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Congrats to Chris Akers


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I can understand the frustration from the Gate City faithful concerning their football team losing as much as they have lately. Sometimes when you are inside a situation like this you don't always see things the same way as someone on the outside looking in. In this case those of us on the outside see a handful of Gate City fans bashing the coach for the past year and a half. When you watch the video that was posted that isn't a team that has given up on their coaching staff or the game of football. 

Whether the fans, coaches, parents, or kids want to admit to it or not the talent simply isn't on the field. Are the "athletes" not playing because of Chris Akers? Possibly. I'm gonna say it has to do with a lot of kids walking around with a basketball in their hands hoping to be the next McClung. I'm not saying that's a bad thing but it is what it is. I'm sure back in the day kids were wanting to be the next Houseright. 

I may be reading the few of you wrong but it seems there is a perception that when Reed or whoever takes over Gate City football will return immediately to its glory days. That may very well be the case but just in case it doesn't happen then what? 

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I don't know how any GC fan could believe that with a coaching change, immediate success would be in store for the football program.  I'm not sure any true fan believes that at all quite frankly.  I do believe a change needs to happen just from things you hear and see on Friday nights.  You hear things in a small town believe it or not.  Now if all is true or not is a different story but, nonetheless, this isn't the direction a struggling program wants to keep going in.

I've stated before, with the right coach it may still be another 3-4 years before GC is relevant again but I do see the potential for at least more competitiveness fairly quickly.  The team, to me, lacks a lot of fundamentals and that falls directly on the HC's shoulders. There has been a drop in talent the last few years which hasn't helped AT ALL but, you still have to tip your cap to the kids that are out there trying there best to win.  This program needs a lot of work that doesn't simply begin and end with a new head coach.  

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I have not seen a single GC person say that GC will be back on top immediately when a coaching change is made. IT’S A START!!!! I have made the comment, “it’s a step in the right direction”. Nobody said that GC will go 8-2, 9-1, or 10-0 under Reed in 2019. If a GC fan believes that garbage, he/she is a fool. We have 3 years of BS fundamentals (or lack of) to purge from the kids memory from Varsity to Little League. It’s a huge process. But a change, the right change, is a step toward fixing this mess. I don’t understand how that sounds like 2019 playoff berth, M7 champs, and State champs. But hey, I get all the hate, it would suck to be 2nd fiddle to Gate City for a few more decades. I can’t blame y’all for wanting to continue to see GC down for the count. That’s why you all want to continue to see Akers at GC. It would suck for other schools if Akers was no longer at GC killing the program. Enjoy it while you can because we’ll be back. 

 

And hell, we don’t know if the SB is gonna fire Akers yet. If not, I hope it’s remembered by the fans come election time. 

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1 hour ago, Leatherhead Larry said:

I have not seen a single GC person say that GC will be back on top immediately when a coaching change is made. IT’S A START!!!! I have made the comment, “it’s a step in the right direction”. Nobody said that GC will go 8-2, 9-1, or 10-0 under Reed in 2019. If a GC fan believes that garbage, he/she is a fool. We have 3 years of BS fundamentals (or lack of) to purge from the kids memory from Varsity to Little League. It’s a huge process. But a change, the right change, is a step toward fixing this mess. I don’t understand how that sounds like 2019 playoff berth, M7 champs, and State champs. But hey, I get all the hate, it would suck to be 2nd fiddle to Gate City for a few more decades. I can’t blame y’all for wanting to continue to see GC down for the count. That’s why you all want to continue to see Akers at GC. It would suck for other schools if Akers was no longer at GC killing the program. Enjoy it while you can because we’ll be back. 

 

And hell, we don’t know if the SB is gonna fire Akers yet. If not, I hope it’s remembered by the fans come election time. 

It's that kinda arrogance, mixed in at the very end of a very rational, logical post that paint a target on GC. Most of the posters here are from places like Richlands, Graham, Union, places that can (and absolutely have) competed with and beaten GC during their glory years. 

It's not a lot of Wise fans or Lee fans, and those are the schools who benefit the most from GC being down. I know from a Union perspective, I WISH GC was good again! You get way more points from being a 7-8 win team as opposed to a one or two win team and it's better for the M7 as a whole if more schools are good.

