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Updated Monday, February 01, 2010 9:46 AM
UIL realignment announced; Bearcats, Jackets look east in 2010-12
By BILL SPINKS
Herald Democrat
Sherman and Denison are heading east. Van Alstyne is staying put, while Pilot Point moves up. And Honey Grove, after years of life at the bottom of Class 2A, finally gets its long-sought demotion.
The Bearcats and Yellow Jackets were placed in a district consisting of Northeast Texas teams on Monday morning in the University Interscholastic League realignment, which is in effect for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 school years.
Other members of the new District 13-4A are Greenville, Mount Pleasant, Royse City, Sulphur Springs, and Texarkana Texas High.
These schools will be paired up in the opening round of the playoffs
with District 14-4A members Hallsville, Jacksonville, Kilgore, Longview Pine Tree, Marshall, Nacogdoches, Tyler, and Whitehouse.
In Class 3A, area teams are generally staying put, with Aubrey moving to 3A for the first time and Pilot Point rejoining the class after two seasons in 2A. Van Alstyne and Commerce, two other teams who were close to the projected cutoff, came in above the 430 enrollment number set by the UIL, the same as in the last realignment.
The district lineup in 3A looks like this: Argyle, Aubrey, Gainesville,
Pilot Point, Sanger and Whitesboro in 9-3A; Anna, Bonham, Celina, Commerce and Van Alstyne in 10-3A; and Farmersville, Frisco Lone Star, Lucas Lovejoy, Nevada Community, Princeton and Prosper in 11-3A.
The biggest change in area alignments are in Class 2A and 1A, which for the first time will be aligned into Divisions I and II.
District 5-2A (I) consists of Callisburg, Howe, and Pottsboro joining Boyd, Paradise and football newcomer Ponder; while Melissa has been sent to 7-2A (I) and will face Caddo Mills, Grand Saline, Mineola, Quitman and Winnsboro.
District 5-2A in Division II has a familiar look, with Bells, Gunter, Leonard, S&S Consolidated, Tom Bean and Whitewright.
In Class A, the majority of local teams are Division I, and they are divided between two districts. Familiar rivals Collinsville, Lindsay, Muenster, and Valley View — dropping from 2A — will meet Chico and Petrolia in 5-A (I), and Blue Ridge, Celeste, Honey Grove and Wolfe City will go east to play Quinlan Boles and Clarksville in 6-A (I).
Clarksville is dropping from 2A.
Savoy, which will return to varsity football for the first time since 2002, is the area’s only 1A Division II representative. The Cardinals join District 11-A (II) along with Cumby, Dallas Gateway, Detroit and Era.
Texomaland’s only six-man school, Fannindel, is once again in Division II and will travel east and south to meet Karnack, Milford and Trinidad.
 Comments ... 25 found!
multi sport supporter : 2/4/2010
Yes , I did say that about the travel distances. I was commenting on the fact that our new district is not much worse than when we went out west to Wichita Falls. I too am a multi sport supporter as well as band. I feel for the young kids that have to make these trips and go to school the next day, but it wont bother them near as much as it will us when we have to go to work the next day.Keep on rollin' m.s.s.
lets go D
dhs multi-sport supporter : 2/4/2010
Yes, You are soo right. We're just football heads. It would be nice if Denison and Texas High could play at Paris (halfway). That would really take a load off of both Schools. Anyway, Go Jackets!!!
Jacket Master
realignments : 2/4/2010
I just have to say that while someone commented that there would only be one trip to Texarkana in two years, let's not forget that there are other sports besides football involved here. The basketball, soccer, tennis,and whatever else will be traveling too. I do realize that most people don't support all the sports but these other sports require travel for the kids other nights besides Friday. They will return home late from Texarkana, etc., not to sleep in on Saturday, but to get up early and be at school and hopefully not sleep through classes. Go Jackets!
dhs multi-sport supporter
realignment : 2/2/2010
I'm looking forward to next year already jacket master.We lost a load of skill players but we have alot of the meat and potatoes coming back next year. Some great linemen were soph. this year on varsity and j.v. We cant overlook our 3 yr starting linebacker either.It will surely be a different looking team but we will be fine.
lets go D
Lets go D : 2/2/2010
Great Point!!. We just go to Texarkana once in two years. Out west we would travel to Wichita once per year. Mount Pleaseant is around 115 miles, as far as Wichita. SS 88 miles (not bad) Greenville 69 miles. RC is 70 miles. 7 team district 4 road games one year, 3 road games one year which ever comes first. Not really that bad. Car pooling and church buses for sure!! Texas High down a long dark highway 82 man! It would be nice for Denison and Texarkana to start that game at 6pm, to allow drive time at a little more descent hour for everyone.
