UIL Realignment: What is known in Class 5A
Alan Zepeda, Matt Diggs, Matt Stepp
2005 Realignment: A look at 5A
Yes it is that time of year when we all take a look at the bi-annual UIL realignment and it's ramifications for each district and part of the state. Though guessing exactly how the districts will look like is a useless exercise in futility, it is just darn fun. However for this installment we will be talking about what we know and don't know about teams moving up or down. Before we begin these are our numbers for all the teams we figured to be swing schools, within +/- 200 of the 2000 mark. The schools outside of that range we did not solicit enrollment numbers for except for a few schools that had shown a marked increase in enrollment in the past year
THE NEW SCHOOLS
We researched and our research shows that 15 new schools are opening up and will be playing UIL varsity level football. Quite a few schools are also opening up but will not field a varsity team this time but will in two years. Joining the 5A ranks are the following teams
Converse Wagner 2200
San Antonio Stevens 2650
Katy Morton Ranch 2660
The Woodlands College Park 2603
Humble Atascosita 2000+
Quite a few big name schools being split up this year and some big new additions in those districts. The coaches of these teams are also familiar names with Richard Carson (Eisenhower) the first coach at College Park and Jim Shewmake (Haltom, Lake Travis) at Morton Ranch. No doubt other familiar names will appear at the other new schools.
OPTING UP OR DOWN?
This year the UIL has told several districts that there will not be a waiver given to schools to opt a team to a higher classification. The only exception, according to the UIL, is for a school district that has more than eight schools or if a there is some severe driving miles involved.
Opting Up
Fort Bend ISD- Willowridge did not turn in 5A numbers but Willowridge will be opted up to 5A
Corpus Christi ISD- Our current projections show Moody(1960) and Miller (1371) not making 5A's cutoff. CCISD has decided not to opt their teams up because of the large number of Corpus Christi area teams in 4A.
Laredo ISD- Martin turned in 1945 and Cigarroa turned in 1708, neither have 5A numbers. Laredo ISD confirmed that they would like to opt these teams up however the UIL has not indicated whether they will allow Laredo ISD to opt their schools up. We do think that the UIL will allow the Laredo schools to opt up.
Laredo United ISD- Johnson turned in 1528 but UISD has asked for them to be opted up. According to an official in the AD's office "the UIL initially said that their would be no waiver allowed, however in October they softened their stance". As previously said we believe that the UIL will allow the Laredo schools opt up into 5A.
Dallas ISD- they will opt up Dallas Carter to keep them in 5A.
4A TEAMS WHO WILL RISE TO 5A- some of the schools that were new in 2004 have grown and are now full fledged 5A schools while Klein Oak, who dropped down because of being split, is now back to 5A numbers. Other schools have just grown and are now 5A such as two more valley schools in Lopez and Memorial.
2370 - Keller Central
2361 - El Paso El Dorado
2300 - Klein Oak
2246.5 - Wylie
2216.0 - Justin Northwest
2183 - Brownsville Lopez
2168 - Lewisville Hebron
2104.5 - Channelview
2072 - Mansfield Timberview
2040 - PSJA Memorial
2180+ - Houston Westbury
5A TEAMS MOVING TO 4A- Researching this was fun. some of this was easy to figure out such as a small 5A school splitting in half, you know they will go 4A, others was a bit more difficult to track down but we found them. Every team under 2200 enrollment last time was contacted or we tried to contact them. So here are the teams that are on the move on our current projections and you can bank these. Check out the Centex trio moving to 4A in Copperas Cove, Belton and Waco. Those three along with the others will make 4A very very strong in 2006.
1960 - Corpus Christi Moody
1959.5 - Copperas Cove
1946 - Belton
1921.5 - Keller Fossil Ridge
1919 - Austin Crockett
1908 - Buda Hays
1863 - Denton Ryan
1860 - Houston Austin
1850 - Eagle Pass
1850 - San Antonio Jefferson
1843 - Huntsville
1831 - Waco
1808 - Dallas Samuell
1805.5 - Saginaw Boswell
1755 - Schertz Clemens
1371 - CC Miller
NEW SCHOOLS OPENING UP IN 4A- These are the new kids on the block, without the bad haircuts and dance moves, with some impressive credentials from areas that have had recent success such as Katy, Schertz, and Denton.
Eagle Pass Winn
Katy Seven Lakes
Buda Lehman
Schertz Steele
Denton Guyer
Frisco Liberty
Saginaw High
McKinney Boyd
Rockwall Heath
4A TEAMS THAT ALMOST MADE IT TO 5A- close but no cigar for these teams who will be happy that they are the biggest teams in 4A.
1975 - Dallas Highland Park- missed it by one
1974 - EP Andress
1961.5- EP Del VAlle
1952 - Palo Duro
1949 - EP Ysleta
1943 - Boerne
1931.5- Midway
1929 - Arlington Seguin
1925 - Cedar Park Vista Ridge
1915 - Mission
1911.5- San Antonio Harlandale
1911 - Waxahachie
As you can see there will be some big changes in 5A with the biggest coming in South Texas with Corpus Christi opting to let their two smallest schools go to 4A. So what does that mean for the redistricting? Well expect a new district perhaps in the Houston Area and maybe the consolidation of a couple of smaller district elsewhere to create another district perhaps in the Dallas Area. The age of consolidation is here for Class 5A and that means bigger districts especially with four teams now being playoff eligible.