Realignment causes change
By Donnie A. Lucas
The future of competitive sports in Albany was reshuffled somewhat this week when the University Interscholastic League conducted the bi-annual realignment of schools, which forms districts for various sports and academic competition for the next two school years.
The local school has competed with Region I schools for sports and academics for the last six years, with the exception of football, which was already in Region II. However, a shift occurred this time around, with Albany moving east to Region II for most competitions.
“The most surprising aspect of the realignment announcement this week was moving to Region II,” athletic director Ryder Peacock said. “We will be shifting from the Odessa area for regional competition to the Ft. Worth area.”
He said that basketball, football, and other spring sports have been grouped with Region II districts.
“We won’t know for sure about softball and baseball until later in the spring,” he said.
Albany will again compete in District 8-2A Div. 2 football, but with mostly new members including Hico, Meridian, Ranger, and Santo. Albany and Cross Plains will both stay in the district that was already part of Region II.
“I think it will be exciting to play some new schools in district,” head football coach Denney Faith said. “It will increase our travel distances going to Hico and Meridian.”
The coach said that he doesn’t know much about the two central Texas schools that are new to the district.
“We have played Santo in the playoffs, and have been in district with them and Ranger before,” he said, “so we have an idea as to what they are about, but we will take whoever we get and go play some football.”
Faith noted that schools have until Feb. 26 to appeal the decision about district membership, although he’s not aware of any schools that plan to seek a change.”
Both boys and girls basketball teams have been moved to District 10-2A including Anson, Cisco, Hamlin, Haskell, Hawley, and Stamford.
“We picked up three new schools, including two that are coming down from 3A,” said Peacock, who also serves as the head boys basketball coach. “It will be a very tough district, and with two more teams than we have had, it will be a long district race.”
Girls basketball coach Tate Thompson noted a change on the girls side.
“This is going to make for a much harder district for us, with three non-volleyball schools and two schools coming from 3A including Cisco which had a ranked program before the move,” Thompson said. “It’s going to be a dog fight.”
Lady Lion volleyball remained mostly unchanged, with District 6-2A to include Hawley, Ran-ger, Moran, Newcastle, Strawn, Texas Leadership Academy (Abilene), and Woodson. The district is in Region I.
