mv91 259 Report Share Posted September 18, 2012 http://www2.tricities.com/sports/2009/sep/03/football_jonesville_bulldogs_were_ultimate_underdo-ar-241823/ Thats an awesome story!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_dawg74 17 Report Share Posted September 18, 2012 It is only proper that state championships seem to be the most prominent criterion for coaching success. One has to remember that from '46 to '70 Virginia had no state title games- except in 1-1A. A lot of the older SWVA coaches would have really done well if they could have had the chance to do so on a state level. When I was in high school a district title was all you could shoot for- things have changed. A district title is just a rest stop on the road to the playoffs for a lot of the kids. Bradley at Graham was a pretty good coach in my day- so was Dave Rider at Tazewell-Elizabethton Also, when there were no classes (A,AA,AAA) a small school may end up playing a school that had a much larger enrollment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VHSLhelper 571 Report Share Posted September 19, 2012 WOW...no one mentions Mike Smith ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futbolking 766 Report Share Posted September 19, 2012 WOW...no one mentions Mike Smith ?? Probably because we're talking coaches of SWVA teams...not coaches from SWVA...to be honest, I didn't even make a connection until you just posted....but he certainly is probably the best in VA history... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battleftbl 42 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 (edited) In 1994, Appalachia started Travis Turner, Travis Clark and that group as Freshman. Powell Valley had a JR running back named Thomas Jones. End of discussion. Anytime the talent was close other than 1997 *which we could argue about all night* Turner usually won. *See 1996 for example, even with Julius Jones*. The only three years I can remember Appalachia having more talent than PV is 1992, 1993 and Brad Robbins *sophmore year??*. Coach Turner handed Robbins his A$$ in the 92 and 93 games. The third on that list, PV did leave Appy with the win but it was more due to missed opportunities than anything else. On the flip side, My senior year, we almost came into Bullitt Park and beat a much more talented PV team with Michael Stacy, Sheldon Adams, Patrick McKinney and that group. Josh Mabe had Robbins cursing so loud at halftime that he could be heard in the home bleachers. And to the best of my knowledge, My JR and SR years we ran Burton off the field. If you're talking about the last few years of Turners reign, he didnt have the kids for the most part. Were lucky to make the playoffs they were so undersized. Only 2 or 3 kids in that span would have even got on the field a few years earlier. Not to mention coaches health problems. We could argue about the Appy/PV series all night but we'll both agree that these two should be in the top 5 and probably the top 3 in SWVA history. Edited September 21, 2012 by battleftbl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sup_rbeast 296 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 (edited) In 1994, Appalachia started Travis Turner, Travis Clark and that group as Freshman. Powell Valley had a JR running back named Thomas Jones. End of discussion. Anytime the talent was close other than 1997 *which we could argue about all night* Turner usually won. *See 1996 for example, even with Julius Jones*. The only three years I can remember Appalachia having more talent than PV is 1992, 1993 and Brad Robbins *sophmore year??*. Coach Turner handed Robbins his A$$ in the 92 and 93 games. The third on that list, PV did leave Appy with the win but it was more due to missed opportunities than anything else. On the flip side, My senior year, we almost came into Bullitt Park and beat a much more talented PV team with Michael Stacy, Sheldon Adams, Patrick McKinney and that group. Josh Mabe had Robbins cursing so loud at halftime that he could be heard in the home bleachers. And to the best of my knowledge, My JR and SR years we ran Burton off the field. If you're talking about the last few years of Turners reign, he didnt have the kids for the most part. Were lucky to make the playoffs they were so undersized. Only 2 or 3 kids in that span would have even got on the field a few years earlier. Not to mention coaches health problems. We could argue about the Appy/PV series all night but we'll both agree that these two should be in the top 5 and probably the top 3 in SWVA history. In the 1980's, Appy always underachieved versus PV (in 1981, a 3 loss PV team denied Appy the playoffs in a 15-15 tie, In 1984, PV (out of contention for the post season with 2 LPD losses) denied Appy another playoff trip (spurring the "Co-Champs is better than No Champs" bumper sticker), 1988, Appy had the top rated Single A team in the state, and lost to a 2 loss PV team with mostly juniors and sophomores...1991-1993 is the worst stretch of talent PV had from 1980-2004, and many teams beat them up pretty good during those 3 years. Like I said, I think Turner was a great coach, but in his 25 years of coaching, he never did anything special vs. PV (who wasn't even all that good until Turner's 3rd year in Appy). His win percentage is .450 lower vs PV than all other opponents (.200 compared to .650), Appy's average score vs. PV during his 25 years is 28-14 in favor of PV (most of the games