UIL realignment, conference cutoffs set to cause Panhandle district changes

Staff Reports
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Palo Duro Don’s Tre’sean Monroe runs the ball during a game against the Borger Bulldogs on Thursday, September 16, 2021 at Dick Bivins Stadium in Amarillo, TX.
Palo Duro Don’s Tre’sean Monroe runs the ball during a game against the Borger Bulldogs on Thursday, September 16, 2021 at Dick Bivins Stadium in Amarillo, TX.

The UIL released its newest conference cutoff numbers for the upcoming class realignment in February.

The numbers caused several potential moves to Texas Panhandle high schools, which are broken down class-by-class along with the newest cutoff numbers below.

The UIL's bi-annual realignment is set for Feb. 3, 2022, per a news release.

CLASS 5A DIVISION I (1,925 - 2,224)

There will be three teams in Tascosa (2,185), Amarillo High (2,173), and Caprock (2,108) to maintain their spot in Class 5A Division I when the bi-annual realignment occurs in a couple of months.

Palo Duro (1,888) missed the cut by 37 students and will therefore make the move down to Class 5A Division II.

CLASS 5A DIVISION II (1,300 - 1,924)

Palo Duro will be the lone Class 5A Division II program in the region which will make for an interesting new district filled with a handful of new rivals.

CLASS 4A DIVISION I (880 - 1,299)

There will be five programs from the region in this Class as Dumas (1,178), Randall (1,173), Hereford (1,152), Canyon (1,107), and Pampa (1,035).

Randall makes the move down after spending years competing in District 3-5A Division II.

CLASS 4A DIVISION II (545 - 879)

There will be three local 4A D-II programs this upcoming school year with Canyon ISD's new school West Plains (863) joining Borger (792) and Perryton (652).

CLASS 3A DIVISION I (360 - 544)

The four programs that were previously in Class 3A Division I will stay there with the upcoming realignment.

Bushland (507), Dalhart (458), River Road (449) and Muleshoe (370) will all be district rivals once again next year.

CLASS 3A DIVISION II (250 - 359)

Six of the seven members of District 3-3A Division II will return to play in the same conference again next year.

Dimmitt (323), Tulia (297), Childress (294), Friona (285), Canadian (280) and Spearman (256) each made the cut for realignment while Highland Park (244) falls down to 2A D-I.

CLASS 2A DIVISION I (165.5 - 249)

Highland Park will join Sanford-Fritch (215), Panhandle (180), West Texas High (178), Stratford (176), Farwell (167) and Olton (167) in their new conference.

Stratford makes the move up from Class 2A Division II to Division I.

CLASS 2A DIVISION II (105 - 165.4)

There will be a total of 11 Class 2A Division II programs next year.

Gruver (159), Sunray (154), Wellington (152), Memphis (140), Clarendon (140), Bovina (128), Vega (127), Wheeler (125), Shamrock (115), Booker (106), and Boys Ranch (104, opting up) will comprise the teams from Panhandle region in this conference.

CLASS 1A DIVISION I (59.5 - 104.9)

The trio of Wildorado (75), Miami (62) and Follett (60) will each make the move up to Division I.

They will join Happy (95), White Deer (94), Claude (92), Nazareth (72), Valley (69), and McLean (60) in a potential new district.

CLASS 1A DIVISION II (59.4 and below)

A handful of teams will make up Class 1A D-II in the region with Silverton (53), Groom (49), Darrouzett (43), Lefors (42) and Hedley (30) making up that group.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: UIL realignment: New conference cutoffs cause Texas Panhandle changes