|
|
|
||||||
|
| Springtown town to remain in 4A Wednesday, February 03, 2010 Mark K. Campbell
That wacky UIL. With rumors swirling that Springtown would drop the 3A – even an acclaimed prognosticating guru who seldom misses believed it would happen – the biennial University Interscholastic League’s realignment left the Porcupines in 4A.
In 5-4A to be exact.
Springtown will continue to see familiar foes Azle, Aledo, Boswell, Birdville, and Brewer. New to the district are first year schools Keller Timber Creek and Northwest Byron Nelson. Current 6-4A rivals Mineral Wells and Saginaw moved to 3A and 5A, respectively. SISD athletic director/head football coach Brad Turner said he was prepared for any scenario, 4A or 3A.
“It just proves that you never really know,” he said. “You have no idea what they are going to do.” Pros and cons Like every realignment, there are pros and cons to the new situation. One big plus is that bi-district opponents will now come from the new District 6-4A – all Fort Worth schools. That means easier bi-district games in many sports. “We always play for the district championship and winning in the playoffs. If we can position ourselves in the top of the district, we [now] have a better chance to get out of the first round,” Turner said. The new 5-A also allows Springtown to keep rivalries – old and newer. Aledo has joined Azle as one of SHS’ premier foes. An added plus is that the Battle for 199 – aka the Blacktop Battle – between Springtown and Azle football teams will now take place in the regular season finale. The Porcupines will host the Hornets in their fall brouhaha on Nov. 5 in a game that will not only be Senior Night for Springtown but could very likely have substantial playoff importance. Pencil that date in for sure. Yet another positive is that new schools usually mean victories for established programs, at least during novice schools first times out at the varsity level. So Springtown should be able to handle the Timber Creek Falcons and the Northwest Nelson Bobcats. On the downside, the new 5-4A remains strong in softball and baseball. “It’s tougher on our spring sports,” Turner noted. And there’s always the problem of having a perennial power in your district, Aledo. Turner said, “Aledo will be head and shoulders above everyone. But we’re familiar with everybody else and we have some good rivalries.” Divvying up the state Advance pondering had Springtown – and Stephenville which was also a surprise in its stay in 4A – dropping to 3A because the dividing line based on school enrollment looked like it could be high. But it wasn’t. Springtown submitted enrollment numbers from October 2009 of 1031 and the UIL drew the 4A line at 990-2064; SHS ended up 41 students from 3A. “We almost certainly are one of the smallest 4As in the state and in our district,” Turner said. That means all Springtown playoff appearances will be Division II or “Small School.” The every other year realignment does not affect every sport; some districts, like for soccer and wrestling, are determined at a later date. Northwest will be the district chair, Turner said. Football 2010 When realignment came out Feb. 1 at 9 a.m., coaches began scrambling to fill schedules. In football, Turner said he had Fort Worth Eastern Hills lined up if necessary. But the new District 6-4A is jammed with all Cowtown schools, 10 of them. So that game didn’t work out. Turner set a quartet of non-district foes for the next two years: Decatur (scrimmages), Frisco Heritage (a new school), Alvarado, and Bridgeport. One of those games will most likely be SHS’ Homecoming foe, the AD said. After an open date, the Porcupines’ 5-4A 2010 clashes are locked in: •at Brewer •Aledo •Boswell •at Birdville (possibly a non-Friday game) •Timber Creek •at Northwest Nelson •Azle Now that the mystery of the UIL decisions is over, schools can begin to focus on the future – at least until February of 2012 when it all comes round again. |
