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Brandeis, Clark to face NEISD schools in fall under UIL's biennial realignment

The University Interscholastic League reclassifies and realigns the state's public high schools according to enrollment every two years.

SAN ANTONIO — Brandeis and Clark high schools are on the move in the newly released realignment of the UIL's Class 6A.

The two Northside ISD schools will join the new District 28 containing the seven North East ISD schools. It's the biggest shakeup in the biennial reclassification and realignment of schools for football and basketball, which was released Monday morning.

"I think it gives us an opportunity to obviously play some different opponents, and give our kids some new scope in that," Brandeis football coach David Branscom said of the Broncos' move to a new district. "I think our kids will attack it positively. I think our kids will be excited. Anything new obviously is exciting to kids.

"We'll work through it. Our kids are good about attacking whatever it is, any new challenge, in front of them. We've got to work through the newness of it and make sure we put our kids in the best position to be successful, and that's what we'll do."

This marks the first time the Northside ISD schools have been split by the University Interscholastic League, which governs extracurricular activities in Texas public schools.

"We knew we were going to be split," O'Connor football coach David Malesky said. "We just didn't know how it was going to happen. Obviously, you have some possibilities, but you don't know who's going to fit in those possibilities."

Since the UIL released cutoff enrollment numbers for each of its six classifications last fall, coaches knew which class their schools would compete in for the next two years. But the alignment of the districts was still an unknown.

Nearly 200 coaches and athletic directors from the San Antonio area gathered at the Region 20 Education Service Center to pick up copies of the latest realignment. Guarded like a state secret by UIL officials, the copies were kept in sealed cardboard boxes until 9 a.m.

 

Within minutes after copies were passed out, coaches and athletic directors huddled to schedule nondistrict football opponents. When someone said they needed a “one,” a “two,” a “three,” etc., there were referring to Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, etc., of the season.

"It's like a game day," said Scott Lehnhoff, athletic director of the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD. "Butterflies. That kind of atmosphere. There's a lot of doubt, a lot of anticipation. It's fun. When you're sitting there without nondistrict games, it's a little bit nerve-racking."

The other nine Northside ISD schools, including Harlan, which has moved up from 5A, will compete as District 29, lining them up to play against teams from District 30 in the first round of the football playoffs. Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Laredo Alexander, Laredo Johnson, Laredo Nixon, Laredo United and Laredo United South comprise District 30-6A.

District 27, the San Antonio area's third 6A district, will have nine schools. Holdovers Steele, Smithson Valley, Judson, New Braunfels, East Central, and Clemens will be joined by Wagner and South San Antonio. District 27 will meet District 28 in the opening round of the postseason.

Other schools in District 28 besides Brandeis and Clark are Churchill, Johnson, LEE, MacArthur, Madison, Reagan and Roosevelt. 

"Brandeis is good," said Karen Funk, athletic director of the North East ISD. "We've seen them every year and our teams have played them competitively in preseason (nondistrict) in every sport. Clark the same way.

"We are looking forward to competing against them. I said several times today that Brandeis and Clark are going to make us better. They'll push and our teams will have to rise every night. You've got to bring your 'A' game."

Credit: Photo by Antonio Morano bit.ly/XR79FT / Special to KENS5.com
Rivals Churchill and Clark have met 39 times on the football field, including three playoff games, since the Gucci Bowl's first season in 1984.

With Churchill and Clark now in the same district, their traditional Gucci Bowl, traditionally played during the first week of the season, will be a district contest.

Northside ISD rivals Brandeis and O'Connor will continue to play in nondistrict, opening the season against each other next season, Branscom said.

"I think it's become one of the best rivalries in the state," Malesky said. "Wjhen you look at it and what it brings to the table. What better way to start the football season than a big game like that.

"Our kids knowing that our first game of the year is against their rival, that's going to add just a little bit extra to them getting ready. Not just now in the offseason, but in the summertime and when we start camp. Brandeis is going to be plenty good. We've always played some really good ballclubs in nondistrict because we believe that helps get us ready."

District 27-6A lost two schools, New Braunfels Canyon and San Marcos. Canyon dropped to 5A and San Marcos moved into District 26, which includes powerhouses Austin Lake Travis and Austin Westlake.

"Our first look was where we were at," Lehnhoff said. "The second look was did Northside and North East end up in a nine (nine-team district), because that was a worry for scheduling purposes. The third thing you're looking at is where are Westlake and Lake Travis. Let's see if we can avoid them in round one because that's always tough."

Travis and Westlake have dominated San Antonio-area teams in the playoffs since moving into Region IV two years ago.The two Austin schools remained in Region IV, but they moved to District 25 and will now play District 25 in the first round of the playoffs. District 25 is composed of Austin-area schools.

Credit: Photo by Antonio Morano bit.ly/XR79FT / Special to KENS5.com
L.J. Butler, who will be a senior at Judson this season, has been a standout on Wagner teams that have reached the Class 5A state semifinals twice.

