HM3-8404

At what point in the season do you want to play your toughest game? I've been thinking of this because of the Graham/Bluefield game. If you play them the first game then you start off on even ground 0-0 vs. 0-0, both fan bases are real excited you have a month to get ready and game plan for just this one game. Later in the season you've got all the bugs worked out and you have all this film on your rivals and they only have a week to game plan for you, but you may have lopsided records 8-1 vs. 2-7 or so and maybe your fan base have started wishing for basketball. I've always been happy to play GC the first game for all those reasons I stated above, but last year it worked out better for us at the end of the season. just wondering what you guys think.

I used to work in Northern Virginia, they think of it as Nova (Northern Virginia) and Rova (Rest of Virginia). They have Northern Virginia, to them Hampton Roads area is a close second. Richmond is a town with The state government. Winchester and Roanoke are back woods sheep herding truck stops, and the rest of Virginia may as well be a third world country. Those schools up there have 2,000 students and 200 fans, while we have 200 students and 2,000 fans. It is a different world.

If I had money to bet on this game I would put it on Bluefield, but my heart says Graham. I'm really not looking forward to Richlands going to Bluefield this season, I'm going to go ahead and call it the Refs will take over the game. Someone can go ahead and save this for latter proof. lol.

Wow swvaoutdoors. You could be right, but my money is on Richlands of course they are my team. Union may beat us as a matter of fact about 4 teams on our schedule could beat us. This teams is big even the shorter players are very muscular and the team as a whole are very physical. Like I said in another post this team is our best since 2010. The last four years have been barn burners with these two teams. I really think RHS will be very physical and put their stamp on this game I think Mance wants this game more than any regular season game we will play.

I'm usually not real excited about Graham/Bluefield because it is normally lopsided toward the Beavers, this year I'm thinking if I wasn't a Richlands fan this is the game I would like to see. I can't help but feel we are at a turning point in the Graham program. The Richlands/GC game is always a classic. If we can win by 20+ then we are for real. I would be happy with a win period. Union/Burton game I will pay attention to also. I think that game will let us know a little more about the Bears. Those are the three in order that I'm going to follow that will let us know a little more of what folks are bringing to the table.

Richlands has problems with Union even when we have the better team. From what I'm gathering we should be evenly matched which may not be good for us. I think we can hang wih anyone we seem very physical even more so than normal.

I don't have Glenvar over rated, just going by state web sites (who by the way don't have Richlands in the top ten) and someone whom I know from Glenvar and says he is in the know. I'm a UVA football fan and a Chicago Bears fan so trust me when I say I know a bad team when I see one. I think by this time of year if you've watched your team these first two warm up games then you should have a good idea what you're going to have. I know Union has some players who haven't played as mentioned on prior posts by Union fans so that may muddy the waters on getting a clean view of what you have. Richlands has a top 10 team with that being said they may under achieve just as last year I think they over achieved.

A "bad" Gate City team is a good anybody else team. I bet their cheerleaders could hit as hard as some teams out East lol. I would not ever underestimate these guys. Don't want to play them in November or December.

Thanks for all the input Union fans, like I said I wasn't there it makes more sense now. I understand that you don't want to show everything this time of year, but you still want to get your timing and reads down and you want your kids to put forth their best effort. Blue and white games and such are just for fans, these games the last two weeks have a purpose. The idea that you would try to run 21 dive play after play just so you don't show anything is a fan fantasy. I know you don't leave your starters in and you don't win at all costs and you work on specific things and put in different combos of players on the line and so on, these games mean something to the coaching staff and players if these games meant nothing the coaches would not play them. You would be better off just practicing than running 21 dive for 30 minutes in a row just because the team you play next week has a coach there. For me I was just as happy Losing to Belfry 13-7 than beating GW 21-0 or Honaker 27-3. Believe me you don't want to go into a Gate City game week 1 or Union week 2 saying we've got this 21 dive down pat for a yard and a half. In my opinion the first two or three series this time of year lets you know what you are in for.

Richlands- Played well against GW and Belfry. Could have beat Honaker by 60 but played real sloppy at times, the best team they've fielded since 2010 but need to clean up a lot of small stuff. Could go 10-0 or 7-3. Have the pieces to win state or win one playoff game and out. Union- Their stock went way up after Tenn High game. Then down some after Tenn High got blew up and the fact that Grundy was in the same ball park as them. could be 10-0 or 7-3. Gate City- I get the vibe they may have a below average year for them, which means they can still beat anyone they play but will lose a few much like last years Richlands team. 8-2 or 5-5 will win at least one playoff game maybe get on a run and make some noise. Graham- After playing GW and Belfry I thought 5-5 would be the best they could pull off. After Gretna and Glenvar game I don't know what to think Gretna has been down for years but always have some play makers and Glenvar is head and shoulders the best AA team in the state according to most so either Graham was really screwing around in the first games or Glenvar is really over rated. Tazewell- I thought they would end up below .500 and maybe not make the playoffs, but after the GW game they may be a surprise. Grundy- Was wondering if they would win a game, but after how they played Union now I'm thinking they could get in the playoffs. GW- Look really good with the eye test, but have left me wanting more with their play. Have a lot of up side and I believe they will be playing 13 or more games this year. Glenvar- I just don't know I can only judge from what I watched Graham do against GW and Belfry and if that same Graham team beat them it don't look good. Abingdon- Sounds solid could go 10-0 or 7-3. Depth may be a problem. Honaker- They will be good maybe 9-1 or 7-3. I have only watched Richlands and those teams that have played them. Most likely those surprises I've brought up have a logical reason that I have no clue about ( wouldn't be the first time I've had no clue). Like I said Richlands only beat Honaker 27-3 but it was way worse than that. Glenvar/Graham and Union/Grundy really are confusing to me.

