Bulldogs dropping down to Class 1 next year

Riverheads also moving to Class 1; Luray returns to Class 2 in two years

By Randy Arrington

LURAY, Oct. 15 — Beginning next school year, the Luray Bulldogs will remain in the Bull Run District, but they will drop down to Region 1B and Class 1 for region and state competitions, respectively, in the postseason. The Virginia High School League’s mid-cycle realignment calls for Luray to remain at the Class 1 level for two years before moving back to Class 2.

The VHSL Executive Committee announced the schools affected by realignment on Sept. 24. Others making moves in the region include:

Riverheads — 337 students; move from Class 2 to Class 1.
Harrisonburg — move from Class 5 to Class 3, Region C/Valley District due to enrollment decrease from Rocktown school opening.
Rockbridge County — move from Valley to Shenandoah District

With a reported enrollment of 343 students, Luray was under the 5-percent minimum for Class 2, thus prompting the drop to Class 1. The new classification will remain in place for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years.

As stated previously, the Bulldogs will remain in the Bull Run District and continue to schedule their cross-county rivals, the Panthers of Page County, in district play in all sports and activities under the VHSL. Page County will continue to compete in Region 2B and Class 2 at the region and state level, respectively. However, the new classification may prevent Luray from competing in Bull Run District tournaments due to the scheduling of Region 1B playoffs, according to LHS Athletic Director Don Ehlers.

Another difficulty for Luray presented by the realignment will be increased travel time and expense for postseason play, as Region 1B schools stretch from Surry and Sussex, to Rappahannock and Riverheads. The list of all 14 schools in the realigned Region 1B include:

Altavista
Appomattox Reg. Gov. School
Brunswick
Buffalo Gap
Carver College/Career Acad.
Cumberland
Franklin
Galileo
Luray
Rappahannock County
Riverheads
Surry
Sussex
William Campbell

Yet, despite the problems the VHSL-mandated realignment may cause, Ehlers believes there are positives for Luray as well, such as competing with new schools instead of facing the same opponent three of four times in the same season.

“In my opinion, we will have an opportunity for success playing schools that will be closer to our enrollment size. It will be good for our student-athletes and our community,” Ehlers told PVN last week. “We are young this year across the board basically. If we continue to compete and get better in the offseason, we provide ourselves an opportunity to be successful.”

In other moves made by the VHSL across the commonwealth, the following schools were moved up in classification due to being over the 5-percent threshold in their current classification: