Chappy

Thomasville always starts out 1-4 0-5 or so the first half of the year. Look at their schedule it is loaded with much bigger schools, don't underestimate them because of the record.

I can agree with that.

I am a Northwood fan and I like Frye, but I think that Frye stepping down was one of the best decisions he made. He is a fine Middle school coach but does not have the drive or killer instinct to be a high school coach. I also believe not having a Prater Playing is helping the "TEAM" also nothing against the Prater's they are all great athletes, the past couple of years you knew where the ball was going and to who, that is why I think Frye doesn't have it in him to be a high school head coach.

Did you go to the game last Friday? I truely don't think the outcome would have been any different. How many starters were out? I have been told anything from 2 to 6. Please don't inflate the number of players, that only makes it look like a really bad excuse.

What do they look like?

Just as crazy as Frye stepping down at Northwood one week before season starts. I just got word from a co-worker that his son and daughter just confermed and an email from the principal.

BHC's will have one for every district this week.

I think this will be a good measuring stick for both programs to see where they are. VHS lost some skill players and sounds like Graham is trying to continue to build.

That is what they did with Saltville and Rich Valley, Rich Valley became the middle school and Saltville the High school. With that said, when this took place Rich Valley's school was deemed to small to house all of the students. With Chilhowie high and Rich Valley's schools being the exact same blueprint, the same could be said; with an even larger student population. Although Chilhowie's middle school has been added onto the high school.

I agree with building a school around Midway would be the best choice. That has been talked about for years (since about the 5th year of Northwood), All of course is hear say and talk but for some odd reason land can't be bought or this site is too close to this school or that school. One of the best excuses, "that land is too close to the landfill". Who knows if it will ever happen? And how it will go if it does happen.

Northwood is the "odd man out" in the county, they are on the other side of the mountain from the 2 other schools. The Schools of Northwood and Chilhowie are only 10 miles apart, but the students however is a different story. If that is how it does work out Chilhowie combining with Northwood, this is how I see things working for the students. 1. the kids that live on the Washington County side of Saltville will end up going to Patrick Henry ( because that happens some now). 2. The kids that live up in Rich Valley will end up going across RT. 16 (the mountain) to Marion, or go up the road to Bland. These kids can be in Marion or Bland faster than they can be in Chilhowie. 3. You have kids that live in Tannersville and Little Valley (located in Tazewell Co.) that will go to Tazewell. In my estimation that could affect 1/3-1/2 of the current student population at Northwood. Northwood (Saltville/Rich Valley) draws from the entire North half of Smyth Co. or across the mountain, including 3 other counties, Bland, Tazewell, and Washington. A good portion of Saltville town limits is in Washington Co., where next door neighbors can and do go to different schools (PH/North) not to mention the area thats called "down the valley" the kids that live there and go to PH have to drive through Saltville to get to PH. All of these mentioned kids have a choice of going to either school. The Tazewell co. kids are much in the same as of their choice of schools because this area is on the Saltville side of Clinch Mtn. All of this is of course just my thought process. Not to mention that there is no real talk about the future of Northwood.

All of the Sugar Grove students ended up at Marion Senior High anyway, the only difference now is the middle schoolers from the Grove now go to marion. Northwood is in trouble I think. You have to remember it is a consolidated school that is less than 30 years old and now has an enrollment of under 300 (273) and dropping. My thought process is that Northwood will be obsorbed by the other 2 county schools (like what is happening with Sugar Grove/Marion). Or they will be combinded with Chilhowie, which would put them around the 6th largest 2A school in the state and larger than Marion. I really don't see the county letting that happen at this time. Either way I see the Northwood students getting the shaft.

I know it happens all over. You hit of a very interesting point, "most people living in the county work in Galax", the same could just about be said for Wythe County as well. There are some jobs in Rural Retreat smallest school in the county, then you have the other end of the county that doesn't have as many job offerings which is where Fort Chiswell is located and that is the largest school in the county. Then you have GW, county seat, where most of the jobs are and the higher paying jobs, and their "enrolment numbers" are in the middle of the county. Now as I said earleir they only draw from "within town limits" so who knows? They have gone from AA, to A D-2, to A D-1, to 1A, of course this happend over a course of 20 some years. The same question could be asked about several schools, like Radford. In less than 10 years they have gone from AA down to D-1. It just makes you think hum???? I am not bashing any of the mentioned schools by the way, just thinking outloud. lol

True I was just taking a little jab at GW. I worked in Wytheville for 11 years (all you hear is GW, GW, GW LOL), I will say now as I did then I don't think their enrolment numbers are as they seem. They say that only the kids within town limits go to GW, and the rest go to Rural Retreat or Fort. I could be wrong I don't know for fact. I put GW and Gate City in the same catagory, I will most likely pull for them come playoff time but I love to see them get beat.

One would think it would be easier to transfer to George Wythe since it is in the same county. Oh, wait that could put GW's "numbers" into 2A.

Washington County does not care about the sports programs.

Same for me. I had 5 brothers and sisters graduate from Rich Valley, I am a Steer, but I am also a Panther by heart, I will always bleed "Blue & Silver". In the early years of Northwood playing sports it was hard as a team to come together because after school all you could hear was bad mouthing, about the school, Saltville, Rich Valley, why is this player starting and not this one, why is the high school in town not in Rich Valley, ect.... You can still see "Rich Valley" & "Saltville, or R.B. Worthy" divided in the stands on game night 27 years after consolidation. Now that is not to say that it is still as bad as it was at the begining of Northwood. (rant over for now) I don't think this will be the case for Ridgeview, as the 2 schools involved are not bitter rivals.

Thats my understanding as well. But this could cause problems; with him still holding a teachers position that is one less position open to bring in a new coach; also if the new coach is from outside how will he feel about the former coach still there? Just thinking about potential problems or conversation starters.

The case could be that the school just doesn't care if they hire a new coach, or just maybe they have been waiting on a coach to resign from his current position????? Just throwing that out there.

All I know is he resigned as coach.

Word has it, that Battle will be looking for a new Head Coach.

First time in 30 games

The QB has the ability to be very good, if people stay out of his ear. He was very streaky this past season, when he is on he is on but a couple of misses to start the game then he is not as accurate, (imo).

That is how they ran the wing-t this year, with the QB in the pistol.

I feel that Fort should control the LOS on both sides of the ball.