...not knockin ya. just throwin out some info on texas football. it's my homeland.
I didn't take it as a knock. Knock three times on the ceiling if you want me.
(Oops...digressing...)
I might be willing to bet I know a bit more about Texas than you think.
Texas starts at 1A and goes up to 5A with a "big" 5A Division 1 and "small" 5A division II, both with student populations over 2000. More or less....
1A is for the little schools and the divisions progress by school population. There is about a snowball's chance in hell that any 3A school could ever defeat any 5A school, either DI or DII if they competed for the same state championship. 3A schools have about 300 students (male) to choose from. 5A schools have about 1500 (male).
Private schools have separate championships and leagues, but compete with public schools during the regular season.
(If my memory is correct...)
I happened to be in Waco Texas at a cheap motel one night. (Wut? Don't like cheap motels? The money I saved by staying at a cheap motel allowed me to purchase a cheap pack of cigs and some cheap beer. Shheeeiittt....) I stepped out of the room and heard band music. I looked around and saw some stadium lights. I drove to the stadium. The band, the stadium, the crowd, the athletes. Unbelievable production. I thought I was at a pro ballgame. I also saw another game at (of all places -ACamp) El Paso Texas. It was (of all teams - Ever seen the movie "Friday Night Lights?") Odessa Permian against an El Paso school. The speed and precision of that team was incredible. I think they ran 4 plays all night. Sweep right, sweep left, dive up the middle, and streak. They were surprisingly very small, but lightning quick and confident.
Had vehicle trouble passing through El Paso another time. (Great people. Fast help.) Local rivalry game was so big and anticipated crowd was so big that the game was moved to the GAWDDAM SUN BOWL.
I have watched a couple of random high school games in Cali. Great athletes. But I was at a random semifinal game in a random town. I think in attendance was maybe a couple of parents and me. Not even the friggen cheerleaders showed up. I'm sure football is big in Cali (from a production standpoint - athletes are amazing), but probably nothing like the few I watched in Texas.