Wagner returns to 6A and its former district after competing in 5A the past two years, and South San is moving from the predominantly North East ISD league.

"I think it's great for Wagner," Judson ISD athletic director Mike Miller said. "This is how the UIL realignment works. Sometimes by the luck of the draw, it becomes very advantageous for you. Sometimes you're in a more competitive district and then it's a challenge to you.

"The great thing about our (school) district is that we've got great coordinators. They accept whatever challenge is set before them, and they do a great job of competing wherever they're at. This is why athletics are so important, because they teach you the ups and downs of life, and how to overcome them."

Wagner had big success in the 5A ranks the last two seasons, reaching the Division I state semifinals both years and going 26-4.

"We're going to play no matter what class or district we're in," Thunderbirds football coach Charles Bruce said. "That new district can't define what we are today. Without that district, we don't evolve the way we have evolved. We're looking forward to it."

Veterans Memorial, which is in the Judson ISD with Judson and Wagner, remained in the 5A Division I ranks. The Patriots will be in District 12 with Buda Johnson, N.B. Canyon, Dripping Springs, Kyle Lehman, Harlandale, McCollum and Seguin.

District 13 will be made up of San Antonio ISD schools Brackenridge, Burbank, Edison, Highlands, Sam Houston, Jefferson, Kennedy, Lanier and Memorial.

Southside, Southwest and Southwest Legacy will compete in District 14 with Eagle Pass Winn, Laredo Cigarroa, Laredo Martin, and Rio Grande City.

In 5A Division II, Alamo Heights will be joined by Boerne Champion, Medina Valley, Floresville, Kerrville Tivy and Lockhart.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The offseason has taken on added significance for the Harlan High School football team this year.

Moving from Class 5A to 6A with the UIL's reclassification and realignment, Harlan players have been hard at work preparing for the step up in competition.

"We've turned it up a notch this offseason," Harlan coach Eddie Salas said Sunday. "It's been a little more intense. Our kids have known we're moving to 6A. We're no longer the new kids on the block. We're pretty established now and the kids are as well."

Harlan has an enrollment of 2,823, well above the minimum of 2,200 students for 6A.

"I think our kids are excited that they'll be playing in the largest class against some other schools from our district," Salas said. "They know some of the kids from the neighboring schools. With social media, they keep in touch with each other."

The University Interscholastic League, which governs extracurricular activities in the state's public schools, reclassifies and realigns schools according to enrollment every two years. District alignments in football and basketball for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years will be released by the UIL at 9 a.m. Monday.

"There's always a lot of anticipation for the UIL's realignment," Northside ISD athletic director Stan Laing said. "It's kind of like Christmas."

Credit: Photo by Antonio Morano bit.ly/XR79FT / Special to KENS5.com
Harlan quarterback Kannon Williams, No. 1, and running back Aubrey McDade helped lead the Hawks to the third round of the playoffs last season.

With Harlan jumping to 6A, all 11 NISD high schools that play football will be in the UIL's largest classification. The NISD schools will be split into two districts for the first time ever.

There has been strong speculation that some of the NISD schools will move into the same district with the seven North East ISD schools.

"Due to our growth -- we've already got another high school being built -- we knew that at some point this was going to happen," Laing said. "Being in two separate districts you can just imagine the extra scheduling that will go into planning to meet the needs of two districts versus one.

"We can speculate all we want, but the bottom line is that we'll just be prepared. But this is what I do know: Next fall, we will be competing against somebody. We'll plan accordingly. We're real excited for all our schools. I think it's going to be fun."

Harlan, the newest NISD high school, was a consistent winner in 5A Division I the past two seasons after opening in 2017. The Hawks, who played a JV schedule in their first year, went 20-5 in two varsity seasons.

Harlan won district last season and finished 12-1, losing a 48-46 heartbreaker to Wagner in the third round of the playoffs.

"They've done a phenomenal job at Harlan," Laing said. "They're ready. They're ready to take that next step. They'll be highly competitive at the 6A level. I'm really excited for them."

Harlan won't be the only area school playing in a different classification for at least the next two seasons. Wagner, which dropped to 5A in 2018, will return to 6A. The Thunderbirds will rejoin their former district, which includes sister Judson ISD school Judson.

Wagner had big success in the 5A ranks the last two seasons, reaching the 5A Division I state semifinals both years and going 26-4.

"What we talk about is that we've established the foundation of our program," Wagner coach Charles Bruce said. "We've got an identity on offense. We've got an identity on defense. We're comfortable no matter where we go."

Veterans Memorial, the third Judson ISD high school, will remain in 5A Division I.

New Braunfels Canyon, which competed in the same 6A district that included Judson, Smithson Valley, Steele and Clemens, will drop to 5A. 

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