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Wanted to commend Tazewell’s Josiah Jordan for his play yesterday evening. He shadowed Xavion Turner-Bradshaw all game and held him to 4 total touches for only 15 yards. And he had one of the more impressive touchdown catches I've seen in high school football, diving across the middle in triple coverage to give the Bulldog a shot to win it in overtime.

Jordan is a beast. No question, but lets give Bradshaw a little benefit of the doubt also. Jordan the majority of the time had help over the top with Bradshaw and the condition of the field was clearly not in a condition that you can get your feet planted to make a cut on a pass route. That helped Tazewell a bunch contain Bradshaw, but it also helped Graham contain Tazewell's passing game. I'm not 100% sold on Graham's pass defense. I seen a lot of WR's open for Tazewell and a bunch of near misses for Graham. Graham got pressure on the QB when Tazewell passed, but the coverage wasn't nearly as good as Tazewells on Graham. With the athletes Tazewell has in space on offense and defense, I'm not sold a dry turf field at Mitchell Stadium favors Graham at all. I think it favors Tazewell. Bradshaw on a dry field will have much bigger numbers offensively. It's a given, but I think Tazewell's guys will also have bigger numbers and one pass here or one more pass there, and Graham's guys may actually have trouble containing Tazewell's guys in open space on a dry field if the OL from Tazewell can give the QB enough time. If the two play again, I think its going to be another great game and close one, but Central is going to cause major problems for any SWD that travels there. There defense is lights out and their offensive line is much like Riverheads. Not big, but technique is excellent and they can absolutely control the clock and shorten a game against a team with athletes like Tazewell or Graham. I think the SWD team that travels there is a toss up game, and not surprised if Central wins it.

Just need to take care of business Friday night. Cannot come out thinking about what might have been.

I give Tazewell credit! They are legit. They are big & strong. It was the game of the season this far in my opinion.

Maybe in the past, but the talent level on Tazewells team is to great for VH to compete this year. Tazewell could walk in and have a couple of screws loose and win the game. No disrespect to the Bearcats who are young this year, but Tazewell has played and lost close (forget about the Riverheads score, that game was close) and Tazewells 2 losses are to the best 1A team in the state by a wide margin and if Riverheads were 2A with Graham, both of them in the top 4 teams in the state of Virginia. Both were near misses for Tazewell. The Dogs are talented enough to win Region D, even if that's a trip to Graham and Central and they are talented enough to win the state title in my opinion. But....so is Graham. If Draft gets ran out of the gym against the Red team Friday night, that's a good omen or at least should be a confidence booster for Tazewell and Graham. I know it transitive theory or whatever, but Calpreps has a 90% plus accuracy with it and it does tell us a bunch.

Richlands has improved across the board since their first meeting with Graham, and I don't usually count them out, however, I agree with you. Cox is one-dimensional, and Graham will take the win.

I still don't understand why y'all went to the pioneer to start...should have went to go IMO...would better prepare you for postseason unlike the pioneer And by the way Giles is awful this year especially defensively and y'all should roll again Friday

No argument here from me. Giles will easily be the best team weve played this season up to this point. Then again, it's been that for the most part since the late 80's because the MED was garbage too for the most part until Dixon got to Galax because of how Fort and Grayson were perennial underachievers. So, seems par for the course really with PM and Covington not being up to their historical selves.

Agree with you. Tazewell has tendency to let the past bring them down. & in my opinion they have nothing that should make them let there heads hang. They held graham to less points then anyone has. They should be proud of themselves.

He took the "Bradshaw factor" completely out of the game. Jo-Jo played a great game. Cassius had a real good game as well. I think he's the one that come up with that fumble recovery. That was one of the best games I've watched period. Im glad both teams made it out without any injuries and can hopefully represent our district in the playoffs.

I appreciate the sentiment! 🙂 What a riveting, thrilling game. It’s certainly a gut punch to be on the wrong end of the most dramatic ending I may have ever seen in a high school game, but there’s no denying that this was the “Game of the Year” in SWVA. I would love to have the opportunity to call the rematch at Mitchell Stadium in 3 weeks, should that be what fate allows.

Lebanon beat Virginia High 34 to 7, Tazewell beat Lebanon like 40 to 6. If Lebanon had over 400 offensive yards on you, and consistently ran to the edge and gained yards all game with no Bearcat adjustments then i would hate to see what Tazewell does. I am sorry but Tazewell by as much as they want. If I were to put a score it would be Tazewell 50+ to 6. The Bearcats do play until the end no matter the score and that should be commended. If I were to pick a possible score between Central and Tazewell and or Graham...I'd give Central the edge against both. Abingdon is the best team in our area, Central gave them all they wanted. I'd give Central a touchdown edge against both after watching all those teams play.

Giles guy here, just lucky and taking advantage of the NFHS setup. I've watched and seen more 2A and 1A teams this year than ever before. It's because of NFHS. I find Central similar to some of our great teams. Often, not big,.but excellent technique.and execution which is a product of great coaching. It's as clear as day from watching them against Abingdon and Union that they are just well coached. The talent doesn't blow you away, but they just execute.

I don’t think my heart can take another one like tonight. I hope you’re predicting skills are accurate. I’d hate a 3 way tie and one team stays home because their name wasn’t picked from a hat.

