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The Allen girls golf team brought home the gold, finishing a full 11 strokes ahead of second place The Woodlands.

Allen golfer Maddie Szeryk finished second in the individual ranks, with scores of 67 and 70 over the two-day tournament that wrapped up Tuesday in Austin, one shot behind Austin Westlake's Sierra Sims.

In the 4A boys tournament, Highland Park's Scottie Scheffler finished on top of the individual results, shooting a 68 and 72. His team finished second behind Austin Lake Travis.

Trophy Club Byron Nelson's boys team finished fourth in the 4A tournament with a score of 607 and a playoff loss to Montgomery.

Byron Nelson's girls team took home silver with a two-day score of 625, three strokes behind Montgomery Purple.

Mansfield's boys finished fourth in the 5A tournament with a score of 591.

As unrest surrounds the University of Arkansas football team following the firing of head coach Bobby Petrino, a local recruit has spent the last day trying to unify the 2012 signing class.

Allen running back and four-star recruit Jonathan Williams spent most of Wednesday calling fellow recruits to make sure they were still on board to play in Fayetteville next fall.

“I just really wanted to talk to all the other commits and try to calm them down because the reason we all committed to Arkansas is because how great their school is. Their football program is great, but the academics are great and the campus is great, too. I just tried to talk to those guys and make sure they stayed a part of the Arkansas football team.”

The majority of the signees he spoke with felt the same as he does -- what Arkansas has to offer as a school outweighs the scandal surrounding the football program. Williams said none of the recruits he spoke with said they were reconsidering their college selection.

Williams initially heard of the scandal from friends attending Arkansas and players currently on the football team, but said he didn’t hear of Petrino’s firing until it was in the news.

“I wasn’t thinking much of it, but when it got the media attention that it got -- that’s when I started feeling nervous. I was just shocked,” Williams said of Petrino’s firing.

In the end, Williams said it was the assistant coaches who did most of the recruiting and created more of a connection with the incoming class than Petrino did. While Petrino was a factor in Williams' decision to pick Arkansas, all the school has to offer is really what made Williams decommit from Missouri last season and choose the Razorbacks.

Moving forward, if Williams could pick a new head coach for his future team, he said he would bring back former offensive coordinator and current UAB head coach Garrick McGee, who left Fayetteville before last season to take the helm for the Blazers.

“He was one of the guys who helped recruit me, and he would keep the coaching staff that is up there because that’s the staff he worked with,” Williams said. “That would be a good possibility in my eyes at least.”

Allen dominated the UIL state wrestling tournament over the weekend as the Eagles more than doubled the score of their closest competitor while winning their third consecutive championship.

Four Allen wrestlers won their weight classes as the Eagles totaled 189 points, running away from second-place Canyon Randall, which had 90 points. Flower Mound was third with 82.5 points.

Lake Highlands (fourth place, 53 points) and Keller Fossil Ridge (ninth place, 40 points) also finished among the top 10.

Saginaw, in 11th place, had the best finish for an area girls team. Amarillo Caprock won the girls team title.

The following area wrestlers won individual state titles at the Austin ISD Delco Center:

BOYS

• 106 pounds: Brice Bassinger, Saginaw
• 126 pounds: Jarrod Trotter, Allen
• 132 pounds: Scott Akers, Flower Mound
• 138 pounds: Dominic Young, South Grand Prairie
• 145 pounds: Bo Nickal, Allen
• 170 pounds: Matt Meyer, Allen
• 185 pounds; Greg Wilson, Keller Central
• 195 pounds: Nick Cobb, Allen
• 285 pounds: Sam Rice, Coppell

GIRLS

• 102 pounds: Haley Moreno, Saginaw
• 110 pounds: Christina Bautista, Colleyville Heritage

Ten Allen wrestlers qualified for this weekend's UIL tournament in Austin, where the Eagles will go after their third consecutive state title.

The top four in each weight class from regionals earned spots at the state tournament, which will be Friday and Saturday at the Austin ISD Delco Center.

Here are the qualifiers from area schools:

BOYS

106 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Jordan Speckles (Flower Mound), 2 - Spencer Shoen (Frisco Centennial), 3 - Sammy Eldridge (Arlington Bowie), 4 - Hakim Sims (Keller Fossil Ridge), Alt. - Jordan Hall (South Grand Prairie).
Reg. 3: 1 - Dandre Brumfield (Lake Highlands), 4 - Gabe Torres (Allen).

113 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Dammion Heard (Keller Fossil Ridge), 2 - Brycen Coffman (Frisco Wakeland), 3 - John Arra (The Colony), 4 - Kris Do (South Grand Prairie), Alt. - Joseph Aguon (Arlington Lamar).
Reg. 3: 1 - Thayer Atkins (Lake Highlands), 2 - Mason Smout (Allen), Alt. - Huy Dao (Richardson Berkner).

