FCP~15~11

Redtiger, the Fort actually played well in the 2nd half without Dallas. Gilman has some decent legs on him. He did score 2 TDs in the 2nd half. Odom is no slouch, although the only thing I really heard about his performance was a kick return for a TD, but I'll take it. Somewhat concerned with the loss of Turner in the CB position, and it's my understanding he was ejected in the 1st half as well. Bland scored 22 points in the 2nd half. There are talks of appeals being thrown around, although I'm not getting any hopes up as to the results. Bland-FC games have historically been boxing matches, for as long as I can remember. Just surprised that no ejections were done on the other side of the ball, based on the things I've been hearing.

Well the second part of the season begins this week and here are the brackets and my thoughts on the games and the potential 2nd round match ups. 

Of course this is assuming VHSLHelpers seeds are correct(I trust that they are).

 

1A West

 

1 Honaker 16 Twin Springs(Beatdown)                                   

8 Radford 9 Hurley(Hurley will just be overmatched but im pullin for the Rebels!)

4 George Wythe 13 Rural Retreat(all Maroons)                            

5 Fort Chiswell 12 Auburn(I wonder how FC will do without their RB?)                                                   

2 Haysi 15 JI Burton(Haysi still has some payback saved up for the Raiders but JIB upset Cw last season in the 1st round last season)

7 Northwood 10 Covington(I think Covington upsets a struggling NW team in the Battle of the Cats)                                  

3 Galax 14 Twin Valley(Congratulations to TV on a good season, now get out the basketballs)

6 Clintwood 11 Patrick Henry(PH will come to play but NO WAY the Greenwave lose what will probably be the last game at Ralphs House)           

So I have Honaker, Radford, GW, FC, Haysi, Covington, Galax and Clintwood make it out of the 1st round. That sets up some interesting 2nd round matchups;

 

Honaker/Radford, Radford is a speed team and I wonder how they will play on the turf at Fuller Field.

GW/Fort could be a classic(a lot has changed since they played early in the season), looks like a very even match up.

Haysi/Covington, the Cougars upset the Orange Tigers last season in the 2nd round, im curious to see how they do with the Red Tigers this season

Galax/Clintwood, a rematch of the 2011 State Title game. 

Graham was actually better earlier in the year, schedule got easier at the end 'cept for Fort Chiswell (refs and FC gave Graham that one).  Graham "struggled" with both Bland and Narrows...

And the smack talk has begun  Wow.  I don't mind predictions...what I think is foolish is uneducated predictions.  People picking RHS by huge margins are picking based on emotion and history.  Based on history and emotion, the Dallas Cowboys should be winless.  Yet, they have 1 loss.  No, I'm not comparing AHS to the Cowboys....my point is that the people with these huge predictions have not seen AHS play this year.  As I have said, I will wait until mid week for my prediction...wait and see if anyone is hurt, if the newest RHS recruit is eligible or not (or even real for that matter), and see if I can get my hands on some film.  Outside of those factors, the game will be closer than 17 or closer than "as many points as time will allow".  Wow, I expected better from you Councilor. You guys look as silly as I would if I were to say AHS by 30. 

I'm sure he meant 1a west Jethro. Nobody in there right mind would mean honaker was better than giles. But GW and Galax we soon shall see. Not quite sold on either one.