Tazewell should win by a hefty margin. They played Graham hard tonight. VA High won’t just roll over though. They hold their heads high and fight until the end even when the deficit is insurmountable.

I watched Central last night. You are right. They are very impressive to say the least. Union isn't too shabby either and for them to beat Union at Union like that says something.

Graham has some tough kids. Graham’s oline is well coached as well. They move Meadows around on the oline to create match ups they want. Their guards always do a great job in pulling as well. I think the other thing to keep in minds is that Graham does a good job of rotating guys in and out on the D-line. If Tazewell’s linemen are playing both ways that could explain the drop off.

Tazewell is bigger but they aren't that much bigger. Graham isn't small on the O line, but technique, strength, and just being a good football player matters. Look at Central on the offensive and defensive line. They are probably considered small, but they really have increible technique, strength, and skill.

I agree with you. As a whole, Graham is a very well coached High School Team and their staff gets the best out of their players and they are a well oiled machine, but I said this earlier, two to three major miscues by the Graham staff with under 4 minutes left. They had Tazewell on the ropes. Gashing them on the ground and with 2nd and 5 at the Tazewell 16, they through the ball with about 3 minutes left. Then on the next play, the run the QB around the end to the hash setting up an incredibly difficult kick, and of course, they went for it on 4th and Tazewell stopped em. It was the 2nd and 3rd down calls that completely baffled me and two other guys I was watching with. Then, on Grahams final drive, letting the QB having a chance to throw the ball into the middle of the endzone from 10 yds out on play where Tazewell was playing clock and pass all the way and the int occured. Any of those 3 calls could have and almost cost Graham the game.

No offense to anyone because I am by no means an expert nor do I claim to be. Graham has a first class coaching staff but I really have to question several of the decisions tonight at least on the offensive side of the ball. Graham could have prevented an OT in my opinion on a couple different occasions but as I said, I am no expert.

I think Graham and Tazewell, if they meet again will be another close game and I would not be surprised if Tazewell won it. I think Tazewell is that talented. Tazewell got the start they wanted and was one inch from pulling it off. The things you are concerned about for Tazewell that you know you can fix and you know can matter in the next game is the two miscues early in the second half that flipped the game. At the same time, if your Tazewell, you are concerned about Graham's ability to run it and run it well in the second half. Just a great game and if they play again, that game will also be a must see. But, Central will have something to say. Central, in my opinion, is the best coached football team in Region D. Everything they do is textbook. To beat them, you are going to have to beat them. This seems like the kind of team that just isn't going to come unglued, and if it is Tazewell going to Central, that game is going to be a battle with Central having just as good of chance in my opinion as Tazewell to win the game.

Agree, Tazewell had a couple of near misses on those fly patterns late in the game with one on one coverage. I was amazed at how well Tazewell covered Graham. For the most part, their pass defense was in check and I listed to the Graham guys and they said many of times, Graham has many wide open receivers, but I also watched the NFHS feed and I didn't see it. I thought Tazewell had more open WR's than Graham when Tazewell attempted a pass.

No fumble.. He was stopped just inches short. Josiah Jordan played a whale of a defensive game covering Bradshaw. I would have liked to have seen more attempts to get the ball to Jordan in space. I think Graham started to stop the read-option later in the game. That would have been the perfect time to run 5 wide and get the ball to Jordan or Jones or Harris or the other Harris. My point is, if you have those kind of athletes, get them in space and use them. Something good will happen.

Very good game. You can't get any closer to the goal line, on that 2 point conversion, couldn't have swiped a credit card through there, but I do think he was stopped just inches short of the goal line. The blocked punt and INT deep in their own territory proved to be the difference. I had flashbacks of the Riverheads game. I would be surprised if these 2teams don't meet again for the region championship.

In my honest opinion halftime is what cost Tazewell the game. Great game Bulldogs.

Richlands held Graham to 7 first half points in that first game — and gave Graham 2 scores on one of our 4 turnovers. Both teams have gotten better. If Richlands can stop the turnovers and punch the ball in when the chances are there — I think it can be a good game.

Great game by Tazewell against a great Graham team. Definitely feel bad for whoever plays Tazewell next few weeks. I’m sure it will be full throttle into the playoffs. Tazewell by 28+

@Gridiron60 there is no one on this thread that I respect more than you. You are a diehard fan as I am, but at the same time you speak the truth. Either way, it was a helluva game, and I’m pleased with tazewells gameplay as they gave it there all!

The radio announcers for Graham eluded that Nunley fumbled it. No clue as to if he did or not as I wasn’t there either.

Kudos to Tazewell, they played hard and keep Graham in check. They are powerful! That was a thrilling game to say the least.

Cool info. I didn't know that.

The war chant came to tazewell in 2008 when the Pocahontas Indians players joined the team.

Interception!!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, GRAHAM?!?!? KICK. THE. FG!!!

Gotta love the band doing the war chant and tomahawk chop. Because...Bulldogs and G-Men do that:)

Top 2 from each district. In the SWD, if Graham loses to Tazewell: the winner of Richlands Graham II is in. If Graham wins: Richlands would need to win vs. Graham to force a 3 way tie. If that happens — the teams will draw a number from a hat. Whoever draws the 1 will host, the 2 will travel, and the 3 will stay home.

i understand what your are saying. you sound like you may be one of the central coaches however, haha

Funny how OT games tend to end in Tazewell...08 Region championship game...