120 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Dylan Akers (Flower Mound), 2 - Nathan Kearney (Kller), 3 - Tony Torres (Arlington Martin), 4 - Patrick Davis (Hebron), Alt. - Tommy Nguyen (Arlington Sam Houston).
Reg. 3: 3 - Matt Flores (Richardson Berkner).

126 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Ian Ortega (Keller Fossil Ridge), 2 - Kaleb Richardson (Coppell), 3 - Jonathan Miller (Arlington Lamar), 4 - Erick Polanco (Lewisville), Alt. - Michael Filewood (Grapevine).
Reg. 3: 1 - Jarod Trotter (Allen).

132 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Scott Akers (Flower Mound), 2 - Daniel Murrilo (Coppell), 3 - Issac Salinas (Carrollton Creekview), 4 - Daniel Turner (Fort Worth Arlington Heights), Alt. - Sean Roche (Frisco Wakeland).
Reg. 3: 2 - Nakona Brawner (Rockwall-Heath), 3 - A.J. Hinkle (Allen), Alt. - Travis Quarterman (McKinney North).

138 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Dominic Yang (South Grand Prairie), 2 - Austin Phillipe (Colleyville Heritage), 3 - Clay Lewis (Lewisville), 4. Taylor Irwin (Frisco), Alt. - Kody Collins (Trophy Club Byron Nelson).
Reg. 3: 1 - Jack Bass (Allen), 4 - Nathan Schulman (Lake Highlands), Alt. - Tyler Gaddis (Rockwall-Heath).

145 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Elijah Cook (Carrollton Creekview), 2 - Brady Speckels (Flower Mound), 3 - Dalton Caudell (Frisco Centennial), 4 - Jacob Andrews (Grapevine), Alt. - Eli Isreal (Colleyville Heritage).
Reg. 3: 1 - Bo Nickal (Allen), Alt. - Biak Thang (Lake Highlands).

152 pounds
Reg.2: 1 - Ben Hammer (Argyle), 2 - Caleb Endert (Colleyville Heritage), 3 - Cyrus Melendez (Grapevine), 4 - Taylor Garner (Frisco Centennial), Alt. - Furman Sims (Dallas Skyline).
Reg. 3: 1 - Oliver Pierce (Allen), Alt. - Simon Crawford (Richardson).

160 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Drake Dudley (Flower Mound), 2 - Blake Andrews (Grapevine), 3. Omari Mackey (Keller Fossil Ridge), 4 - Conner Zimmerman (Frisco Wakeland), Alt. - Michael Nolan (Arlington).
Reg. 3: 2 - Michael Kubik (Plano), 4 - Lee Lueder (Lake Highlands).

170 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Julius Bell (Hurst L.D. Bell), 2 - Riley Curnutt (Arlington), 3 - Matt Swoyer (Southlake Carroll), 4 - Jonathon Murphy (Flower Mound Marcus), Alt. - Tony Garcia (Fort Worth Paschal).
Reg. 3: 1 - Matt Meyer (Allen), 4. Brady Van Bevers (Rockwall-Heath), Alt. - John Hernandez (Rockwall).

182 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Greg Wilson (Keller Central), 2 - Ashton Harris (Frisco), 3 - Brandon Litten (Flower Mound Marcus), 4 - Daniel Foyt (Arlington Lamar), Alt. - Conner Massie (Hebron).
Reg. 3: 1 - Daniel McCaffrey (Plano), 3 - Manny Houellemont (Plano East), 4 - Henry Offord (Richardson).

195 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Cody Lindberg (Southlake Carroll), 2 - Steven Candley (Arlington Martin), 3 - Howard Huggins (Dallas Kimball), 4 - Tyler Scalzi (Flower Mound), Alt. - Brett Green (Arlington Lamar).
Reg. 3: 1- Nick Cobb (Allen), 2 - Troy Mercer (Rockwall-Heath).

220 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Donovan Kleckner (Colleyville Heritage), 2 - Rodrick Williams (Lewisville), 3 - Shawn Evans (Keller Central), 4 - Tre Smith (South Grand Prairie), Alt. - Micha Capra (Argyle).
Reg. 3: 1 - Stone Drulman (Allen), 3. - Darrell Travis (McKinney North), 4 - Brad Beattie (Wylie).

285 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Sam Rice (Coppell), 2 - Shane Roberson (Frisco), 3 - Dominique Woods (Dallas Skyline), 4 - Breyun Owens (South Grand Prairie), Alt. - Byron Pruitt (Arlington Sam Houston).
Reg. 3: 3 - Ryan Branch (Lake Highlands).

