Stratford's plea heard, back to 5-A
By KRIS BAGLEY sports@leader-news.com

Nearly three weeks after Stratford was introduced as a new opponent in District 23-4A, the Spartans are on the move.

The University Interscholastic League announced in a press release Thursday that Stratford's appeal to leave the district comprised of El Campo, Lamar Consolidated, Terry, Foster and Bay City high schools was accepted. Stratford will rejoin fellow Spring Branch ISD schools in District 18-5A.

"I'm shocked, quite honestly, that they let them out," Bob Gillis, El Campo's athletic director and head football coach, said. "I'm really shocked."

In order to switch districts, all the superintendents in both districts 18-5A and 23-4A had to unanimously approve the move. Those votes are required, but even then don't guarantee the UIL will let the school change districts.

Stratford was one of four schools whose appeal was granted, out of eight total appeals.

The move will leave District 23-4A with five teams and has football coaches scrambling to try and add an extra game to their schedule. Without an additional game, district teams will have two bye weeks during each of the next two years.

District officials will meet next week to finalize team schedules. The concern is that one team may have consecutive weeks.

"We hope to work it out to where nobody has a back-to-back," Gillis said. "We hope to work it out to where you just have an (extra) bye week, unless we find another game, which is close to impossible. It's going to be real hard to find (a game) that fifth week because everybody is in district.

"It's pretty late to find games. Right now it's a nine-game schedule for El Campo. I don't know about the other teams, and we hope not to have backto back bye weeks."

Gillis has his schedule set with games from week zero through four. The fifth week is a bye. The second bye will occur sometime during district play.

Given the choice, Gillis said he would prefer to fill the fifth week hole rather than have two bye weeks.

"I'd (rather) try to get a week five," Gillis said. "We've looked and there's not many week five (openings). There's some small schools and some way, way out West Texas. We're not going to meet halfway. It's going to be real tough. We're looking, but I just don't know."

The last time El Campo played a nine-game schedule was in 1999, when the Ricebirds finished 5-4 and missed the playoffs. The 'Birds also played nine regular season games in 1996-1998 and made the post season.

"They didn't allow us to play in zero week and we were in a seven-team district and our open week was the 10th week. (Three) of those years, we were in the playoffs. I don't know if it hurt us or helped us.

"This is a little different because, we go in there in good faith thinking your district is set and worked to get games and to have that open date right before district so you can maybe get some kids back from injury, take a breath and go. Now, that kind of throws that out."