SHAKE IT UP: Realignment brings back old rivalries, creates new ones

Published 5:20 am Saturday, August 24, 2024

A group from Boston called The Cars told everybody to “Shake It Up” in the early 1980s.

Here in Texas, the University Interscholastic League and the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools do just that with districts every two years.

They move teams around based on enrollment and location, which creates new rivalries and rekindles some old ones.

And for teams like Tyler High, Brook Hill, Grace Community and Lufkin, get ready to “Drive” because some of those new district foes are located miles and miles away.

Let’s take a look at what this year’s realignment is giving us:

CLASS 6A

Longview and Tyler Legacy have met 64 times with the Lobos winning the last 19 meetings and leading the overall series 48-14-2.

Since starting the series in 1960, they have played almost every year — not meeting in 2014 and 2015 but playing twice in 2002 and 2003. However, the Lobos and Red Raiders haven’t been in the same district since 2019.

But with Longview coming up to Class 6A, that will change.

“There’s going to be more teams we’re playing since we’re in a new classification,” Longview senior defensive back Bryan Peoples II said. “We will still play hard and fight to win, no matter who we go against.”

For Legacy, it’s looking to end its losing streak to Longview while also improving its playoff chances in the District 10-6A race.

“We want to change that big time,” Legacy senior linebacker Nathaniel Kirksey said. “I think this would be the year, especially since they just got in the district. It will be great to show them 6A.

“There are a lot of friends down there and a lot of people we see every time we do something, so it’s going to be great that we actually get to have them on our record and have it mean something, because I think we can do it this year. It will be great to see that we beat Longview in our district.”

CLASS 5A

The big changes came in Division I where the Tyler Lions went from being in a district with Forney, Lancaster, Longview, Lufkin, McKinney North, North Mesquite and West Mesquite to being in District 7-5A Division I with Burleson Centennial, Cleburne, Highland Park, Joshua, Midlothian and Red Oak.

“I think it’s about going in the district and playing hard every game, not underestimating any team, playing hard and strong for four quarters,” Tyler junior quarterback Caden Granberry said. “We are the new team going in, so we’ve got to put our city back on the map.”

From Tyler High School to Joshua and Cleburne, it’s 142 miles each.

Lufkin was also supposed to be in the district, and outside of the 91-mile trip to Tyler, the closest trip would’ve been 172 miles to Red Oak with trips of 200 (Cleburne), 205 (Burleson Centennial) and 206 miles (Joshua).

Lufkin appealed to the UIL and was moved to District 9-5A Division I with Baytown Sterling, Beaumont United, Beaumont West Brook, Galveston Ball, Barbers Hill and Port Arthur Memorial. While all of the trips are more than 100 miles one way, the farthest is Galveston Ball at 170 miles.

CLASS 4A

East Texas has a lot of representation in Class 4A, so it’s no surprise that realignment created some interesting East Texas storylines in both divisions.

In District 9-4A Division I, Chapel Hill, Kilgore, Lindale, Palestine and Henderson are all still there, but Jacksonville and Athens exited while Pine Tree and Mabank entered.

Since 1964, Kilgore and Pine Tree have met 50 times with the Bulldogs leading the series 37-12-1 and winning 14 of the last 16.

“It’s going to make the game a lot better,” Kilgore junior defensive lineman Cameron Christian said. “It’s going to get everybody a lot more riled up.”

In last season’s game, Kilgore led 3-0 on Friday night when the game was suspended due to inclement weather and it picked back up on Saturday morning. Kilgore got a safety to go up 5-0 and eventually won 18-0.

“We all want revenge from last year,” Pine Tree senior linebacker Seth McFarland said. “We didn’t really get a full game with the storm delay thing that happened. We had to play half of our game on Friday night and half of our game on Saturday. We just think it kind of messed us up. We just want to show people that Kilgore isn’t better than us.”

Lindale and district newcomer Pine Tree had developed a fun non-district rivalry over recent years, which will now turn into a district contest. The Pirates took a 42-22 win over Lindale in 2023. Lindale won the meeting 40-17 in 2022. In 2021, though, it came down to the wire and freshman Seth Baggett connected on a 28-yard field goal with 20 seconds left to lift Lindale to a 31-29 road win over Pine Tree.

“I think it will be fun,” Baggett said of facing Pine Tree in district. “I think we’re going to win.”

Athens, which was previously in that district in Division I, dropped to Division II to join District 8-4A Division II with Brownsboro, Bullard, Carthage, Center and Rusk.

“I’m really excited to play new competition and hopefully go out and get dubs,” Athens senior linebacker/running back Mason Shelton said.

Van left that district with state power Carthage and joined District 7-4A Division II with state powers Gilmer and Pleasant Grove, along with Spring Hill, Pittsburg and Paris North Lamar.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Van senior receiver Caden Rowe said. “We know there are going to be some good teams. We’re just putting in a lot of work in the offseason, and all of our guys are getting better, and we will see how it goes. It’s going to be fun, for sure. There’s going to be some good competition there.”

