Big changes finalized for next years sports competition

By Sun Advocate

Changes in the realignment for the next four years will affect the games that both the local high schools in Carbon School District play.
The Utah High School Activities Association has released a final draft of the realignment.
Starting with the 2005 season Carbon High will still be in Region 8, but the competition and some of the travel will change greatly. Gone from the mix is Lehi, which was just borderline in school population to become a 4A school all four years it was in the region. It now will occupy a spot in Region 7, where more of the Pioneers natural rivals, like Provo and Timpview, reside.
Region 8 will consist of six schools instead of five like it did before with the addition of Juan Diego, a private Catholic school located in Draper, and Granite High, located in the central part of the Salt Lake Valley.
This is the first time in many years that Carbon will have even one school from the Salt Lake Valley in their region much less two of them.
Granite High was once one of the largest high schools in the state, but its geographical location in Salt Lake puts it in the middle of a declining area in terms of student population. It will be the largest school in Region 8 with 959 students.
Juan Diego is moving in just the opposite direction. It has grown dramatically in its few years of existence, going from a 2A school this year to 3A next year. It will be the smallest school in the region. The school has a very rich athletic legacy, already winning a few state championships in various sports since it opened.
In 1A big changes were made as East Carbon moves from Region 18 to a new Region 19 which is put together from some of the old Region 16 south teams. East Carbon will be the farthest north team in a region that includes Green River, Monticello, Monument Valley, Navajo Mountain and Whitehorse. It will be a vast change from traveling places like Fish Creek (West Desert) and Wendover as they have for many years.
The largest school in the region will be Monticello with 152 students.