Jump to content

Tazewell at Marion


HurricaneWarning
 Share

Recommended Posts

 
 

Serious question, and not to sound like I'm talking down to Tazewell folks, but when did this become a rivalry? I've heard several Tazewell folks recently talk about "playing their rival" in regards to games with Marion, but I don't ever remember the Dawgs being much of a rival for the Canes while I was in school, and I'm not particularly old. But in the BDT article about the game, it refers to them as common rivals, and I just don't recall that being the case. I mean, it's cool if Tazewell considers it a rivalry, but it was always just another game for us at Marion. Then again, we always considered Abingdon our biggest rival, and while I'm sure they didn't like us, I doubt that they had us at the top of their list of "most hated." Maybe some Marion folks could help me out and it's an old rivalry that fell off, or a new one that's blossomed, that I'm just not privy to it.

In regards to making it a "bonafide trophy game," it's cool that the tourism departments came up with it and got a pretty cool hand carved wooden trophy, it just seems odd as a Marion fan that we're playing for a trophy against Tazewell, when Marion has three or four teams that they have a much stronger rivalry with than the Dawgs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
 
 
 
10 hours ago, Plywood_King said:

Serious question, and not to sound like I'm talking down to Tazewell folks, but when did this become a rivalry? I've heard several Tazewell folks recently talk about "playing their rival" in regards to games with Marion, but I don't ever remember the Dawgs being much of a rival for the Canes while I was in school, and I'm not particularly old. But in the BDT article about the game, it refers to them as common rivals, and I just don't recall that being the case. I mean, it's cool if Tazewell considers it a rivalry, but it was always just another game for us at Marion. Then again, we always considered Abingdon our biggest rival, and while I'm sure they didn't like us, I doubt that they had us at the top of their list of "most hated." Maybe some Marion folks could help me out and it's an old rivalry that fell off, or a new one that's blossomed, that I'm just not privy to it.

In regards to making it a "bonafide trophy game," it's cool that the tourism departments came up with it and got a pretty cool hand carved wooden trophy, it just seems odd as a Marion fan that we're playing for a trophy against Tazewell, when Marion has three or four teams that they have a much stronger rivalry with than the Dawgs.

I feel the same way on this but here is my take.  We have played each other forever it seems so I'll give it to you that it is a "rivalry" type game.  Only 11 aerial miles apart so it would make sense to be a rival.  We don't have the hate for Marion that we do for Richlands or even Graham.  I graduated in 99 so I don't remember the same feeling much like yourself.  Now I have family in Marion as well and growing up we would come over and visit and the older members would talk highly about beating Tazewell or losing it so maybe there was something more to it years ago in our glory days of the 50s through the 80s.  I would love to know some history there.  I think this bowl probably stems from trying to ramp up the whole back of the dragon thing that I must confess has surprised me how big it has become in Tazewell.  I'm not sure how big it is on the Marion side of the mountains...most people over here where I work seem to be unaware of just how big it is.  Kudos to the eco dev offices trying to hype up and make something else to bring attention to the area.

As far as the trophy, I think it's pretty neat looking of course I love dragons anyway...

As far as the final, look for the Dogs to come out and play hard after last weeks win.  Fans and team energized from it and fully supporting them.  However size and numbers will kill and I look for something to the tune of 42-13.  All I can ask for is to keep up that intensity this week and don't get discouraged.  Rewards will pay off for those who stick with it...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
 
 
 
2 hours ago, swva_havok_fan said:

I recommend going across 91 to Glade Spring... why not?  Take the scenic route!  :D

As far as the buses go, don't know about recently but used to come across mountain then go out tannersville and down through chilhowie.  Of course that was back in my day and rewind back to my parents day, they went across all the mountains.

I'll take the mountains any day myself :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Probably a bit overrated as a rivalry, but also underrated by many not close to the area. I worked at Hungry Mother State Park as a young man, and can't count how many Tazewell natives crossed the mountain and into the park. My younger brother played against a 10-0 Marion team in the 80s led by a vicious RB named Puckett for Marion, and I remember the friendly "jawing and innocent trash talking" in the summer at Hungry Mother between Tazewell guys like Jeff Lamie and Puckett from Marion. I don't know about now, but back then, it wasn't uncommon for a few Bulldog and Scarlett Hurricane players to be sharing the High Dive at the Lake on a given July day. Based on this, I think this is a bit more of a rivalry than some realize, but...I have no idea about today . Even though Marion and Tazewell is only a few aerial miles, driving time is a bit of a haul over those two mountains going through Frog Level out of Tazewell.

