Return to District 3-5 Yay!

2010 UIL realignment
BY CRAIG CRAKER AND JOEL A. ERICKSON/Odessa American

The Little Southwest Conference is back.

Odessa High and Permian were returned into District 3-5A with Abilene High, Abilene Cooper, Midland High and Midland Lee for football when the UIL’s biennial realignment was released Monday across the state.

San Angelo Central will be in the district for all other sports as the schools return to the alignment used from 1998-2008 before getting changed for the last two school years.

“When you look at it, you can't believe it’s back to the old Little Southwest Conference,” ECISD athletic coordinator Todd Vesely said.

This UIL alignment will take effect for the 2010-11 school year and will also be used for the 2011-12 school year.

Because of the change, Odessa High and Permian had to scramble to pick up five non-district football games after only playing one the past two seasons.

As soon as the packet came out, Bronchos head coach Ron King whipped out his cell phone and started calling coaches around the state.

"We have our own problems trying to fill all of those open weeks right now," Vesely said. "But a smaller district greatly decreases the financial burden on our district."

The ECISD and Midland ISD schools have been aligned the last two years in District 2-5A with San Angelo Central, Amarillo High, Amarillo Tascosa, Lubbock High, Lubbock Monterey and Lubbock Coronado.

The new alignment will put the Amarillo ISD and Lubbock ISD schools in one district for most sports and will include Central for football, as was the case from 1998-2008.

In return for losing the northern schools, Permian and Odessa High get a gauntlet of a district football schedule that will feature three of the four playoff teams out of District 2-5A last season, the fifth-place finisher in Midland High and the defending Class 5A Division II state champ in Abilene High.

So even though there are less schools, making the playoffs is going to be as tough as ever.

"We've got the defending 5A state champ in our league, and they're talking repeat over there," Midland ISD athletic director Todd Howey said. "But that's what makes the Little Southwest great.”

Well it appears that Abilene Cooper was able to raise its enrollment and thus will reenter the ranks of 5A, making it possible for the reformation of Dsitrict 3-5A. This puts Cooper and State Champion Abilene High back in the same district with Midland High, Midland Lee, OHS and Permian.

While it was nice that OHS got to dominate a weaker 2-5A District last year, it will also be nice getting reacquainted with the Eagles and Cougars. My only wish is that in the next restructuring the UIL could find a way to return San Angelo to the District for football. Driving to Angelo for Zentner's and a Friday night game was also a favorite road trip of mine.