Stephenville drops to 3A, resumes rivalry with Alvarado
By: By Matthew Reagan
Stephenville football coach Joseph Gillespie was prepared for a potential move down in classification, but he was a little surprised to learn where the Yellow Jackets landed.
Stephenville joins Alvarado in District 7-3A, reuniting the two after a four-year hiatus. They were in 8-4A in 2006-07.
"I think we were going to be excited either direction we went," Gillespie said. "But that certainly sticks out to you."
Alvarado went to the 3A Division I state title game last season, while Stephenville has been a 4A state power for the better part of two decades.
The Yellow Jackets won both district matchups the last time the schools were together, and Gillespie relishes the opportunity to compete in 3A.
"If you sat there and you asked us what classification we'd rather be in, I think you're always going to pick the one that's lower," he said. "Just on paper, it gives you a better opportunity."
The move down in classification for Stephenville is similar to that of Everman's in 2000.
After being in 4A for several years, Everman moved to 3A and won a boys basketball and two football state titles over a three-year span.
"The only good thing about Stephenville being in our district is we won't have to play them in the playoffs," Alvarado coach Jeff Dixon said.
Kennedale's neighbors
Kennedale football coach Richard Barrett, who finds himself in a district that features only one other returning playoff team and several squads suffering through multiple-year playoff droughts, was taken aback by his school's new grouping.
"I can't figure it out from a geographical standpoint," said Barrett, whose team has made the playoffs 11 straight years. "I just didn't see this one coming at all."
Stephenville effectively replaced Kennedale in its former district. In 6-3A, the Wildcats join playoff team Mineral Wells. But the four other schools in 6-3A -- Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis, Lake Worth, Fort Worth Castleberry and Springtown -- combined for three football victories in 2011.
Matthew Reagan
817-390-7760
Twitter: @reaganmatthew