By Reyes Angeles.

The UIL announced district realignment for all programs on Feb. 1. No changes were announced for football in District 4-5A. Other sports will drop the four Lubbock schools from competition, and bring two Wichita Falls schools into the district, making a five-team district.

Non-football sports and programs like band and journalism will compete against Wylie, Abilene Cooper, Wichita Falls Memorial and Wichita Falls Legacy, dropping the Amarillo and Lubbock ISD schools from the line up. In the smaller district, four of the five teams will continue past district play.

“Some people are going to say, ‘I only have to knock out last place if we want to go to playoffs’, so some people probably won’t take it as serious as right now,” junior soccer defender Mason Murray said. “Winning district is the goal, so I think that’s a more reachable goal now.”

Few of the athletic teams have faced the Wichita Falls with statistics not so widely known.

“It’s kind of hard to predict how those games will go just because we’ve only had one game against the Wichita team,” Murray said. “Some of those groups will still see some of the same girls but they’re also the new girls.”

Many were expecting to perhaps face Aledo, Azle or White Settlement Brewer, so the five-school district came as a surprise.

“Some Lubbock teams are getting moved either up or down,” sophomore track runner Jocelyn Smith said. “They’re one of our biggest competitions, so it might make it easier or harder, depending on who they bring in.”

Though the travel will be less in the new district, the scheduling will pose challenges.

“The Wichita Falls schools with the realignments have the all sports having to schedule more games because it’s just going to be a five team district with the all sports,” coach Mike Fullen said. “That’s probably the biggest effect is just having to schedule more games because you’ll have fewer teams in district games so you got to schedule more out of district games.”

This change could even have effects similar to that of the former UIL realignment leading to a boost but even renewed vitality.

“I think dropping down from 6A to 5A, especially for our girls, was a very big boost, and I think just confidence but also just competitiveness to where we’re seeing a lot more success,” coach Rosemary Martin said. “I think you’ll see more pride and more things that are taken within our girls’ program.”