I watched the hit that the Hart kid took, and believe it or not Lowe kind of pulled up some and the end.

Yes it is awesome. If you don't like garlic you might not like it.

With those injuries if it was just the bone even if it was bad it can be fixed with little long term damage, but if it had joint involvement ie knee or ankle then that is different. Bones heal really well for young people ligaments and tendons it's iffy. I am keeping a positive outlook for this young man the young heal much better than us old folks. I hate that this happened to him we can only hope and pray he recovers fully and is able to play for his Gmen and go on and lead a full and normal life and be able to tell his grandkids about this and they think he is telling a big story.

At first back in July I thought Richlands would go 10-0 easily. Then Union, Bluefield and Abingdon all look like very good teams all of those could beat us and Gate City is always tough, if we stumble at all any of those teams they could beat us. The rest of the schedule looks like we should win all of those unless we have a complete meltdown. To me it feels like the area's level of play in the last few years has risen. Back in 2005 -2012 Richlands with this team would be beating everyone by 30+ points now I feel like we could be 7-3 if we don't take care of business.

Futbolking Your Gmen are small up front, but they have a good passing game. I think they will win some games and surprise some folks. They have some speed at the skill positions if they can keep out of some of those smash mouth run it up the gut games they will be okay. They are a playoff team IMO Belfry were the real deal and GW looked good also I think you guys will be 5-5 to 7-3 I hope Palmer will have them better by the end of the season than they are now. Best of luck.

The guy who owns the Bearded Moose played in the band for Honaker. I work with his mother and went to watch him play when he was in high school. His family are good folks. The food is great, wonderful burgers and ribbon fries. Cuz's is great if you don't mind spending some money. Also the guy who owns the Beard Moose his name is Hunter opened up an excellent pizza place the best in town called the Slice of Life. Find it on facebook. I feel like Rod is trying, but everyday I visit VaPreps and I just don't see anything west of Roanoke on the board maybe some stuff in the forum, mostly Gman defending our honor " which by the way thanks Gman". He even defends Richlands! I joined Vapreps once a few years ago because they had a story on Richlands only to find out it was a reprint from BDT I think or maybe BHC, but it was a total waste of money.The fact that Rod is on this site gives me hope, if you look at the numbers on Vapreps SWVA has great numbers you would think they would see that and throw us some bones only the Valley by just a hair and Tidewater has more. I've worked in Tidewater,Nova and the Richmond areas us hill folks are way more into high school football than they are out east.

You should be able to tell something after GW they look good. If you guys can hang within 10-points of them you will be fine. IMO.

Maybe a leading member from the home team say ryan/richlands, gman/graham, bigo/abingdon and so on could pick a time and place at the stadium to meet for a minute or two each game. I have read this forum for years even though I'm new to posting and would love to put faces with posters. I can picture Gman no other way than a grouchy ole groundhog with a big hammer like thor, Ryan I can see as a computer nerd with really thick glasses, and cityofraven like a redneck version of crocodile dundee only with a bigger knife and a rebel flag bandanna, and all of those are in jest no disrespect intended. I love all these wonderful personalities on this site you guys are good for laughs and correct information.

We should have a meeting place for members at each game during the season. Can't wait to go to Union a Dr. I work with went to Powell Valley, and I'm tired of saying the better team didnt win after we play them lol. Union and Gate City are my favorite away games each year. Of course it is early in the season so it's nice weather, Union edges it out I love walking down the side walk and the folks grilling in the yards and so polite it feels like walking back in time. I bet it has not change for years like it should be.

First my families' prayers and well wishes to the young man from Graham and his family. Thankfully I was gone before that happened. GW I thought looked pretty good with the eye test like always, and they played good. Richlands looked very good handled GW solidly played as good as Belfry, went toe to toe with them maybe a little more physical than them. I would love to play a full game against them it would be a crap shoot, Belfry and Richlands are both really tough nosed teams that are well coached. Graham looked a little small to me, anyone else think that? I sat down below bigrhsfan I could hear him talking I had meet him last year at the same game. He is super nice, by the way bigrhs I was the bald chubby guy sitting with Wicks and Horton. I was looking for Gman but I just didnt see a groundhog sitting anywhere, but I did see Fred Simon and he was checking out Graham. Gman keep us posted on the young man with the leg injury if you will I hope he heals well and ends up being a superstar for you guys in the future.

Spoke with a guy from Glenvar today and he seemed very very confident that they were going to win the state championship again this year. I got the feeling that he wasn't worried about anyone west of Giles. Thats fine with me over look all us hillbillies. lol

Looks like a good place for multiple Tornado touchdowns in September. lol. That place looks like something to be proud of.

Which side usually has more fans. I've never made it to this game as the Richlands/Gate City game is the same week. Also does anyone know the record of this game, I think I saw once that it was really lopsided toward the Beavers.

When I think of these schools in resent history I think offense, fast skill players, and fast skill players, and also fast skill players. I thought my guess of 35-27 was very conservative. After seeing what some of you G-man/Beaver fans are saying it makes me wonder if i'm crazy. UVA I hope you are right that would be awesome to see.

Bluefield 35 - Graham 27