However larger schools have bigger squads and better numbers to draw talent. The move down did a lot of good for us. We were better able to compete because of the numbers. In football, numbers mean everything. More depth means a greater pool of talent.
Bigger classes have more jumbo-sized players.
By dropping, programs move from the minnows of one classification to the Goliaths of another. They automatically become one of the favorites and the beasts of the new classification. Friona's average daily attendance dropped from 374 in 1999 to 342 for the 2000 realignment, an 8.8 percent drop. Friona was a consistent power in Class 3A for many years. The drop planted the Chieftains at the top of 2A enrollment figures.