The high school football season is just around the corner, but some of the talk around the state is about the future.
Last week the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association approved the new district pairings for the 2022 and 2023 football seasons.
All three Jefferson County schools will be playing in the same class they are competing in during the upcoming 2021 football season.
The district pairings, however, will not be same as a result of changing average daily membership figures used to determine classes.
Waurika will again be competing in District B-3.
The Eagles, however, will welcome into the district the two largest eight-man football schools – Velma-Alma and Wilson.
In addition to those schools, Waurika will have Alex, Cyril and Central High to battle for playoff berths.
Gone from the Waurika district is Tipton, Empire and Snyder.
Snyder and Empire were forced to return to the 11-man game and will be competing in Class A for 2022 and 2023.
Tipton, one of the favorites to win District B-3 this fall, will drop to Class C which is comprised of the 32 smallest eight-man schools.
The Eagles will be renewing an old rivalry when they play Velma-Alma in 2022.
The Eagles and Comets have not met on the gridiron since the 2011 season – the last season Waurika competed in 11-man football.
The two schools met every year in football from 1953 to 2011. Velma-Alma leads the series 36-25-2 with the first meeting coming in 1948.
Ryan will remain in Class C for the 2022 and 2023 football seasons.
The Cowboys will compete in District C-2 with seven others schools.
Tipton will join this district as they move down from Class B.
Bray-Doyle is also moving down to Class C and will be in the Cowboys’ district.
Geary and Corn Bible will be the other two new members of the district.
Grandfield, Temple and Mountain View-Gotebo will join the Cowboys and the other four teams.
The Cowboys will continue the long running rivalries with Grandfield and Temple.
Ryan and Temple have met a total of 87 times since the first meeting in 1921.
This season will be the 41st consecutive meeting between the two schools.
Grandfield and Ryan first met in football in 1923. The Bearcats and Cowboys will meet for the 40th straight year this season.
Fox, Maysville, Paoli and Thackerville – current members of District C-2 – will be moving over to the east side of the state for the next two seasons.
Two of the smallest football schools are part of District C-2.
Corn Bible is the fifth smallest eight-man school, while Temple is the seventh smallest school in Class C.
New to the eight-man ranks in Oklahoma for the 2022 season will be Hollis, Drumright and Okeene.
Hollis and Okeene have played independent schedules the past two years, but will be competing for a district title in the 2022 season.
Ringling, which has been a perennial contender for a state title in Class A in football, will be the smallest 11-man football school in Oklahoma.
Ringling’s recent average daily membership figure is smaller than 17 schools that will be competing in Class B in 2022.
The Blue Devils will be in District A-4 during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Joining Ringling in the district will be Dibble, Wynnewood, Stratford, Elmore City-Pernell, Healdton, Rush Springs and Wayne.