GIRLS

95 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Dalina Vuong (Arlington Sam Houston), 2 - Kathya Martinez (South Grand Prairie), 3 - Marrissa Griffin (Arlington Martin), 4 - Issa Rodriguez (Keller Central), Alt. - Y Le (Keller Fossil Ridge).

102 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Bri Lowe (Keller), 2 - Daysha Woods (Arlington Sam Houston), 3 - Enya Hernandez (Carrollton Newman Smith), 4 - Beatriz Sanchez (Lewisville), Alt. - Hana Henderson (Frisco Centennial).

110 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Bobbi Navarrete (Carrollton Creekview), 2 - Christina Bautista (Colleyville Heritage), 3 - Samantha Tudor (Coppell), 4 - Alexandra Pebworth (Frisco Liberty), Alt. - Jocelyn Cooper (Arlington Lamar).

119 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Christina Machado (Carrollton R.L. Turner), 2 - Leah Olguin (Carrollton Creekview), 3 - Nathalie Martinez (South Grand Prairie), 4 - Ali Arjaz (Euless Trinity), Alt. - Rachel Lex (Keller Central).

128 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Kennon Henderson (Frisco Centennial), 2 - Avery Souders (Coppell), 3 - Betty Ordorica (Fort Worth Trimble Tech), 4 - Vanessa Vaquiz (Justin Northwest), Alt. - Cheyenne Rodriguez (Keller Fossil Ridge).

138 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Sharde Alexander (Dallas Skyline), 2 - Hailey Garcia (Carrollton R.L. Turner), 3 - Stephanie Ayala (Fort Worth Paschal), 4 - Valeria Lopez (Euless Trinity). Alt. - Sydney Szmuc (Arlington).

148 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Jackie Puga (Arlington Seguin), 2 - Gisselle Ruvalcaba (Arlington Bowie), 3 - Malin Monrad (Frisco Heritage), 4 - Isis Lewis (Frisco Liberty), Alt. - Stephanie Ramirez (Coppell).

165 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Brittany Marshall (Lewisville), 2 - Myla Casey (Keller Central), 3 - Juana Robles (Arlington Sam Houston), 4 - Sandra Flores (Frisco), Alt. - Ashley Williams (Frisco Liberty).

185 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Amanda Allen (Frisco Liberty), 2 - Stephanie Rangel (Dallas Skyline), 3 - Emily Prewitt (Arlington Lamar), 4 - Abagail Flores (Frisco), Alt. - Kavir White (Fort Worth O.D. Wyatt).

215 pounds
Reg. 2: 1 - Paige Garcia (Keller Fossil Ridge), 2 - Saane Kaihau (Euless Trinity), 3 - Raven Chapman (Dallas Kimball), 4 - Trisha Wright (Arlington), Alt. - Jameshia Wesley (Arlington Sam Houston).

Allen doesn't have the high-end talent that Flower Mound Marcus has or the rich tradition of Plano West.

What the Eagles do have is a big group of solid players who play team basketball.

On any given night, Allen (18-13, 7-5 in District 8-5A) can have as many as 11 players enter the game. While that doesn't allow for eye-popping individual stats, it does lead to wins.

"We have six posts that we don't hesitate putting in at any time," Allen head coach Steve Specht said. "We're two deep at guard at least. We rotate those guys in. I think that's helped build our depth."

Allen has 13 players who have played in at least 16 games this year, but only one -- Jacob Rothbauer -- averages double digits in scoring (13 points per game).

The Eagles share the ball as well as anyone, always looking to make the extra pass to get the easier shot. One stat Specht pays close attention to is assists. If it gets more assists than its opponent, Allen usually wins.

Having such a long bench also allows Specht to tailor his lineup to specific opponents, providing the best possible matchups against teams that may have more talent but not as much versatility.

"We look at your team and realize sometimes that they're playing with seven or eight and we go in there with 11," Specht said. "We have 13 guys in uniform. All those guys have the ability to contribute. It goes back to practice. We give everybody equal opportunity to get better and prove themselves."

Allen's formula for success has the team sitting in third place in District 8-5A, two games ahead of fifth-place Lewisville with two games remaining in the season.

While they haven't officially clinched a playoff spot, the Eagles will with a win over Plano on Friday or Lewisville on Tuesday or a Lewisville loss. The schedule favors Allen as Lewisville plays second-place Plano West on Friday.

Should the Eagles get in, it would be the second playoff berth in three years for a school more known for football than basketball.

"We don't want to just get in," Specht said. "We want to make some noise this time around."

ALLEN, Texas - In Allen, football is a lifestyle.

