Both Bell County and Middlesboro will be seeing new foes in district play beginning in 2019 after the Kentucky High School Athletic Association recently approved the new football alignment for the 2019-2022 seasons.

The team who probably feels the most relief is Middlesboro. For the past seven seasons, the Yellow Jackets have competed in arguably the most difficult district in Class 2A. Picking up district wins have been few and far between while having to battle the likes of Lexington Christian, Danville and Somerset.

Since 2011, Middlesboro has a combined district record of 3-18. Two of those wins came in 2013 when the Jackets finished the regular season 9-3 before being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by Somerset.

Middlesboro will replace all three of their district opponents with Breathitt County, Knott County Central, Leslie County and Morgan County.

For Bell County, they will be getting rid of two of their more formidable opponents over the past three seasons. Both Corbin and Casey County exit the district with the Redhounds moving up to 4A and the Rebels moving to District 2.

Over the last three years, the Bobcats tallied a 5-5 district record during the regular season. Bell failed to defeat Corbin during that time frame and lost to Casey County the last two seasons.

The Bobcats replace Corbin and Casey County with Estill County, Garrard County and Rockcastle County. Jackson County and McCreary Central remain in the district.

Nothing changes for Pineville as the Mountain Lions will continue to battle Lynn Camp, Harlan and Williamsburg in district play.

KHSAA football alignment – 2019 to 2022 seasons

CLASS 6A

District 1- Apollo, Daviess County, Henderson County, Marshall County, McCracken County

District 2- Barren County, Central Hardin, Meade County, North Hardin

District 3- Butler, DuPont Manual, Pleasure Ridge Park, St. Xavier

District 4- Bullitt East, Fern Creek, Male, Southern

District 5- Ballard, Eastern, Trinity (Louisville)

District 6- Campbell County, Dixie Heights, Ryle, Simon Kenton

District 7- Henry Clay, Lafayette, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Tates Creek

District 8- Bryan Station, George Rogers Clark, Madison Central, Oldham County

*For playoff bracketing only, the 5th place team in District 1 would become the 5th place team in District 5

CLASS 5A

District 1- Breckinridge County, Graves County, Grayson County, Muhlenberg County, Ohio County, Owensboro

District 2- Bowling Green, Christian County, Greenwood, South Warren

District 3- Bullitt Central, Doss, Fairdale, Iroquois, Western

District 4- Atherton, Jeffersontown, North Bullitt, Seneca, South Oldham

District 5- Boone County, Conner, Cooper, Covington Catholic, Highlands

District 6- Frederick Douglass, Grant County, Great Crossing, Montgomery County, Scott County

District 7- Collins, East Jessamine, Madison Southern, West Jessamine, Woodford County

District 8- North Laurel, Pulaski County, South Laurel, Southwestern, Whitley County

CLASS 4A

District 1- Calloway County, Hopkins County Central, Hopkinsville, Logan County, Madisonville-North Hopkins

District 2- Allen County-Scottsville, Franklin-Simpson, Russell County, Warren Central, Warren East

District 3- John Hardin, Marion County, Moore, Spencer County, Valley

District 4- Central, Franklin County, North Oldham, Shelby County, Waggener

District 5- Anderson County, Bourbon County, Boyle County, Lexington Catholic

District 6- Boyd County, Harrison County, Holmes, Rowan County, Scott

District 7- Corbin, Knox Central, Lincoln County, Wayne County

District 8- Clay County, Harlan County, Johnson Central, Letcher County Central, Perry County Central

CLASS 3A

District 1- Paducah Tilghman, Trigg County, Union County, Webster County

District 2- Adair County, Casey County, Glasgow, Hart County, Taylor County

District 3- Bardstown, Elizabethtown, LaRue County, Nelson County, Thomas Nelson

District 4- Christian Academy-Louisville, DeSales, Henry County, Mercer County, Western Hills

District 5- Bell County, Estill County, Garrard County, Jackson County, McCreary Central, Rockcastle County

District 6- Fleming County, Lewis County, Mason County, Pendleton County, Powell County

District 7- Ashland Blazer, East Carter, Greenup County, Russell

District 8- Belfry, Floyd Central, Lawrence County, Magoffin County, Pike County Central

CLASS 2A

District 1- Ballard Memorial, Caldwell County, Fort Campbell, Mayfield, Murray

District 2- Butler County, Hancock County, McLean County, Owensboro Catholic, Todd County Central

District 3- Clinton County, Edmonson County, Green County, Metcalfe County, Monroe County

District 4- Danville, Lexington Christian, Somerset, Washington County

District 5- Carroll County, Gallatin County, Owen County, Shawnee, Trimble County, Walton-Verona

District 6- Beechwood, Holy Cross (Covington), Lloyd Memorial, Newport

District 7- Breathitt County, Knott County Central, Leslie County, Middlesboro, Morgan County

District 8- Bath County, East Ridge, Prestonsburg, Shelby Valley, Sheldon Clark, West Carter

CLASS 1A

District 1- Caverna, Crittenden County, Fulton County, Russellville

District 2- Bethlehem, Campbellsville, Fort Knox, Holy Cross (Louisville)

District 3- Berea, Eminence, Frankfort, Kentucky Country Day

District 4- Bellevue, Dayton, Ludlow, Newport Central Catholic

District 5- Bishop Brossart, Bracken County, Nicholas County, Paris

District 6- Betsy Layne, Fairview, Paintsville, Raceland

District 7- Hazard, Jenkins, Phelps, Pikeville

District 8- Harlan, Lynn Camp, Pineville, Williamsburg

WITHDRAWN FROM DISTRICT FOR ALIGNMENT PERIOD – Fulton City

NON DISTRICT PLAY (NEW TEAM)– 2019 and 2020 – Sayre