As the fall sports season begins, most teams face changes. Some have to deal with loss of star seniors, new coaches and new athletes. However, this year the soccer team faces a different change: class adjustment. As of Aug 17, the Rolla boys’ soccer team has moved from Class three to Class two, which will have some slight changes for the team.

“MSHAA decided to switch to equal breaks in soccer,” Boys soccer coach, Mike Howard said. “Before, it was standard enrollment, so whatever the enrollment of the school was, that determined what the class was. Now they’ve made it equal so there is sixty-five in class 3, sixty-five in class 2 and sixty-five in class 1 which rearranged the entire state.”

This doesn’t make any major changes for the team as of now, but will make a difference by the time post-season play comes around

“It won’t affect our schedule at all, and our schedule is already set and it’s tough,” Howard said. “It just affects our district and state tournament opponents.”

Some might view moving down a class as moving to easier opponents, but Coach Howard as viewed it as just the opposite.

“We were already in a fairly difficult district, and if anything this [class change] will make districts even tougher. But this does give us a bit of help, because if we make it out of districts, we have a good chance of making a good run [for the state championship].” Howard said.