Smallest D1 schools?

[Owen B]

Commerce, with a 540 enrollment, will be D1 this year. Will there be any smaller D1 schools? Will there be other D1 schools with enrollments under 600?

[Owen B]

BTW, this allignment is the first in which Commerce had a real possibility of going D1. The first four years of two divisions, Commerce was too small to possibly be D1, and in the last alignment, it could only have happened if none of the five largest schools in the district made the playoffs. This alignment, Commerce is the second largest school in a five team district, and Quinlan Ford, with 874 enrollment, can't make the playoffs and is likely to be winless for the season.

[VWG]

What's been up with the Tigers lately?
Commerce used to be a playoff powerhouse, but the last few years hasn't lived up to the old traditions.

[mwynn05]

If Groesbeck beats Mexia and Fairfield beats Madisonville, Groesbeck will be D1 with 520 students. If Mexia wins they will be D1 with 614. If Madisonville beats Fairfield and Groesbeck beats Mexia, Madisonville will be D1 with 580. I dont think Mexia will beat Groesbeck especially since it's in Groesbeck. The Fairifeld-Madisonville game is in Madisonville. If Taylor doesnt play(is he back?) I think Fairfield will win. I really don't know what will happen in this district any more though. Every team(except Marlin) seems to have multiple personalities. Marlin is the #1 seed in D2

[Owen B]

A dropoff in talent and coaching ability, VWG. Lineweaver is a heck of a coach, and I think the Tigers would have won three State championships in a row had he stayed after 1999. But even had he stayed, Commerce would have been down a bit since 2002.

Coach Draughn was Commerce's DC during its glory years and is a good head coach, but not yet of the caliber of Lineweaver. Whether he'll ever be of that caliber or assemble as good a group of assistants as Lineweaver did, I don't know, but I think Commerce will be making some noise again in the near future.