Both Lehman and Hays will stay in District 27-4A when the UIL district realignment takes effect at the beginning of the 2012-13 school year. Hays and Lehman will lose Canyon and Smithson Valley, but add Boerne Champion, Kerrville Tivy and Seguin. Pictured is Hays’ All-District quarterback Caleb Kimbro, who will try to lead the Rebels back to the football playoffs again this fall. (Photo by Cyndy Slovak-Barton)
By JASON GORDON
Hays and Lehman’s district number will stay the same, but the teams included in District 27-4A will be a little different.
The University Interscholastic League (UIL) once again shook up the Texas High School athletic scene with its district and classification realignment that comes around every two years.
Both Hays and Lehman high schools will remain at the Class 4A level and stay in Region IV, but their new District 27-4A will add Boerne Champion, Kerrville Tivy and Seguin, while losing Canyon and Smithson Valley, which both moved up to Class 5A.
The new District 27-4A will look like this: Hays, Lehman, Boerne Champion, Kerrville Tivy, Lockhart, Alamo Heights, Clemens and Seguin.
Both Kerrville Tivy, which will have a new head football coach after Mark Smith recently left for Converse Judson, and Boerne Champion have had success in a number of sports over the past few years. Seguin is the only school out of the group that moved down from Class 5A to Class 4A during this realignment period.
Hays head football coach and athletic coordinator Blake Feldt said he’s looking forward to the new challenges across the board for all Rebel sports. “There’s no doubt about it, it’s a good district,” Feldt said. “There are a lot of similarities from the district we’re in now, but there are certainly some new challenges with Kerrville Tivy, Champion and Seguin. We’re fired up and ready to go.”
Michael Laney, Lehman’s head track and field coach and football offensive coordinator, feels the same way.
“I think we’re in a more competitive district top to bottom,” Laney said. “There’s not a Smithson Valley at the top that’s going to be favored in most sports. I think our kids are ready to compete and feel they can play with anyone now because of the recent success we’ve had in all sports.”
Hays and Lehman will also still matchup with District 28-4A in the bi-district (first round) of the playoffs.
District 28-4A includes San Antonio high schools Brennan, Brackenridge, Burbank, Edison, Highlands, Jefferson and Lanier. Also included in District 28-4A are two teams that won’t play football, Fox Tech and the San Antonio Women’s Leadership Academy.
Lehman and Hays have already lined up their three non-district football opponents for this fall. Lehman will play Round Rock Cedar Ridge, Elgin, and Anderson. The Lobos will scrimmage Wimberley and Canyon Lake High. Hays will play against San Antonio Burbank, Anderson and Leander Rouse. The Rebels will scrimmage only Canyon since Hays will be participating in a week of spring practice this year.
The highly-anticipated rematch between Hays and Lehman on the football field, won in dramatic fashion 28-27 by the Rebels last season, will take place Sept. 28 at Shelton Stadium. Hays will be the designated home team this fall.
The district realignments will go into effect beginning with the 2012-13 school year and will last until the end of the 2013-14 school year.
