HARLINGEN — The UIL 2022-2024 reclassification and realignment creates new districts for Texas high school programs, and with it comes new obstacles and plenty of opportunity.
DISTRICTS 31-6A & 32-6A
Districts 31-6A and 32-6A will have new football champions next year with 2021 district title winners Edinburg Vela and Harlingen South dropping down to Class 5A Division I. Both districts also feature six teams.
Edinburg High, Edinburg Economedes, Edinburg North, La Joya High, Mission High and PSJA High make up the new 31-6A with the Bobcats and Eagles as the returning playoff teams from a season ago.
“It’s going to give our kids a lot of confidence in the offseason to prepare for what’s going to be a very competitive season. It’s going to be a district where I feel we have a good chance to do well and compete for a district title and playoff run,” Mission High football head coach Danny Longoria said.
Brownsville Hanna, Brownsville Rivera, Harlingen High, Los Fresnos, San Benito and Weslaco High will compete in 32-6A. The Cardinals, Falcons and Greyhounds are all coming off postseason appearances.
DISTRICT 15-5A DIVISION I
District 15-5A DI is the biggest of any in the Valley, featuring eight teams. Among those are Class 5A DI newcomers Edinburg Vela, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln and PSJA North
“Our 5A Division I is going to be a really tough district from top to bottom. It’s going to be real tough to even make the playoffs, let alone do some damage when you get there,” PSJA North football head coach Marcus Kaufmann said. “It’s a tough district. It’s going to be fun.”
Rio Grande City returns to the Valley after spending its previous two seasons as the lone RGV team in a district filled with San Antonio and Laredo opponents. They’ll join La Joya Palmview and McAllen ISD’s trio of schools in District 15-5A DI.
Five of the district’s eight teams are playoff qualifiers from a season ago, including a trio of third-round teams in the SaberCats, Raiders and Mustangs.
“I think it’s very competitive,” McAllen Memorial head coach Moses Patterson said. “Looking at it, there are some big teams there. … I think it’ll be very competitive. I’m looking forward to it. There is no sleeper game on there as far as district wise. I think it’s a good draw for us.”
DISTRICT 16-5A DIVISION I
Donna North and Harlingen South join the SaberCats, Huskies and Raiders in making the drop from Class 6A to Class 5A DI.
They’ll join Brownsville Lopez, Brownsville Pace, Brownsville Veterans, Donna High and Weslaco East in District 16-5A DI.
The Hawks and Chargers are the district’s only two teams to qualify for the postseason last year, with Harlingen South earning the District 32-6A title, while the Chargers finished third in District 16-5A DI.
DISTRICT 15-5A DIVISION II
In one of the biggest surprises of the morning, a pair of Coastal Bend schools will join four Valley programs in 2022.
Corpus Christi Flour Bluff and Gregory-Portland, which both advanced to the Region IV-5A DI finals a season ago, join Brownsville Porter, Edcouch-Elsa, Mercedes and Valley View in District 15-5A DII.
The addition of Coastal Bend teams presents challenges off the gridiron, with teams having to accommodate for travel to the Corpus Christi area for district games.
“COVID has changed the playing field,” Edcouch-Elsa head coach Christian Navarro said. “Having to deal with that and bussing, while ensuring you have the correct people working because as it is everybody has been affected. Travel has been a big deal. But, just like any other district, we’ll find a way.”
DISTRICT 16-5A DIVISION II
District 16-5A DII loses three teams from the past two seasons, dropping to six members for the next two years.
The district’s remaining members include Mission Veterans, PSJA Memorial, PSJA Southwest, Roma, Sharyland High and Sharyland Pioneer.
With a shorter district schedule, the room for error is small, Mission Veterans head coach David Gilpin said.
“I like the big districts because all year long it’s a battle,” Gilpin said. “You have more room for error in a big district. In a six-team district, if you take an unexpected loss or you take a loss in a toss-up game, it certainly hampers the chances at a district championship. … Those games will all be important.”
