Classification numbers leave Memorial in 5A D-I; Nederland, PNG in 5A D-II
Published 11:43 am Wednesday, December 6, 2017
The University Interscholastic League on Wednesday released classification cutoff numbers for the 2018-20 alignment cycle.
Port Arthur Memorial, with 2,044 students, remains the high school with the largest enrollment in The News coverage area and second-largest in Jefferson County to West Brook (2,520). West Brook will remain in Class 6A, and Memorial will stay in 5A.
But Memorial, which dropped from 6A in 2016, will undergo a big change in district scheduling for the second time in as many years.
Class 5A will split into two divisions for regular-season play beginning next school year, and Memorial’s enrollment leaves the Titans as the only local football team in 5A Division I, which includes schools of 1,840 to 2,189 students.
Under the new regular-season football divisions, Nederland (1,546 students) and Port Neches-Groves (1,493) are classified as 5A Division II, meaning more than likely both schools will get to continue their Mid-County Madness rivalry within district play despite earlier talk of a potential division split between the two. Nederland played in the 5A Division I playoffs this season because it was one of the two biggest-enrollment schools to qualify out of District 22-5A (Memorial was the largest), and PNG competed in 5A Division II as one of the two smallest-enrollment qualifiers (Vidor being the other).
“I think Nederland and PNG will be together forever,” PNG coach Brandon Faircloth said.
Faircloth added he’s unsure whether the football game against Nederland will remain on Week 11. All district schools will have to draw for game dates at a meeting at the Aldine ISD on Feb. 1.
The numbers are based on enrollment figures submitted to the UIL on Oct. 27.
Nederland, PNG, Baytown Lee (1,553), Vidor (1,331), Beaumont Central (1,309) and Ozen (1,151.5) are classified as 5A Division II and are members of 22-5A in the current alignment cycle. However, the potential remains for a Central-Ozen merger, as Central sustained significant damage during Tropical Storm Harvey.
Ozen just avoided dropping to 4A by 2.5 students. Lumberton (1,125) and Livingston (1,078.5), two more 22-5A members, will drop to 4A Division I. District alignments for other activities will be released in order of seasons.
Many of the 22-5A schools likely will stick together in the same district when 2018-20 alignments for football and basketball are released Feb. 1.
Orangefield (499), which was in 4A Division II, will drop to 3A Division I, missing the 4A threshold by six students.
Little Cypress-Mauriceville (1,009) and Bridge City (791) will remain in 4A Division I for football, while West Orange-Stark will stay in 4A Division II by 77 students.
Sabine Pass will remain in 2A Division II with 138 students.
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I.C. Murrell: 549-8541. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews