Bangs football drops to 2A Division I, faces stacked District 5

February 3, 2022 at 12:37 pm Derrick Stuckly

Guy Powell (20) and the Bangs Dragons will look to return to the playoffs after a one-year absence in the new District 5-2A Division I. [File photo courtesy of Mike Jones]

For the Bangs Dragons football program, a drop from Class 3A Division II to Class 2A Division I might not be as advantageous as one would expect – and the UIL’s biennial realignment on Thursday morning backed that suspicion.

For the 2022-23 football campaigns, the Dragons will compete in District 5-2A Division I against Coleman, De Leon, Goldthwaite, Hamilton, San Saba, and Tolar – as five of those teams advanced to the playoffs a season ago.

“Overall from top to bottom it’s a very competitive district,” said Bangs head football coach and athletic director Kyle Maxfield. “In our situation, we could have went any direction and just finally knowing is a relief. A seven-team district instead of six teams is a little different, but we’re looking forward to it.”

Bangs is coming off a 1-8 campaign as a member of District 4-3A Division II a season ago, while its future league foes combined for a 34-34 record, including three wins in the playoffs.

“There’s three or four top 10 teams that are a rock’s throw away from Bangs – Coleman, Cisco, Hawley and Tolar made a run last year – so this is as good as any scenario we could hope for,” Maxfield said. “The average person thinks if you drop from 3A to 2A you’re going to go undefeated but that’s not going to be the case. I think Coleman (11-1 last season) and Tolar (10-3 last season) will be the big dogs in the district and we’ll all be chasing them.”

The rest of Class 2A Division I Region II features Alvord, Nocona, Tioga, Tom Bean, Trenton and Whitewright in District 6; Axtell, Cayuga, Italy, Kerens, Cross Roads and Rio Vista in District 7; and Bosqueville, Bruceville-Eddy, Crawford, Marlin, Moody, Riesel, Rosebud-Lott and Valley Mills in District 8.

Maxfield also revealed the Dragons’ pre-district foes which will include Early in Week 1, Comanche in Week 2, Grape Creek in Week 3 and Merkel in Week 4.

While the football schedule will present a challenge, both the Dragons and Lady Dragons programs outside of football received a favorable draw in the new District 8-2A which consists of Coleman, Colorado City, Miles, Roscoe, Winters and Bangs.

“That’s great for our school district and our kids,” Maxfield said. “Our spring sports are really going to benefit from dropping down.”