It looks better than the first one but there were still some eye-opening decisions.

First and foremost, Kannapolis and Concord have been put in separate conferences for the first time since, well, who can remember? Concord’s E.Z. Smith has said he will appeal, which all schools have the right to do before June 13.

West Rowan was separated from Ashe County and a 2-hour drive to West Jefferson. The NCHSAAdecided to grant Ashe County its request to remain with teams in northwest North Carolina.

But while that school was taken away from Rowan County, West Stokes, which is 60-plus-mile drive, has been added to the Central Carolina Conference.

Salisbury and North Rowan will remain in the Central 2A Conference, which is top-heavy with Davidson County schools East and Central Davidson, along with Lexington and Ledford.

West Stokes and West Iredell will now be the long-distance drives.

North Stanly will move out of the conference and join a 2A league made up of Charlotte Catholic, Forest Hills, Mount Pleasant, West Stanly and West Montgomery.

A big change will take place in the South Piedmont Conference. It will lose five members and add three new ones.

East Rowan and West Rowan will remain in the conference with Kannapolis and Northwest Cabarrus. There will be an Iredell County flavor as Mike Carter’s Mooresville juggernaut football team will be added, along with always-athletic Statesville and North Iredell.

West and East will now have to learn to defend Carter’s pet wishbone offense.

Charles Love is probably wishing he had stayed in coaching a couple more years. The East Spencer native retired from the sidelines this season but could have gotten a chance to come back to Rowan County.

The biggest change will find Concord moving out of the circuit along with Piedmont and Sun Valley. They will join Anson County, Parkwood, Southwest Cabarrus and Weddington.

Charlotte Harding and Central Cabarrus of the South Piedmont will also move to a new league. Harding and Central Cabarrus move up to 4A to join Charlotte Independence, Charlotte Vance, North Mecklenburg, West Charlotte, and a new Mecklenburg school.

Central says it will appeal and urge the committee to put it in the 4A league with Davie and South Rowan.

South Rowan will remain in the Central 4A Piedmont with Davie County, West Forsyth and Winston-Salem R. J. Reynolds. North Davidson and South Iredell will become new members.

In fact, Central Cabarrus already has asked for a change. Athletic Director Kirby Patterson said his school would prefer joing the Central 4A Conference to develop a rivalry withSouth and Davie County, despite having to travel long distances to face the Winston-Salem schools and North Davidson, which is located in Welcome.