Pearland back in with CCISD schools
By L. Scott Hainline
Chronicle correspondent
Pearland is back in District 24-5A with the Clear Creek ISD schools and other familiar foes, while 24-4A has a new look that includes the Ball Tornadoes.
Pearland, which has consistently been realigned between 24-5A and the Pasadena district (22-5A), will compete in 24-5A with Clear Springs, Clear Creek, Clear Lake, Clear Brook, Dickinson, Alvin and Brazoswood over the next two school years (2010-11 and 2011-12).
We were ping-pong balled back into the Clear Creek district, and it's going to be fun," Pearland football coach Tony Heath said. We know the coaches and a lot of players at those schools, and we're looking forward to going up against them.
My preference was to be in an eight-team district wherever it might be because it makes it easier on scheduling, so here we go."
Heath has penciled in Hightower for preseason scrimmages, and Madison, Kempner and Spring Branch Memorial as non-district football opponents over the next two seasons.
In district, it's going to be a little less travel, except for Brazoswood (in Lake Jackson)," Heath said.
As expected, former 24-5A member Ball dropped a classification and will face Manvel, Friendswood, Dawson, La Marque, Texas City and Santa Fe in a new-look 24-4A lineup.
The seven-team membership means 24-4A teams will have open dates during district play unless those byes can be filled with non-district opponents.
We're kind of jumping from the frying pan into the fire," Ball football coach David Suggs said. But the good thing is the level of competition is going to be the same in football, and that's what you want, and we got it.
It's going to be the old Black-and-Blue' division again."
Suggs has tentative scrimmages with Bush and Humble, and non-distrit games against Wheatley, Atascocita, Beaumont Central and Lamar Consolidated lined up for 2010 and 2011.
Population wise, the new district gives us a little better chance to compete with the same depth levels," Suggs said. The last couple of seasons, we've suited up 34 or 35 players, and we look across the field and the other district teams have 60-plus, and that makes a big difference."
Despite the disparity, Ball reached the Class 5A football playoffs in 2009, and Ball boys basketball has a comfortable lead in 24-5A.
Hitchcock football was placed in District 14-2A Division I with Altair Rice Consolidated, Edna, Hallettsville, Hempstead, Van Vleck and Vanderbilt Industrial.
In basketball, Hitchcock will go in District 25-2A against Danbury, three Houston Yes Prep schools (East End, Southeast and Southwest), and Katy Nelms.
The new lineups were determined when the UIL released its biennial reclassification and realignment on Monday.
