JT44
01-31-2008, 08:19 AM
Some interesting games possible if Cuero doesn't get an 8 team district!
cuero finds scheduling and success don’t coincide
January 30, 2008 - 11:50 p.m.
Cuero fans love their Gobblers and they’ll travel great distances to support their football team.
But asking them to travel to Abilene or Temple for a non-district game might be a bit much.
Cuero athletic director and head football coach Mark Reeve hopes he doesn’t have to resort to such extreme measures but he won’t know for sure until the University Interscholastic League releases its biennial reclassification and realignment on Friday.
Schools aren’t allowed to sign contracts for games until the reclassification and realignment has been released but most athletic directors and football coaches have already lined up games for the next two years.
Reeve admits Cuero is a victim of its success. The Gobblers have been to the Class 3A semifinals three out of the last four years and teams aren’t exactly lining up to get on their schedule.
Reeve has gone so far as to advertise on the Texas High School Coaches Association Web site and other Internet sites. Reeve has gotten a chuckle from some of the responses but not many offers to play a game.
“There’s nothing you can do about it,” Reeve said. “It’s up to the coaches to decide who they want to play and why they want to play them. Our concern is to try and find somebody as close as possible. We don’t want to end up losing a home game by having to meet somebody halfway.”
Cuero traveled to Stafford, Liberty Hill and Bay City last season for non-district games and went to Sinton, Bandera and La Vernia in 2006. In the worst-case scenario for the next two seasons, the Gobblers could end up traveling to Corpus Christi to play Rio Hondo or Temple to play Prosper. Reeve has also had discussions with Snyder about playing games in Abilene and San Antonio.
“We’ve talked to most of the 4A teams in this area and we’ve talked to teams like Llano, Rockdale and Waco La Vega. We could also end up playing Wimberley or Liberty Hill, who are supposed to play each other but won’t if they’re in the same district.”
Wimberley went through a similar scenario last season and played non-district games against Abilene Wylie, Texarkana Liberty-Eylau and Houston Cypress Woods.
Reeve said Class 3A teams have been forced to increase their travel because of the last realignment where the UIL created a number of 3A districts with four or five teams, leaving them with more non-district games.
“We’re hoping they’ll put us in an eight-team district,” Reeve said. “We know if they do that, there may be one or more districts with no teams giving some teams a bye in the playoffs. I’d much rather have eight teams, even if you don’t play a bi-district game. The district race is supposed to be what it’s about. I think your most important games are always the ones you play against the schools in your district. The more you dilute that, the less exciting you make the district race.”
Reeve wants to do what gives his team the best chance to succeed, even if it means traveling. But he’s also conscious of the realities of operating under a budget, especially with gas prices at their current level.
“It always seems to work out and we’ve always seemed to find games,” Reeve said. “But it’s getting harder and harder. You’re getting to the point where athletics are not paying for themselves. If we treated this as a business, we’d have to go up on ticket prices. We can’t continue to add sports and do what we’re doing and losing money.”
Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com, or comment on this colu
cuero finds scheduling and success don’t coincide
January 30, 2008 - 11:50 p.m.
Cuero fans love their Gobblers and they’ll travel great distances to support their football team.
But asking them to travel to Abilene or Temple for a non-district game might be a bit much.
Cuero athletic director and head football coach Mark Reeve hopes he doesn’t have to resort to such extreme measures but he won’t know for sure until the University Interscholastic League releases its biennial reclassification and realignment on Friday.
Schools aren’t allowed to sign contracts for games until the reclassification and realignment has been released but most athletic directors and football coaches have already lined up games for the next two years.
Reeve admits Cuero is a victim of its success. The Gobblers have been to the Class 3A semifinals three out of the last four years and teams aren’t exactly lining up to get on their schedule.
Reeve has gone so far as to advertise on the Texas High School Coaches Association Web site and other Internet sites. Reeve has gotten a chuckle from some of the responses but not many offers to play a game.
“There’s nothing you can do about it,” Reeve said. “It’s up to the coaches to decide who they want to play and why they want to play them. Our concern is to try and find somebody as close as possible. We don’t want to end up losing a home game by having to meet somebody halfway.”
Cuero traveled to Stafford, Liberty Hill and Bay City last season for non-district games and went to Sinton, Bandera and La Vernia in 2006. In the worst-case scenario for the next two seasons, the Gobblers could end up traveling to Corpus Christi to play Rio Hondo or Temple to play Prosper. Reeve has also had discussions with Snyder about playing games in Abilene and San Antonio.
“We’ve talked to most of the 4A teams in this area and we’ve talked to teams like Llano, Rockdale and Waco La Vega. We could also end up playing Wimberley or Liberty Hill, who are supposed to play each other but won’t if they’re in the same district.”
Wimberley went through a similar scenario last season and played non-district games against Abilene Wylie, Texarkana Liberty-Eylau and Houston Cypress Woods.
Reeve said Class 3A teams have been forced to increase their travel because of the last realignment where the UIL created a number of 3A districts with four or five teams, leaving them with more non-district games.
“We’re hoping they’ll put us in an eight-team district,” Reeve said. “We know if they do that, there may be one or more districts with no teams giving some teams a bye in the playoffs. I’d much rather have eight teams, even if you don’t play a bi-district game. The district race is supposed to be what it’s about. I think your most important games are always the ones you play against the schools in your district. The more you dilute that, the less exciting you make the district race.”
Reeve wants to do what gives his team the best chance to succeed, even if it means traveling. But he’s also conscious of the realities of operating under a budget, especially with gas prices at their current level.
“It always seems to work out and we’ve always seemed to find games,” Reeve said. “But it’s getting harder and harder. You’re getting to the point where athletics are not paying for themselves. If we treated this as a business, we’d have to go up on ticket prices. We can’t continue to add sports and do what we’re doing and losing money.”
Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Victoria Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com, or comment on this colu