UIL Impacts Quinlan With New Lines

The University Interscholastic League (UIL) redrew the lines last week that determines what school districts will compete in which district.

The realignment is expected to impact Quinlan Ford’s athletic season. Quinlan remained in 3A competition but moved from District 10 to District 13.

The affect on Boles was expected to be less.

Quinlan Ford’s new District 13 includes Emory Rains, Farmersville, Lucas Lovejoy, Nevada Community and Princeton.

Emory Rains and Community were in the district with the Panthers last season.

Other teams missing from the Panther district are Royse City that moved up to 4A, Commerce that went to District 10, and Wills Point that went to District 14.

The big impact for Panther football is the addition to Farmersville in its district.

The Panthers defeated Farmersville last season, but the Farmers went on to win the state championship in football.

Emory Rains has been a playoff team for the last four years. Lovejoy is a new 3A team outside of Allen.

Panther head football Coach Derek Alford did not know much about Princeton because the team just got a new head coach. Alford said Community has been competitive in the district for the last two years.

The 2008 Quinlan-Ford varsity football line-up includes Edgewood, scrimmage; Athens, scrimmage; Mineola, Game 1; Van Alystine, Game 2; Caddo Mills, Game 3; Tyler Chapel Hill, Game 4; and

Canton, Game 5; Lucas Lovejoy, district game; Emory Rains, district game; Farmersville, district game; Community, district game; and Princeton, district game.

As for basketball, Panther head Coach Dave Fearing said most of the teams are teams they had competed against before.

"We think it will be good as far as travel and competition is concerned," Fearing said. "Most of them are teams we have competed against before. Basketball really never changes. The teams you have to beat do, but basketball doesn’t."

Boles is playing in 1A in District 18, which is Region 2. The only difference in football opponents will be the loss of Dallas A+ Academy that was replaced with Dallas Gateway.

"The alignment was okay," head football Coach Todd Wallace said. "We did move into Region 2, so that will change our playoff match-ups. The other teams in their district for football are Celeste, Cumby, Fruitvale, and Wolfe City."

For Boles basketball, the teams will be playing in 1A in District 18, but the team match-ups are different than football.

This year in basketball, Boles played Cumby, North Hopkins, Yantis and Union Hill.

For the next two years, Boles basketball will be playing Campbell, Cumby, Fruitvale, Martins Mill, Sulphur Springs, North Hopkins and Yantis.

"Moving from four district opponents to seven is not that big a thing," Lady Hornet head Coach David Edgin said. "It just means that you have to be more consistent as play out in your district. Campbell coming in is a very interesting team to have in. They are pretty good, and I really look forward to having them with us. Martins Mill on the other hand is something that should make games and teams in our district more competitive."

Edgin said Martins Mill was ranked this year and has been to Austin for the state playoffs a couple of times.

"I don’t know much about them this year, but I am sure that they are going to be tough to handle," he said. "The teams in our district aren’t afraid to play anyone, and I am looking forward to meeting up with these teams as well as the old one."