UIL experiences a big growth Spurt!

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UIL experiences a big growth spurt

Area adding four high schools; realignment puts Channelview in 5A

New district opponents, travel routes and postseason rivalries are on the horizon for Houston-area schools, courtesy of the University Interscholastic League's realignment figures released Thursday.

Also, enrollment numbers across the state skyrocketed over the past two years — particularly in the Austin, Dallas and Houston areas — with 21 new schools in the UIL.

Enrollment for Class 5A schools will begin at 1,985, up from the 1,925 mark established two years ago.

"That was a much larger growth than I expected," UIL athletic director Dr. Charles Breithaupt said. "And we're seeing that growth along (Austin and Dallas) and in the Houston area."

In the Houston area, 12 schools will change classifications in the fall — eight of which will move into larger classes — and four new schools will open.

Westbury, Klein Oak and Channelview will move up to 5A next school year. Although Klein Oak and Westbury are moving back up, it will be Channelview's first stint in 5A.

"We're excited about the move up," Channelview football coach John Launius said. "It will be a new look for this district for sure."

Channelview won't be the only newcomer competing in District 21-5A in the fall. Atascocita — Humble ISD's new high school — will open in August and play a varsity schedule. Baytown Lee, Baytown Sterling, Beaumont West Brook, Port Arthur Memorial, Humble and Kingwood round out the district.

"I think location-wise it works," Launius said. "We weren't sure what to expect because there are a lot of areas we could have been grouped with. But we're excited about this district and competing against those teams."

Houston Can Academy Hobby (2A), Katy Seven Lakes (4A) and Magnolia West (4A) are the other area schools playing a varsity schedule for the first time next season.

The Woodlands College Park and Morton Ranch, which competed in non-football varsity events this year, will play their first varsity football schedules in the fall.

The 2006-08 realignment helped alleviate travel concerns for some area schools.

The addition of Channelview and Atascocita to 21-5A (currently 22-5A) was good news for Spring ISD schools, which faced a nearly three-hour bus ride to Port Arthur Memorial during district play the past two years.

Thursday's realignment paired Spring schools with Klein ISD schools and Tomball to form District 16-5A.

Many believed Klein ISD and Conroe ISD would be grouped together, as both districts have four 5A schools.

Instead, 16-5A is a seven-team district, and Conroe ISD will join Lufkin and Magnolia in 15-5A as the area's only six-team 5A district.

Both districts will compete in Region II, and the rest of the Houston-area 5A schools will participate in Region III.

"I was a little surprised to not have us with the Klein schools and be in a six-team district," The Woodlands football coach Mark Schmid said. "So we kept Lufkin, which that's fine. If that's the only travel we do, then that's OK. We enjoy playing them. They bring a good dynamic to a game."

Though the Houston area is growing — two more new schools are set to open over the next two years — this year's realignment cut down the size of the area's districts.

For the past two seasons, there were four nine-team districts in the area, just one seven-team district (24-5A) and no six-team districts in 5A.

Beginning next year, Fort Bend ISD — which will change from District 20-5A to 23-5A in the fall — and HISD schools (moving from 21-5A to 20-5A) will be the only nine-team districts in the area.

For football, FBISD will be the only nine-team district since HISD's Lee does not play football.

The area also will have two seven-team districts and one six-team district.

Last year, the UIL voted to allow four teams to advance to the playoffs in Class 5A.

Advocates for the change argued that the population growth and addition of new schools would mean multiple nine- and 10-team districts in 5A.

Instead, no 10-team districts were formed, and only five nine-team districts will compete next year — just one more than the past two years.

"We were really pleased that we didn't have to make a bunch of nine- and 10-team districts," Breithaupt said. "It really worked out in the Houston area, which is where we thought we'd see the majority of those teams. So that was a good thing to keep them at seven or eight teams."

Only five Class 5A and 4A area districts will have the same number next season. Most area coaches seemed to welcome the change because new postseason rivalries and former heated matchups are expected.

"I didn't expect to change districts at all," Fort Bend ISD athletic director Keith Kilgore said. "We've been in 20-5A for years. But we'll be back with schools that we had good relationships with in the past that we haven't played in years."