By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
Del Rio is remaining in District 30-6A for two more years, but the district itself got a little smaller.
After UIL announced its biennial realignment Thursday morning, the Rams and Queens will continue to compete in the “Laredo” district along with Eagle Pass High, Laredo Alexander, Laredo LBJ, Laredo United and Laredo United South.
Leaving the district is Laredo Nixon. The Mustangs drop down to District 13-5A, Div. I due to their enrollment numbers. That district will feature nine teams including Castroville Medina Valley, Eagle Pass C.C. Winn, Laredo Cigarroa, Laredo Martin, Nixon, San Antonio Southside, San Antonio Southwest, South San Antonio and Southwest Legacy.
UIL released the enrollment numbers for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years in December. The cutoff for Class 6A was 2,225 students and above. For Class 5A, Division I, the enrollment numbers were 1,925 to 2,224 students.
Those numbers already gave Del Rio and the remaining 30-6A schools an indication they would lose Nixon. When informed Thursday morning that Nixon would be leaving 30-6A, San Felipe Del Rio CISD Athletic Director Frenchey McCrea Jr. said, “Yes, but I knew that.”
McCrea said he is glad Del Rio is staying in its current district as it provides an opportunity for success for Del Rio High’s young men and women.
“I think (realignment) went great. It keeps us in a very competitive district where I think each and every week we have the potential to win. We just want that ability to compete,” McCrea said.
The buzz around realignment was that Del Rio would be on the move or that at least one team from San Antonio would join 30-6A. McCrea said a return to San Antonio’s Northside district was a rumor he’d heard, but the growth of San Antonio brought a different set of surprises.
“You always hear rumors. For the first time in forever I thought we would return to the Northside district. I didn’t anticipate them sending more teams to the Northeast side. I was also surprised to see more six-team districts. Other places wound up with 10 teams. Those were unforeseen,” McCrea said.
Most of the scrambling done in Del Rio focused on football, but McCrea said the hardest part is over now and Del Rio’s coaches and athletes can focus on finishing up this school year before prepping for next school year.
“I feel less pressure now that realignment has been announced. It’s not easy. I wish (UIL) would let you know sooner but they make you wait. Now we can finish up our seasons and then start working on our district by-laws and be good for the next two years,” McCrea said.
The loss of Nixon means Del Rio will now have five non-district opponents in football instead of four.
Del Rio’s Bi-District playoff foes will still come out of District 29-6A, or the San Antonio Northside District. That will include Brennan, Harlan, Holmes, Jay, O’Connor, new school Sotomayor, Stevens, Taft and Warren.
Del Rio isn’t the only area high school that will see a change in its district football foes come the 2022-2023 school year.
Brackett High School drops from District 14-2A, Division I to District 15-2A, Division II. Gone is perennial state power Mason as well as Harper, Johnson City and Ozona. Joining Brackett will be Center Point, Charlotte, La Pryor, Sabinal, D’Hanis and Rocksprings.
In basketball, Brackett moves to District 30-2A along with Charlotte, Falls City, La Pryor, San Angelo Lee Academy, Sabinal, San Antonio Stacey and Stockdale.
In volleyball, Brackett will also continue in District 30-2A, but they will also compete against Center Point, Harper, La Pryor and Sabinal.
Comstock will compete in District 5-1A in volleyball against Iraan, Marathon and Rankin.
In basketball, Comstock will compete in District 10-1A along with Grandfalls-Royalty, Imperial Buena Vista, Iraan, Marathon, Rankin and Sanderson.
Schools can still appeal the realignment, but they have until Feb. 14 to do so.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