All you have to do is drive by the campus that houses one of the largest enrollments in the state and the peaks of the Eagles' new football stadium that is going to be the Cowboys Stadium of all high school venues in the country to see that.

Leading the pack of those who will christen the new Friday night temple is junior Oliver Pierce, who was the Eagles' second leading wide receiver with over 600 yards.

As one of the top athletes returning for his senior season, Pierce is first in line to replace Alec Morris at quarterback and line up under center in the state-of-the-art stadium.

However, Pierce is one of the few athletes in the Dallas suburb who places football second, despite his standout abilities. He might even miss two-a-days for the second year in a row to chase world fame in his true athletic calling -- wrestling.

"This sport is definitely the hardest sport there is," Pierce said. "Football, that's easy. That's my offseason. There's no doubt about it that it's the modern day gladiators."

Pierce joined the Eagles football team late last fall after representing the United States in the FILA Cadet World Championships in Hungary, taking fifth place in his weight class.

Pierce beat wrestlers from Mongolia and Canada to earn a spot in the bronze medal match but lost to Azamai Dauletbekov of Kazakhstan.

The world-traveling experience, which included time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., was worth more than its weight in gold, sliver or bronze to Pierce.

"No one really spoke English anywhere," Pierce said. "It was just a different culture. After weigh-ins, some kids didn't have anything to eat or drink so they would just pick up your water and start drinking it without asking if it was OK because they didn't speak English. It was a really fun experience interacting with people of different cultures."

Pierce returned to the United States just a day before Allen's season opener against Cedar Hill in the Tom Landry Classic and picked up a team-high 129 yards receiving and a touchdown in the Eagles' win. No big deal.

Now, with that "offseason" activity over, Pierce is focusing on returning to state in wrestling after a disappointing end to his sophomore year.

Last year in the state semifinals, Pierce suffered one of his very few career losses after catching his foot between the mats and breaking his ankle in the first period.

"He didn't show a lot of emotion or anything and we got a timeout and said he was fine and finished the match and lost 2-0," Allen wrestling coach Jerry Best said. "He took it like a man and didn't say anything, didn't use it as an excuse, just used it as motivation to come back this year and win another state title."

It was his first high school loss after he won a state championship as a freshman.

Pierce has the chance to finish out his junior and senior years with a bang. Last weekend, Pierce took first in his 152-pound weight class at the district tournament for the third straight year, helping Allen win another team title with 275 points.

It's one step closer to the state title Pierce needs to add to his collection of national and world awards.

He'll then have a chance to go 4-for-4 in district and have another shot at state next year. All that after leading the football team in the 2012 season in front of a national spotlight surrounding the new stadium. And then it's off to Oklahoma.

Pierce has already accepted a scholarship offer to wrestle for the Sooners, representing Texas on the collegiate level.

"It's a great group of guys to work out with and great people to be around and I wanted to put myself in that environment," Pierce said of the program at Oklahoma.

And on Friday nights next fall, if Allen fans are worried about Pierce's nerves on a national stage, he's already performed on the world stage -- and succeeded.

"[Football is] just having fun, that's the easy part," Pierce said.

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, Texas -- Notes from 2012 reclassification and realignment day.

*Say goodbye to the chance of Euless Trinity-Allen and DeSoto-Dallas Skyline second-round playoff meetings that have become a fixture in recent seasons. Allen’s move to Region II and DeSoto’s move to Region I mean a playoff renewal couldn’t happen until the fifth round next year.

*The District 7-5A playoff teams could be looking at a bi-district trip to Central Texas. It will be facing teams from 8-5A made up of four Killeen schools, Belton, Copperas Cove, Temple and Waco Midway.

*Plano East coach Johnny Ringo thought he had taken every precaution in setting up his nondistrict schedule prior to Thursday’s realignment. But there he was, struggling to find a game after landing in a six-team district. “I was ready if we’d been put in a seven-team district, but I didn’t see six coming.’’ When last seen, Ringo was on the phone, scouring the San Antonio area for a potential opponent.

*Lake Travis’ run of five straight Class 4A state titles ends with its promotion to Class 5A.

*Look for some scheduling problems in District 4-5A, which features four Keller schools that share one stadium.

*Landing in a six-team district is no big deal for Flower Mound coach Dane Johnson, on the job for only two weeks. At his previous stint at Class 3A Boerne, Johnson said six-team districts were all he knew.

*Corsicana’s move to the East Texas-flavored 16-4A ends district rivalries with Waxahachie and Ennis.

*Amarillo, the Class 5A program with the most wins all-time, drops to Class 4A. Plano will take over the top spot in wins in 5A and Amarillo will be second to Highland Park in 4A.

