Realignment 2020-22: Back Together Again AISD Schools In Same District For First Time In Three Decades (And More)

Well, the four Amarillo Independent School District high schools are back together again.

Thanks to Monday’s release by the University Interscholastic League 2020-2022 realignment numbers, Tascosa made the move from Class 6A to Class 5A placing all four AISD schools in the same football district for the first time in 30 years.

Instead of putting on the bus miles traveling to Midland and Odessa for district games, 2019 Class 6A state quarterfinalist Tascosa will play the 2020 and 2021 football seasons in Class 5A Division I with Amarillo High, Caprock, Lubbock Coronado, Lubbock Monterey, Lubbock High, and Palo Duro.

Tascosa veteran coach Ken Plunk, who has led the Rebs to state quarterfinal and state semifinal appearances the last two seasons, said it’s good to be playing the other AISD schools in “games that mean something since they are in the district. For us, we look at it like we will play in whatever district the UIL places us. I do think this district is better for us as far as the community and travel are concerned.”

Tascosa’s move from 6A to 5A highlighted news out of Monday’s 2020-22 realignment in the Amarillo-area. Here are a few other nuggets you need to know:

• If El Paso Chapin had not opted up in January from Class 5A Division II to Division I the four AISD schools would have likely been placed in a district together meaning seven non-district games. I think Chapin better be on the Christmas card list for all four Amarillo schools.
• Highland Park made the move from Class 2A to Class 3A and was placed in District 3-3A, Division II football district with perennial state power Canadian, Childress, Dimmitt, Friona, Spearman, and Tulia.
• A little birdie told me the Amarillo High-Tascosa rivalry game annually drawing 12,000-15,000 fans will be held in week seven of the season.
• Memphis, Shamrock, Wellington, and Wheeler each made the move back to Region I after spending the past two years in Region II.
• Basketball fans will be happy to know the four AISD schools were placed in six-team District 3-5A with Randall and Plainview.
• Football beast Denton Ryan was moved from Region I to Region II making the Class 5A playoff path to Jerry’s World a little friendly for Region I teams.
• Nobody Monday was scrambling harder to complete their non-district schedule than Dumas coach Aaron Dunnam. Dumas, once again, is in District 3-4A Division I with Canyon, Hereford, and Pampa meaning each school was looking for a hefty seven non-district games. Of course, Dumas rolled out a 13-1 record and was a state quarterfinalist last season. Not everybody wants to play an elite team in non-district.
• District 4-4A in basketball was a bit of a surprise with Borger, Canyon, Dumas, Hereford, Pampa, and Perryton making up the district. Surprising only because Hereford and Canyon seem to head north for district games, not south.
• One of the craziest district road games in all of Texas will take place in District 2-4A, Division II when Perryton and Seminole meet. The google map distance between the two schools is 322.6 miles, one way. That means traveling 645.2 miles for a district game, or about 10 hours of riding on a bus. Many teams in the metroplex won’t ride a bus 10 hours all season for games.

UIL 2020-2022 Realignment

Region I Football Districts

(Amarillo-area except for 5A)

CLASS 6A

DISTRICT 2-6A

Abilene High

Midland High

Midland Lee

Odessa High

Odessa Permian

San Angelo Central

Wolfforth Frenship

CLASS 5A

DIVISION I

DISTRICT 1-5A

El Paso Bel Air

El Paso Chapin

El Paso Del Valle

El Paso El Dorado

DISTRICT 2-5A

Amarillo High

Caprock

Palo Duro

Tascosa

Lubbock High

Lubbock Coronado

Lubbock Monterey

DISTRICT 3-5A

Abilene Cooper

Azle

Fort Worth Arlington Heights

Granbury

Northwest

Saginaw

White Settlement Brewer

DISTRICT 4-5A

Burleson Centennial

Colleyville Heritage

Mansfield Legacy

Mansfield Summit

Midlothian

North Richland Hills Birdville

North Richland Hills Richland

Red Oak

DIVISION II

DISTRICT 1-5A

Canutillo

Clint Horizon

El Paso Hanks

El Paso Parkland

El Paso Ysleta

DISTRICT 2-5A

El Paso High

El Paso Andress

El Paso Austin

El Paso Bowie

El Paso Burges

El Paso Irvin

El Paso Jefferson

DISTRICT 3-5A

Abilene Wylie

Randall

Lubbock Cooper

Plainview

Wichita Falls

Wichita Falls Rider

DISTRICT 4-5A

Carrolton Creekview

Fort Worth North Side

Fort Worth Polytechnic

Fort Worth South Hills

Fort Worth Southwest

Fort Worth Trimble Tech

Fort Worth Grapevine

CLASS 4A

DIVISION I

DISTRICT 3-4A

Canyon

Dumas

Hereford

Pampa

DIVISION II

DISTRICT 2-4A

Borger

Levelland

Estacado

Perryton

Seminole

CLASS 3A

DIVISION I

DISTRICT 2-3A

River Road

Bushland

Dalhart

Littlefield

Muleshoe

DIVISION II

DISTRICT 3-3A

Highland Park

Canadian

Childress

Dimmitt

Friona

Spearman

Tulia

CLASS 2A

DIVISION I

DISTRICT 1-2A

Boys Ranch

Farwell

Olton

Panhandle

Sanford-Fritch

West Texas High

DISTRICT 2-2A

Floydada

Hale Center

New Deal

Post

Sundown

Tahoka

DIVISION II

DISTRICT 2-2A

Bovina

New Home

Ropesville

Smyer

Sudan

DISTRICT 3-2A

Gruver

Stratford

Sunray

Vega

Booker

DISTRICT 4-2A

Clarendon

Memphis

Shamrock

Wellington

Wheeler

CLASS 1A

DIVISION I

DISTRICT 1-1A

Claude

Happy

McLean

Valley

White Deer

DISTRICT 2-1A

Kress

Lorenzo

Nazareth

Petersburg

Springlake-Earth

DISTRICT 1-3A

Crowell

Knox City

Paducah

Spur

Vernon Northside

DIVISION II

DISTRICT 1-1A

Darrouzett

Follett

Hedley

Lefors

Miami

DISTRICT 2-1A

Groom

Hart

Silverton

Wildorado

DISTRICT 3-1A

Amherst

Anton

Cotton Center

Lazbuddie

Whitharral

NON-FOOTBALL AISD and CISD DISTRICTS

CLASS 5A

DISTRICT 3-5A

Amarillo High

Caprock

Palo Duro

Tascosa

Plainview

Randall

DISTRICT 4-4A

Borger

Canyon

Dumas

Hereford

Pampa

Perryton