The UIL realigned, schools, coaches, and high school sports fans alike found out their new district opponents for the next two years on Thursday morning.
As the winter storm raged through the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the regional meeting was canceled, the DFW area took to social media to give their instant hot takes on the newest realignment information. So, what are VYPE DFW's major takeaways from this realignment?
Highland Park rejoins 6A
The Scots are back in the 6A world where they have been given a district in which Highland Park just might have drawn the longest straw. The team will face off against a mostly Richardson ISD lineup including Richardson, Berkner, Pearce, Lake Highlands, and more. With their first time back in 6A since the 2014-2016 realignment, the Scots are facing off against teams that they will likely have no trouble plowing over en route to playoffs.
Interesting takeaway with Highland Park's movement: since they are in a district of nine, the Scots had to drop two non-district games. Highland Park will play Flower Mound Marcus and Lewisville in their only non-district matchups.
Aledo joins Denton Ryan in District 3-5A Division I
In one of the most interesting realignments that not many saw coming, 10-time state champion Aledo will join a district with 2020 state champion Denton Ryan. Also joining the district are Burleson Centennial, Azle, Fort Worth Brewer, Justin Northwest, Saginaw, and The Colony.
This district should prove to have many great physical matchups throughout the 2022 season- especially when it comes down to Aledo facing off against Denton Ryan. Fans can expect a strong rivalry coming out of this district.
Get Ready To Travel
While heading to away games has long been a fun experience for high school teams, the 2022-2024 realignment is looking at some of the longest roundtrip experiences that we have seen. One of the most notable districts with a wide gap for travel in the upcoming season is one in which Lancaster, Lufkin, Tyler, and Longview join the DFW-area.
Forney, North Mesquite, and West Mesquite will be able to make easier round trips than McKinney North, but District 7-5A Division I will show north and east Texas a whole lot of each other.
Consistency is Key
Though there is movement that is enough to make you stop, look, and speculate, there aren't a lot of major changes throughout the DFW area. Realignments will show some of the top dogs a new schedule to look forward to, but overall it's a time to look at your new opponents and get ready for battle. It's nice to see a little bit of consistency throughout change.