Left: El Reno junior Evan Roman Nose rolls out to make a pass attempt during a recent practice. Right: El Reno High School wideout Dawson Holland pulls in a pass during offensive drills last week at Memorial Stadium. The Indians were on the road Friday night in Lawton for their lone preseason scrimmage against both Clinton and Lawton Eisenhower. (Tribune photographer/Glen Miller)

El Reno High School head coach Chuck Atchison knew the COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on the number of players coming out for football during the 2020 season.

His suspicions came true when he hosted the 15 other Class 5A coaches from the west side of the state to hammer out the new district alignments for the 2022-23 seasons.

“I knew the COVID numbers were going to be really low and there were going to be teams dropping,” said Atchison.

That meeting, and a similar one on the east side of the state, produced the four new 5A districts. Those were adopted along with new districts in eight other classes by the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association during its Aug. 11 board meeting.

“We made it as fair as we could and everyone in the room agreed,” said Atchison.

El Reno will remain in District 5A-1 along with Lawton MacArthur, Altus, Ardmore, Duncan and Noble. Capitol Hill makes the jump to Class 6 Division II, District 2, while Southeast slides over to 5A-2.

The voids in District 5A-1 will be filled by Elgin, which jumps up from Class 4A, and Midwest City. The Bombers fall from their current home in Class 6 Division II, District 1.

“I was shocked they (Midwest City) came west. I thought they would go east with Del City to help fill out that side of the bracket but it didn't work out that way,” said Atchison.

The new District 5A-2 will be comprised of Piedmont, Carl Albert, Lawton Eisenhower, Guthrie, Guymon, Bishop McGuinness, Shawnee and the Spartans. Gone are Woodward and Western Heights, both dropping to Class 4A.

“It is what it is. We got Elgin and Midwest City and lost Capitol Hill and Southeast. They could not put Midwest City and Carl Albert in with each other so they put them in our district,” said Atchison.

The two west districts, said Atchison, will again be stacked.

“There are 12 legit teams on the west so there is going to be two teams in each district that will be left at home that could be in the playoffs in any other district,” said Atchison.

So can El Reno compete for the playoffs in the new district alignment? Atchison feels they can.

“Over the last two years I think we have caught up with Lawton MacArthur and Ardmore and can compete with those teams. We have worked ourselves into being one of the big dogs in the district,” said Atchison.

District 5A-3 will include Sapulpa, McAlester, Durant, Coweta, Del City, Glenpool and Tulsa's Memorial and East Central high schools.

District 5A-4 will be comprised of Claremore, Collinsville, Grove, Pryor and Tulsa's Bishop Kelley, Edison, Nathan Hale and Will Rogers high schools.

“These districts will only be for the next two years, so we will all just have to deal with it,” said Atchison.

Around the county

While Piedmont stayed put, Yukon and Mustang's decades-long season opener could be in jeopardy.

Both teams will remain in Class 6A Division I, but were moved into the same District 2 alignment with Edmond's Santa Fe, North and Memorial high schools. Joining the eight-team district will be Owasso, Tulsa Union and Norman.