What will the SETX football landscape look like in 20 years?

[Bobcatfan4life]

I was just thinking the other day about how much things have changed just in the last 10-15 years. A lot of schools are steadily dropping in enrollment by the year. Just think back since the 2002 realignment.

We had 3 high schools in Port Arthur. Thomas Jefferson (4A) Lincoln (4A) and Stephen F Austin (2A). Now just 1 class 5A, Port Arthur Memorial.

Schools that were 4A that have dropped in classification:

Silsbee (3A)
West Orange-Stark (3A)
Jasper (3A)
LC-M (3A)

Schools that were 3A that have dropped in classification:

Newton (now a small 2A)
Kirbyville (2A)
Woodville (2A)
Kountze (2A)

Schools that were 2A that have dropped in classification:

Hull-Daisetta (1A)
West Hardin (1A)

Schools that were 1A that have dropped to 6-man:

High Island
Chester


A few schools have gone back and forth a few times between classes:

Buna (between 2A and 3A)
Anahuac (between 2A and 3A)
Hardin (between 2A and 3A)

For the most part, our local 2A district used to be all 3A schools.

I expect Lumberton to drop down with the next realignment and possibly Ozen before long.

Deweyville has been on the verge of dropping down to 1A as well as Burkeville possibly to 6-man (although they turned in 140 this realignment)

20 years ago West Orange-Stark was a solid size class 4A school, now they aren't much bigger than Orangefield.

Newton was winning the 1998 Class 3A State Championship, now they are a small 2A school.


Just a few examples of a few of our local districts during the 2002-2003 alignment:

20-4A:

Beaumont Ozen
Beaumont Central
Nederland
PN-G
Vidor
Lumberton
Silsbee
LC-M
WO-S

20-3A:

Jasper
Newton
Kirbyville
Woodville
Diboll
Huntington

21-3A:

Bridge City
Orangefield
Hamshire-Fannett
Hardin-Jefferson
Buna
Kountze
Hardin
Anahuac

24-2A:

East Chambers
Warren
Deweyville
Hull-Daisetta
West Hardin
New Waverly


I don't see the trend ending, so what will our local high school football scene look like in 15-20 years, or even 10 years?

Will West Orange-Stark be a class 2A school competing with the likes of Hardin, East Chambers and Kountze?

Will Newton be a 1A going up against teams like Hull-Daisetta, West Hardin or Evadale?

Will schools like Chester, High Island and Burkeville even have football teams?

The entire landscape of SETX high school football is ever changing, and in my opinion, not for the better. I miss the WO-S/PN-G matchups in late October with so much on the line. The Newton/Jasper battles for district supremacy. The Anahuac Panthers winning a class 3A district championship in 2003 with Gary Martel at the helm. A packed out Cardinal Stadium at Lamar for Ozen/Central with Thomas Brooks and David Suggs roaming the sidelines.

What are your thoughts?

[skipmeister]

I thought the plant expansions going to bring new permanent jobs but it may have been unchanged! We thought enrollment in schools will swell as a result of economic growth! The population in theses areas are dropping because of the economy. For example, in 2002, Newton County's biggest employer, Louisiana-Pacific, closed its Bon Wier sawmill which left a devastating blow not only to their local economy but the Jasper-Newton area as well! Their area as well as the East Texas region has became a prime retirement location for the "Baby Boomer" generation so the only job growth in the area is healthcare!

Hardin County is one of the fastest growing in the area! Lumberton has just opened their ER! I had thought it was going to open in Silsbee which would serve not only all of the county but Southern Jasper and Tyler Counties as well! Could Lumberton drop down? It would probably be temporarily?

[skipmeister]

Oh, the quality of a school district matters when it comes to enrollment.

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

I thought Lumberton was growing in population? I do think Ozen will eventually drop a class, as well as Memorial next realignment.

[skipmeister]

Maybe Ozen shouldn't have been opened. They probably have been losing students to other schools like WB or Central. Twenty years ago, there were two 5A schools. Plus it would be more cost-effective if one of the schools close. Would WB join PNG and Ned in their district? I don't know with all of the new construction in the area. Parents in BISD nowadays send their children to private schools.

[NewtonNation]

No worries Bobcatfan, I can't speak for the other schools but Newton hasn't dropped in enrollment like people think. The class of 1998 had 69 students, the class of 2014 had 70. Sure the prison shutting down and LP closing it's gates has changed employment but people still get by and make it happen. A lot more construction/pipeline jobs today where people have to travel no matter where they live.
The UIL moving the numbers around is the cause in our case anyways.

[kicker]

In Orange county, i see 3 school districts and 3 highschools within 15 years. Vidor, Orangefield-Bridge City, WOS- LCM. I just believe it will get too tough to have 5 districts in such a small area. Will make sense economically.