DISTRICT 16-4A DI
Hidalgo, Kingsville King, La Feria and Zapata are all holdovers from last year’s 16-4A DI but will see the addition of Alice, Corpus Christi Calallen and Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway to the mix.
DISTRICT 16-4A DII
All four of District 16-4A DII’s teams — Bishop, Port Isabel, Raymondville and Grulla — have already punched their tickets to the 2022 and 2023 playoffs thanks to the latest realignment.
DISTRICT 16-3A DI
Rio Hondo’s move from Class 4A to Class 3A Division I begins in District 16-3A DI along with Falfurrias, Lyford, Progreso, San Diego and Santa Gertrudis Academy.
DISTRICT 16-3A DII
The lone change to District 16-3A DII is the subtraction of Skidmore-Tynan and addition of George West, which joins Banquete, Hebbronville, Monte Alto, Odem, Santa Rosa and Taft.
DISTRICT 16-2A DI
District 16-2A Division I features the same five teams from last season — Ben Bolt Palito-Blanco, La Villa, Premont and Santa Maria — plus the addition of Freer.
The La Villa Cardinals will look to defend their 2021 District 16-2A DI title with Freer and Premont nipping at their heels.
UIL 2022-24 FOOTBALL REALIGNMENT & ENROLLMENT
DISTRICT 31-6A
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Edinburg Economedes 2,739 2,704
Edinburg High 2,565 2,438
Edinburg North 2,763 2,696
La Joya High 2,854 2,826
Mission High 2,339 2,325
PSJA High 2,463 2,453
DISTRICT 32-6A
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Brownsville Hanna 2,609 2,394
Brownsville Rivera 2,504 2,381
Harlingen High 3,134 2,684
Los Fresnos 3,313 3,199
San Benito 3,074 2,924
Weslaco High 2,651 2,641.5
DISTRICT 15-5A DIVISION I
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Edinburg Vela 2,301 2,191
La Joya Juarez-Lincoln 2,285 2,098
La Joya Palmview 2,195 2,188
McAllen High 2,201 2,222
McAllen Memorial 2,115 2202.5
McAllen Rowe 2,165 1,996
PSJA North 2,224 2,110
Rio Grande City 2,160 2,068
DISTRICT 16-5A DIVISION I
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Brownsville Lopez 2,055.5 1,934
Brownsville Pace 2,151 2,018
Brownsville Veterans 2,152 2,068
Donna High 2,172 2,099
Donna North 2,257 2,208.5
Harlingen South 2,328 2,105
Weslaco East 2,184 2,157.5
DISTRICT 15-5A DIVISION II
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Brownsville Porter 2,011.5 1,891
Edcouch-Elsa 1,467 1,320.5
Mercedes 1,503 1,461
Valley View 1,455 1,368
Corpus Christi Flour Bluff
Gregory-Portland
DISTRICT 16-5A DIVISION II
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Mission Veterans 1,874 1,905
PSJA Memorial 1,852.5 1,851
PSJA Southwest 1,837 1,724
Roma 1,772 1,768
Sharyland High 1,760 1,751
Sharyland Pioneer 1,756 1,613
DISTRICT 16-4A DIVISION I
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Hidalgo 1,089 1,064.5
La Feria 1,005 923
Alice
Corpus Christi Calallen
Kingsville King
Tuloso-Midway
Zapata
DISTRICT 16-4A DIVISION II
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Grulla 918 857
Port Isabel 675 594
Raymondville 590 553
Bishop
DISTRICT 16-3A DIVISION I
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Lyford 483 460
Progreso 501 465
Rio Hondo 555 515
Falfurrias
San Diego
Santa Gertrudis Academy
DISTRICT 16-3A DIVISION II
Team 2020-22 2022-24
Monte Alto 265 305
Santa Rosa 308 284
Banquete
George West
Hebbronville
Odem
Taft
DISTRICT 16-2A DIVISION I
Team 2020-22 2022-24
La Villa 184 186
Santa Maria 201 169
Ben Bolt Palito-Blanco
Freer
Premont
Riviera Kaufer