 

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4 hours ago, Leatherhead Larry said:

I have not seen a single GC person say that GC will be back on top immediately when a coaching change is made.

Oh, it's happened. If you want, I can claw back through the archives and find them. 

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4 hours ago, Ryan4VT said:

Oh, it's happened. If you want, I can claw back through the archives and find them. 

I’d love to see the evidence myself. I think I’ve been the most optimistic GC fan, stating that I expect to be in the playoffs next season. That means that I expect that Darren Reed can win 4 games with a team that returns around 7 starters on both sides of the ball. But whatever - keep posting; I’ll keep laughing. 

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8 hours ago, Grapeape said:

I’d love to see the evidence myself. I think I’ve been the most optimistic GC fan, stating that I expect to be in the playoffs next season. That means that I expect that Darren Reed can win 4 games with a team that returns around 7 starters on both sides of the ball. But whatever - keep posting; I’ll keep laughing. 

I have known Darren Reed since he was five, Darren is abrasive, arrogant and doesn't play well with others. But without a doubt he loves Gate City and has a lot of pride in that fact. I think Darren is a good coach but I am not convinced he is a good "head coach". The Gate City program has just experienced a four to five year run of just not having good players. If Nick Saban was at GC with this team he could do no better. Obviously Akers isn't the answer, but I don't think long term Darren is either. i hope if a change is made, "if" that they look around a little harder than they did the last time. Oh and while we are at it the facilities at GC are in desperate need of upgrading. Field House and Weight Room especially. That's my two cents..................   

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On 8/4/2017 at 9:59 PM, Leatherhead Larry said:

I believe we are more fundamentally sound than we have been in a long while. We have a good base to build off of. I loved the fact I saw the coaches coaching instead of just barking. It was hard to tell anything with the teams divided up equally. Sallee is coming along at QB, completed some very nice passes. Anyone notice that we didn't press cover on defense? You can tell the Houserights are gone. (Thank goodness) We look very "thick" for the first time in awhile too. We've certainly bulked up this offseason. I hope things pay off for this bunch. We better thump Volunteer next week. They return 2 starters on the entire team. The benefit game vs Graham will be the tall tell. Go Big Blue!

 

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3 hours ago, SXSW said:

I have known Darren Reed since he was five, Darren is abrasive, arrogant and doesn't play well with others. But without a doubt he loves Gate City and has a lot of pride in that fact. I think Darren is a good coach but I am not convinced he is a good "head coach".

This reads like Doug Marrs’s biography.

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10 hours ago, SXSW said:

I have known Darren Reed since he was five, Darren is abrasive, arrogant and doesn't play well with others. But without a doubt he loves Gate City and has a lot of pride in that fact. I think Darren is a good coach but I am not convinced he is a good "head coach". The Gate City program has just experienced a four to five year run of just not having good players. If Nick Saban was at GC with this team he could do no better. Obviously Akers isn't the answer, but I don't think long term Darren is either. i hope if a change is made, "if" that they look around a little harder than they did the last time. Oh and while we are at it the facilities at GC are in desperate need of upgrading. Field House and Weight Room especially. That's my two cents..................   

YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SCOTT COUNTY, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT FROM SCOT...uhh... never mind. Sorry.

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2 hours ago, Liam McPoyle said:

YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SCOTT COUNTY, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT FROM SCOT...uhh... never mind. Sorry.

Look, I’m a homer that says it’s a coaching issue vs being at low tide talent - wise. Here’s why I say that: #75 is a stud. #68 is a double stud with cheese. #55 is the stuff dreams are made of; the kind of kid position coaches fight over. #10 is a legit RB that can grind out yards or hit the home run. #12 is a break away threat. #2 is a break away threat. #21 is a deep ball / break away threat. You will never convince me that an OC like Gary Collier, Chad Gose, Gilbert Smith, or Nick Colobro couldn’t figure out how to use #15. #20 is a dependable, hard nosed runner.

Granted, GC fans have been spoiled by HOF coaches... but you can’t tell me the guy at Bluefield... or Ridgeview... or Richlands... or Union... or Va High...or Battle... or PH... or Abingdon... or Chilhowie... couldn’t take these supposedly untalented kids and make the 2018 playoffs - much less play every game with a running clock. 

