In the week leading up to Rockhurst football’s season opener versus St. Pius X, the program received word that it would move down to compete in Missouri Class 5 for the 2025 season. The news caught many by surprise–the Hawklets have competed in Class 6 ever since it was created in the early part of this century–and prompted questions throughout the Rockhurst community.
Why the change?
The answer to this question lies in size. The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) first apportions schools into Classes 1-6 based on enrollment. They specifically look at enrollment in the sophomore, junior and senior classes. At Rockhurst, the numbers for those grade levels this year look like this:
That comes out to 599 students. Since Rockhurst is a single gender school, that figure is multiplied times two, giving the school credit for an enrollment of 1,198, according to MSHSAA’s system of calculations. This year’s minimum enrollment to be part of Class 6 was 1,250.
What does this move change for Rockhurst’s season?
Competing in a different class doesn’t change anything for Rockhurst–until the Hawklets reach the postseason. Then, they will take on Class 5 opponents throughout the district and state playoffs. This means Rockhurst will not take on Class 6 powerhouse teams, like Lee’s Summit North and Liberty North, that they might usually face in November. Instead, the Hawklets will battle their new Class 5, District 8 opponents. This group encompasses Fort Osage, Platte County, St. Pius X, Truman, William Chrisman and Winnetonka.
What are the teams in Class 5 like?
Just because Rockhurst is “moving down” a class doesn’t mean the Hawklets will simply roll to their tenth state championship in program history.
“Hopefully we can take advantage of going down,” Head Coach Kelly Donohoe said, “but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an easier road.”
One could argue that several Class 5 teams could contend for district titles in Class 6. One such team, and district foe of Rockhurst, is Platte County. The Pirates are the defending Class 5 state champions, and a perennial contender. In the last decade alone, they finished with a winning record nine times, won districts four times and finished top-2 in the state three times.
This year, they returned a strong bevy of talent. Starting three-star quarterback, Rocco Marriott, is committed to James Madison. Jack Utz, the team’s three-star tight end, is currently committed to KU. These two, along with other players on the team being recruited by various colleges, helped Platte County go undefeated last year, and this year bolster a roster able to contend at any class level.
The Pirates have rolled through their first four opponents this season, scoring an average of 54 points per game while only giving up 16.3.
On paper, Platte County would appear to be Rockhurst’s main competition to win District 8. Beyond that, the road doesn’t necessarily get any smoother. For instance, Cardinal Ritter, out of St. Louis, won Class 3 in 2022, got moved up two classes for 2023, then promptly went undefeated and won state in Class 5. The Lions are just 2-2 so far this season, but their two losses came against a pair of Class 6 powerhouses.
Another team to watch elsewhere in the state is the most decorated in any class: Webb City. Owners of the most state titles in Missouri history (16), the Cardinals won their respective district 14 of the last 15 seasons with eight of those seasons ending with them the last team standing.
Platte County, Cardinal Ritter and Webb City represent three of the last five Class 5 state champions. Not an easier road indeed.
When Will Rockhurst Return to Class 6?
Since class assignments are determined each year, it’s possible Rockhurst could return to Class 6 as soon as next year. This year’s freshman class of 260 would push the school’s number of sophomores, juniors, and seniors–when combined with the 2x multiplier–above the threshold set this year for Class 6 schools. But enrollment changes at other schools could alter that threshold figure.
That said, another way Rockhurst can ascend back into Class 6 is through what MSHSAA calls the Championship Factor. This new method of classifying programs based on success was implemented back in 2020. Under it, successful high school programs would, in theory, be moved to a level of competition based on their success.
The procedure awards schools one point for winning their district, two points for reaching a state semifinal, three points for reaching a state final and four points for winning a state title. The points a school can gain are not cumulative on the season and only take into consideration a team’s best outcome.
MSHSAA then takes the total points a school accumulated each of the last six seasons and places schools based on three thresholds:
- 0-2 points = remain classified based on enrollment
- 3-7 points = move one class above raw enrollment
- 8+ points = move two classes above raw enrollment
The catch to all of this is that the Championship Factor only applies to private, parochial and charter schools. This is why Platte County, a public school, remains in Class 5 despite having a resume worthy of a re-classification (what would amount to ten Championship Factor points accumulated over the last six seasons). With their classification based solely on enrollment, the Pirates’ have consistently fallen below the population boundary for Class 6, thus keeping them in Class 5.
For the Hawklets, a state semifinal appearance in 2023 has the program sitting at two points in the last six years, one below the required amount to move up to Class 6 from where the school’s enrollment would have them fit. A district championship this year would give them the necessary three points to once again return to the largest classification in Missouri high school sports in 2026.
In the end, Rockhurst’s enrollment and success–combined with the size of other schools–will ultimately decide when and if Rockhurst moves back up to Class 6. Until then, the Hawklets can only focus on the season in which they are currently entrenched.
“Nothing changes,” Donohoe told Prep News. “We don’t care about next year right now. We want to be great this year.”
