divisional home. Mount Vernon will drop to Division II from Division I. Fredericktown will drop from Division III to Division IV, while East Knox and Centerburg will move into Division VI. The Bulldogs were in Division IV last year, while the Trojans competed in Division III. Danville will move into Division VII after playing in Division IV.
Mount Vernon is the only county school that fields boys and girls soccer teams. The Yellow Jackets will drop to Division II from Division I in boys and girls soccer.