ALLEN, Texas -- Schools didn't leave Allen receiver Andrew Rodriguez wondering why they weren't interested in his services during the recruiting process.

If he were a couple inches taller, it would be a different story.

"They'd say that, literally," Rodriguez said. "The guys they offered, I'd done way more than they have. A lot of it is about size."

But at least one program was willing to overlook his height -- Houston. The Cougars made a late offer to Rodriguez on Saturday, and he made it official on Wednesday by signing a national letter of intent.

"Houston is a receiver's dream because of how much they throw the ball," he said.

Rodriguez was one of the most productive receivers in the area this year, catching 64 balls for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns in 12 games.

But standing at just 5-10, Rodriguez garnered attention from only North Texas, Texas State and Iowa State, none of which offered him a scholarship. He decided to commit to Division II Lindenwood.

Enter Allen linebacker Thaddeus LaGrone. LaGrone was originally committed to Baylor but was kicked off the team at Allen during the regular season, leaving him without a home as well.

Houston came to Allen to offer LaGrone last week and watched Rodriguez work out while they were there. The Cougars invited Rodriguez to visit the campus and made him an offer shortly after.

"I was just really excited," Rodriguez said of getting the offer. "It's the opportunity of a lifetime."

Rodriguez and LaGrone weren't the only Eagles to accept late scholarship offers. Receiver Courtland Tolbert, who was relegated to the third receiver role this season, signed with Air Force. Offensive lineman Abe Abdelkarim signed with Nevada.

ALLEN, Texas -- Alec Morris had a feeling Alabama would eventually offer him a scholarship.

The Allen quarterback was invited to the Tide's camp over the summer, and both parties came away impressed. Alabama even invited him back for another workout.

"I just feel at home there," Morris said.

But Morris had to wait as the defending national champions considered their options at quarterback. The offer didn't come until the middle of the 2011 season, well after Morris had committed to Wake Forest.

When the offer did come, he took a week to discuss it with his family and made the decision to switch to Alabama. Morris made it official Wednesday morning by signing a letter of intent to play for Alabama at a huge ceremony featuring 32 athletes at Allen's indoor practice facility.

"They had always been there after I worked out, calling me every week or so," Morris said. "They were always in contact with me. I felt like it was a matter of time."

What Alabama was waiting on was Gunner Kiel, one of the top quarterback prospects in the nation. Alabama was in hot pursuit of Kiel, who ended up committing and decommitting to both Indiana and LSU before signing with Notre Dame on Wednesday.

When Kiel committed to Indiana, the Tide moved on to Morris, who threw for 3,242 yards and 35 touchdowns in his second season as Allen's starter.

"Kiel committed to Indiana and that's when they jumped on me," Morris said.

Allen rarely has players switch commitments. Head coach Tom Westerberg attributes that to the way his staff prepares players for the recruiting process.

Shortly after signing day, Westerberg invites all freshmen, sophomores and juniors to a meeting that explains what it takes to play at the next level and what players need to do to prepare both on and off the field.

The work Allen's staff does in the recruiting process also helps ward off the third parties that offer workout or recruiting services that have popped up over the last four years.

"Those people are in it for the money," Westerberg said. "They ask players to pay them money and when we do the same thing for free. We try to keep our kids away from all those recruiting services."

But this year Allen had not just Morris switch commitments, but running back Jonathan Williams as well. And both are heading to the SEC.

While Morris had just three offers -- Wake Forest, North Texas and eventually Alabama -- Williams had more than a dozen, but he managed to narrow it down to two schools -- Missouri and Arkansas.

Williams, who rushed for 1,169 yards and 12 touchdowns in an injury-riddled season, committed to Missouri in the spring, but Arkansas didn't give up on him.

The Razorbacks kept calling Williams and got him to take a trip to the campus. Meanwhile, Missouri backed off, allowing Arkansas to slip in.

"They were persistent," Williams said of Bobby Petrino's staff. "When a coaching staff is that interested in you to stay persistent after you commit to another school, they obviously want you bad. I took that into consideration."

It is a given that not all Texas high schools are going to be happy with the University Interscholastic League's biennial reclassification and realignment announcement Thursday.

Pleasing 1,300-plus football- and basketball-playing high schools is something that not even a politician in an election year would promise.

But area coaches and athletic directors say they are never ceased to be amazed by one aspect of the process -- its secrecy.

"Keeping secrets is something not done very well any more," said Mansfield ISD athletic director Debbie Weems. "When most people know things, they like to talk."

Despite state-wide attention -- the information will be revealed once again on Fox Sports Southwest beginning at 9 a.m. -- the UIL has traditionally managed to keep things under wraps well enough for the project to earn the nickname of "Texas' biggest secret."

