Fort Worth ISD seeks to move Trimble Tech and YMLA football from 6A district to 5A

The Fort Worth ISD has filed an appeal with the UIL to move Trimble Tech and Young Men's Leadership Academy football teams from a Class 6A district to a 5A group.

YMLA, a 5A playoff qualifier in 2017, on Feb. 1 was placed by the UIL in District 4-6A along with Tech, Fort Worth Paschal, five Arlington schools and North Crowley.

Since Paschal is a 6A school, Trimble Tech and YMLA — schools without attendance zones — are placed in the largest classification of a school from the same school district. The same thing happened to YMLA — which has fewer than 200 students — in the 2016 UIL realignment, but the Wildcats then were moved to all-FWISD District 7-5A.

This time, Tech and YMLA want to move into District 4-5A Division II, which has FWISD teams Carter-Riverside, Eastern Hills, North Side, Polytechnic, Southwest, Wyatt, and Northwest ISD team Justin Northwest.

Also Monday, the UIL reported that Everman seeks to move from 5–5A Division II to 4-5A Division II. The UIL will conduct hearings for all appeals Feb. 20 in Round Rock. If the UIL granted Fort Worth and Everman's requests, 4-5A Division II would have 10 teams.

The San Angelo ISD has also filed an appeal to get out of District 3-6A, which has Hurst L.D. Bell, Euless Trinity, Haltom, Richland Weatherford and Abilene High.

Posted Monday on the San Angelo ISD website was:

SAISD administration submitted a formal appeal to the University Interscholastic League regarding Central High School's district realignment for the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 school years. Central High School was placed in District 3-6A in all sports and will compete against Weatherford, North Richland Hills, Hurst LD Bell, Haltom City, Euless Trinity, and Abilene High. The appeal focuses on the academic and safety needs of our students.

"I completely understand it from their point of view," Bell coach Mike Glaze said. "I was excited about the opportunity to compete against them, but if they leave, it is one less team to have to compete with for a playoff spot and one less road trip."

This story was originally published February 12, 2018 at 2:09 PM with the headline "Fort Worth ISD seeks to move Trimble Tech and YMLA football from 6A district to 5A."