AUSTIN, Texas — Ten days before Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matt Stafford plays in Super Bowl LVI, his Highland Park High School alma mater makes the jump to Class 6A in Texas HS football.
The University Interscholastic League (UIL) revealed on Thursday morning its new classifications and districts for the next two of high school athletics.
Among the notable moves? The Scots will now play in 6A District 7 with Dallas Jesuit, Irving, Irving Nimitz, Irving MacArthur, Richardson, Berkner, Pearce and Lake Highlands. Also in Class 6A, Skyline joins the "District of Doom" featuring state powers Cedar Hill, Desoto and Duncanville.
Aledo vs. Denton Ryan
A big district matchup awaits in District 3-5A Division I, which now pits a pair of state powerhouses against each other in district play: Aledo and Denton Ryan.
In 2020, Aledo won the 5A Division II state championship -- the Bearcats' record 10th state title -- at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex.
That same weekend, Ryan won the 5A Division I state championship.
Aledo has won 103 straight district games dating back to October 2007. Their historic and remarkable win streak is now in jeopardy with the Red Raiders on the schedule for the next two years.
A Big Spread
Perhaps no more absurd a geographic stretch now exists in Texas high school football than the one boasted by the new District 7-5A Division I, which now includes McKinney North and Lufkin.
Lufkin is located 120 miles north of Houston. The distance from Lufkin to McKinney North? A full 210 miles.
Start the bake sales and fundraisers for gas money, folks!
(The other schools in 7-5A Div. I are Forney, Lancaster, Longview, North Mesquite, Tyler and West Mesquite.)
SOC's All-Dallas Docket
In 2021, South Oak Cliff became the first Dallas ISD school to win a football state championship since 1958.
In 2022 and 2023, the defending champs will compete in a District 6-5A Division II comprised of only DISD schools: Adamson, Conrad, Hillcrest, Jefferson, Kimball, Samuell, Seagoville, Spruce and Wilson.
Elsewhere in 5A Division II, Argyle and Melissa make the jump up from Class 4A.
Argyle joins District 3 with Carrollton Creekview, Denton, Frisco Emerson, Frisco Independence, Frisco Memorial and Lake Dallas.
Melissa, meanwhile, will face the likes of Crandall, Denison, Greenville, Lucas Lovejoy, Mesquite Poteet, Princeton and Terrell in District 7.
