While Thursday’s UIL biennial realignment provided some significant changes for Brown County’s 11-man football programs, the four six-man high schools will be facing many of the same district foes the next two seasons.

Starting in Class A Division I, the reigning regional finalist May Tigers remain in District 14 and keep league mates Jonesboro, Lometa and Santa Anna. The only difference in the district is the removal of Evant, which dropped to Class A Division II.

“It’s kind of what I expected,” May head coach Craig Steele said of Thursday’s revelation. “I was hoping we’d get lucky and have Jonesboro not only out of district, but out of our region, but that didn’t happen. And (state champion) Gordon moving into our region which makes it even tougher. It may be the best region in the state, top-heavy wise.”

May has tentatively lined up most of its pre-district foes, with the Tigers likely playing Rising Star, Oglesby, Rochelle, Newcastle and Irion County. Steele is still searching for a Week 7 foe, he added.

“There’s some close teams in there and a little bit of distance, and that happens when you get thrown for a loop looking for an extra game I wasn’t looking for before,” Steele said. “Sometimes you have to take what you can get, or it’s musical chairs and you’re left without a chair.”

In Class A Division II, the back-to-back district champion Zephyr Bulldogs and Blanket Tigers will remain league rivals in the new District 13, along with Sidney and Gustine, while two-time reigning District 14 champion Rising Star is a new addition replacing Gustine.

“There’s some good and bad, obviously the district’s going to be a little tougher,” Zephyr head coach Jeremy Phillips said of the new configuration. “Rising Star, Sidney and us were all playoff teams last year and Blanket should be better. But it does look like we’ll get a more favorable playoff draw in the first round if we win district.”

District 15 will face District 14 in the first round, with Mullin, Priddy, Cranfills Gap, Evant and reigning state finalist Oglesby vying for two playoff berths in the opposing league.

Phillips anticipated some of the District 14 schools ending up in a league with Zephyr.

“I expected to be in there with Priddy and Mullin since they’re 10 minutes away,” Phillips said. “For them not to be, that was kind of a shock. I thought we’d have have the same district from the last two years minus Gustine, and throw Priddy in there.”

As far as pre-district foes for Zephyr, Phillips tentatively has Veribest, Blackwell, Gorman, Lingleville, Strawn and Santa Anna on the schedule for the Bulldogs.

The remaining Brown County program, the Brookesmith Mustangs, is again paired with Richland Springs, Rochelle and Lohn in District 16, while Panther Creek takes the place of Cherokee.