One poster mentioned GladeSpring? Now, either I am old, or truly just stupid as my wife often reminds me, I don't recall Glade Spring being anywhere between Tazewell and Marion. I can think of 2, maybe 3 ways to go from Tazewell to Marion.

1. 460 out of Tazewell through Bluefield, then to 77 South to 81 South. This would be crazy and take forever, but 4 lane and super bus friendly.

2.  Go from Tazewell over past Cove Creek to Rocky Gap to pick up 77S, then to 81 S in Wytheville. Thus would be more bus friendly, but if I'm not mistaken, rough road from Tazewell to Rocky Gap.

3. Over the mountains. And yes, I made it consistently in 30 minutes years ago, but man oh man, dangerous for a bus. But....much shorter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
1 hour ago, TTownTigers said:

Probably a bit overrated as a rivalry, but also underrated by many not close to the area. I worked at Hungry Mother State Park as a young man, and can't count how many Tazewell natives crossed the mountain and into the park. My younger brother played against a 10-0 Marion team in the 80s led by a vicious RB named Puckett for Marion, and I remember the friendly "jawing and innocent trash talking" in the summer at Hungry Mother between Tazewell guys like Jeff Lamie and Puckett from Marion. I don't know about now, but back then, it wasn't uncommon for a few Bulldog and Scarlett Hurricane players to be sharing the High Dive at the Lake on a given July day. Based on this, I think this is a bit more of a rivalry than some realize, but...I have no idea about today . Even though Marion and Tazewell is only a few aerial miles, driving time is a bit of a haul over those two mountains going through Frog Level out of Tazewell.

One poster mentioned GladeSpring? Now, either I am old, or truly just stupid as my wife often reminds me, I don't recall Glade Spring being anywhere between Tazewell and Marion. I can think of 2, maybe 3 ways to go from Tazewell to Marion.

1. 460 out of Tazewell through Bluefield, then to 77 South to 81 South. This would be crazy and take forever, but 4 lane and super bus friendly.

2.  Go from Tazewell over past Cove Creek to Rocky Gap to pick up 77S, then to 81 S in Wytheville. Thus would be more bus friendly, but if I'm not mistaken, rough road from Tazewell to Rocky Gap.

3. Over the mountains. And yes, I made it consistently in 30 minutes years ago, but man oh man, dangerous for a bus. But....much shorter.

91 brings you across Clinch Mtn from Frog Level into Saltville via Tannersville, and then on to Glade Spring if you follow it that far, but most folks would turn onto 107 toward Chilhowie to save time. You can also go south through Richlands and hang a left just past Rosedale onto highway 80, which takes you across Rich Mountain, and brings you into Hayter's Gap north of Glade, which is a really pretty drive that's smoother than 16, but it's a lot more time consuming. 

I made several bus trips to Tazewell and back in my high school days, and I remember that it was usually travel by committee. Most of the time we took 81/77/460, which was a beating, but was better than the one time we took 81/19 through Abingdon because the coaches wanted to eat at Bonanza. There was one occasion where the bus driver thought he knew the back roads better than he did, and we took 107 to Midway, turned down the Valley Road, the bus driver decided against it, so we turned down Possum Hollow and crossed Rich Valley back to the Saltville Highway, then missed the turn to Tannersville, so we followed the Saltville Highway all the way to Chatham Hill, turned onto 16, and rode Brushy and Clinch in a school bus that's brakes were squealing all the way down the backside of the mountain into Thompson Valley.

Nonetheless, after all the vomit and excrement were cleaned out of the seats, we took 77 back.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
 
9 hours ago, Motorhead 5150 said:

Being a former Bulldog player myself, I don't know about Marion being such a big rivalry game either. I do know things got pretty heated at the end of a playoff game over there in '87. If it was going to turn into a big rivalry, it would have definitely been after that. 

