By David Taylor / Managing Editor
The football gods in Austin have spoken and change is a comin’.
Each biennium, the University Interscholastic League in Austin gathers the enrollment figures for every high school in the state of Texas called ‘Snapshot Friday’ and then goes to work on realignment. The aim of the changeup every two years is fairness and addressing growth or the lack thereof in schools across the state. Some schools move up a division, some move down.
Region 3, District 23-6A was one of the most well-known districts around the state drawing such nicknames as the ‘Little SEC’ and ‘District of Doom’ (DOD). The district included powerhouses in North Shore, Summer Creek, C. E. King, and Atascocita, all of whom have achieved the Regional Finals, and some on to the state semi-finals and title games. The Mustangs secured their sixth state championship last year, while cross-channel rival C. E. King reached the state finals for the first time in program history. This marked only the third occasion that teams from the same district with North Shore competed in both the Division 1 and Division 2 title games: NS and C. E. King (2025), NS and Summer Creek (2023), and NS and West Brook (2018).
Thus far, two coaches have left the DOD over the last two years: Craig Stump, Atascocita, 2025; and George Young, C. E. King. It’s a pressure-cooker environment and tough to compete in week after week.
There was speculation that the DOD would break up this time around moving the Humble schools out and the Pasadena schools in, but that didn’t happen. The DOD lives.
Goose Creek Memorial (GCM) moved into the district two years ago but dropped down into Conference 5A Division 1 and will join sister school Baytown Sterling, Beaumont United, Beaumont West Brook, Galveston Ball, La Porte, Lufkin, New Caney, and Port Arthur Memorial.
The District of Doom has moved from District 23-6A and reformed into District 17-6A. Channelview, North Shore, Humble, Atascocita, Kingwood, Summer Creek, and C. E. King all remain in the district. Moving in to take the place of GCM will be Crosby who moved up into the 6A Division this year by a mere three students—2218 with a cutoff for 6A at 2215.
It couldn’t be a rougher introduction to the more fast-paced, physical play of 6A than joining the DOD. Enrollment in Crosby is booming with approximately 10,000 new homes to be built in the east Harris County area over the next 10 years.
The Cougars’ new head coach Jabara Williams feels like they will be ready.
“We report the numbers and the UIL gives us our district,” he said.
Williams biggest concern was depth. North Shore’s enrollment almost double that of Crosby, giving them an advantage with a deeper pool to draw from.
“I see our numbers growing and that’s the biggest difference between 5A and 6A,” he said.
Williams said he saw the move up as a challenge.
“The work that we put in day in and day out that’s what we work for. It might be a small hurdle or a big hurdle, you’ve just got to be ready to jump,” he explained.
Edwin Egans, the new athletic director, said he’s spending time evaluating the entire athletic program preparing for the move up.
“Being athletic director frees me up to do an overall view of the program, to help our coaches and look at our facilities,” he said.
That growth has also affected the Mont Belvieu area where Barbers Hill ISD is growing exponentially as well. Board trustees saw the growth coming and have proposed a $98 million bond to build a new field house and updates to the stadium to accommodate a 6A Division crowd.
The Eagles move up has a softer landing than the Crosby Cougars moving into District 18-6A with the likes of Deer Park, Dickinson, Clear Brook, Clear Lake, Clear Creek, Clear Falls, and Clear Springs. While they may have dodged a bullet evading the DOD, should the Eagles make the playoffs next year, their first-round opponent will come from the DOD.
Also on the east side, Galena Park and Baytown Lee renew their decades old rivalry as they join Region 3, 5A Division, District 10. The rivalry had some dramatic moments when on October 13, 1961, the Jackets beat the Ganders 21-15 in front of a packed stadium for the district lead. The win vaulted the undefeated Jackets into the playoffs and a trip to the state title game against Wichita Falls where they lost a nail-biter, 21-14.
One of the area teams that was supposed to move down in the classifications and a regular preseason opponent for the NS Mustangs is Spring Westfield.
The high school fell 70 students short of making the 6A Division cutoff but has opted to stay in 6A to join their sister schools in the same district. Joining Westfield in 6A, Region 2, District 14 again will be Aldine, Benjamin Davis, Eisenhower, MacArthur, Nimitz, Spring, and Spring Dekaney.
With the verification of the district teams, coaches are now inking in their preseason schedule and planning the rest of their seasons.
Here’s every district in the state of Texas:
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