Class 6A is about to be redesigned.

Football season will have a new look next season, with fresh faces like South San Antonio and San Antonio Wagner. San Marcos has departed to district 26-6A, rejoining Austin powerhouses Lake Travis and Westlake, pushing Smithson Valley and other familiar faces to district 27-6A. Canyon, a long-time rival of the Valley, has been knocked down to class 5A, but the Rangers will still face most of their usual opponents: Steele, East Central, Clemens, Judson and New Braunfels will remain on the schedule for at least the next three years.

In 2019, Wagner football reached the class 5A state semi-finals, falling to eventual back-to-back state champion Alvin Shadow Creek. The Thunderbirds return quite a few stars from last year’s run, including sophomore quarterback Isaiah Williams, (1,512 total yards, 32 total touchdowns) and running back LJ Williams (2,353 rushing yards, 30 touchdowns).

South San Antonio’s strength isn’t in football but girls basketball, where they are currently 22-8. This round of realignment will make travel difficult for South San, who will now have to travel at least 40 minutes for district games. The University Interscholastic League (UIL) was attempting to keep Northside and Northeast ISD schools within their respective school districts, but the catering left South San holding the bag.

Playoff-wise, this new realignment is incredible for the Rangers, who no longer have to worry about facing Austin powerhouses like Lake Travis in the opening round of the postseason. Instead, district 28-6A is the draw, fronted by schools like San Antonio Brandeis and San Antonio Madison. A challenge, to be sure, but a much more welcome one.