A half-dozen staffers for the Austin-based UIL toil away over enrollment figures and maps for three months, using pins and rubber bands to determine the district fate of high schools for the next two years.

"I don't even think those guys tell their wives," said 84-year-old Garland athletic director Homer Johnson, a veteran of 32 realignments. "It is a well-kept secret, and to tell you the truth it needs to be. Say, for example, we in Garland found out what the district was going to be before the announcement. It would give us an advantage in scheduling. The UIL tries to do the best for everybody."

Weems concurs.

"I understand why they want to keep it on the down low," she said. "There are always some that, if they found out ahead of time, might be unhappy and try to sabotage it. Like Jack Nicholson's character in "A Few Good Men" said, 'Some people can't handle the truth.'"

Steve Lineweaver, who has coached Euless Trinity to three football state titles, said he remains "baffled" at the way the UIL keeps the information under wraps.

"In this day and age," said Lineweaver, "nobody can keep secrets."

UIL director of athletics Dr. Mark Cousins chuckles when the matter of secrecy is mentioned.

"Well, first of all, we haven't made the announcement yet, so we still have to see if it remains a secret," Cousins said last week. "But the element of security is part of our job description. The state superintendents have told us that they don't want any school to have an unfair advantage, and we take that responsibility very seriously."

Who wants to know?

The state's football head coaches, in particular those in urban areas where changes are most volatile, have the most to gain if they somehow learned the alignment configurations early. It would be a great aid in making nondistrict schedules.

By alignment day, most football coaches have made prearranged agreements for nondistrict games for the next two years. But those plans can go out the window quickly if an agreed-on opponent winds up in the same district.

"It happened to us a couple of times," Allen coach Tom Westerberg said. "The last time, I had my nondistrict games, then we were put in a district with the Lewisville schools and that took away one of those games. That's when we wound up with Longview."

Lineweaver recalls the situation in 2008 that led to the nondistrict series between perennial powerhouses Trinity and Allen.

"Coach Westerberg and I were both having trouble finding a game and finally we sort of looked at each other," Lineweaver said. "I don't think either one of us was all that thrilled about it."

Snapshot of the day

The gathering place for North Texas coaches and athletic directors is North Richland Hills' Birdville ISD Fine Arts and Athletic Complex. The meeting room at the stadium can seat 800 and it is usually packed a half-hour prior to the announcement. The final minutes are passed by munching on breakfast concessions, drinking coffee and visiting.

At the appointed hour as the murmur grows, coaches strain and squint at overhead projectors that reveal the UIL's handiwork. Copies of the new districts, fresh off the UIL website, are quickly made available.

"It's like game day," Lineweaver said. "For me, my eyes get wide, my pulse is beating faster. This is when you find out who you'll be playing the next two years."

Athletic directors Weems and Johnson say they look forward to realignment day, where friendships are renewed.

For their coaches, it is a little more tense. Those needing games for a specific date can make their needs public on message boards. It's not uncommon for deals to be made right there in the meeting room.

"There's a frantic, frenzied atmosphere in that room," Weems said. "The football coaches are looking around wondering, 'How many games am I going to win,' and hoping they don't wind up playing a nondistrict game against somebody like Southlake Carroll."

Weems said earlier in her career she tried to anticipate what district configurations realignment might bring. No longer.

"I've had people calling me wanting to know the enrollment numbers we turned in," Weems said, "trying to figure out where everybody will go. I don't know why. It always comes out the way no one expected. I don't guess any more. I don't want to be disappointed."

Johnson knows the feeling. In his introduction to the process in 1948, Johnson's Garland Owls had the smallest enrollment in their district. The largest was powerful Highland Park.

"I've never been through one that went exactly the way I thought it would go," Johnson said. "Sometimes they put us where we wanted to be. Sometimes not."

The degree of difficulty in finding last-minute nondistrict games goes up in relation to a team's number of wins in the previous year.

"It's an exciting day," said Westerberg, "but not fun when you're trying to find games."

Cousins, who will have a role in the telecast along with UIL executive director Dr. Charles Breithaupt and deputy director Dr. Jamey Harrison, said the day is exciting for the UIL, too. And a nervous one.

"There are always concerns that a school might have been left out," Cousins said. "We know that not everybody will be happy, either about their classification or their district. That's just part of the process and we know that going in."

Those that are disappointed on Thursday can take heart. It is no secret that hope of a more favorable outcome is only two years away.

Allen’s tentative opponent for the first game this fall in its new $60 million football stadium is 2011 Class 5A Division I state champion Southlake Carroll.

Allen coach Tom Westerberg said discussions about a potential opponent for the opening game began last spring, months before Carroll’s 16-0 run to the title.

