District 1-A football glance

District 1-A

Baker

— Former district: 1-2B

— 2008 record: 6-5, 3-1 district

— Previous five years: (2007) 4-6, (2006) 6-5, (2005) 0-9, (2004) 5-5, (2003) 6-4

— After a few solid seasons following 2005’s winless campaign, the Gators enter new territory in a new and massively overhauled 1-1A. Baker was runner-up to South Walton in a three-team shootout to determine the 1-2B district champion last year. Returning to prominence in a district that has just three holdovers and features six teams that had winning records last year won’t be easy.

Bozeman (Southport)

— Former district: 2-2B

— 2008 record: 5-5, 2-1 district

— Previous five years: (2007) 5-4, (2006) 1-9, (2005) 1-8, (2004) N/A, (2003) N/A

— After two rocky years in 2005 and 2006, Bozeman stabilized itself in a higher classification last year. Any team moving down in classification will receive heightened attention from the incumbents, so Bozeman will be a marked team this year. Bozeman led its season-ending game against new division rival Freeport 20-13 last season before it was called off due to inclement weather.

Freeport

— Former district: Unchanged

— 2008 record: 5-4, 4-3 district

— Previous five years: (2007) 2-8, (2006) 3-7, (2005) 5-5, (2004) 4-6, (2003) 9-3

— Freeport turned a disappointing 2-8 record in 2007 into a respectable mid-standings district finish last year. Freeport welcomes six new teams into a district that no longer looks so familiar and closes the year with three home games. Freeport went 2-1 in games decided by 10 points or less last year.

Holmes County (Bonifay)

— Former district: 1-2B

— 2008 record: 1-9, 0-4 district

— Previous five years: (2007) 1-8, (2006) 1-9, (2005) 5-5, (2004) 4-6, (2003) 5-5

— Holmes County’s doldrums continued last year as the Blue Devils ran their record to 3-26 over the past three seasons. They’re hoping a switch to a new, much bigger district will ease some of the strain. Holmes County did lose two games by three points last season, including one of those to new division opponent South Walton.

Jay

— Former district: Unchanged

— 2008 record: 7-3, 5-2 district

— Previous five years: (2007) 8-3, (2006) 4-6, (2005) 3-7, (2004) 5-3, (2003) 6-4

— With the departure of West Gadsden and Port St. Joe, which finished one and two, respectively, last year, Jay is the de facto returning team to beat from 1-1A. Jay has been one of the more consistent teams in the district over the past five years with more good seasons than bad. The Royals closed the season with five wins in a row last year, including a season-ending win over Baker, which they’ll face in district this year.

Northview (Bratt)

— Former district: 1-2B

— 2008 record: 2-8, 1-3 district

— Previous five years: (2007) 6-5, (2006) 9-1, (2005) 6-4, (2004) 0-7, (2003) 1-8

— Northview moves to 1-1A with Vernon, Holmes County, Baker and South Walton and will again play all four of those teams this year. Northview fell hard last season following three straight winning seasons, so the Chiefs have their work cut out for them with those four teams — which they went 1-3 against last season — on the schedule again this year.

Sneads

— Former district: Unchanged

— 2008 record: 3-7, 2-5 district

— Previous five years: (2007) 4-6, (2006) 5-5, (2005) 1-9, (2004) 6-3, (2003) 9-2

— Sneads was fifth in an eight-team 1-1A district last year, so swapping a few teams and adding one more could be the key to breaking its four-year streak without a winning season. It took just two seasons for Sneads to fall from 9-2 to 1-9, so it’s hoping for an equally stark turnaround in a positive direction this year.

South Walton

— Former district: 1-2B

— Last year’s record: 9-3, 3-1 district

— Five-year record: (2007) 3-7, (2006) 2-8, (2005) 4-7, (2004) 2-7, (2003) 0-10

— The Seahawks’ historic 2008 campaign now in the books, what they do for an encore will be of prime interest in South Walton this season. From 0-10 to 9-3 and district champs in five years, the Seahawks will be aiming for a repeat in a new district this year. The Seahawks were masters of tight situations last season, winning seven games by a touchdown or less. Four of those games were against teams aligned in South Walton’s new district and are on the schedule again this season.

Vernon

— Former district: 1-2B

— Last year’s record: 5-4-1, 3-1 district

— Five-year record: (2007) 6-5, (2006) 2-8, (2005) 10-2, (2004) 11-2, (2003) 8-3

— Vernon got the short end of the three-way shootout with South Walton and Baker in the battle for last year’s 1-2B title, and despite a solid season finished third. Vernon had a smashing three-year run from 2003-2005 by going 29-7, but things have since cooled off. With the exception of a lackluster 2006, Vernon has still consistently been in the hunt for a district title.