Every two years, the world of high school football seems to spin a little slower as fans anxiously await the University Interscholastic League district realignment announcement.
The wait is over.
With the addition of the new 6A, many Texas schools have seen some significant changes to their district alignments, while future competitors for the Nacogdoches Dragons remain relatively unchanged.
Although the Dragons moved up to 5A, the new District 16-5A looks a lot like the old District 16-4A.
The realigned district includes Corsicana, Ennis, Jacksonville, Lindale, Lufkin, Nacogdoches, John Tyler, and Whitehouse.
The realignment gives the district eight teams, where it previously had only six, and keeps the same number of eligible playoff spots.
“There’s a lot of familiarity here,” said Nacogdoches ISD athletic director Farshid Niroumand. “There are also a lot of quality teams.”
Looking ahead to football season, district 16-5A added two regular playoff contenders — the longtime rival Lufkin Panthers and the Ennis Lions.
The Lions went undefeated into the 2013-14 state semi-final game, which should make the upcoming battle for postseason slots even more competitive.
Monday’s realignment announcement applied to high school basketball and football.
Alignments for other sports will be released in the coming weeks, according to the University Interscholastic League Website.