Jacket Master
To: In the know : 2/2/2010
Curious just how involved Celina coaches were in the realignment. Not only did they escape the big boys from last year's 9-3A, they declined to play Prosper in scrimmage or non-district in '10. Also, Pilot Point moved up to 3A (last year's 2A champs), an old time district rival, and they avoided them too. Guess south and west are not the direction they care to travel, even if it is less than 10 miles. Hope you 10-3A schools stick it to 'em.
Just south of Celina
Texarkana : 2/2/2010
Texas High gets screwed no matter where it goes. Here are the one-way distances in miles of the potentital district-mates:
Sherman: 159
Denison: 158
Rockwall: 158
Royse City: 149
Nacogdoches: 156
Jacksonville: 146
Whitehouse: 143
Tyler John Tyler: 134
Greeville: 131
Kilgore: 109
Sulphur Springs: 100
Longview Pine Tree: 90
Hallsville: 85
Marshall: 73
Mount Pleasant: 65
The main problem is that District 14 is an eight-team district full of East Texas teams. There are scenarios where you could move a bunch of teams around to make it work, but you could probably say that about every imbalance.
Jason Della Rosa
3A Realignment : 2/1/2010
VA Supporter, I can't tell if that was a shot at our FB boys or you really don't understand the playoffs 9-3A and 11-3A are both extremly talented. My son can't wait to BEAT Celina!
VA FB Dad
Suck it up and get a life????? : 2/1/2010
That has to be one of the dumber things I've read around here, and that's saying something. It's precisely because I have a life that I don't want to spend 7 hours in travel time alone to watch high school sports. About the only thing more idiotic is when you start saying Howe has no chance when the sum total of Sherman's football greatness is making it to a regional final ONCE. Yeah, you should be talking smack. I can only shake my head.
Not So Happy
travel : 2/1/2010
I for one would rather drive to Texarkana and Mt. Pleasant once each than drive to Wichita falls twice in 2 years. When you go west you pick up both WF schools . It will be hard for the mid-week programs but so is WF.
lets go D
Realignment : 2/1/2010
You might be interested in what effect the coaches have on the relignment issue. I'm sure they all had communications with the UIL.
In the Know
One more Loony Tune : 2/1/2010
"I say!....I say!...I say the-aahhh boy!"
"Don't cha know them rich folks hates that the'ahh mud?"
"I say!... I say!...one more team in that the-aahh district and they yall done probably gonna have Sherman playin Harlingen, Wills Point, and El Paso southside!"
"Munson?...Naw boy that's in Denison!"
"I say!" "I say!" "I say that the-ahs MUD... SON!"
"Now, seriously boy, How many Division 1 schools offer mud wrasslin' scholarships?"
"You know how to wrassle don't you boy?"
Yes.
"Well good then!" "We're a startin' you at kwotterback."
Foghorn Leghorn
Thought we were in a recession? : 2/1/2010
What a waste of time and gas for the schools and the fans to have to drive to far Northeast Texas. Why the changes? How do we complain about this?
Mom of a cheerleader
Howe Parent/Not Amused : 2/1/2010
You guys need to quite whinning.....what's done is done. Sherman has had a nice 2yrs w/the close district, and yes it sucks to think about having to drive to Sulphur Springs and Texarkana, but that's what we do. Suck it up and get a life. Stop all the whinning. Howe has no chance anyways......Good Luck Bullfrogs!!!
Shermanator
3A Realignment : 2/1/2010
I can relate to you folks in Howe. Last realignment VA took to long travels - and that was when we had the $4/gal gas. It does make you wonder why the UIL Officials don't take into account the Tuesday night basketball/volleyball games when the kids don't get home until the wee hours of the night.
