UIL Shuffles Schools In This Year’s Realignment
The University Interscholastic League released its biennial realignment on Thursday, Feb. 1 and area teams find themselves set to face a number of new district opponents come the fall.
District of Doom Continues To Reign
In Class 6A, Duncanville, DeSoto, Cedar Hill, Waxahachie and Dallas Skyline will remain together in District 11. Newcomers to the league will be Lancaster, Mesquite and Mesquite Horn.
Labeled the District of Doom in the past, there seems to be no reason for the league to lose that nickname for at least the next two years.
DeSoto, which had enrollment numbers that qualified the school to drop to 5A, successfully petitioned the UIL to remain in 6A.
The Eagles are the two-time defending Division II state champions in football, the Lady Eagles have two state basketball championships in the past three seasons and the Duncanville Panthers are back-to-back Division I football champions.
Also, Duncanville has a long history of basketball success with its boys and girls teams. The Pantherettes have 11 state championships in their history and the Panthers have five officially after having to forfeit the 2022 title because of an ineligible player. In fact, were it not for that and the 2020 State Tournament being canceled because of COVID (the Panthers were in the field), they might have four consecutive titles.
Cedar Hill and Waxahachie are also known for deep playoff runs in several sports. Lancaster, which moved up from 5A, reached the regional finals in 5A Division I football last season and has a long history of success in other sports, such as boys and girls basketball and track.
DISTRICT 8-6A
Grand Prairie and South Grand Prairie will see virtually no change in their district as they will remain with Arlington, Arlington Bowie, Arlington Sam Houston, Arlington Lamar and Arlington Martin.
New to the league will be Haltom City Haltom.
DISTRICT 3-6A
Mansfield, Mansfield Lake Ridge and Mansfield Legacy are leaving the District of Doom for what might be friendlier confines. Joining them in the new district will be Crowley, North Crowley, Boswell and Weatherford.
DISTRICT 7-5A DIVISION I FOOTBALL
Midlothian, Red Oak and Cleburne will remain in the same district. They will be joined by newcomers Burleson Centennial, Highland Park, Joshua, Tyler and Lufkin.
The district will feature some lengthy road trips. Tyler is more than two hours away from most of the other teams and Lufkin is around three hours away.
“Overall, we are pleased with our new realignment,” said Midlothian Athletic Director Todd York. “The all-sports district for volleyball, basketball, and all other sports, provides strong competition with a chance to advance in the playoffs. The football district for Heritage is also competitive and provides good matchups in the playoffs. Midlothian has to warm up the buses early for long road trips to Tyler and Lufkin, but we look forward to playing consistent powerhouses such as Highland Park, Centennial and Red Oak to name a few.”
DISTRICT 6-5A DIVISION II FOOTBALL
Midlothian Heritage will compete alongside Ennis, Corsicana, Crandall, Greenville, Mesquite Poteet and Terrell this coming season.
DISTRICT 3-5A DIVISION II FOOTBALL
Mansfield Summit and Mansfield Timberview will join Argyle, Arlington Seguin, Burleson, Colleyville Heritage, Everyman, Grapevine and The Colony.
DISTRICT 8-5A BASKETBALL/VOLLEYBALL
Summit and Timberview will be joined by Joshua, Arlington Seguin, Burleson, Burleson Centennial, Cleburne and Everman.
DISTRICT 15-5A BASKETBALL/VOLLEYBALL
Midlothian and Heritage will share the same district, as will Red Oak. Also in the league will be Corsicana, Crandall, Ennis, Kaufman and Terrell.
DISTRICT 8-4A DIVISION I FOOTBALL/11-4A BASKETBALL AND VOLLEYBALL
In a district featuring all Dallas schools, Wilmer-Hutchins will compete against Carter, Conrad, Kimball, Lincoln, Pinkston, Roosevelt and North Dallas. Unlike many other non-6A districts, the schools will stay together in basketball and volleyball.
DISTRICT 4-4A DIVISION II FOOTBALL
Venus will join Fort Worth Benbrook, Fort Worth Dunbar, Glen Rose, Godley and Hillsboro.
DISTRICT 12-4A BASKETBALL/VOLLEYBALL
Venus and Waxahachie Life will compete alongside Alvarado, Ferris, Godley, Hillsboro and Kennedale.
OTHER SPORTS
Alignments for other sports will be announced at a later date, the UIL stated.
All new alignments will begin competition in the fall and will remain intact through the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years.
