Bulldogs and Bearkats headed north to Dist. 31-3A for football

Both Raymondville and Lyford High School’s football and basketball teams will have to start mapping out bus rides for away games to the north for the next couple of seasons after the University Interscholastic League redrew district lines on Monday. The Bulldogs and Bearkats were moved up to District 31-3A where they will be joined by Corpus Christi West Oso, Orange Grove, and Robstown. Currently in 32- 3A, both schools contend with Hidalgo, La Feria, Port Isabel, Progresso, Rio Hondo and Zapata.

Any time there is a realignment there will always be some surprises,” Lyford Athletic Administrator Jaime Infante said. “You should always expect the unexpected and we knew we were either going down to the 2A classification with a Corpus district, stay in 32-3A or possibly be moved to where we eventually ended up. I was in Corpus this morning and sure enough our hunch was right so it really didn’t surprise us.”

One taxing effect Monday’s realignment presents will be in dollars spent in transportation.

“The only thing I think people will look to as a disadvantage is the travel now involved and the economics that go along with it from a school administration standpoint,” Infante said. “But I think it is a good district and we are excited to be in it.”

Raymondville Athletic Director Alex Leal was surprised by Monday’s realignment.

“Yes I was very much so because I never figured we would end up in Corpus,” Leal said. “I just did not think U.I.L. would put us there. It is a pretty good distance for us to drive and being that our current district is so close down here I did not think we would get split up.”

Football contention in comparison between the bay area and the valley should not vary much.

I don’t think it’s any tougher or weaker, it is a five team district so football-wise it is of minimal impact,” Infante said. “The schools we will face next year play good football just like they do down here; I do not see any difference.”

Ditto, Leal said.

“Those teams are very competitive just like down here,” Leal said. “Football is football and you always have to compete hard to win just as if we would have stayed here. It is going to be a tough district but it is more the traveling that throws a monkey wrench in everything.”

IN ACTION THIS WEEK: BEARKATS

Raymondville High School’s varsity, junior varsity and freshman boys basketball teams visit Port Isabel at 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday.

The Lady Bearkats varsity, junior varsity and freshman basketball teams host Port Isabel at 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday.

Myra Green Middle School’s seventh grade boys A and B basketball teams host Progresso at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 4. MGMS’s eighth grade boys A and B basketball teams visit Progresso at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 4.

Raymondville High School’s varsity boys soccer team hosts Port Isabel at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

The Lady Bearkats varsity girls soccer team visits Lyford at 6 p.m. on Friday. IN ACTION THIS WEEK: BULLDOGS

Lyford High School’s varsity, junior varsity and freshman boys basketball teams host Rio Hondo at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Friday. All three teams visit Raymondville at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 9.

Lyford Middle School’s eighth grade A and B boys basketball teams visit La Feria on Thursday, February 4. LMS’s seventh grade A and B boys basketball teams host La Feria on Thursday, February 4.

The Lady Bulldogs varsity and junior varsity basketball teams visit Rio Hondo at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams conclude their regular season by hosting Raymondville at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 9.

The Lady Bulldog varsity and junior varsity soccer teams host Raymondville at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

Lyford High School’s varsity baseball team visits PSJA Memorial at 6 p.m. this coming Monday. LHS’s junior varsity baseball team hosts PSJA Memorial at 6 p.m. on Monday.

The Lady Bulldogs varsity and junior varsity softball teams visit Mercedes at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.