Too Early to Panic?

[VaBearcat88 7]

This just came to mind about the first 4 weeks of football - but how confident are we in the area’s best teams in 2A?

I listened to the Ridgeview-Union game on the radio last week and it sounded quite sloppy for two blue-blood programs, was it just big-game nerves or have the turnovers and mental mistakes been commonplace? I know Richlands is playing tough competition right now and played well against Union but are they more similar to the Richlands of old, or to last years squad? I cannot comment on Graham, don’t know them...As a Bearcat follower I have been disappointed in their lack of ability to close out games, they have been up by 20 or more in 2 of the 3 wins (exception being Battle) - depth is a serious concern for them, beating TAZ,Battle, and Wise by 1 or 2 possessions doesn’t bode well when they have to go to Chilhowie, host Abingdon, host Graham in weeks following the bye...plus Richlands awaits them in week 10...

Which teams should press the panic button? And where are we in the battle of district supremacy - Southwest vs. Mountain Seven...again don’t take too seriously what I mean by panic - just trying to create discussion to a thought I had... thanks 

[SWVAgridiron 1,469]

I don’t think anyone should panic yet with it just being at the halfway mark. As far as 2A West goes, IMO Glenvar is at the top. Followed by Appo and Ridgeview. Union, Va High, and Graham take 3-5.

In all of 2A, I think Region D is behind everyone but I also think that Ridgeview and Union can play with the top dogs of A, B, and C right now. I’m not completely sold on RV yet but last season I also wasn’t sold on Union until late in the season.  

 

[Bearcat Dad 439]

I can give you my opinion on the Bearcats. 

You hit the nail on the head with the depth concern. The coaches knew this well before the season started. They also knew that the schedule was going to be tougher after the bye week.

You can see similarities in playcalling/personnel, offensively speaking, so far this year. In the opener, we stuck with our horses and had a 30-7 lead early in the 2nd quarter. The combination of injuries not allowing substitutions with only 27 dressed out, new starters on defense being beaten multiple times, and Tazewell's young phenom playmakers, made for a close game.

Week 2, the coaches tried some new things in the first half, in an attempt to build depth, that resulted in a low scoring first half. The staff made some great adjustments at halftime and went back to our horses.

Week 3, the staff once again went with our horses and we were within one score with 9 minutes left against the best team we'll see all season.

Week 4, the staff was determined to fix the inconsistent passing game. It looked great early, and allowed us to build a 27-7 lead. In the 2nd half, we worked on developing depth in the backfield, that finally caught fire in the fourth quarter. We also took our starting defensive unit out(for the most part) a tad early, along with the great resiliency that the WC players showed, that allowed WC to score twice, within a matter of minutes in the 4th quarter. The starters were put back in after the onside kick recovery, and were able to finish the game.

 

The big thing that people either fail to realize or admit, is that the past is the past. Region D is a 5 team race right now. There have been one or two teams over the last 3 years, that were much better than everyone else in the region. That's just simply not the case this year. There are 5 teams this year that can all beat each other on any given Friday night. Parity is a necessity in sports.

[BigWinners 1,643]

I disagree, simply because I don't see five teams in the race. It's four max. I mean no offense but I just don't see VHS as a legit contender to win Region D. they'll likely have to travel unless they beat some big dogs left on schedule, and at RV, at Richlands, Graham or Union, I'd favor the other teams. In Bristol, VHS could upset anyone, but on the road that's a rough way to go. Unless you mean Grayson County but I don't see them as a threat to win the region. 

 

I've seen VHS, Richlands, Union and Ridgeview. RV is the most complete team. They have a power run game, there's speed at QB, They have two X-factors on offense in Sexton and Sproles, the defense has zero glaring holes and right now, they'll likely be at home in the playoffs barring some upsets. I haven't seen Graham play in person, so I can't comment on them as well but they'll likely have the most dynamic athlete on the field in every game except against RV but apparently the play at the LOS isn't great from what little I've saw and some of the old issues of just being undisciplined on defense has given them issues. 

You've also got four elite coaches, there's no big hidden reason why Graham, Richlands, Ridgeview and Union are at the top. Rick Mullins is constantly overlooked but he's been winning big games for DECADES now. Mance at RHS, everyone knows he's great. Turner has won a ton of games in a short period of time taking over a contentious situation. Palmer has kept Graham relevant. 

I think the top of the M7 is slightly ahead of the Southwest, Union won at Richlands, but the meat of the SWD kills the M7. After the top three, the drop off is huge. Wise, Lee, GC and Battle are BAD.