So what are the new non-district games looking like? Anyone stepping out of the norm and going past the Panhandle or the regular teams EP and Permian Basins.

Well a lot of views and no responses from EP y'all are quite!

Americas vs Bryan Rudder W2

Soccer and cross country have taken over EP sports. Hardly any more talk on this forum.

Sad state of affairs and yet we wonder why EP keeps hitting that wall East of Permian

Out of area opponents:
Week 1
Bowie vs Ft Stockton
Jeff vs Alpine
Franklin vs Rio Ranch Cleveland
Pebble Hills vs Permian

Week 2
Americas vs Bryan Rudder
Franklin vs Chandler Basha

Week 3
Austin vs Roswell Goddard
Coronado vs Carlsbad

Thank you that looks like some good games, wish teams would play higher caliber teams instead of NM as their 6A equates to our 5A, unless I am mistaken. Americas and Franklin staff have the right mindset, I feel the Permian Basin barrier has been broken plenty and EP needs to schedule further East like Coach Melton. Would have been nice for Coach Perales to have scheduled against an EP team.

The gap between El Paso and the Permian Basin is closing, now it's time to continue going East! However, many schools in that part of the state don't see the opportunity to play El Paso teams like we over here in our corner of the state see the opportunity to play them. Many times, they have provisions in place that say El Paso teams would have to travel across the state 2 years in a row (like Montwood) instead of the usual home and home.

Also, why take the risk of playing an El Paso school, spending the money to travel across the state, and lose a potential money making game when you could find "tougher" competition in your area? At least, that's the thought of many of those teams across ths state.

I agree with what you said, but as for the Montwood game against Los Fresnos payed for everything even putting them up at South Padre Island, Coach Brown had the full backing of the district and why not he got to mingle with old friends from El Paso.

Not impressed at all with new teams to schedules. Jeff is playing a 3-A team in Alpine? The team from Chandler won 3 or 4 games last yr and the team from Bryan won 5. For what it’s worth, their MaxPreps ratings both sucked. Much rather Stick to Panhandle and Permian Basin and ALBQ teams. A total waist of money to play these games if headed out of town. DV played Hutto and a tough team from AZ in last two years. Really helped them advance in play-offs. MW has gone to the mighty Los Fresnos the last two. Really helped them move along in the play-offs. Unless your District is stacked week in and week out, you could play the best team in the nation in week 3 and it is not going to help you once the play offs begin. Just my two cents.

I agree there is no need for the better teams in the east to play el paso and that is the problem with scheduling. I also agree that Franklin and Americas has been doing the right thing by playing out of town opponents in non district. People bringing up montwood playing los fresnos is not truly an out of town team. That place is like playing an el paso team. EP playing lubbock and permain basin has helped but that is also what is helping them to advance past the first round. DFW schools will not play, why would they

It’s tough being in the far corner of the state for sure. However, if schools just branch out little by little then I think more of an impact can be felt. Play the South Texas schools, San Antonio, etc, and see where that leads. But school districts need to be behind the football teams too! Help with travel and meals and hotel accommodations if needed. The teams will still need to fundraise but helping with some of the cost will allow more teams to take the travel to play!

Is it Chandler Bazinga?

Ok then. I guess teams should just schedule El Paso High, Socorro, San Eli and Cathedral.

Excuse falcon father he is still dealing with the fact that they have real competition in district now and are playing zero out of town teams in non district.

NewYear and ....... why don’t you guys learn how to read. I stated that based upon Basha and Rudder not being stronger teams compared to playing the top panhandle, ALBQ, and Permian Basin teams. This idea of having to go play a team from other parts is a joke if they’re not worth a ****. I never said stick around and play local only. And if you really want to face hard facts..... line up Allen, Westlake, and Florida IMG or whatever powerhouse in the country for your non district line up and it is not going to make a **** difference come the first week of play-offs. It’s only gonna make some of you realize the dream that is being chased.

I would like to add that you are correct and neither of the teams you mentioned would bat an eye at EP teams, for one the only way they would face a team is either in round 3-4 and EP has not touched that round in 6A. As for IMG they barely schedule 1 team from Texas if that so wishful thinking. The teams that need to be scheduled are teams that EP would face in Rd 2 as we know Rd 1 is the panhandle, but scheduling only local teams is a toss up we just had that debate in the Valley forum. What good is it if you face a powerhouse for non-district and walkaway with a loss and key injuries, as opposed to a win?

Perfect example Brownsville Hanna in 2018 beats Tascosa regular season (shocker) goes on to lose in the 4th round to Brandeis by 1 after leading 3 qts; it wasn't that Hanna did not have the talent what they lacked is what every EP team and RGV team lacks TALENTED DEPTH and COACHING ADJUSTMENTS. It takes a special team to make it deep as Canutillo proved it, but in the end what killed them is the above mentioned and something that cannot be coached GENETICS.

settle down there killer. Why don't you learn to read. Which relevant team isn't scheduling a permian basin or panhandle team. As far as I know they all are. Well except for Eastlake.

Franklin last realignment played permian, midland high, and cleveland

Americas played Midland Christian and Tascosa

Pebble Hills played SA central and Midland High

Montwood played Midland Lee and Odessa High

Coronado played Odessa Permian

And tbh the permian basin and panhandle are not the issue. The DFW teams will not travel to play el paso, for what. What do they have to gain. It ends up that they always want the El Paso teams to travel 2 years in a row and that isn't right. finidng East texas teams to at least do nuetral sites is big, and its a start.

btw who is eastlake playing for non district?

