UIL realignment puts football little closer to home
By Sam Waller
The Albany Lions will have less travel for district football games the next two years following the release of the University Interscholastic League’s biennial realignment,announced Thursday, Feb. 3.
The Lions will compete in District 6-2A Division II, a six-team league that includes Hamlin, Miles, Roscoe, Abilene Texas Leadership Charter Academy, and Cross Plains. Abilene TLCA will play its first season of 11-man football in 2022.
“The only surprise I think was Miles being in the district,” Lions head coach Denney Faith said. “I was expecting Haskell (which was placed in District 7), but other than that, it was pretty much what we thought. We were actually in a district with Miles at one time, but it’s been a while.”
Class 2A includes schools with enrollments between 105 and 249 students. The cutoff for Division II football is 164.4. Albany reported an average daily enrollment of 158.
Faith has roughed out a nondistrict schedule, opening with Lubbock Trinity Christian, followed by games against Dublin, Seymour, Hawley, and Comanche.
“It’s going to be a tough predistrict, which will be good to get us ready for district,” Faith said. “I think this is going to be very challenging.”
The district schedule was drawn Monday when the coaches held their first meeting.
Schedules cannot be finalized until Feb. 24 following the conclusion of the appeals process for schools seeking to change districts.
Albany will have preseason scrimmages against Coleman and Early.
The district will match up with District 5 – composed of Eldorado, McCamey, Midland Texas Leadership, Sterling City, Water Valley, Wink, and Iraan. Midland TLCA, Sterling City, and Water Valley are all moving up from six-man, while Iraan has been playing 11-man with an enrollment that qualifies it for six-man.
Region II (Districts 5-8) will stretch from Wink to Collinsville in Grayson County. Windthorst and Muenster will be among the teams in the region.
“It’s a big region,” Faith said. “I still think it’s the most competitive region in the state.”
Among the notable changes is the placement of Stratford in Division I after winning the Class 2A Division II state championship in 2021. Stratford defeated Albany in the state semifinals.
Also, former district opponent Santo was placed in District 8, leaving the Wildcats in the same region with Albany. Former opponents Hico and Meridian moved to District 10, putting them in the other half of the playoff bracket.
The realignment announcement covered football, basketball, and volleyball. The remaining athletic district alignments will be released no later than March with the academic alignments to follow.
“Typically, your basketball district is your spring district,” Albany athletic director and boys basketball coach Ryder Peacock said. “Track, tennis, golf, and UIL academics, those will follow basketball. While those districts haven’t officially come out, they should be the same.”
A total of 1,388 high schools in Texas were aligned into six conferences by enrollment and placed in geographical districts under the new plan. Class 2A will have 219 schools with enrollments between 105 and 249 students. The conference had 13 schools drop down from Class 3A, including Bangs and Sonora, with 11 moving up from Class 1A. Seven schools, including former football district member Meridian, dropped to 1A. The Yellow Jackets are one of 14 1A schools that will play 11-man football.
One big change came in volleyball, where Class 1A schools were aligned into their own districts. Previously, 1A volleyball teams competed in districts with 2A schools.
Albany will now play in District 6-2A with Bangs, Coleman, Hawley, and Ranger.
“We’ll have a little more time to practice and get some team chemistry before district starts,” Lady Lions coach M.J. Reneau said. “The district schedule won’t start until Sept. 24.”
Reneau said she likes the new alignment.
“I think it’s going to be a competitive district,” she said. “We’re excited for the realignment. There are some holes I’ve got to fill in the schedule with district starting later.”
Albany’s basketball district remains unchanged. The Lions and Lady Lions will again compete in District 10-2A with Anson, Cisco, Hamlin, Haskell, Hawley, and Stamford.
“We didn’t see any kind of change across the state for the most part,” Peacock said. “There were a few additions and subtractions with teams going up to 3A or down to 1A.”
The first day of football workouts for 2022 will be Aug. 1. Teams can begin contact drills on Aug. 6 with the first scrimmage allowed Aug. 11. The season will start the weekend of Aug. 25-27 with playoffs to begin Nov. 10-12. State championship games will be played Dec. 14-17.
Volleyball will also begin workouts on Aug. 1 with scrimmages allowed Aug. 5. First day matches may be played beginning Aug. 8. Volleyball playoffs will start the first week of November with the state tournament Nov. 16-19.
Preseason basketball practices may begin Oct. 19 for girls and Oct. 26 for boys. Girls playoffs start the week of Feb. 13, 2023, with the state tournament March 2-4. Boys playoffs will start the week of Feb. 20, 2023, with the state tournament March 9-11.
