Play one game a year at Mitchell. After that there would be plenty of seating and parking for the rest of their home games with the exception of the Union game. For that game the excess Union fans could bring their own chairs to put around the field. The 25 Graham fans should still have plenty of seating available on the home side.
This post blew up! For my take, I strongly echo the sentiments UVAObserver and stu_bean. Maybe it’s an age thing. A couple of points I would like to refute somewhat, but for comparison’s sake, I will share my thoughts and experience as a Richlands fan.
From 1997-2008, I am not aware of any active recruiting by the Blues. The 3 finals appearances 2005, 2006, and 2007, with the title in 2006 to my knowledge consisted of mostly hard-working, homegrown Richlands kids. I maybe naive, but I take a lot of pride in the accomplishments of those kids, and coaches alike. While the 2008 team was comparably short on talent, that was one of the best coaching jobs In winning the Region, beating a much more talented Tazewell team twice, and eventually losing big to a much more talented Logan Thomas-led Brookeville team.
In 2009, that all began to change with the perceived recruiting. I can’t speak to parents doing what is best for their kids, which is honorable in the intention, but I personally felt an undercurrent of disappointment. I realize that there are important values of competing, but I couldn’t help but feel compassion for some of the kids, essentially replaced by what felt like mercenaries. While often results on the field reflected success, I felt and witnessed a perceived decline in discipline and work in favor of seeking talent. I have no idea if the long-term ramifications explain what Richlands is experiencing now or this is just a reflection of the current talent and return to normalcy.
As most players are concerned, I imagine some of the harder working glue guys (a term from Never Settle by Marty Smith-excellent read) would become discouraged by this pattern. Personally, I would feel a sense of resentment if the opportunity I had worked so hard for, was taken away all of a sudden by someone brought in and I observed to be lazy, but talented. I was blessed to be a part of the era where hard work and dedication seemingly was rewarded by playing time. In fact, I carry that and other lessons from my football experience.
The taint of recruiting for me carries a stigma of manipulating a system to tilt the playing field for instant results. It seems contradictory to playing, working, and sacrificing together as a team or community to achieve a common goal.
As stated, by UVA, it’s here. If you hope to compete you have to embrace or begrudgingly accept it.
Thank goodness simply for the game of football and those players and coaches that work so hard to teach those lessons and virtues that apply to life outside of football.
This post isn’t meant as a criticism, but primarily an opinion, perspective, and analysis of a practice that is now more widespread.
Out of reactions for the day but this is it. Well said.
He left it because he was disenchanted with the level of corruption in amateur (high school and collegiate) athletics. Recruiting of high school athletes was a large piece of it. The death knell for him was the Virginia General Assembly essentially enacting law that allows people and businesses to buy high school athletes effective July 1, 2023.
I’ve spoken with him about it IRL and I’m comfortable sharing it. I don’t reckon he would mind.
I’m equally mesmerized by some of the real estate prices in Tazewell County at the moment. Real estate market in general is way overpriced according to a realtor friend of mine. If people can pay it though, the prices will continue to rise especially in places like Myrtle.
The real estate market in Tazewell County right now has blown me away. Homes are selling for asking prices at minimum. Whatever happened to the day of "making an offer"? At what point will this get upside down?
Graham will easily win this district and region. Their first game will probably be the only competitive game until half-state. They are simply too physical for any 2A teams west of Roanoke.
Is Graham really that good or is football that bad on our end of the state?
ImFromOutWest and I was just wondering if you've had any bathroom disasters out east? The bathrooms around here are disastrous to say the least. Mitchell being top on that list.
Question for ya'll. How does one improve the Little Leagues or keep them from low turn out? What methods can the Head Coach of the High School use or what tools are used to increase turnout and growth? I'm asking because I've never looked into it and simply don't know how they do it. For example at GC? why the massive turnaround in the Little Leagues? Is it by chance, luck, just the way ebbs and flows of the local populations and their preferences go? Is it absolutely not by chance or luck or an ebb or flow, but is it leadership, or a combo of both related to the increase compared to a few years ago? UVA Observer wrote about how Richlands Little Leagues were in trouble at the end of Mance's timeframe as coach (while he was still Head Coach). Why? Was this on Mance, chance, luck, etc? Thanks in advance.
I think its important to get the HS kids involved with the little league even if it's just for a 2 or 3 day camp. I'm pretty sure Palmer still does this at Graham where the HS kids help run a camp for the kids. It may not seem like a big deal to adults but to a 6 year old being able to see a varsity player up close and personal is a big deal to them. You'd be surprised how much they look up to those varsity players. I think most schools have a little league night that allows the kids to have their name announced and run out on the field on Friday night. That's a couple things that come to mind.
Aside from that don't allow a complete jackass that's on an ego trip be coach helps as well😂
The youth football system was in full-fledged collapse in Mance’s final years here. We’re seeing the effects of that now. While not perfect, you can look at youth leagues and extrapolate pretty well what these teams will look like in 7-10 years. Even now, some places have positioned themselves well, while others should have alarm bells sounding.