weren't even close)...in the 1980's, both teams had comparable talent for the most part (both teams averaged 8-9 wins per season) but Appy only had 71 total points vs. PV for the entire decade. Turner just could hardly ever take down his main rival. Actually, Appy has a better record vs. the Vikings in the years prior to and after Turner's 25 year stint as Appy's coach (12-14), than they do for the years he was there (5-19-1). Edited September 21, 2012 by sup_rbeast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironlung 10 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 Appy only had 71 total points vs. PV for the entire decade. Wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starcityfootballfan 517 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 Carlock---over 200 wins, Virginia High School hall of fame inducte AND, most importantly,a great man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starcityfootballfan 517 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 Carlock not in any Top 5 is comical. Especially when you include Mance... Great post and very accurate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starcityfootballfan 517 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 Actually, vaught got fired at PH Roanoke for using a racial slur after his first game. He only led them back to the locker room. Oh, I had forgotten about this one and you are indeed correct! PH-Roanoke had really high expectations for this man although short lived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starcityfootballfan 517 Report Share Posted September 21, 2012 No debate, and no controversy on this one. Best year for SW Virginia football? 1989 Four State Champions from our "neck of the woods." D4-Blacksburg D3-Graham D2-Powell Valley D1-Appalachia I will never forget leaving Mitchell Stadium after Graham upset highly talented Southhamptom (16-0). When I heard the remaining scores I remember thinking that this is high school football at its finest! And it still is in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trumpet1988 289 Report Share Posted September 22, 2012 9 Rocky Baker the man took POUND to STATE! Granted Appy and JIB were down, Haysi Clintwood and Honaker were still in D2 and Reg C didnt have $h!t, but stillHaysi, Clintwood, and HOnaker being in D1 still may not have made much a difference. In 1999 one of them MIGHT have been able to win D1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trumpet1988 289 Report Share Posted September 22, 2012 Phil Robbins couldn't hold up Carlock's Jock Strap. Robbins was way overrated. Witht the kind of talent he had a PV, a trained beagle could have won a state title. Tom Turner did more than Robbins with less as well. Phil Robbin's coaching ability is a lot like going to a strip club. It sounds awesome, but is really just sort of awkward and you feel dirty when you think about it. I find the "he just had talent" argument against Robbins rather pathetic. Talent is one thing. If Phill Robbins wasn't a good coach or half as good as everybody thought he was (or even as good as he thought he was) then do you honestly think Powell Valley would have won 7 additional titles under him? Granted, Phil Robbins was and is a jerk. But to deny that he was a good coach is ridiculous. It's a matter of opinion, yes. I'm sure other coaches in the region were and are far better than Robbins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hokiebird7 1,416 Report Share Posted September 22, 2012 Giles fan here and no way on this green earth should Mance be anywhere near Ragsdale...sorry blues fans but Rags was a great one that brought home 3 titles to a program that was nothing before he got there. Love Mance to death and even he would tell you he should be nowhere near Rags...he should know cause he played for him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trumpet1988 289 Report Share Posted September 22, 2012 Giles fan here and no way on this green earth should Mance be anywhere near Ragsdale...sorry blues fans but Rags was a great one that brought home 3 titles to a program that was nothing before he got there. Love Mance to death and even he would tell you he should be nowhere near Rags...he should know cause he played for him Ragsdale was a good coach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtiger 1,740 Report Share Posted September 22, 2012 (edited) Haysi, Clintwood, and HOnaker being in D1 still may not have made much a difference. In 1999 one of them MIGHT have been able to win D1. Haysi was solid in '99(beat Pound), Clintwood was really good(beat Pound bad), and Honaker was loaded(beat Haysi and Clintwood)! I dont know a thing about Surry but I know they only beat Pound 21-6. I would put my money on that Miller led Honaker team by 2TDs Edited September 24, 2012 by redtiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastpitch7 31 Report Share Posted September 24, 2012 Tom Turner had much less to work with than pretty much every coach on the lists I see here. The fact that he could take 25 undersized players and wear your 65 out time after time to the tune of many state titles is a testament to what a tremendous coach he was. For that alone,he's top 3 at worst,but he very may well have been #1 I agree Turner had less than any school around and would beat the crap out of you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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