Westfahl, Cramer says hi, he says it was a bitter pill but he learning to adjust (former state champ-- his kid plays basketball!) My comment about the self esteem relates to the way we make getting to state easier so the kids will feel good about themselves. a cynhical comment, maybe that's not the reason. all I know is that if you count all the years that all the schools were together, some 42 years, you get quite a few more small school champion teams that large ones. and any other yardstick is theoretical because there is no head to head like there used to be. you will never know how those teams since would have done against each other (except when they do meet) because we have made a state championship for each class, thereby (in my opinion) cheapening the value of the title.