The move to the Kentucky High School Athletic Association for Heritage Christian Academy is now officially underway. During its meeting Friday afternoon, the KHSAA Board of Control gave approval to HCA becoming a member of the association. Officials with Heritage Christian announced in May that they had applied for KHSAA membership, citing travel as a major factor in their decision to make the move.
The approval was granted without virtually any discussion at either the Board of Control work session or the actual Board of Control meeting.
Under KHSAA bylaws, new member schools are ineligible for district and region postseason play during a two-year probationary period. However, Heritage would be eligible to compete in the All A Classic, which is not a KHSAA sanctioned event, and the Kentucky Christian Athletic Conference, which consists of several small Christian schools.
In terms of enrollment size, HCA would be the eighth All A school in the 2nd Region, joining Caldwell County, Crittenden County, Dawson Springs, Fort Campbell, Livingston Central, Lyon County, and University Heights. Heritage would be the smallest of those eight schools.
School officials have stated that HCA would likely not compete in KHSAA district play during the first few years of KHSAA membership.
Heritage Christian Academy opened in 1994. They joined the KCAA about eight years later and have won state championships in several sports, most recently in softball and volleyball. In 2020-21, HCA offered varsity sports in volleyball, boys’ soccer, boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ cross country, baseball, and softball.
Heritage fielded a girls’ soccer team as recently as three years ago as the KCAA looked into the feasibility of adding the sport. The sport wasn’t sanctioned, but Heritage can again look at adding the sport as a KHSAA member. HCA also offers archery but opted to compete through NASP and not the KCAA.
Other sports that a small school like Heritage could add to its athletic tree and are offered by the KHSAA include bass fishing, bowling, golf, and tennis.
Heritage Christian Academy has an enrollment of 116 students in grades 9-12 and 175 students in 7-12. Its high school enrollment is roughly the same size as current KHSAA member schools Christian Fellowship and Frederick Fraize and larger than 1st Region schools Fulton City, Community Christian, and St. Mary.
