Texas realignment: Why the fuss?

East Texas schools don't have it as bad as those in the west, but sometimes you'll see schools in New Caney playing district opponents way the hell out in Crosby or worse. Hell, Conroe schools had to freaking play Lufkin in district. WTF?

 

Did Fernando Valenzuela finally get the contract he wanted?

 

When I was in high school, the longest trip we had was 7 miles to downtown Seattle.
Texas is an insane, insane place.

Here is a fun fact box I saw online for District 2-5A (which includes schools from Amarillo, Lubbock, Odessa, Midland and San Angelo):

A Long, Long Road

Amarillo to Lubbock: 118 miles
Amarillo to Midland: 237 miles
Amarillo to Odessa: 258 miles
Amarillo to San Angelo: 300 miles
Lubbock to Midland: 117 miles
Lubbock to Odessa: 140 miles
Lubbock to San Angelo: 182 miles
Midland to Odessa: 22 miles
Midland to San Angelo: 111 miles
Odessa to San Angelo: 131 miles

Source: Rand McNally Road Atlas

 

I feel your pain. I was at the airport this morning at 8:30 a.m. to get a packet and do interviews. Now I'm at the office and just finished my second realignment story and still have to write a notes package. All of that would be fine, but I have to cover a basketball doubleheader starting at 6 p.m. as well.
Not a fun day.
Couldn't the UIL have released this on a Wednesday?

 

When I was a West Texas SE, this story was always huge. I enjoyed getting some great good-ol'-boy quotes from the coaches who would be faced with the longest drives.

I remember Presdio HS being truly fucked: 294 miles to district opponent Seminole, 261 miles to Greenwood. Fort Stockton, a measly 152 miles to the north, was Presidio's CLOSEST district opponent. Often, Presidio would play one of the Permian Basin schools twice at Fort Stockton rather than schedule a home-and-home. It's tough being a 3A high school where the sidewalk ends.

 

Presidio dropped to 2A in this realignment and is in a district with Alpine (86 miles), Crane (206 miles), Kermit (210 miles), Big Lake Reagan County (245 miles), Ozona (259 miles) and Sonora (294 miles!).

 

And a thousand margaritas and Carta Blancas are hoisted to the sky in gratitude. They'll be thrilled about the easy hour-and-a-half drive up to Alpine. The roasted chicken and tortillas from dinner will still be warm when they get home. I bet a lot of kids' grades get better, too.

 

The happiest man in Texas today is my publisher. Our longest trip in district got cut from 130 miles to about 35.

 

Oh, damn.

For those curious, the Little SWC is no more. Cooper falls to 4A, Abilene High sent to the Metroplex.

 

From Midland Reporter-Telegram:

 

that's kinda sad. the little swc was where legends were built.

 

so it really didn't change that much?