I’m just going by the games that were posted in the thread naming some of the non conference games. Maybe I went overboard, but my thing is EP FB is not going to get better and start advancing in the playoffs by scheduling east Texas or others. We are simply at a geographical disadvantage.
I mean it’s nice to say that we played so and so and they may come from a noted district etc.... But I just do really see the advantages. We all have opinions, and we can agree to disagree I guess. Eprgv has a lot of good points as well. Also, I realize Booster Clubs raise most of the funds for trips such as these. However, Districts funds are getting smaller and smaller each yr. Sports offerings of the future may not be the same.

I agree we are at a disadvantaged. We are dammed if we do and dambed if we dont

El Paso teams suffer from the 30 high schools in one area.

What you mean?

I mean that there are way too many high schools in the El Paso area to compete with schools from around the state.

It might be "good" for academics to have that many high schools in El Paso. But talent and coaching wise, it gets really thin.

So by your logic if we reduce the number of schools we would be winning state.

What does that do to the number of kids that get to participate?

His point is not the number of kids that participate, its that the talent pool becomes diluted.

What would we do with the amount of kids on a team if schools were to be combined? Let's see the same thing that Allen or Plano does or any other school that has large attendance numbers which is OVERALL not just athletes have depth on the team. But this I will say combining schools will not help El Paso there more to the equation!

I cant even take any of this serious. El Paso biggest issue is the parents if the players think they are better than they are. Less teams means less kids getting to play and the parents around here are not having it.

I love how everyone says schedule tougher teams. Are the El Paso teams turning down contracts? In order to schedule East Texas teams, you need a partner too. Maybe they should all play Long Beach Poly and Miami Southridge, maybe add IMG Academy.

Well cougar transplant. Certain teams are scheduling rough non districts and surprise.......they are perennially the best teams.

Parkland scheduled very weak teams last season in predistrict and the result was they were immediately eliminated once they faced a out of town opponent in the playoffs. Just saying

Less schools means more concentrated talent. That means kids are having someone push them day in and day out on the practice field making them better. Sure, some participants might go by the wayside instead of simply participating through 4 years of HS football, going once a week I the summer to workouts and lazily going through off season workouts. But the number of FOOTBALL PLAYERS would be higher at a school, instead of a team full of kids that PLAY football.

Glad someone understands that concept, not everyone will be varsity heck there is some if not all high schools that have a/b teams for freshman and JV.

Im not arguing those facts but when mijo isn't going to get to play mama and papa gonna be upset. of course less schools would concentrate the talent. But that's neither here nor there the fact remains that we just do not have enough good players to make a serious run especially in 6a. but as stated certain teams are scheduling talented opponents and it shows.

Good deal I agree the talent and training is not there nor are the facilities to compete with the big dogs. As far as talent or mijo not playing that gets carried over from the youth football leagues where Daddy starts his own team so mijo can play, yes there is the everyone must play rule/mentality but does not state on what level if your son like mine is not Varsity ready then guess what he will stay JV until he's a senior, does it suck yes is there anything we as parents can do about it NOPE! It falls on the player to prove to coaches that he deserves that spot!

They schedule tougher out of town teams and that makes them the "Best" teams because they get stronger?? Or the Best teams schedule tougher out of town teams? What is "Best" in your eyes? They finish with good overall records and at the top of their District? Which is it?

Because I know that some schools have scheduled tougher teams for years, yet we still can't advance in the play-offs. So scheduling equating to play-off success, which is nil, does not equal "Best" in the play-offs. Just saying.

If Riverside schedules Del Valle, Mayfield, and Lubbock Coronado the next few years do you really think that is going to make them a more competitive team? I doubt it seriously.

Do our "Better" teams schedule tougher games. Yes. Does it make them a perennial winner. No. They are still the same team that is in the higher echelon of EP FB. But they have not moved up the ranks in the play-offs.

All 6-A teams (not Socorro) over the years have constantly scheduled the Permian Basin and ALBQ teams in non-district and all at one time or another have elevated to the top of the District and finished in the middle of the pack. Their standing in District year after year is based on their talent pool that year, not their scheduling. I guess Socorro needs to play these tough non district teams to be on an equal basis with the others. Yea Right.

El paso does not have too many hs. Stop that. If that was the case the area would be full of small schools. You people really think having 4000+ students will do anything? Look at laredo united or la joya back in the day before they split the school in 3. They have not done anything. Look at the plano schools. Eastlake gave them a good game for 3qts. If an ep team is keeping up with a huge school from plano in the dfw who even tho has huge numbers cant do much. What does that say?

*Eastwood

One great example of this are the Plano schools. All three are huge and they haven’t done anything meaningful in FB in years.

I'd like to see an El Paso team make the trip to Plano again this year. I would be there at the stadium as long it is not at the STAR. Come on Eastwood..... Its not that far and tell 'em Dave said its okay.

I'd like to see a Plano school make that trip up this way.

Just curious about the pep rallies in El Paso currently. When I was a kid, they tried everything to get people to show up, but they still didn't. Saw
this on Youtube from a Trinity pep rally. Any videos from El Paso high schools.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-JLgXkL2rc

Good Luck with your dream. No Plano School will ever come down to the 915.