The high school sports landscape will look vastly different for the next two-year block as the New Mexico Activities Association Board of Directors agreed to a plan that significantly reduces the numbers of football districts among all classifications statewide.
“The board asked us to think outside the box,” Sally Marquez, NMAA executive director, said during the board’s meeting last week.. “We had many conversations about scheduling problems. So we are putting before you (a plan) to make larger districts for football.”
That means there would be fewer districts in each classification with significantly more teams in each one.
“There are some districts that would have eight schools,” she said. “Eight would be the max. There are some that have seven, there are some that have six based on locality. If you have eight schools in your district you already have seven games scheduled so hopefully that will solve that problem.”
Under the approved plan, Class 4A, in which Moriarty plays, would have just two districts. The Pintos would be linked in with Aztec, Bloomfield, Bernalillo, Española Valley, Grants, Kirtland Central and Taos.
The plan passed by an 8-4 vote.
It is not a change with which Moriarty Athletic Director Joe Anaya necessarily approves.
“I have mixed feelings, I guess,” he said. “I know the NMAA is always trying to do things to better the association. But some things I don’t agree with and this might be one.”
From his perspective, there are several drawbacks to the larger districts, Anaya said.
“I prefer the smaller districts,” he said. “I like the teams that were in our district. You can recognize the players on the other tears better. And only one team can win state, but when you have more districts you have more opportunities for teams to win a district title.”
The move doesn’t really come as a shock, Anaya said.
“We were trying to prepare for it,” he said. ‘It wasn’t something that came to us blind, out of the blue. Sally does a real good of keeping us up to date and letting us give input. The least we can do is give it a chance. I have faith in our coaches. They’ll do a good job.”
In 2A, Estancia would be in District 2 – of three – playing against Capitan, Legacy Academy, Raton and Santa Rosa.
Stewart Burnett, Estancia AD and head football coach, favors the move.
“I like it. Every four years, they tackle district structural changes,” he said. “This was on the four-year cycle. I like the bigger districts. It’s asier for me to say that because we’re centrally located. We’re not that far from anybody. Whether we’re going to Raton or Capitan, it’s not that bad. Overall I like it.”
Creating strong, competitive districts make for better football, Burnett said.
“When I first got here in 2012, we were in a district with Santa Rosa, Tucumcari, Clayton and Texico. That was an absolute blast. The district was brutal. You had to be a pretty darn good football team just to survive. …When I look back at all of the districts, that was probably my most favorite. It was the most competitive and hard-nosed week to week. I’m hoping they keep this district structure for the next four years. It would be a lot of fun.”
And in six-man, Mountainair would be in far-flung District 2 – of two – with Animas, Carrizozo, Chesterton Academy, Hondo and Magdalena. The shortest of those excursions will be to Albuquerque to play Chesteron and the longest to Animas – a grueling 300-mile trip one-way.