I remember that game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
14 hours ago, Plywood_King said:

91 brings you across Clinch Mtn from Frog Level into Saltville via Tannersville, and then on to Glade Spring if you follow it that far, but most folks would turn onto 107 toward Chilhowie to save time. You can also go south through Richlands and hang a left just past Rosedale onto highway 80, which takes you across Rich Mountain, and brings you into Hayter's Gap north of Glade, which is a really pretty drive that's smoother than 16, but it's a lot more time consuming. 

I made several bus trips to Tazewell and back in my high school days, and I remember that it was usually travel by committee. Most of the time we took 81/77/460, which was a beating, but was better than the one time we took 81/19 through Abingdon because the coaches wanted to eat at Bonanza. There was one occasion where the bus driver thought he knew the back roads better than he did, and we took 107 to Midway, turned down the Valley Road, the bus driver decided against it, so we turned down Possum Hollow and crossed Rich Valley back to the Saltville Highway, then missed the turn to Tannersville, so we followed the Saltville Highway all the way to Chatham Hill, turned onto 16, and rode Brushy and Clinch in a school bus that's brakes were squealing all the way down the backside of the mountain into Thompson Valley.

Nonetheless, after all the vomit and excrement were cleaned out of the seats, we took 77 back.

I was making a joke about 91... and also making said joke with the assumption that 91 is still a dirt road for a good chunk of that drive?  I, personally haven't drove that road since 2000 when I dated a girl from Tazewell and would drive from work in Abingdon on Friday evening to her house.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
16 hours ago, TTownTigers said:

Probably a bit overrated as a rivalry, but also underrated by many not close to the area. I worked at Hungry Mother State Park as a young man, and can't count how many Tazewell natives crossed the mountain and into the park. My younger brother played against a 10-0 Marion team in the 80s led by a vicious RB named Puckett for Marion, and I remember the friendly "jawing and innocent trash talking" in the summer at Hungry Mother between Tazewell guys like Jeff Lamie and Puckett from Marion. I don't know about now, but back then, it wasn't uncommon for a few Bulldog and Scarlett Hurricane players to be sharing the High Dive at the Lake on a given July day. Based on this, I think this is a bit more of a rivalry than some realize, but...I have no idea about today . Even though Marion and Tazewell is only a few aerial miles, driving time is a bit of a haul over those two mountains going through Frog Level out of Tazewell.

One poster mentioned GladeSpring? Now, either I am old, or truly just stupid as my wife often reminds me, I don't recall Glade Spring being anywhere between Tazewell and Marion. I can think of 2, maybe 3 ways to go from Tazewell to Marion.

1. 460 out of Tazewell through Bluefield, then to 77 South to 81 South. This would be crazy and take forever, but 4 lane and super bus friendly.

2.  Go from Tazewell over past Cove Creek to Rocky Gap to pick up 77S, then to 81 S in Wytheville. Thus would be more bus friendly, but if I'm not mistaken, rough road from Tazewell to Rocky Gap.

3. Over the mountains. And yes, I made it consistently in 30 minutes years ago, but man oh man, dangerous for a bus. But....much shorter.

Going down 61 toward Rocky Gap isn't as bad as people make it to be.  It is a major shortcut instead of going 460.  Plus if you want to save even more time cut across 614 through grapefield.  Save 5-10 as long as don't get stuck behind somebody slow.  Of course that can happen going across 16 as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
 
 

Good effort by the Dawgs. Scored first, set a good tone, went down by six scores but still refused to go down without a fight. If they can get their numbers up, Tazewell will be a force to be reckoned with in a couple of years. They really reminded me of Marion in 2015.

Bearing that in mind, this game and GW before have really exposed a weakness in Marion's defense that they have to get cleaned up before they see Grayson County next week, or we may be looking at a pretty big upset in Hurricane Stadium.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
On 9/16/2017 at 4:46 PM, Plywood_King said:

Good effort by the Dawgs. Scored first, set a good tone, went down by six scores but still refused to go down without a fight. If they can get their numbers up, Tazewell will be a force to be reckoned with in a couple of years. They really reminded me of Marion in 2015.

Bearing that in mind, this game and GW before have really exposed a weakness in Marion's defense that they have to get cleaned up before they see Grayson County next week, or we may be looking at a pretty big upset in Hurricane Stadium.

I'm glad you made this post, he shows how far these boys have came along this season. You seen how well they played once they were on the field with kids their own age! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...