Start budgeting now for UIL non-district football encounters

[KFDM COOP]

Start budgeting now for UIL non-district football encounters
Van Wade
The Orange Leader

The realignment cloud has settled.

No real major changes for our local districts with the exception of Deweyville, but there are still plenty of questions I have for the University Interscholastic League and football programs around the area as well.

Of course, in District 20-4A most schools are still upset that the Livingston Lions are still in the loop.

There’s nothing like traveling from Little Cypress-Mauriceville to Livingston on a basketball or baseball Tuesday night.

Many thought Livingston would move back towards the district they played in before that included the likes of New Caney and Huntsville. But all of a sudden there’s a couple new 4A schools in New Caney Porter and Humble Summer Creek. That district has eight teams.

The Lions couldn’t have shifted to 19-4A because Baytown Lee made that district an eight-team league by dropping down.

Unfortunately, the Lions were caught in that middle-ground trap. It’s a tough deal, but all eight 20-4A teams have grown accustomed to making those trips the last two years. We’ll see what happens in 2012.

In the new Class 3A breakdown, I really was stunned that Kirbyville moved back up to the 3A ranks.

The Wildcats had to have been one of the preseason favorites to win the Class 2A Division I football title next year after falling just short in title games the last two seasons.

If Kirbyville moved back up, I just knew that the Wildcats, along with Jasper, would return to the District 21-3A again like it was two years ago, re-joining Bridge City, Orangefield, West Orange-Stark, Silsbee, Hardin-Jefferson and Hamshire-Fannett.

Instead, Kirbyville and Jasper stayed north in District 18-3A, joining the likes of Center, Diboll, Huntington, Lufkin Hudson and Pollok Central.

The “kicker” there is that Hudson and Pollok Central don’t play football. That means just five teams in the football district with three, that’s right, three, making the playoffs. I’m sure all five of them have been having fun trying to find six non-district football games.

Good news for area football fans though, both Carthage and Gilmer, who both won 3A state football titles from Region III last year, have bolted to Region II. Both will be in District 16-3A. Talk about a rivalry starting up there.

I know the UIL was seeking more competitive balance in football in Class 2A but evidently travel plans were not involved.

It amazes me what the UIL does at times. Don’t even get me started on four teams making the playoffs in 5A and 4A and three in 3A on down. It ould be two, period.

Most of your 2A schools are the ones with a lot less cash flow. So, let’s make them travel all over the country. Just ask Deweyville ISD about that.

The Pirates will compete in the 2A Division II football bracket in District 10-2A against the likes of Corrigan-Camden, Groveton, Hemphill, New Waverly and San Augustine.

Deweyville’s closest district trip will be to Hemphill (90 miles) and its longest will be New Waverly (126 miles). Deweyville fans certainly remember a few years back when New Waverly was in their district before. Trust me, there will be a lot of Red Bull involved when it comes to Pirate fans.

I can just hear New Waverly fans griping right now how they have to travel all the way to the Sabine River for a game. Well, Bulldog fans, you can make a long night of it. Try out Delta Downs, it’s open 24-7.

At least the Pirates will remain somewhat close to home in all other sports in a District 24-2A that will still include the likes of Anahuac, Buna, Hardin, Kountze, Warren and East Chambers. Even though the long trip to Anahuac is no bargain.

The other fun item about realignment is talking to coaches as they get together their non-district football schedules.

Sure, we still see a lot of those old familiar games from the past and yet again, there are those things that simply don’t make sense.

Folks, the economy is not in a hurry to improve fast any time soon. Gas prices aren’t exactly low.

A lot of folks don’t have the extra cash flow to just hop in a car and haul their family to Katy, Texas City and Texarkana. How about those fans that have to be at work at 6 a.m. the next day?

Games that I’ve attended like that in the last several years, the crowds are about half of what they would be if the game was more local.

Our Orange County 3A and 4A schools shouldn’t have such names as Friendswood, Texas City, Crosby, Giddings or Texas High, even though I love Barry Norton, on their schedules.

It has to be an expensive venture. As tight as athletic budgets are these days, how much money you think they’ll clear playing in such far-away locations.

All we hear in the media all year long is how “strapped” most school districts are for money in Southeast Texas. Both LC-M and Nederland have turned away bond issues in recent years.

Then realignment comes and money must be popping up everywhere.

Me, I see big gates that could have been.

Here are a few interesting tilts that could have been and I’m talking major gate receipts involved.

How about Port Neches-Groves and Nederland both playing Port Arthur Memorial just like Beaumont Central and Beaumont Ozen always play Beaumont West Brook?

Instead of the three Port Arthur-area schools playing each other, Memorial is playing Pasadena South Houston and Aldine. Nederland has Goose Creek Memorial and Barbers Hill and PN-G has Gregory-Portland, Crosby and Texas City. Go figure!

Then there is maybe Vidor vs. West Orange-Stark or Vidor vs. Memorial or West Brook?

The Pirates are going to play Texas High out of Texarkana. I know WO-S and West Brook are top-notch programs but trust me, Texarkana is on that same level and maybe, arguably, even better. Pirates could get the same level of competition by staying close to home with a 20-mile trip to Orange and an even shorter trip to the West End of Beaumont.