Danny Mullins expanded Tazewell Youth Football League(TYFL) several years ago to include Montcalm, Graham, Mt. View, Tazewell, and possibly Peterstown. I may be wrong on Peterstown. As far as youth leagues are concerned this one was ran about as good as one can expect. All of them are going to have hiccups but when you look at the performance of these same teams 7 years later.........it speaks for itself. Tazewell went from not making playoffs to contending. Montcalm(I know it's Montcalm) but they have done well with the kids that went through that youth league. Mt. View is and probably always will be a dumpster fire regardless. Graham's results speak for themselves. Obviously the MS and HS programs have to be a well oiled machine but that league that Danny put together produced some good teams. I probably shouldn't give him all the credit lol. He obviously had some help with it all.
It would be nice if they would do the synthetic turf field. Seems like they always get left out. It has always felt like they were an after thought and Richlands and Graham would get what ever they wanted.
I honestly hope Tazewell never gets a turf field. I personally like the grass better. I've always liked their field. Their stand may not be the best but the field I like. Tazewell's stadium has that small town Friday night football feel about it. Kinda has the same feeling that Giles has. Just my opinion.
Since this is a "Bold Prediction" thread, I'm gonna say Honaker wins it all in 1A. The Big Red Machine going to 2A and Galax being down will help but the addition of Saban down in Honaker on the coaching staff will have them playing in Salem this December.
I wonder how much it would cost Tazewell County to pressure wash the High Schools? They are in need of a good cleaning. Perhaps the local fire departments could hose them down and get some practice in at the same time?
Buddy that's a great idea there's only one problem. Anything more than the pressure from your water hose you have at your house would more than likely cave the walls in at any of the 3 of our high schools.
Here we go again.... First the Graham Haters, next up the Tazewell bashers.
...
Football is officially back.
Hey @BandanaVTDavis4321 did the guy that was on here in the fall talking trash about the strength and conditioning at Giles get them lined out in the offseason?
Nope. Troy Barkley coached from sometime around 2007 until 2021. James Kohl coached for a season last year. Dominic DeGiacomo is the new coach. He was VHSL player of the year back in 2015 for Barkley. He was an All-American at Johnson & Wales.
Dom’s dad played soccer at VT back in the 80’s.
Barkley is coaching at his alma mater Pulaski now, where he is 5-27-1 in two seasons. He was 0-15 this season. Pulaski doesn’t put the same community effort into soccer Galax does. It’ll be tough for him to win there.
Galax has won state championships in 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, and 22.
I don't know much about Pulaski sports. Do they put much community effort behind any sports? Seems like they have a lot of drama.
Wow, what a blast from the past to my childhood. We played the Dogs a couple of times about 10 or 11 years ago, but I didn't make the trip to Tazewell then. Prior to the 2 game series just over 10 years ago, where we played there in 1 of those 2 games, you have to go back to 1988 if I'm not mistaken, since the Bandana Bunch stepped into Bulldog Stadium before the recent series about 10 years ago. Tazewelll beat us in 1988 at Tazewell, but two years prior to that, the Bandana Bunch put on a show on Tazewell's homefield and beat the Dogs, and the Dogs would eventually be...... Div 4 State Champions that year in 1986.
I remember the Dogs having those Mohawk hairuts in 86. I had a Bandana!. I remember Tazewell had a player at some point there in the 1980s that was basically a high school version of Ronnie Lot at Safety. I think he went on to play at Virginia Tech and his name was Steve Mitchem. Arguably....again...arguably, the most violent High School Defensive Back I've ever seen. I'm not saying he's the best I've ever seen, but regarding violence, he was at the top of the list. He was ok if you got hurt, or if he (himself) got hurt. He just needed someone to simply get hurt. The guy literally was dangerous. People just flat out.....got hurt when he was on the other side of the field. He** of a player he was. Absolutely, an incredible player defensively. He might of even started at VT for a year. I just can't remember.
Sorry to go off course BluefieldResearch and I don't want to hijack this schedule thread. Thanks for posting these and what you do. I just got a bit excited when I saw that a trip to Tazewell is in order this year, and I plan to take the backway, through Narrows into Rocky Gap and into Cove Creek (slide over East River Mountain down into the Double Gates neighborhood in Bluefield, VA near Graham High School to load up on 6 hotdogs from Double Gates Grocery, then back over the mountain through Cove Creek, through Grafton, and into T-Town. Last time I spoke with the kind woman at Double Gates, I figure they can't keep that place open much longer. Her and her husband are older.....very old. I hope they can keep that place a float through the fall of 2023.
Give em Hell Spartans!
Randy Carter recently passed away speaking of Double Gates.
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Turf approved for all 3 Tazewell County Schools.
in SWVA Football
Posted
Play one game a year at Mitchell. After that there would be plenty of seating and parking for the rest of their home games with the exception of the Union game. For that game the excess Union fans could bring their own chairs to put around the field. The 25 Graham fans should still have plenty of seating available on the home side.