HUNTSVILLE — Just when everyone’s getting settled in and comfortable competing in districts all across Texas, it’s time to shake things up again.

That’s right, the University Interscholastic League will unveil its latest reclassification and realignment plan to coaches and school administrators early Thursday morning.

What’s that mean for the Huntsville Hornets? The only sure bet is that Huntsville will be staying put in Class 4A. A move up to the biggest conference in the state is not in the cards for the Hornets during this biennial realignment.

According to those in the know, a return to Class 5A for Huntsville is probably out of the question for a few years to come, at least.

“The bottom enrollment number for Class 5A would have to plummet in order for us to sniff 5A again,” Huntsville ISD athletic director Marcus Evans said late last week. “I don’t anticipate that day coming anytime soon.

“If we start to push 2,000 to 2,200 students (at Huntsville High School), yes, that conversation starts again. But as long as we’re hovering between 17 and 1,900 students, I don’t see that happening.”

Last fall when the UIL required schools to submit enrollment numbers, Huntsville turned in a 1,741 figure. That’s a long way from 2,065, or the low end of the 5A classification used in the 2010 realignment.

So, the Hornets are secure knowing they’ll be competing in Class 4A with similar-sized schools for the next two years or more. But which schools will those be starting this fall?

That’s something Evans has been trying to figure out, but until he gets his hands on the packet that announces the UIL’s new plan he won’t know for sure.

“Realignment is a fun topic,” Evans said. “One of the things that’s fun about realignment, especially at a school like Huntsville where we’re not stuck inside a city somewhere, the possibilities are endless. A lot of factors are involved in where the UIL is going to send us for the next two years.”

Evans said he’s heard “a lot of different scenarios” involving the Hornets and their sports home for the next two school years.

“The most likely scenario has us remaining in the same district,” Huntsville’s head golf coach said. “I think throughout our coaching staff, that’s a district we’d like to stay with for a while.”

Huntsville is competing currently in District 18-4A with Willis, Humble, Summer Creek, Kingwood Park, Caney Creek, New Caney and Porter.

Since the last realignment, the Hornets have won district championships in girls basketball, softball, girls and boys golf and track and field. During that stretch, Huntsville has qualified for the postseason in all but one other sport.

“This has been a good district for us,” Evans said. “We’ve had a lot of success over the past couple of years and we like the schools we’ve been competing with.”

Evans said that Summer Creek, a relatively new school in the Kingwood school district, may move south to join a league with the likes of Barbers Hill, Crosby and Dayton.

“I don’t put much stock in that scenario because I don’t think they’ll send Summer Creek off without sending Kingwood Park or Humble with them,” he said. “And I don’t see that district being able to absorb three schools.”

A third, more likely plan has Huntsville rejoining schools like Brenham, Montgomery and Magnolia in a league that is super competitive in nearly every sport.

“We could go back to our old district and join back up with Montgomery, Magnolia and Brenham, but the same factors work against that scenario as well,” Evans said. “If we get looked at to move back to that district, Willis probably will move too, and that district already has eight teams.

“... Really, I don’t see a lot of room in that direction unless that district starts to open a hole and that could happen.”

Montgomery, which turned in an enrollment above the 2,000 mark, may be on the border between 4A and 5A. If the Bears move up, there may be room for Huntsville and Willis in what is now District 17-4A.

Currently, that league has a lineup that includes Brenham, Houston Stratford, Magnolia West, Magnolia, Waller, Houston Northbrook and Houston Spring Woods. Evans said the Houston schools may be moved out, which creates more room for a school like Caney Creek.

Another possibility would have Bryan Rudder and a new school in College Station filling holes in the present 17-4A district.

“For the past two years, Bryan Rudder has been in a Central Texas district with Bastrop, Manor and Elgin,” Evans said. “That’s a little too much travel, maybe. So they might put Bryan Rudder, the new College Station school, Brenham, Montgomery and us in a district together. It would be a little easier for us to travel to Bryan and College Station than it is to get to Summer Creek.

“I still think the higher likelihood for us is to stay in the same district with the Humble schools, Willis, Caney Creek and the New Caney schools.”

Evans has been around long enough to know there’s no way to predict what the UIL is going to do with its realignment plans. He’s not going to lose any sleep fretting over what’s in store for Huntsville’s athletic program.

The Hornets, he says, will be ready to play whatever cards they are dealt.

“No question, we’re all very interested in next Thursday’s news,” Evans said. “It’s going to be exciting to get that packet handed to us and find out where we’ll be for the next two school years.”