CLASS 3A

Malakoff, the reigning Class 3A Division I champion, is going from a district it absolutely dominated — not losing a district game since Nov. 9, 2018 — but now the Tigers are coming to an East Texas-based District 7-3A Division I with Winnsboro, Mineola, Rains, Mount Vernon, Eustace and Commerce.

“I think it’s going to be more fun, more challenging,” Malakoff senior defensive end/tight end Michael Elliott said.  “The teams we played in the past, it was the same stuff, and it got really repetitive. I think this is going to be fun to play this year.”

With Malakoff entering the district, the other teams know they will have to step up to the challenge.

“I’m really excited,” Mineola senior receiver/defensive back Colton McMahon said. “It will be great to play a team like Malakoff. Obviously, they just won state, so they’re going to be solid. We’re going to play as hard as we can and see what the outcome is. It’s great being able to play in such a competitive district. That way when we do make the playoffs, we will be battle-tested for any competition.”

In Class 3A Division II, Harmony and New Diana, which were in a district together, will both be in new but separate districts.

Harmony is headed to District 9-3A Division II with Edgewood, Grand Saline, Lone Oak, Paris Chisum, Pattonville Prairiland and Quitman.

“I think we will do pretty good,” Harmony junior receiver/cornerback Blayne Hart said. “The only team I’m used to playing against is Quitman, so we really don’t know who we will be up against. It’s going to be all new teams, but it’s going to be fun.”

New Diana shifted to District 11-3A Division II with Arp, Buffalo, Elkhart, West Rusk, Troup and Winona.

“We played West Rusk in the playoffs, but the rest are new,” New Diana head football coach Jason Pitts said. “We’re not going to really worry about who we’re playing, but just a do we do type of mentality. I know most of those coaches down there, (Wes) Schminkey at Arp and (Sam) Wells at Troup. They were on the FCA staff, one with me and one against me. And I know Coach (Rafe) Mata at West Rusk for being around him a couple years now. It will be nice to get out that way and let the kids see more.”

CLASS 2A

In Class 2A Division I, Frankston will be joining a new district, entering District 8-2A Division I with Cayuga, Kerens, Cross Roads, Mildred and Carlisle.

“Carlisle was in our district four years ago, but as far as Kerens, Cayuga, Cross Roads and Mildred, we haven’t been in a district with them,” Frankston head football coach Paul Gould said. “We’re in a district with them in basketball and everything else, but football, we’ve never been in a district with them, and we’re just right down the road from them, so we finally went to that district.

“Hopefully we can go in and play good football. Obviously we don’t know a lot about any of these teams, so it’s going to be kind of fun. I think eight of the 10 teams we’re playing this year, we haven’t played, so it’s going to be a really fun season as far as seeing some new faces, especially seeing some new faces in our district.”

In Class 2A Division II, Tenaha is with familiar foes Alto, Cushing, Grapeland, Mount Enterprise and Overton in District 11-2A Division II, but Lovelady is also joining the district.

Lovelady took a 50-14 win over Tenaha in the third round of the playoffs last season.

“They left a bitter taste in our mouth,” Tenaha head football coach Marlon Byrdsong said. “With them being added to our district, we definitely have that game circled. That’s the first district game, and they’ll be coming to The Pit, so we will be fired up and excited about that one.”

TAPPS

While TAPPS realignment doesn’t have the pomp and circumstance as the UIL realignment, it still has altered the landscape, especially for East Texas TAPPS programs.

Brook Hill and Grace Community will be TAPPS Division II District 2 with Arlington Grace Prep, Dallas Bishop Dunne, Austin Brentwood Christian, Austin Hyde Park and Regents School of Austin.

The trips to the three Austin schools for Brook Hill and Grace are all more than 225 miles one way with the Regents School of Austin being more than 240 miles away.

“We just want to compete and have fun,” Brook Hill senior Luke McNeel said. “Those road trips will be fun. We will get to spend some more time with each other. We’re a really close group, so I think we all look forward to it, just competing, having fun in a new district, playing some new people and do the best we can.”

All Saints and Bishop Gorman are joining a district together and will be in TAPPS Division III District 2 with Dallas Christian, McKinney Christian, The Covenant School of Dallas and Dallas Shelton.

“It will be really fun, just more competition,” All Saints junior running back/defensive back Emerson Hadnot said. “It will be a good experience.”

“It will be awesome,” All Saints head football coach Kyle Freeman said. “We feel like we’ve got a good schedule. Of course when we get into district play, it’s going to be exciting, too. We’re hoping to have some good success before district so we can work out all of the kinks.”

“It’s going to be fun,” Bishop Gorman senior wide receiver David Phillips said. “It’s a fun rivalry. And it could be for a playoff spot, so that adds some juice to the game.”

So whether it’s a traditional rivalry like Longview vs. Tyler Legacy, Brook Hill vs. Grace Community or Bishop Gorman vs. All Saints or it’s a new matchup, there will be plenty of intriguing matchups for high school football fans in East Texas — both locally and miles away.