There were a few surprises for Permian Basin football teams from Thursday’s Universal Interscholastic League realignment for 2024-26.
District 2-6A saw no changes as Permian, Odessa High, Wolfforth Frenship, Midland Legacy, Midland High and San Angelo Central will all be back for the next two years.
However, one Odessa school was taken by surprised from the alignment.
Compass Academy will be in a six-team district for the next two years in football as the Cougars were grouped with Coahoma, Merkel, San Angelo Grape Creek, Stanton and Wall.
“You see a district that you’ve been in for the last couple of years and then all of a sudden, they flip you into a new one and you’re just like ‘wow, I did not see that one coming,’” Compass Academy Athletic Director and head football coach Floyd White said.
Compass Academy is in District 4-3A, Div. II, which is the largest football district the Cougars have been placed in since their first varsity season in 2020.
“It’s a heck of a district with a lot of guys that are good,” White said. “What it’s going to make us do is continue to make us continue to grow and challenge us just like when we were with Alpine, Crane and Tornillo. It’s just a new challenge with new people.”
The last two years, the Cougars were guaranteed a playoff spot in football, being in a four-team district from the 2022-24 alignment.
That won’t be the case this time around, but White isn’t concerned.
“With us, we never worried about having a guaranteed playoff spot,” White said. “What we worry about each year is just getting better every day and getting our kids to where they can compete at the highest level. We now feel like we’re in a position to where we can compete with those guys. We’re not worried about any of our opponents at all.”
The Kermit football team has qualified for the state playoffs for the next two years as the Yellow Jackets were placed in a four-team district in 2-3A Div. I.
Kermit was paired up with Brownfield, Denver City and Lamesa.
“It’s kind of what we figured,” Kermit Athletic Director and head football coach John Fellows said. “We knew it could go one of three ways and that was one of the ways we figured would happen. We’re the last division I-3A team out west so we’re going to have to go east but it’s what we figured would happen.”
Kermit is the only Permian Basin 3A school that is in Division I.
District 4-2A Div. II will see the return of Van Horn as the Eagles had spent the last four years playing at the six-man level.
Along with Van Horn, 4-2A Div. II will also include Eldorado, Iraan, McCamey, Sterling City and Wink.
“I’m really excited about where we landed,” Wink Athletic Director and head football coach Brian Gibson said. “I was hoping to keep the district as was … It’s nice to have Van Horn in there. We’re excited to keep playing some of the same games we have for the last couple of years. It intensifies those rivalries. I’m excited to keep those going.”
District 3-3A Div. II will feature Alpine, Anthony, Crane and Tornillo.
District 1-4A Div. II will feature Fort Stockton, Midland Greenwood, Monahans, Seminole and Snyder.
Andrews will be in a four-team district, being paired up with Big Spring, Pecos and San Angelo Lake View in 3-4A Div. I.
At the six-man level, Marfa, Rankin and Imperial Buena Vista were paired up with Garden City and Lenorah Grady in District 4-1A Div. I while Balmorhea, Fort Davis, Grandfalls-Royalty, Sanderson and Sierra Blanca are in District 5-1A Div. II.