VA Parent
2A Realignment : 2/1/2010
That really STINKS for Howe... Boy will we be driving, too... We have always played Tom Bean, Whitewright, Bells.... I really cant believe they moved us to Ponder, Pottsboro, Callisburg & Boyd. I dont even know where Paradise is??? Isnt that by Gainesville??? WOW... That really stinks for a small school to have to travel that far when the other 2A schools are sooo close.... This has ruined my day!!!!
Howe Parent
wow..... : 2/1/2010
175 miles to Texarkana? Geez, its only 200 miles to Waco!
They couldnt put Sherman and Denison in a 4A district closer than that? This has not to be the the worst idea anyone with the UIL has had in a long time. Do these people not sit back and think for a minute? Split Sherman and denison up and put one in the Highland Park district and one with Frisco if you have to.
Its sad when you have to start thinking about getting a hotel to watch HS games.
BJQZC
Smells fishy on Hwy 289 : 2/1/2010
Funny how Celina and Prosper (5 mi apart) have played each other in district for decades. In FB, Celina was on top since the mid 80s. Prosper comes along and beats them 2 in a row and poof - Celina is no longer in our district. Not only that, but Argyle (the other one to beat them) is not in their hair anymore... You can run, but you can't hide. Just have to knock them out of the 1st round of the playoffs.
Go Big Green!
A map??? : 2/1/2010
Did the people making these decisions ever pick up a map? Howe is going to drive to Boyd? Paradise? I have never even HEARD of those places. Mapquest says you drive through DENTON to get there? Why couldn't we just say in the same class within this area like everyone else?
Not amused
3A Realignment : 2/1/2010
Good news for VA! Sure we have Celina, but a 5 team district! Avoided a super distict with metroplex future 4A's of Lovejoy, Prosper, Argyle, Frisco Lone Star.
Avoided perennials Aubrey, Gainesville, Pilot Point, Farmersville.
Bad news: you will play some of the teams just mentioned in the very first round of the playoffs being matched with 9AAA playoff probables Argyle, Aubrey,
Gainesville, Pilot Point or Sanger (poor Whitesboro).
So yes we wont face Celina in round one of the playoffs, but that doesnt it will be any easier.
VA all the Way
UIL : 2/1/2010
Wichita Falls and Denton look pretty good right about now?
AWFUL
Headin East : 2/1/2010
Wow, The predictions were way off on this. It was really leaning towards the West. Time for highway miles for Jacket Fans. District 13-4A. will be an interesting mix of schools. Texas High will be formidable as Sherman and Sulphur Springs. That's my prediction for the the playoff teams from this district with Denison being the 3rd or 4th seed and Royce City, Mount Pleasent and Greenville struggling as of late. Denison may not even make the playoffs in this alignment. Did Stephanville, Pampa, Brownwood, and Big Springs go to 3-A?. Big Springs dropped down a year too late. Wow!!... 6 5-A Houston schools dropped to 4-A. Balance of power may shift back to the south. Frisco schools will be tickled to see Sherman and Denison out of their hair for a couple of years.
Jacket Master
TEXARKANA????????? : 2/1/2010
Wow. Admittedly, I don't know all of the factors that the people who come up with these alignments have to take into account, but surely they can fill out a district with schools that are within 3 hours of each other. That is absurd. I guess I could understand if we were in West Texas, but we're not.
Not So Happy
NE Texas : 2/1/2010
There are 13 4A schools in East Texas so I'm wondering why they couldn't have had a 7 and a 6 team district vs having Denison/Sherman traveling to Texarkana? The Rockwall schools would have fit better than D/S. It appears that the UIL tried to keep cities with multiple schools in the same district where possible and the single school towns just are thrown whereever. There are several 8 team district in the Metroplex and those could have been reduced to 7. I'm sure playoff pairings had something to do with all this. Well, we had it good for the past two years.
Puzzled
3A Realignment : 2/1/2010
Ok VA, you should be able to make it further into the playoffs, now that Celina is in the same district! Go Panthers!
VA Supporter
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