Eagles, Eaglettes learn district fate
The waiting game for athletic directors and coaches came to an end Feb. 1 as the University Interscholastic League announcing which districts teams across the state will be calling home for the 2018-2020 athletic seasons.
In a previous press release, the UIL announced conference cutoff numbers for the 2018-2020 reclassification and realignment period as follows:
-6A: 2,190 and above
-5A: 1,150 – 2,189
-4A: 505 – 1,149
-3A: 222 – 504
-2A: 105 – 224
-1A: 104.9 and below
Football realignments were further broken down, with schools in classifications from 1A-5A being subdivided into either “large” or “small” school designations based on enrollment figures: 1A Division I (55.5 – 104.9 students), 1A Division II (55 and below), 2A Division I (161.5 – 224), 2A Division II (105 – 161.4), 3A Division I (335 – 504), 3A Division II (225 – 334), 4A Division I (790 – 1149), 4A Division II (505 – 789), Class 5A Division I (1840-2189), and Class 5A Division II (1150-1839).
The Canton Eagle football team was one of District 6-4A’s best teams over the past two seasons, reaching the playoffs in consecutive seasons while playing a slate that included Dallas Lincoln, Dallas Roosevelt, Emory Rains, Ferris and Wills Point.
The road will likely get tougher for the next two seasons with Canton finding itself in District 7-4A Division II alongside Brownsboro, Bullard, Rusk and Wills Point.
Longtime rival Wills Point will be the lone familiar face in district play for the Eagles after finishing each of the past two seasons as District 6-4A Division II champions.
Brownsboro, 5-6 last season with a bi-district round playoff appearance, and Bullard, 3-7 overall playing in the same district as eventual state champion Carthage, will each be dropping down from the UIL’s “large” school designation to the “small” school division.
Rusk posted the best overall record of any team in the new District 7-4A Division II during the 2017 season, reaching the Area round with a 9-3 record overall.
The top four finishers in the newly formed five team district will represent District 7-4A Division II in the bi-district round of the football playoffs.
In both volleyball and basketball, Canton will compete against Athens, Brownsboro, Mabank, Van and Wills Point in District 14-4A. Only Athens, which replaces Emory Rains, will be new in district play to Canton.
Other Van Zandt County athletic programs will be affected by redistricting and realignment as follows for each of the next two school years:
-Canton: The Canton Eagles will only have one district holdover once the 2018 and 2019 football seasons kick off with redistricting pushing the Eagles into District 7-4A Division II alongside Brownsboro, Bullard, Rusk and Wills Point. Canton will compete in District 14-4A against Athens, Brownsboro, Mabank, Van and Wills Point in both volleyball and basketball.
-Edgewood: The Edgewood Bulldogs will be competing against Blooming Grove, Buffalo, Dallas Gateway Charter Academy, Mildred, Palmer, Rice and Scurry-Rosser on the gridiron in District 7-3A Division II during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. In both basketball and volleyball, Edgewood will be paired with Alba-Golden, Grand Saline, Lone Oak, Mineola, Quitman and Rains in District 12-3A.
-Fruitvale: For the second consecutive redistricting and realignment cycle, the Fruitvale Bobcats will maintain their status as a six-man football team competing against Gilmer Union Hill, High Island and Laird Hill Leveretts Chapel in in District 10-1A. In volleyball, the Lady Cats will compete in District 18-2A against Como-Pickton, Cumby, Quinlan Boles, Sulphur Springs North Hopkins, Cumby Miller Grove and Yantis. In basketball, the Bobcats and Lady Cats will compete in District 23-1A against Cumby Miller Grove, Dodd City, Ector, Ladonia Fannindel, Roxton, Savoy and Yantis.
-Grand Saline: In one of the most puzzling decisions by the UIL, Grand Saline will be separated from chief rival once again during district play. Instead the Indian football team will compete in District 10-3A Division II alongside Alba-Golden, Arp, Big Sandy Harmony, Frankston, Quitman, Troup and Winona. In both basketball and volleyball, Grand Saline will be paired with Alba-Golden, Edgewood, Lone Oak, Mineola, Quitman and Rains in District 12-3A.
-Martins Mill: Martins Mill, the only county school without a football or volleyball team, will be competing against Campbell, Como-Pickton, Cumby, Quinlan Boles and Sulphur Springs North Hopkins in District 14-2A during the 2018-’19 and 2019-’20 seasons.
-Van: The Van Vandals received arguably the toughest draw of any county football team for the 2018 and 2019 seasons, being placed in District 10-4A Division I alongside Carthage, Henderson, Kilgore, Palestine and Tyler Chapel Hill. In both volleyball and basketball, Van will compete against Athens, Brownsboro, Canton, Mabank and Wills Point in District 14-4A.
-Wills Point: The Wills Point Tigers positioned themselves as the cream of the crop in District 6-4A over the past two seasons, going a perfect 10-0 overall with back-to-back district titles. The road will likely get tougher for the next two seasons with Wills Point finding itself in District 7-4A Division II alongside Brownsboro, Bullard, Canton and Rusk. In both volleyball and basketball, Wills Point will compete against Athens, Brownsboro, Canton, Mabank and Van in District 14-4A.
