Swallows Said Warren Independence Could Rebuild

Cumberland County and Warren County will play independent football under the new TSSAA Alignment plan announced.

Warren County Director Of Schools Grant Swallows is a member of the TSSAA Board of Control. Swallows said adjustments like these will not satisfy every fan. Swallows said the goal is to keep team travel limited, but it does not always work out that way.

“There really is no perfect iteration of classification, it’s very tough,” Swallows said. “You go around the country and to different states and see all different iterations of classification. But, I do believe the TSSAA is trying to do the best they can by the member schools.”

A challenge for the TSSAA state office is factoring in enrollment, geography, history and competitiveness. Swallows said he was glad to see most of the Upper Cumberland teams stick together in the same regions.

“That to me is something I want us as an organization to try and get back to,” Swallows said. “Is to where you’re playing similar opponents throughout all sports. Because that’s just good for the community’s and for the school’s to be able to have that natural rivalry that’s taken place.”

Swallows said with there being a different number of regions for different sports, it is a near impossible task for there to be complete continuity in regions.

Along with being on the TSSAA Board of Control, Swallows is also the former White County High School principal and current director of Warren County Schools. In 2018, as principal he decided to take White County out of their region and play an independent schedule. He said it worked out for the Warriors years later and hopes Warren County can bounce back as well in the future.

“I’d like to be at a place some point where we don’t have to make the decision,” Swallows said. “For us, we feel like we need to be in a place to where we can have ten ballgames where we can be competitive. And simply in region play over the last couple of years we have not been able to do that.”

Swallows said schools can appeal the TSSAA changes, but noted that besides minor travel concerns, there are rarely appeals.