UIL Realignment Changes Affect Area Schools

Monday morning the UIL’s biennial realignment was released, and only time will tell how area schools will fare with these changes.

In San Angelo, Central High School witnessed little change in the football realignment. Abilene High was the only team removed and placed within the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex bracket. Other than that, Central will continue to rival Midland High, Midland Lee, Odessa High and Odessa Permian. Added to that list includes, Wolfforth Frenship and Amarillo Tascosa.

The one sport affected, however, is Central High School’s basketball teams. Central now joins Belton, Copperas Cove, Killeen, Killeen Ellison, Killeen Harker Heights, Killeen Shoemaker and Waco Midway.

Boys Basketball Head Coach Jaime Boswell, said, “The UIL realignment occurs every two years; it is nothing new, nor something we can shy away from. It is what it is. You deal with travel no matter where you go living in West Texas. Our kids will respond regardless.”

As for San Angelo’s other high school, Lake View also experienced minor changes. The school remains in the 4-5A geographical area with Abilene Cooper, Lubbock High, Lubbock Cooper, Lubbock Monterey and Lubbock Coronado. Plainview was eliminated from this group, while Lubbock Coronado and Monterey are new additions.

As for other area schools, here is how they will be affected for football:

• Ballinger: Placed in 3-3A with Alpine, Reagan County, Sonora and TLCA.
• Brady: Placed in 3-3A with Clyde, Comanche, Early, Merkel and Jim Ned.
• Bronte: Placed in 6-2A with Miles, Winters, Albany, Cross Plains and Baird.
• Christoval: Placed in 3-2A with Anthony, Eldorado, McCamey and Ozona.
• Eden: Placed in 9-1A with Barsdale Nueces Canyon, Lometa and Medina.
• Garden City: Placed in 6-1A with Sterling City, Robert Lee and Westbrook.
• Grape Creek: Placed in 2-3A with Wall, Tornillo, Crane and Kermit.
• Junction: Placed in 14-2A with Mason, Harper, Sabinal and Brackett.
• Menard: Placed in 5-2A with Iraan, Irion County, Van Horn and Wink.
• Water Valley: Placed in 8-1A with Veribest, Paint Rock and Santa Anna.

For basketball, here is how area schools will stack up:

• 1A Basketball: 14-1A includes Blackwell, Bronte, Garden City, Robert Lee, Sterling City, Veribest and Water Valley (14-1A); 16-1A includes Brookesmith, Rochelle, Richland Springs, Paint Rock, Menard, Lohn, Eden and Cherokee.
• 1A Division II: Includes Rochelle, Richland Springs, Cherokee and Lohn.
• 2A Basketball: 7-2A includes Christoval, Eldorado, Forsan, Irion County, Miles, Ozona and Winters; 27-2A includes Junction, Mason, Harper, Center Point and San Saba.
• 3A Basketball: 4-3A includes Ballinger, Reagan County, Grape Creek, TLCA, Sonora and Wall; 6-3A includes Bangs, Coleman, Comanche, Dublin and Early.

According to the notice sent out to area schools by UIL officials, districts can make appeals by Feb. 11, 2016, and the hearing is scheduled for Feb. 18.

More information on the UIL realignment can be found here.