The MIAA announced new divisional alignments on Monday, and basketball teams from Northampton and Amherst Regional will play for a different Western Massachusetts title next season.
After making a run to the Division 1 semifinals, the Northampton boys team will play in the Division 2 playoffs next season, should the Blue Devils qualify.
“It’s out of our hands,” Northampton coach Rey Harp said. “We don’t handle administrative stuff. But we are going to be ready to compete no matter who we play.”
The Blue Devils will stay in the Valley Wheel and play a majority of Division 1 teams during the regular season.
“We don’t think of this as a demotion,” Harp said. “There are bigger schools that we are better than and smaller schools that are just as good as us.”
Divisional movement is based off enrollment. The number of males and females counts separately toward a team’s placement.
Northampton junior Henry Doherty didn’t like the news of the new alignment.
“I think it’s ridiculous personally,” Doherty said. “They keep us in the hard league and but move us down for the playoffs even though we will be competing for the league championship.”
Northampton lost to Amherst in the Division 1 semifinals. It ended four-time sectional champion Putnam’s run in the quarterfinals.
“The future of our program is so bright,” Doherty said.
The Blue Devils lost at Taconic last season, a team that reached the Division 2 semifinals.
The Northampton girls team is also moving to Division 2, but will stay in the Valley League, playing teams like Central twice.
“We were told we’ll play the teams we are supposed to play” in the playoffs, Northampton coach Perry Messer said. “Teams similar in size. We still play the tough schedule.”
Since the Northampton boys and girls teams play mostly Division 1 teams during the regular season, should either do well, they would land high seeds in the Division 2 playoffs.
“We punished our kids playing up in Division 1,” Messer said. “We got hurt with seedings. Teams in weaker leagues have better records and get better seeds.”
The Amherst Regional girls team also will move down to Division 2. The Hurricanes had a 3-17 record last season.
The Amherst boys team will remain in Division 1.