[kicker]

Using the new classifications, I see Orangefield being a nice 5a Bridge City 5a/4a WOS small 3a Lcm small 3a and Vidor 5a.

[skipmeister]

Could it be BC, OF, and Silsbee join PNG, Ned, and Central in their district? Could be!

[Cat22]

Kicker are you saying you think OF will grow enough over the next 15 or so years to move up a classification?

[workbootz]

I see Liberty and HD joining together within the next 10 years!!!

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

I see Liberty and HD joining together within the next 10 years!!!

sooner than that I think.

[OLDGREGG]

Buna and Evadale will merge and have the best welding team in the entre state. Lmao

[liltex]

I see Liberty and HD joining together within the next 10 years!!!

I don't forsee Lib/HD merger anymore than a Dayt/Lib (6a) classification merger,the more logical choice.They presently have Lib/Dayt chamber of commerce & 99.9 fm radio Lib/Dayt

[Chester86]

I don't forsee Lib/HD merger anymore than a Dayt/Lib (6a) classification merger,the more logical choice.They presently have Lib/Dayt chamber of commerce & 99.9 fm radio Lib/Dayt

You can't beat "Shine All Nine".

[kicker]

Kicker are you saying you think OF will grow enough over the next 15 or so years to move up a classification?

Yes sir! It hasnt hit yet but just wait when all the elementry kids get to hs. I would be willing to bet Orangefield will have a thousand plus kids in less than 15 years. Alot of people moving in the district with young kids. Im one of them. It seems realestate wise Orangefield is the place to build. Lots of land and at a premium.

[eagleswoodville#1]

Could we possibly see a North Tyler County High School with Colmesneil/Woodville/Chester combined?? Or a South Tyler County Highschool with Spurger/Warren?? :) haha just a random thought. Don't think it'll ever actually happen. Too much small school pride around here lol

[OLDGREGG]

Could we possibly see a North Tyler County High School with Colmesneil/Woodville/Chester combined?? Or a South Tyler County Highschool with Spurger/Warren?? :) haha just a random thought. Don't think it'll ever actually happen. Too much small school pride around here lol

I used to think about the same things back when I was in school at Chester. If not a combination of Chester/Woodville/Colmesneil, at least Chester/Colmesneil. But you're right, way too much small school pride for any of the TC schools to do that lol.

[eagleswoodville#1]

I used to think about the same things back when I was in school at Chester. If not a combination of Chester/Woodville/Colmesneil, at least Chester/Colmesneil. But you're right, way too much small school pride for any of the TC schools to do that lol.

But if people could get past that, it makes complete sense logistically and financially for the two smaller schools. Why have three small schools that each receive independent funding from the state within a 10-15 mile triangle of each other? Chester to Colmesneil is about 7 miles (if that). Woodville to Colmesneil is about 9 miles. Woodville to Chester is about 15 miles.

[workbootz]

I don't forsee Lib/HD merger anymore than a Dayt/Lib (6a) classification merger,the more logical choice.They presently have Lib/Dayt chamber of commerce & 99.9 fm radio Lib/Dayt

Liberty is losing a lot of there kids to Dayton but Liberty is slowly taken over parts of Raywood where most of the minority kids that go to Daisetta live!!

[H-D BOBCAT 55]

Liberty is losing a lot of there kids to Dayton but Liberty is slowly taken over parts of Raywood where most of the minority kids that go to Daisetta live!!

lol

[Back2swag]

No worries Bobcatfan, I can't speak for the other schools but Newton hasn't dropped in enrollment like people think. The class of 1998 had 69 students, the class of 2014 had 70. Sure the prison shutting down and LP closing it's gates has changed employment but people still get by and make it happen. A lot more construction/pipeline jobs today where people have to travel no matter where they live.
The UIL moving the numbers around is the cause in our case anyways.

98 class had around 100 .. Newton enrollment in 98 was around 400, today 298

[Cat22]

Yes sir! It hasnt hit yet but just wait when all the elementry kids get to hs. I would be willing to bet Orangefield will have a thousand plus kids in less than 15 years. Alot of people moving in the district with young kids. Im one of them. It seems realestate wise Orangefield is the place to build. Lots of land and at a premium.

I see your point. I've been hearing for years that OF enrollment is going to boom but it has not happened yet. In the 20 years since I graduated the enrollment has only increased by around 100 kids. I will say this though, the Cormier family has owned the majority of the land in OF and they are selling some off now and new subdivisions are popping up. I'm not real sure if I want OF to grow so much that it moves up in classification. I'd be happy with being a large 4A.

[NewtonNation]

Wrong Back2swag, the class of 98' didn't have around 100, it had 69 students and this years graduating class had 70. I'm sure the enrollment for the high school is smaller but not by much.

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

I remember subdivisions popping up around BC, did they build more after the hurricanes?