[b]Folks, the Orange Bowl has been put to rest. That’s right, no LC-M vs. WO-S. That’s a game that always draws a tremendous gate. Guess WO-S can put away the trophy again for a few more years, maybe store it at the Godwin Auditorium and let it draw some dust.

So what if the Bears have only defeated the Mustangs twice in nearly 25 tries, LC-M should still play that game. Both fan bases love attending that game because there are so many families and friends involved in the whole deal.

I never see WO-S get upset when they fall to LC-M big in baseball, softball, golf, tennis or volleyball and they continue to play the Bears in those sports despite being in a lower UIL classification.
[/b]
Instead, let the Bears go to Goose Creek Memorial or Conroe on the same night the Mustangs are in Friendswood or playing Giddings in Katy.

Sometimes when you add 2 + 2 you get 5. Some things simply don’t add up.

Honestly, if I wasn’t a sports editor of if I didn’t have a kid playing, I wouldn’t be hauling it to Texas City via a ferry or Highway 146, or fighting the Katy Freeway or zipping to the Arkansas-Texas border to watch a non-district football game. Just wouldn’t happen. Most people I talk to feel the same exact way.

I know some schedules can’t be helped with some schools being in an eight-team league and some being in a six-team one. Some look for five non-district games while some seek three. But seriously, we can make it a lot more local and that makes for a better atmosphere all the way around, not just in the pocket book.

I know head coaches aren’t the only ones involved in the scheduling process. There are higher-ups on the school ladder that nip and tug as well and people need to understand that before they start chewing on the gentlemen that run their programs.

P.S. to LC-M, Vidor and WO-S: When I do go to these exotic destinations, think your school districts can pick up the tab. I’ll just charge .55 cents a mile and maybe a Burger King receipt or two. No, let’s make it Olive Garden! After all, ya'll seem to have a lot of extra cash flow floating around.
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[tupac7]

I dont know about LCM but I dont know that I have ever seen Van at a Vidor game anyway. 

[Tim Riggins]

Texas High will be some trip.  Vidor used to play the Longview Lobos and Marshall Mavericks back in the 70's, but this trip will be even farther.
Who else is on the Pirates' pre-district schedule?  (I know, not Crosby).

[piratefan]

Van,
  You might want to do your homework and see who Vidor TRIED to schedule. Instead of writing a story on something you dont have all the facts to..

[Tim Riggins]

[quote name="piratefan" post="755703" timestamp="1265403780"]
Van,
  You might want to do your homework and see who Vidor TRIED to schedule. Instead of writing a story on something you dont have all the facts to..


[/quote]
Who besides Crosby?  What other teams are scheduled besides Texarkana?

[piratefan]

Bridge City and Kirbyville

[piratefan]

My point is there was an attempt to get local teams. Vidor tried and had to go elsewhere. Last year they had a local  pre-season and got bashed for it. Now they attempt to get stronger teams,still can't and now has a person writing about how they are blowing money. I am sure Texas High wasn't on Vidor's top of the list.
Its not only pre season games, but also scrimmagges scheduled.
Also Vidor is a slot-t type of offense (95% run). Alot of teams don't want to play a team that runs something they will never see in there district.

[Tim Riggins]

OK, now maybe the jokes about the private schools scheduling will stop.  Texas High will  be a tough test.  And although BC and K'ville are 3A,  Kirbyville was a state finalist the past two years and BC is an up and coming team that the Pirates used to play regularly. 

[badndn]

[quote name="Tim Riggins" post="755712" timestamp="1265405620"]
OK, now maybe the jokes about the private schools scheduling will stop.  Texas High will  be a tough test.  And although BC and K'ville are 3A,  Kirbyville was a state finalist the past two years and BC is an up and coming team that the Pirates used to play regularly. 
[/quote]
I blasted Vidor for there previous non-districts and said they would have trouble against the top teams in the district because of it and they did. This years schedule is much better for them going into district, just not sure they will have the team to compete like last year?

[quote author=Tim Riggins link=topic=65671.msg755705#msg755705 date=1265404209]
[quote author=piratefan link=topic=65671.msg755703#msg755703 date=1265403780]
Van,
  You might want to do your homework and see who Vidor TRIED to schedule. Instead of writing a story on something you dont have all the facts to..
[/quote]
Who besides Crosby?  What other teams are scheduled besides Texarkana?
[/quote]
Again who else local besides Crosby did Vidor try to schedule? I assume the Texas High game was a scramble after the Crosby debacle.

[w/e2010]

[quote name="Tim Riggins" post="755701" timestamp="1265403169"]
Texas High will be some trip.  Vidor used to play the Longview Lobos and Marshall Mavericks back in the 70's, but this trip will be even farther.
Who else is on the Pirates' pre-district schedule?   (I know, not Crosby).
[/quote]
i think they are playing on an nuetral site. not saying they are
but that is what i read on the "post non-appoinents link"

[Tim Riggins]

Abe Martin Stadium in Lufkin would a good neutral site field.

[Tim Riggins]

badndn, you are probably right about this year's team.  '09 squad was senior laden.  QB is coming back and a few others.  Will most likely be heavily dependent on last year's JV who I believe was runnerup to your Indians in district.