Article on new Baytown 4A

[BHFAN]

Third school could change dynamics

By Doyle Barlow

Baytown Sun

Published October 4, 2006

Football supremacy in Baytown will be on the line Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at Stallworth Stadium when Lee and Sterling square off for the 40th time. The winning school gets to claim the title as the best football team in the city, and even more importantly, gets a year’s worth of bragging rights over their crosstown rivals.

It’s a fact. If you win “The Game†you win a lot more than just a game.

But the battle for football supremacy in Baytown stands to look a whole lot different in a couple of years. That’s when Goose Creek ISD will open a third high school, and in so doing, change the dynamics of high school football.

What’s going to happen? Will the three schools all play each other? If Sterling stays in Class 5A and Lee drops to Class 4A, will the Ganders and Rangers never play? What’s going to happen with Baytown football?

The answer? According to Goose Creek athletic director Tom Ed Gooden, right now, there is no answer.

“Everything is still up in the air,†Gooden said. “Every since I’ve been here, I’ve heard rumors just like everybody else. I’ve heard Sterling is going to stay in 5A and Lee is going to be in 4A. I do know the new high school is being built to handle 1,800 students, and that’s a 4A school.â€

Gooden said the main thing would be how the students who don’t go to the new high school are divided. If they are divided equally, there could still possibly be enough to make both of those 5A schools, although most early reports say Sterling will get a bigger percentage of the kids than Lee, which is at capacity now.

“Where do you put the other students?†Gooden said. “How do you balance that? You still have to figure out what’s best for all the students in Goose Creek.â€

But even if one of the schools is in 5A and two are in 4A, that doesn’t mean they can’t play each other in football. It’s not unusual for 4A and 5A schools to face off, and in fact, Lee opened their season against Class 4A Beaumont Central this year.

“It would be hard to take a matchup like Lee and Sterling away,†Gooden said. “Class 4A plays 5A, it happens all the time and I’m not opposed to it.

“That’s not a decision the A.D. makes. That’s something that the community has a lot of say in and I can’t see Lee-Sterling week or Sterling-Lee week going away.â€

Of course, Gooden also wants to see the new high school in the mix.

“I would hope that the new school would grow and progress to where they could compete with the other two,†he said. “People in Baytown need to be supportive of all the schools except for that one week when they play each other.â€

But that’s all a couple of years down the road. Right now, Gooden is just looking forward to Friday night at Stallworth Stadium.

“I’m real excited about Friday night. It should be an interesting game,†Gooden said. “There’s a lot of distractions and it’s one of those games that’s a lot more fun for the community and the kids than the coaches. It ought to be fun.â€

[gary-us-bonds]

Just wondering how the new district will look once Lee goes down to 4A. Looks like 2008 will be the year? Barbers Hill, Lee and the new high school will all be 4A. I guess Lee will be put in the golden triangle district again, just like they are now. I almost wish the new school would go 5A, so that I could root for them. I can't root for them if they are in the same district as Lee.

[BHFAN]

Just wondering how the new district will look once Lee goes down to 4A. Looks like 2008 will be the year? Barbers Hill' date=' Lee and the new high school will all be 4A. I guess Lee will be put in the golden triangle district again, just like they are now. I almost wish the new school would go 5A, so that I could root for them. I can't root for them if they are in the same district as Lee.[/quote']

I think BH would go East before Baytown Lee or the new school. Atleast the reason that Dayton was moved per the UIL was because they were closer than BH. In 2008 their will be 11 schools that are in 4A this side of the Trinty. below are some things that could happen IMHO.

Barbers Hil - Could go East or stay

Huffman - Could go North or stay

New Caney - Could go North or stay or go to 5A

Forest Brook- Stay where they are at

Crosby - Stay where they are at

CE King - Stay where they are at

Galena Park -Stay where they are at

Smiley - Stay where they are at

Baytown Lee - Merge with existing district

Baytown ??? - Merge with existing district

Dayton - Could go East or stay

What I would love to see is.

Dayton

Barbers Hill

Crosby

CE King

Galena Park

Baytown Lee

Baytown ???

Send Huffman & New Caney North and send Forest Brook and Smiley West to the Houston 4A District. For the UIL to send Forest Brook and Smiley west they would have to make the two 4A teams in the Houston district that have 3A numbers move down.

[MHS32]

Never Happen!!!!! The UIL gets one look at this and would see that it makes too much sense. They love to see the wheels on the bus go round and round. :shock:

[BHFAN]

Never Happen!!!!! The UIL gets one look at this and would see that it makes too much sense. They love to see the wheels on the bus go round and round. :shock:

I know ,but that would be an awesome district!! Every week would be a good one.

[Guest etbu]

Bh Fan thanks for the love by sending us north. What the rumor is down here is that they merge Forest Brook and Smiley into the Aldine district. Not only that but close Kashmere and Furr and send those kids to the new Wheatly campus that was just built.

[BHFAN]

I was wondering when you were going to comment Nothing but love brother just looking at options 8)

[Guest etbu]

Could be:

Huffman

New Caney

Willis

Livingston

Kingwood College Park

Boy that would be fun huh?

[BHFAN]

Just sorta seems like a one way street and I am in the wrong lane. Well with College Park opening in Kingwood how does this sound? Caney Creek' date=' College Park, Huntsville, Willis, and Huffman?[/quote']

Done! I'll call my buddies at the UIL and make it happen

I just want to get you out of our district before your son has a chance to beat us

[Guest etbu]

Dont try to make up Fan. LOL I will call you tonight with updates on our game along with a score from the New Caney and Smiley Route.