Schedules can't be finalized until after the University Interscholastic League’s biennial redistricting and realignment announcement on Feb. 2.

“We were looking for a team with a large following like Southlake Carroll, Euless Trinity or Longview,’’ Westerberg said. “When we contacted the folks in Southlake, they liked the idea.’’

Work on the 18,000-seat facility to be known as Allen Eagle Stadium is scheduled to be completed in late July.

McKinney Boyd’s girls soccer team, ranked No. 1 in the ESPNHS Fab 50, has already begun its 2012 campaign after winning its second state title in four years last season.

With the players who return, Boyd remains a frontrunner to bring another state title back to North Texas.

The biggest change for Boyd this year is on the sidelines.

After one of North Texas’ most successful coaches, Jimmie Langford, resigned from Boyd to take a job coaching a boys team in Colorado, the reigns of the defending champs were given to Michele Estes.

The transition might not be as difficult as it sounds. Estes simply moved into the head coaching role after spending years as an assistant coach under Langford.

Not much strategically has changed in Boyd’s play under Estes, but it’s intangibles that the new coach emphasizes to her players.

“She’s brought a more competitive atmosphere,” senior striker Amanda Elertson said. “She’s trying to ignite the team more. We’ve lost players from last year, so we need to find a chemistry this year that will make us as successful as last year.”

Before practices and games, Boyd breaks out to the cheer “We are one” to put teamwork and team chemistry in the front of the players' minds as they move through the season, preparing for another playoff run.

It’s that personal connection with the team that Elerton values in Estes, which in turn is what Estes wants to spread amongst the team.

“She knows your personality,” Elertson said. “If you’re struggling, she knows what’s best to help pick you up and get you going, and I think it’s really good to have a coach that knows you.”

Elertson is one of many Boyd players who participates year-round by playing club soccer outside of the school team. Estes believes this creates a business-like attitude that prevents true chemistry from forming. Estes hopes she can create a more personal connection amongst the Boyd team, which is something the players rarely have the opportunity to form on club squads.

Boyd will have another tough road to state again this year with five North Texas girls teams ranked in the top 10 in the Fab 50 as of Jan. 8.

The 5A state runner-up, Colleyville Heritage, ranks No. 3 in the nation in the Week 6 poll, behind Coppell. Ursuline Academy ranks No. 4 as it looks to continue its dynasty in the state’s private school ranks.

North Texas has the chance to make a strong push on the boys side, as well, with the efforts being led by defending 5A state champion Southlake Carroll. Carroll entered the 2012 season with a 31-match undefeated streak that is the second longest active streak in the nation.

The surprise team to watch for is Hebron, which is ranked No. 12 in the nation as of Jan. 8, just one spot ahead of district rival Allen at No. 13.

The perennial powerhouse, Frisco Wakeland, comes in at No. 14, looking to sandwich a girls state title last season with a boys title in 2010.

But 2012 has the chance to be the season of Boyd in soccer, with a boys team that ranks No. 9 in the Fab 50, competing with the girls side for the higher national ranking when all is said and done.

The girls, of course, are winning the battle so far, and have the will and drive to repeat last season’s success.

“Everone on this team is competitive and everyone wants to win,” Elertson said. “They have that drive and desire, and I think we can be as successful.”

Since District 8-5A’s conception two years ago, many considered it one of the strongest and deepest football districts in the state.

With realignment looming in February, Flower Mound Marcus and Allen losing this weekend marked the end of the perceived super-district.

UIL PLAYOFFS
STAFF PICKS Bi-district »   Area round » Region semis »   Region finals » State semis »   Finals »   Totals » STATE BRACKETS Class 5A: Div. I | Div. II Class 4A: Div. I | Div. II REGION BRACKETS 5A Division I: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 5A Division II: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 4A Division I: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 4A Division II: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2

While the 8-5A performed well in nondistrict play during the regular season, its playoff record didn’t live up to the hype.

Consider these numbers:

-- 8-5A went an incredible 38-10 in nondistrict regular-season play;

-- 8-5A went just 3-8 in the playoffs;

-- 8-5A went 3-5 against District 7-5A, its bi-district rival;

-- No 8-5A team went beyond the area round, and only three teams made it to area – both Allen teams and 2011 Marcus.

Like with any statistic, these numbers come with caveats.

It’s hard to say how good the two Allen teams were because they got very unfortunate area-round draws against Euless Trinity. With a better draw, Allen might have improved 8-5A’s overall playoff record.

The same can be said of playing 7-5A in bi-district. If 8-5A had been number 9 or 10 instead of 8 and played a weaker district in the first round, it might have been a very different story.

