HS Soccer: Greenbrier East boys eye return to state tournament in new AAA reclassification

Spartans won the AAA state soccer championship in 2022

High school soccer in West Virginia has now moved from two classes to three for the 2025 season.

The statewide landscape is now be made up of Class AAAA, Class AAA and Class AA-A.

Greenbrier East has been a Class AAA power for quite some time now, winning the state title in 2022. However, most of its sectional and regional rivals have moved up to the AAAA class.

Woodrow Wilson and Oak Hill, who previously battled the Spartans in sectional play, along with regional rival George Washington, have joined the state's biggest class.

The lone remaining sectional rival, Princeton, remains in AAA with the Spartans who will now be joined in Region 3 by Shady Spring, Capital, Herbert Hoover, Nicholas County, PikeView and Ripley.

Naturally, many eyes will turn to Greenbrier East as a state tournament favorite, but similar to the previous regional alignment, the road to a title will be full of strong contenders.

Greenbrier East head coach Lucas Lemine talked with me about reclassification, returning players and the road to Beckley for the state tournament.