Schedules shaken up once again

This morning, UIL released the new information for the district realignment. Every two years, the University Interscholastic League does this to keep each district fair, as schools fluctuate in attendance each and every year. The schools with the most students typically move up to 6A, a conference that schools with 2,150 students or more are found within. Wylie East falls in the second to largest conference, 5A. The conference is for schools with populations that range from 1,100 to 2,149, a sizeable gap.

We’ve been in Conference 5A for the last two years, in District 9-5A after moving up from Conference 4A. Their district of the last two years included rivalries with teams Lucas Lovejoy, Wylie, McKinney North and Prosper. Sherman, Denison and McKinney rounded out a competitive district in football, baseball, soccer and basketball. With Wylie and McKinney moving up to 6A, we knew a change would be forthcoming. One so large however, may have been unexpected.

In the school’s new district, 15-5A, only one team from previous years remains: Lovejoy. The new district brings old faces back to the forefront, including Royse City and Mesquite Poteet, a team that has knocked us out of the playoffs twice. We won against Mesquite Poteet for the first time in week two of this year, only to lose in a come from behind victory, 46-43, in a round two playoff area defeat.  Various other schools including Dallas Highland Park, a tough school in virtually every facet, West Mesquite, Forney and North Forney round out a tough district draw.

Across the highway, Wylie moved up to 6A after tipping the scale in student population. While the school’s district may be tough, Wylie found itself in a near impossibly tough district: Allen, Denton Guyer, Plano, Plano East, Plano West, McKinney and McKinney Boyd. McKinney is a familiar face, moving up with Wylie from District 9-5A to District 6-6A. The four largest schools in the state of Texas make this district their new home: Plano West, Plano, Allen and Plano East, in order from smallest to largest. The district features Allen, a team that holds the second-longest undefeated streak in the history of Texas high school football. Allen is coming off of its first loss in years, in the state semifinals against Austin Westlake. Plano West won the state championship in basketball a lone season ago. Denton Guyer won state in soccer two seasons ago. Guyer, Plano and McKinney Boyd are perennial powerhouses in most sports.

Stay tuned for the start of the 2016-2017 school year to see these new incredibly competitive districts in action.