I'm from a small school (2a) my kids went to the same school.
bottom line is Mercer was going to be VERY good this year with or without the merger, a couple of breaks and they could have won state last year, and they returned a boat load of those kids this year.
Also do you hear all the garbage when a 1A team beats a 4A team NO!
So lets just give Mercer a break and let them play the hand that the KHSAA gave them.
by the way my school played Mercer and LOST but I ain't going sit and cry about a future 5A or whatever they will be next year.
They were going to be contending for the title without the merger IMO