However, the final results don’t refute two facets of 8-5A – parity and depth. Only two teams didn’t make the playoffs in the district’s two-year history (Plano West and Lewisville), and playoff-worthy teams got left out of the postseason both years because of tiebreakers (Hebron in 2010, Plano West in 2011).

And for evidence of parity within the district, one only had to watch a game. District 8-5A play produced some of the year’s best regular-season games of the season, and the average margin of victory for 8-5A playoff teams against other 8-5A playoff teams was less than a touchdown.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- With just over two minutes left in the game, Allen’s season was hanging in the balance.

On fourth down from the Euless Trinity 9-yard line, quarterback Alec Morris scrambled through the line to try to pick up the game-tying score. He pinballed off a few defenders but was brought down a yard short of the goal line.

That was it. Trinity had done it again. The Trojans downed Allen on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium, 28-21, in the area round of the 5A Division I playoffs for the second straight year.

Running back Joel Kimpela led the way for Trinity, rushing for 357 yards and two touchdowns on 39 carries.

He was already over the 300-yard mark when he had to leave in the third quarter with an apparent injury to his right leg, but returned after Trinity’s defense stopped Morris and racked up 38 more yards as the Trojans put the game away.

“We just stick with the game plan and whatever comes each week, we just go with it,” said Kimpela, who was sidelined again with just seconds left on the clock but added that the injury was nothing and that he would be fine.

Fullback Wawa Leota helped provide running room for Kimpela.

Leota spent most of his day throwing monstrous lead blocks, including one that opened up a gaping hole for Kimpela to stroll through for a 4-yard touchdown in the second quarter to put Trinity up 19-0.

UIL PLAYOFFS
STAFF PICKS Bi-district »   Area round » Region semis »   Region finals » State semis »   Finals »   Totals » STATE BRACKETS Class 5A: Div. I | Div. II Class 4A: Div. I | Div. II REGION BRACKETS 5A Division I: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 5A Division II: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 4A Division I: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 4A Division II: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2

“No one is going to touch my running backs,” the 6-foot, 255-pound Leota said.

But Leota, who also plays on the defensive line, may have made his biggest play when he combined with linebackers Chris Fonokalafi and Safari Bolden to make the tackle on Morris a yard short of the goal line in crunch time.

“I saw him pull the ball and I saw him go up the middle and he made a play,” Leota said. “I saw his knee hit the ground, and it was a big play we made as a team.”

Allen’s high-powered offense was held to just 248 yards for the game and had converted only one first down midway through the second quarter.

The Eagles made a surge in the third quarter, scoring on a 75-yard interception return by Alex Miller and a 12-yard run by Jonathan Williams.

Trinity was able to keep the lead through the frame thanks to a 45-yard rush by Kimpela and a 46-yard field goal from Austin Lopez. Lopez hit from 49 yards out and from 21 in the first quarter on a 3-for-4 night.

Trinity only loss at Cowboys Stadium in the last two years came against Pearland in last year’s 5A Division I state final. So the Trojans know a win over Allen in the 5A Division I area round doesn’t guarantee anything.

“It only gets tougher from here,” Kimpela said.

Trinity will host Arlington Martin at Saturday at Pennington Field.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Alex Miller gave Allen life early in the third quarter against Euless Trinity on Saturday when he returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown to cut Allen's deficit to five points.

UIL PLAYOFFS
STAFF PICKS Bi-district »   Area round » Region semis »   Region finals » State semis »   Finals »   Totals » STATE BRACKETS Class 5A: Div. I | Div. II Class 4A: Div. I | Div. II REGION BRACKETS 5A Division I: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 5A Division II: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 4A Division I: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2 4A Division II: Reg. 1 | Reg. 2

But the replay, seen by everyone on the 60-yard-wide video board at Cowboys Stadium, showed that Miller let go of the ball just before crossing the goal line.

After the replay, the Trinity crowd erupted in boos.

The missed call highlights a difficult situation for the referees at Cowboys Stadium. While their blunders go virtually unnoticed in high school stadiums, they are highlighted on one of the biggest video boards in the world for every fan in attendance to see.

In almost every game at Cowboys Stadium in the playoffs this season, there's been a missed call that the crowd has reacted to after seeing the replay on the video board.

In recent years, there have been rumors that the UIL might allow instant replay during state title games if those games remain at one location.

Luckily for the officials in the Allen-Trinity game, the play didn't impact the game as Trinity prevailed 28-21 after Safari Bolden, Chris Fonokalafi and Wawa Leota stuffed Allen quarterback Alec Morris on the 2-yard line on a fourth-and-goal near the end of the fourth quarter.

The play mirrored a non-touchdown by Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson, who famously dropped the ball at the 1-yard line on what would have been an easy score against the Cowboys in 2008.