The AA River Ridge District is a district in Region IV of the Virginia High School League . It is centered around the Roanoke Valley and New River Valley in Southwest Virginia .
13-745: The River Ridge District was formed for the 2003–2004 school year out of the AA Blue Ridge District in Region III . In the 2002–2003 school year, the student body of Group AAA Cave Spring High School in Roanoke County was split into two Group AA sized schools with the opening of Hidden Valley High School. These two new schools gave the Blue Ridge District eleven members that year except in football, where Cave Spring remained in AAA and Hidden Valley played
26-438: A limited, solely non-district schedule. The district was separated for the 2003–2004 school year when both schools played a full schedule as AA members. The assignment of schools to the two districts was not without controversy. The Roanoke County school board wanted all of its schools to be in the Blue Ridge District. However, other schools objected because this alignment would have created a competitive imbalance in football with
39-852: Is located in Southwest Virginia . It takes its name from member schools being located in the Blue Ridge Mountains and in close proximity to the Roanoke River and New River . The district currently includes two schools located in Roanoke County , two in Montgomery County , and one each in Roanoke City , Pulaski County , and Salem City . While the VHSL uses District formatting for regular season contests and determining postseason eligibility,
52-485: Is named for the Blue Ridge Mountains , which feature prominently in the region's geography. From the late 1980s through the early 2000s, the district steadily grew as four schools dropped in classification from the former AAA Roanoke Valley District . Two schools entered after the AA New River Valley District disbanded when other schools dropped in classification to Group A. For the 2002–2003 school year,
65-587: The AA Southern Valley District . The Blue Ridge District will be preserved in the 2013-2014 VSHL reclassification. William Fleming will also return to the district from the AAA Western Valley District . The district will include schools from classifications 3A and 4A. Each school will compete only against members of the same classification in post-season play. The district is composed of large and medium-sized high schools primarily in
78-568: The district are located in and around the Lynchburg Metro ( Lynchburg, Virginia ). US 29 , which passes through the area, is named the Seminole Trail through much of Virginia. All current member schools have won at least one state championship in football since 1988. The Seminole District gained State-wide recognition in the mid-2010s during an ongoing court case between VHSL and Liberty Christian Academy. The case went in favor of LCA, and
91-642: The eastern and northern areas of the Roanoke Valley . The district currently includes two schools located in Roanoke County , and one each in Bedford County , Botetourt County , Franklin County , and Roanoke City . While the VHSL uses District formatting for regular season contests and determining postseason eligibility, the teams are divided into different classes and regions for Regional and State-level competitions. As such, Blue Ridge District members compete in
104-474: The following formats (as of 2024): Note: Covington High School was closed following the 2022–23 school year, with its student body being merged into Alleghany High School. The new, larger Alleghany High School has since adopted Covington's Cougar nickname AA Seminole District The AA Seminole District is a district in Region III of the Virginia High School League . The schools of
117-600: The longest tenures in the district. The other group of six schools formed the AA River Ridge District . The Blue Ridge District only had four members starting in the 2007–2008 school year when William Fleming returned to Group AAA, but it grew to five members starting in the 2009–2010 school year when former member Staunton River returned from the AA Seminole District and to six members in the 2010–2011 school year when former member Rockbridge County returned from
130-745: The prospective River Ridge District having stronger teams than the Blue Ridge District. Eventually, a compromise sent the two southwest Roanoke County schools to the River Ridge and William Fleming High School of Roanoke, Virginia to the Blue Ridge. In the 2007–2008 school year, the River Ridge District was moved into Region IV because many of the former Group AA member schools in the region had lost enrollment and dropped into Group A. The Blue Ridge District remained in Region III. The River Ridge District
143-510: The student body of Group AAA Cave Spring High School in Roanoke County was split into two Group AA sized schools with the opening of Hidden Valley High School . These two new schools gave the district eleven members that year except in football, where Cave Spring remained in AAA and Hidden Valley did not play a full schedule. The district was split for the 2003–2004 school year. The name Blue Ridge District remained with this group of schools because Alleghany, Lord Botetourt, and William Byrd had
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#1732884975007156-401: The teams are divided into different classes and regions for Regional and State-level competitions. As such, River Ridge District members compete in the following formats (as of 2024): AA Blue Ridge District The AA Blue Ridge District is a district in the Region III of the Virginia High School League . The district is centered around the Roanoke Valley in Southwest Virginia and
169-654: Was preserved in the 2013-2014 VSHL reclassification. Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke and Carroll County High School in Hillsville joined the district. This made it so the District included schools from group classifications 3A to 6A. Each school will compete only against members of the same group classification in post-season play. Carroll County left in 2017, joining the Three Rivers District . The River Ridge District
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