UIL releases new realignment

Palestine and Westwood head back west

By SCOTT TYLER

Sports Editor

Palestine and Westwood are heading back west.

In the University Interscholastic League’s 2010-2012 realignment, which was released this morning, moves the two Palestine school districts back to familiar ground as part of District 20-3A.

Palestine and Westwood will be joined by Fairfield, Madisonville, Mexia and Groesbeck.

“This is what we thought would happen,” Westwood head football coach athletic director Kevin Anderson said. “It is a good district to be a part of.”

This is the same district that Palestine and Westwood were a part of from 2006-07.

Westwood is very familiar with the district teams. The Panthers played both Madisonville and Groesbeck the last two years.

“We know what to expect in this district,” Anderson said. “It is going to be a very competitive district.”

Palestine may not be as familiar with the district after leaving Groesbeck, Mexia and Madisonville after the last realignment. In the last two years, the only time Palestine has played any of those schools was when the Wildcats lost to Mexia in the bi-district round of the playoffs this season.

“We knew this was one of the traditional districts that have been together before, so it was not a big surprise,” Palestine’s new head football coach and athletic director Lance Angel said. “Looking at the district, there is going to be a lot of talent.”

Class 2A

For the first time in realignment, Class 2A football has been split into two divisions with the Anderson County 2A teams going separate ways — Elkhart going Division I and Frankston going Division II.

“I think having the divisions is a pretty good thing,” Frankston head football coach Sam Wells said. “As far as once you get into the playoffs, it is a more level playing field because of the numbers of kids in your school.”

Elkhart moves into District 11-2A, Division I. The district includes Crockett, who dropped from 3A, Malakoff, Teague, Trinity and Troup, who is the only team that remained the same for Elkhart since last realignment.

Frankston gets moved to District 9-2A, Division II along with Arp, Gladewater Union Grove, Joaquin, New London West Rusk and Winona. Frankston, Arp and West Rusk all were in the same district the last two years.

“We are excited about the district because we know what we are getting,” Wells said. “The only surprises is that Joaquin is going to have a pretty good drive, no matter who they are playing. And I thought Troup would stay down and be in our district again.”

The district alignments change come basketball season with Frankston and Elkhart being in the same district — 21-2A. The basketball district also includes Arp, Gladewater Sabine, New London West Rusk, Troup and Winona.

Class A

Like Class 2A, Class A football also split into division this year.

Cayuga and Grapeland both were placed Division I, but go to separate districts. Cayuga moves into District 8-A with Kerens, who dropped from 2A, Cross Roads, Mart, Rice and Riesel. Cross Roads is the only district team that stayed the same for Cayuga, but the Wildcats did play Kerens the last two years and defeated Mart in the regional finals this season.

Grapeland moves to District 10-A, which includes familiar faces of Alto and Cushing, along with Garrison, who dropped from 2A, Shelbyville and Timpson.

“We got our work cut out for us,” Grapeland head coach and athletic director Curt Faigle said. “All these schools have quality programs.”

Faigle is not pleased with the way the UIL split the classification into two divisions meaning that district trips will be almost twice as long to places including Shelbyville and Timpson.

“We have a lot of concern for how it is going to affect our Thursday travel,” Faigle said. “I don’t know how it is going to affect our junior varsity level when they have to make those long trips. I wish the UIL would have considered that because it creates a lot of travel that they did not have to.”

In realignment for the basketball districts, Slocum and Grapeland move to Division I. The two districts will be a part of District 23-A which includes Alto, Latexo and Lovelady.

Also in Division I, Cayuga goes to District 20-A, which includes Big Sandy, Hawkins, La Poynor, Cross Roads and Martins Mill.

Neches and Oakwood basketball remain in the same district in Division II. The two schools will be joined in District 22-A with Douglass, Laird Hill Leverett’s Chapel, Laneville and Trinidad.

Six-Man Football

Oakwood will be playing the next two years of six-man football in a four-team district. The Panthers are in District 13, Division I along with Apple Springs, Coolidge and Laird Hill Leverett’s Chapel.