I have a friend from SFA who told me they got a new director this year. A lot of students quit band as well, which I’m sure set them back even more since their band is already small.
From what I have heard, Cy Falls competes more out-of-state because they know they can place higher at those competitions (the St. Louis and Atlanta regionals are not nearly as competitive throughout as the San Antonio regional). They know they can make finals at those competitions, which is a good experience for the performers, and you can’t blame them for wanting to do well. Not sure if this is 100% accurate though- like I said, it’s just what I have heard.
On any other year I believe Cy Falls would have made it into St. Louis finals, but Hurricane Harvey and their director change (who moved to Bridgeland HS) set them back a bit.