AAA Western Valley District

The AAA Western Valley District is a high school conference in the state of Virginia that includes schools in Central & Southwest Virginia. AAA is the largest enrollment class of the Virginia High School League and also typically the most competitive level in Virginia high school sports.

The Western Valley District schools compete in the AAA Northwest Region with the schools from the AAA Cardinal District, the AAA Cedar Run District, and the AAA Commonwealth District.

Facts about the district

The Western Valley District was established in 2001 to consolidate the now defunct AAA Roanoke Valley District and the AAA Western District. Both districts' memberships were down to five and four members respectively, because many schools that were in these districts either lost membership or had slower than average population growth, and dropped into Group AA. In 2001 alone, two of the five members of the Roanoke Valley district had to drop, prompting the two districts' consolidation. Below is a list of the Roanoke Valley and Western Districts in the 2000-2001 school year, and what happened to each of the schools for the 2001-2002 year:

AAA Roanoke Valley District

• Cave Spring (Western Valley)
• William Fleming (dropped to AA)
• Franklin County (Western Valley)
• Patrick Henry (Western Valley)
• Pulaski County (dropped to AA)

AAA Western District

• Albemarle (moved to Commonwealth)
• E.C. Glass (Western Valley)
• Halifax County (Western Valley)
• George Washington (Western Valley)

The charter members of the Western Valley District were Cave Spring, E.C. Glass, Franklin County, Halifax County, Patrick Henry, George Washington. Cave Spring split in half to form Hidden Valley High School (Roanoke, Virginia) in 2002, which dropped it to AA for the 2003-2005 cycles, dropping the district to five members. In 2007, William Fleming of Roanoke City returned to the district because of increased enrollment, reuniting it with cross-town rival Patrick Henry.

Travel concerns are a major issue for schools in this district, as they are several hours from other AAA schools. In football, where more points are earned for defeating AAA opponents (as opposed to AA or A opponents), this has been lessened by having several schools play the other district schools twice during the season, with the second match "counting" in the district standings.

The smallest member of the Western Valley is GW-Danville with about 1,700 students, and the largest member is Franklin County with an enrollment of about 2,300 students. The Western Valley District is slated to be revamped or closed with the latest VHSL redistricting. Due to heavy travel from the lack of AAA schools in the west of the state, a new hybrid district will be created. This district will have AAA Franklin County, AAA Patrick Henry-Roanoke, AAA William Fleming and AA schools, Magna Vista and Bassett. GW-Danville and Halifax Co., the remaining schools would fall to AA and join the Piedmont District.

Member schools

• Franklin County High School of Rocky Mount, Virginia Eagles
• George Washington High School of Danville, Virginia Eagles
• Halifax County High School of South Boston, Virginia Comets
• Patrick Henry High School of Roanoke, Virginia Patriots
• William Fleming High School of Roanoke, Virginia Colonels

Former members of the AAA Western Valley District and its Predecessors

• Albemarle
• Amherst County (dropped to AA)
• Andrew Lewis(Salem) (1920's - 1977)
• Cave Spring (Roanoke (1970–2002) (spilt to form Hidden Valley High - dropped to AA in 2003)
• E.C. Glass (dropped to AA in 2009)
• Heritage (Lynchburg)(1970's - 1993)(dropped to AA)
• Jefferson Sr.(Roanoke)(1920's - 1974)
• Northside (Roanoke)(1970–1988)(dropped to AA in 1988)
• Pulaski County (1974–2001)(dropped to AA)
• Robert E. Lee (Staunton) (1970's)
• Salem (1977–1988)