Henry (Glade Spring, VA) at Wythe (Wytheville, VA), 7:30pm   [projection: Wythe [George] (Wytheville, VA) 35-14]
Hurley (VA) at Haysi (VA), 7:30pm   [projection: Haysi (VA) 28-20]
Clintwood (VA) at Twin Springs (Nickelsville, VA), 7:30pm   [projection: Clintwood (VA) 42-7]
Tazewell (VA) at Grundy (VA), 7:30pm   [projection: Tazewell (VA) 49-7]
Central (Norton, VA) at Lee (Jonesville, VA), 7:30pm   [projection: Lee (Jonesville, VA) 35-28]
Battle (Bristol, VA) at Gate City (VA), 7:30pm   [projection: Gate City (VA) 52-0]
Virginia (Bristol, VA) at Lebanon (VA), 7:30pm   [projection: Lebanon (VA) 35-26]
Richlands (VA) at Abingdon (VA), 7:30pm   [projection: Richlands (VA) 31-17]
Graham (Bluefield, VA) at Bland-Rocky Gap (Bland, VA), 7:00pm   [projection: Graham (Bluefield, VA) 35-22]
Honaker (VA) at Castlewood (VA), 7:30pm   [projection: Honaker (VA) 44-0]
Grayson County (Independence, VA) at Fort Chiswell (Max Meadows, VA), 7:00pm   [projection: Fort Chiswell (Max Meadows, VA) 42-21]
Radford (VA) at Giles (Pearisburg, VA), 7:00pm   [projection: Giles (Pearisburg, VA) 41-24]
Union (Appalachia, VA) at Marion (VA), 7:30pm   [projection: Union [Appalachia/Powell Valley] (Appalachia, VA) 27-22]
Galax (VA) at Narrows (VA), 7:00pm   [projection: Galax (VA) 48-7]
Holston (Damascus, VA) at Rural Retreat (VA), 7:30pm   [projection: Rural Retreat (VA) 50-21]
 

Coach hale takes no advice from any coach they given up nearly 2200yds on def ., he was asked about switching d and he would have none of it. Players have talked about using whole play book that James had left them. I was hoping with a second lease on life that Hale could change. That will not happen. I had hoped to eat my words. Sixcat just wondering did u play baseball at galax.

Coach hale is a terrible coach and what is so bad is he thinks his knowledge of football is on a higher level than any other coach and will not listen to any of his assistants. He will destroy what has been built.

If James was at fort it would be different, fort has as much talent as anyone in the west. With Hale there if they played Rural Retreat again in the playoffs they would loose.

Fort Chiswell has progressively gotten worse throughout the course of the season.  A typical Tom Hale characteristic.  I said it before the season started and continue to stand by my opinion.  Fort Chiswell will begin much as they were in past seasons but fundamentals and lack of coaching will begin to erode the product on the field.  Fort Chiswell has and will always have talent.  A lack of proper coaching and technique has already started showing up on the field.
 
Galax is only slightly more balanced than last year.  Still a very young team with some senior leadership.  They are probably a year away in my opinion.  They will continue to have games like Giles, where they could have and should have won.  They will also continue to have games like East Mont where they should have won by 4 scores and allowed an inferior team to hang around, eventually winning by a single point.  Friday night against Fort Chiswell was much like the East Mont game.  Galax came out of the locker room and jumped all over Fort only to relax, turn the football over on the first 4 possessions of the second half and allow them to somewhat get back into it.
 
Fort will make the playoffs but I foresee an early exit.  Galax will make a run much like last season, but will eventually lose to a superior, more balanced team.

Oh please.  There are 16 schools in A-ball that are bigger than Honaker. 
 
Here are the larger A-ball teams in our half of the state:
 
(1) Fort Chiswell - 457
(2) George Wythe - 451
(3) Chilhowie - 446
(4) Central - 445
(5) Radford - 442
(6) Eastside - 441
(7) Patrick Henry - 405
(8) Galax - 381
(9) Honaker - 379
 
I commend Hurley for fielding a competitive team with a school the size of Richlands's graduating class.  But it is what it is, and the whining is pathetic.

James who? The Fort is 4-0 going in to the buy week. Lets get ready for another fight with them dogs.

So much for 1 and 9 after the loss of "all the players" from last year's team. Heck, I think the Fort might just be going playoffing and might just go ahead and win the district.

looks like FC is still a talented bunch.... all those that said we couldn't do crap without James and the rest really need to pay attention to the rest of the season.... FCP all the way!!!

Fort Chiswell 41 Radford 40 2OT -final
*Radford 2pt. conversion stopped and FC held on to win