UIL announces new districts
BY LELAND ACKER

The Rusk Eagles gain a new opponent as the UIL announced the results of its bi-annual realignment Friday. The Jasper Bulldogs join the ranks of Rusk, Carthage, Center, Diboll, Huntington, Hudson (no football) and Central (no football) in the newly aligned District 18- 3A. Crockett moved west into District 20-3A which includes Athens, Brownsboro, Fairfield, Palestine and Westwood.

"It's not a big change," said Eagle Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Wayne Mahaffey. "We lose a good team and gain a good team."

Coach Mahaffey said the move will moderately affect the non-football sports.

"In basketball, it may be to our advantage, but in baseball it makes the district competition extremely vicious," he said.

The new district will contain the past two state champions in baseball, Carthage and Jasper.

"You can go 8-6 in district and still finish fourth," he said. "In softball, it doesn't change much. The district is already tough, but Jasper is better than Crockett."

Oakwood dropped out of District 20-A as the Panthers have elected to play six-man football.

Joining Alto's district will be the Overton Mustangs and the Price-Carlisle Indians. Other teams in District 20-A are: Cayuga, Cushing, Grapeland and Cross Roads.

Jacksonville's brutal sevenweek district season has been shortened to five weeks as former class 5A powerhouse Marshall and Hallsville move north into District 13-4A.

The Indians have been placed in District 14-4A with Henderson, Kilgore, Lindale, Nacogdoches and Whitehouse.

The new districts take effect at the beginning of the 2008- 09 school year.