K-MAC Chuck
02-01-2010, 07:06 PM
Story from http://libertyhillsports.com
A heavy weight is now off the shoulder of LHHS Athletic Director/Coach Jerry Vance, Assistant A.D. Charles “Doc” Harrington and the rest of LHISD.
In fact, it took just a matter of minutes on Monday for that weight to disappear.
The University Interscholastic League (UIL) announced its realignment for the 2010-11 seasons Monday morning at 9 a.m. and Liberty Hill officials found out the school was placed in Region IV, District 25-3A.
Joining LHHS in 25-3A will be a couple of familiar foes – Burnet, Llano and Taylor – as well as a couple of new opponents (Lampasas and Salado).
The two “newbies” are new to Class 3A: Lampasas drops from 4A for this realignment while Salado moves up from Class 2A.
Vance – as most anyone who has 33-plus years experience with the UIL – had no expectations but was still surprised by the new arrangements.
“They surprised me today,” Vance said Monday morning over the phone. “I was surprised the low (enrollment) number (430) of 3A stayed the same and the top (enrollment) number increased by only 10 (989, as opposed to 979 in the last realignment in 2008).”
For the record, Liberty Hill’s “number” was 747, right in the middle of the current 3A alignment.
As for Liberty Hill’s move to Region IV, Vance chuckled – as would any head of a school that’s been now been a member of three of the four UIL regions (I, III and IV).
“Well, we aren’t a part of Region II (the Dallas-area region),” the 10-year LHHS AD stated with a smile. “Outside of that, we really didn’t know where the UIL would place us. I don’t guess anything surprises me with UIL anymore.”
As for the new District 25-3A (which begins play this fall with football, volleyball and cross country), Vance was both surprised and anxious.
“In following with the process of thinking,” Vance started, “it surprised me they (UIL) pulled Taylor over into our district. As for Lampasas and Salado, we thought they might be put in our new district depending on the (low) end of (the 3A) numbers.
“We’re not surprised with Burnet, although we thought if we ended up with Burnet and Lampasas we figured we might go north and be placed with the likes of China Sprng and Waco Connally.”
Vance added, “I really thought Llano would be placed in the district with Wimberley and Fredericksburg.”
As it turns out, Wimberley and Fredericksburg are potential bi-district playoff opponents for the Panthers and Lady Panthers. The Texans and Battlin’ Billies were placed in 26-3A along with CanyonLake, Boerne, Geronimo Navarro and Bandera. That district will add San Antonio Hawkins in basketball season.
“I’m excited about playing some new teams; I think that’s exciting,” Vance stated. “This realignment cuts our travel for football considerably; we don’t have to make the longer trips we made the past couple years. That’s a great thing with this, the timing and cut on travel expenses is most welcome.”
Looking into bi-district and area round playoff match-ups, Vance said: “We just travel to places we’ve been before (Bandera, CanyonLake, Wimberley, Fredericksburg) for bi-district. The area round will feature a game against the likes of Cuero and their bi-district match-up; that’s going to be pretty tough to face any of those.”
Another factor of the realignment is the end of the current five-team district in which Liberty Hill resides (8-3A, with Burnet, Llano, Austin Vandegrift and Leander Rouse).
“Without question, a six-team district set-up makes scheduling a lot easier,” Vance remarked. “I also assume our Junior High School will have teams to play (as opposed to now, with Vandegrift and Rouse without junior high school match-ups).”
So for the coach who has seen “most everything” from the UIL (including a mid-stream realignment by the UIL this past March), was there any other surprises?
“The UIL did fill up 32 districts like they said,” Vance stated with a smirk. “The numbers are the biggest surprise of all. The ‘high end’ number didn’t jump up over 1,000 like (most) expected.”
A heavy weight is now off the shoulder of LHHS Athletic Director/Coach Jerry Vance, Assistant A.D. Charles “Doc” Harrington and the rest of LHISD.
In fact, it took just a matter of minutes on Monday for that weight to disappear.
The University Interscholastic League (UIL) announced its realignment for the 2010-11 seasons Monday morning at 9 a.m. and Liberty Hill officials found out the school was placed in Region IV, District 25-3A.
Joining LHHS in 25-3A will be a couple of familiar foes – Burnet, Llano and Taylor – as well as a couple of new opponents (Lampasas and Salado).
The two “newbies” are new to Class 3A: Lampasas drops from 4A for this realignment while Salado moves up from Class 2A.
Vance – as most anyone who has 33-plus years experience with the UIL – had no expectations but was still surprised by the new arrangements.
“They surprised me today,” Vance said Monday morning over the phone. “I was surprised the low (enrollment) number (430) of 3A stayed the same and the top (enrollment) number increased by only 10 (989, as opposed to 979 in the last realignment in 2008).”
For the record, Liberty Hill’s “number” was 747, right in the middle of the current 3A alignment.
As for Liberty Hill’s move to Region IV, Vance chuckled – as would any head of a school that’s been now been a member of three of the four UIL regions (I, III and IV).
“Well, we aren’t a part of Region II (the Dallas-area region),” the 10-year LHHS AD stated with a smile. “Outside of that, we really didn’t know where the UIL would place us. I don’t guess anything surprises me with UIL anymore.”
As for the new District 25-3A (which begins play this fall with football, volleyball and cross country), Vance was both surprised and anxious.
“In following with the process of thinking,” Vance started, “it surprised me they (UIL) pulled Taylor over into our district. As for Lampasas and Salado, we thought they might be put in our new district depending on the (low) end of (the 3A) numbers.
“We’re not surprised with Burnet, although we thought if we ended up with Burnet and Lampasas we figured we might go north and be placed with the likes of China Sprng and Waco Connally.”
Vance added, “I really thought Llano would be placed in the district with Wimberley and Fredericksburg.”
As it turns out, Wimberley and Fredericksburg are potential bi-district playoff opponents for the Panthers and Lady Panthers. The Texans and Battlin’ Billies were placed in 26-3A along with CanyonLake, Boerne, Geronimo Navarro and Bandera. That district will add San Antonio Hawkins in basketball season.
“I’m excited about playing some new teams; I think that’s exciting,” Vance stated. “This realignment cuts our travel for football considerably; we don’t have to make the longer trips we made the past couple years. That’s a great thing with this, the timing and cut on travel expenses is most welcome.”
Looking into bi-district and area round playoff match-ups, Vance said: “We just travel to places we’ve been before (Bandera, CanyonLake, Wimberley, Fredericksburg) for bi-district. The area round will feature a game against the likes of Cuero and their bi-district match-up; that’s going to be pretty tough to face any of those.”
Another factor of the realignment is the end of the current five-team district in which Liberty Hill resides (8-3A, with Burnet, Llano, Austin Vandegrift and Leander Rouse).
“Without question, a six-team district set-up makes scheduling a lot easier,” Vance remarked. “I also assume our Junior High School will have teams to play (as opposed to now, with Vandegrift and Rouse without junior high school match-ups).”
So for the coach who has seen “most everything” from the UIL (including a mid-stream realignment by the UIL this past March), was there any other surprises?
“The UIL did fill up 32 districts like they said,” Vance stated with a smirk. “The numbers are the biggest surprise of all. The ‘high end’ number didn’t jump up over 1,000 like (most) expected.”