By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

If the Florida High School Athletic Association approves, all of Osceola County’s public high schools will be grouped together in one district for all team sports for the next two years, county athletic director Ryan Adams said Thursday.

The exception will be Poinciana’s football team, which will play in a district against primarily Lake County competition.

The FHSAA in December released tentative district alignments that had most of Osceola County’s schools grouped either in district 7A-5 (Osceola, Gateway and Liberty) or 6A-7 (Harmony, St. Cloud, Poinciana, Celebration) for most team sports.

Now, if approved by the state association, all local teams will compete in 7A-5 for all team sports except football where Poinciana will remain in district 5A-7, probably with Bishop Moore, Tavares and Eustis.

Adams said the new alignment is a win at all levels for the county teams.

“It will be great that we’re guaranteed to have a district champion in every sport. It will be a boost for our fans, because every district game will be in the county, and it’s a tremendous savings in transportation costs,” Adams, who has communicated frequently with FHSAA officials about re-districting, said. “Also, all of the (district) tournament  money will stay here in the county (except for what the FHSAA receives in tournament dues).”

The only thing that might prevent Osceola County schools from potentially winning district championships in all team sports next year is Lake Nona, which has requested to join the Osceola County schools. Adams expects that appeal to be approved, making 7A-5 an eight-team district. Lake Nona currently is placed in a district in Polk County.

Celebration appealed recently to step up to 7A-5 from 6A-7, which likely will have six Melbourne-area schools after the appeals process ends next week. The new districts should be formally announced by the FHSAA Friday.

After Celebration sent in its request, Harmony, St. Cloud and Poinciana also asked to move up a class or, in Poinciana’s case, two classes, to form a single-county district.

“It was a hard decision for Poinciana, because they are going up two classes,” Adams said. “During the season it won’t make any difference because they are playing those teams anyway. Where it would really hit them is if they advance through the first couple of rounds of the regionals, where they would run into some pretty formidable competition against bigger schools. But, if they can get to that point, that’s not such a bad problem to have.”

Adams said he agrees with Poinciana athletic director Mal Harpell and football coach Michael Timpson that Poinciana should remain in the smaller class for football.

“They need a couple of years to get themselves pulled together, and then after that we can look at it again,” Adams said.

Harmony Athletic Director Chuck Hitt said it makes sense for the county’s teams to stay together, even though his school is relatively close to Melbourne.

“That was the idea all along. It’s really a no-brainer, especially after Celebration sent in its paperwork (to appeal). Once we did it, St. Cloud went in and we expect it to be approved,” Hitt said.

Adams said Haines City wanted to join the Osceola County schools, but Polk County Athletic Director Don Bridges wants all Polk schools to stay in the same districts.