La Feria News

District 16-4A Division II faces unique shake up

In this 2019 file photo, Rio Hondo takes on Raymondville in a district contest. This season, Rio Hondo, Raymodnville and Port Isabel, which are in District 16-4A Division II along with five teams from the Coastal Bend area, will have to battle it out on their own for a spot in the playoffs after the district decided to change things this upcoming season. Photo: Billy Watson / LFN

By BILLY WATSON
LFN

In the most recent UIL realignment, Rio Hondo, Port Isabel and Raymondville found themselves in the newly formed eight-team District 16-4A Division II along with Coastal Bend’s Sinton, Robstown, Rockport-Fulton, Ingleside and West Oso.

But due to the delay that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused, the district will be split into two zones with the north zone containing the five Coastal Bend schools and the south zone containing the Bobcats, Tarpons and Bearkats.

In the north zone, three teams will make the playoffs leaving the south zone to fight it out for the remaining spot in the state playoffs with the winner of the south zone being the No. 3 seed in the postseason. This was confirmed Thursday, Aug. 13 by an unnamed source close to the situation.

This does not affect La Feria since the Lions compete in District 16-4A Division I along with Hidalgo, Grulla, Zapata and Kingsville King.

The 16-4A Division II situation this year is similar to the four-team district Rio Hondo, Port Isabel and Raymondville were a part of last realignment along with the Progreso Red Ants, who dropped to Class 3A this new realignment. The major difference is that now only one playoff spot will be available.

No schedules have been released or confirmed at this time. Raymondville was originally scheduled to host Rockport-Fulton on Friday, Oct 1. Also that night, Robstown was supposed to visit Port Isabel while Sinton travelled to West Oso, and Rio Hondo travelled north to play Ingleside.

All those games will more than likely be scrapped due to the Cameron County’s COVID-19 orders and schedule revisions. The Rio Grande Valley continues to wait while county orders run their course with online instruction being the main method of learning and no in-person practices or extracurricular activities not being allowed to begin until at least Sept. 28 in Cameron and Hidalgo counties.

Meanwhile in Nueces County and neighboring Coastal Bend regions, nothing has stopped local schools from beginning activities as long as no positive coronavirus tests are confirmed amongst respective programs.
Sinton, Ingleside, West Oso and Rockport-Fulton are all looking for non-district game opponents. Sinton, West Oso and Ingleside need Week 4, 5 and 6 games while R-F need a Week 4 and 6 game.

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