Now, that’s just the opinion of some idiot posting on a message board. Maybe I’m wrong; I’m wrong all the time. 

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29 minutes ago, Grapeape said:

Congratulations on that, sincerely. That non district slate is the toughest in VA. 

Most area JV teams can muster a winning record against that monster gauntlet TW is running this year.  No joke, though, that could well be the weakest schedule I’ve ever seen.

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56 minutes ago, Grapeape said:

Congratulations on that, sincerely. That non district slate is the toughest in VA. 

I'll play ball another day, good thing I could get under both of you alls skin

I had a reply and thought better of it.

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Gee Whiz. Why all the hate for Thomas Walker? An itty bitty school in the middle of nowhere (a very beautiful nowhere) that has been the canon fodder on many school's schedule for decades. Every now and then they rise up and have a really good season and we criticize their soft schedule. They are a very small rural school. They should be playing a schedule like they have. Will they win many playoff games? Probably not. But for crying out load let them enjoy a good season. Despite their best efforts It doesn't happen that often.

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1 hour ago, Bluefield researcher said:

Gee Whiz. Why all the hate for Thomas Walker? An itty bitty school in the middle of nowhere (a very beautiful nowhere) that has been the canon fodder on many school's schedule for decades. Every now and then they rise up and have a really good season and we criticize their soft schedule. They are a very small rural school. They should be playing a schedule like they have. Will they win many playoff games? Probably not. But for crying out load let them enjoy a good season. Despite their best efforts It doesn't happen that often.

I cheer for TW; just having fun with @TwhscoachT. You wouldn’t hear  me complain if GC lightened the schedule load a bit. 

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I keep hearing everyone talking about the down cycle in talent at Gate City, is it down or walking the hall ways at Gate City. Sounds like numbers are down from top to bottom, the Little League football program is struggling as well. The Redskins team couldn't even field a team for the last two games, four or five years back they had 50 players out. Different factors can be keeping kids away, you can see Gate City/Akers does have some red flags flying. 

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36 minutes ago, rmesser said:

I keep hearing everyone talking about the down cycle in talent at Gate City, is it down or walking the hall ways at Gate City. Sounds like numbers are down from top to bottom, the Little League football program is struggling as well. The Redskins team couldn't even field a team for the last two games, four or five years back they had 50 players out. Different factors can be keeping kids away, you can see Gate City/Akers does have some red flags flying. 

So Chris Akers is the reason the Redskins didn't have enough kids for a team this year? 

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1 hour ago, Grapeape said:

I cheer for TW; just having fun with @TwhscoachT. You wouldn’t hear  me complain if GC lightened the schedule load a bit. 

If they do, just do it for a two cycle period, that should be enough time to rally the troops and show improvement. What's scary is the middle school activity levels being so low.

 

I'll say this, Gate City in the next 7 to 10 years could easily be the most consistent school this region has ever seen. Take all of north kingsport and south scott county and becoming the next central lun. Or salem. (too lazy too look up the spelling).

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I don’t want it to seem like all I do is crap on the tip of Virginia.  Were it not for a St. Charles man marrying a Tazewell County woman, I’m not here today.  Pretty country, generally nice people*, nothing against it.

 

That doesn’t change the fact that Thomas Walker’s schedule is weak as pond water.  Sorry, but it is what it is.  I actually remarked to folks before that topic ever came up (Ryan, for one) that Thomas Walker’s schedule was 1-ply soft.  There’s one decent team on it, and Thomas Walker doesn’t face that team until the regular season finale (and will more than likely get drilled).  I know that’s largely a symptom of who the local competition is, but if the goal is not just to win for the sake of winning but to excel, this schedule doesn’t fit the bill.  

 

I’m happy that the kids are winning (which has been far from the custom there), but I’m not one to sugar coat a turd and call it a Hershey bar.  If that angers the Ewing contingent, so be it.  Don’t like it?  Schedule tougher.

 

Besides, you folks should be grateful that Grapeape and I agree on something.

 

*Jury is still deliberating on two particular people.

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