Mountain Football

I was all in on the Radford bus as recently as this week. I thought Clark would shake off the bad game and come out firing and either 2D team was gonna be in a shootout. 
 
im not so sure anymore. I didn’t fully appreciate how healthy Clemens is, how much Graham has gotten stronger at the point of attack over this season and how this is a Graham team that is mentally tough. The environment they’ll walk into next week won’t be anything like what they saw yesterday. 
 
Im not jumping off the Bobcat bus just yet but I’m asking the driver to start slowing down. Graham won a close, physical game on the road and showed elite focus. They can do it again. I think it might be Clark’s year to shine but if Radford can’t tackle within four yards of the LOS, they’re Leavin the field with a l o s s. 

Augusta County decide to tweak the boundary lines again when VHSL denied the appeal to play down?

Why would "Everyone" be happy or unhappy? I think most people are content and "happy" with equality or simply playing in the classification that you truly have in your school.

Graham and Union have played 12 times. Graham has won 6, Union has won 6. 
Grahams record at Bullitt Park is 4-2. Unions record at Mitchell is 4-2. 
 
You can’t draw up a better rivalry. 

20-16 Graham End of 3

Good god quit bitching about the refs people....they are going to miss calls, they are human...but they aren't trying to cheat anyone

You're ruining the narrative!!

Heck of a show by Princeton 2023. They are competing at the highest level/highest classification of West Virginia football and playing for the state championship. A great moment whenever a team from the coverage area plays for a title.
 

20-6 Riverheads. Not sure anyone beating them. Even in 2A

The Reg D winner needs a strong AD to make the case to the VHSL to ensure it gets moved in case the powers that be at Radford try to keep it at Radford. I hope the people at Radford don't put up an argument and move the game. The Glenvar game should not be played at Radford.
If you are a Reg D team coming to Radford and Radford didn't move it, I would do the same. Get there early and set on home side. Warning to all Region D fans, if played at Radford, the power Karen's will be there at the gate trying to direct you to the non home side. Legally, they can't do that, but they will try to intimidate you. They can't stop you from setting on Radford side. 

You can tell when a game is going to be close by the lack of smack talk and team bragging. 
Union and Graham folks too scared to say much because they don't want to wash down that Thursday turkey with some Saturday evening crow. Haha 

How could they go wrong picking anybody from Raven and/or Jewell Ridge? That's the heart and soul of Richlands football. Well I guess Big Creek too but that's beside the point.

Union's kicking woes reminded me of a Tom Turner quote. A reporter at media day asked him if he had any kickers. He said,
“Yeah, I’ve got six of them, but none of them are worth a sh--.”

Let me take you way back to years gone bye.  When I played little league we had four teams, Richlands Golden Eagles, Richlands Green Waves, Cedar Bluff Blue Devils, and the Jewell Ridge Red Raiders. I played for the Red Raiders and Jim Richardson along with Ben McFall were the coaches.  Both coaches were hard working coal miners and most if not all the fathers were coal miners.  Jim Richardson had sons that played, but there was never a difference made, he treated his sons like everyone else if not even harder.  We dressed on one end of the Jewell Ridge Coal Camp, near a water tank, in the same building as a bowling alley and resturant.  We jogged from that end of camp through the camp to a hard dirt practice field on the other end of camp near a cemetery.  After practice, we would have to jog back to the dressing room, and the coaches followed in vehicles to make sure we jogged all the way.  On game day, we would all ride in the back of pickup trucks to the Old Ernie Hicks stadium for the game.  I thank God all the players had these coaches to teach us the game and to help us understand that it was just a game.  They taught fundamentally sound football, with tacking and blocking practice every day, and they demanded respect by showing all the players respect.  If the coaches we are seeing today were as tough as these two guys, I think we would see a big difference in the players that reach High School.
I know that everyone says we live in different times, and I get that somewhat, but just because we live in this time should not be a reason to throw discipline out the window and coddle young people from fear of hurting someone's feelings.  There is such a thing as tough love and that's what we received when I was young.  If you got out of line with the rules, you were strickly corrected, but in a healthy and respectful way.  My generation had our backsides warmed up many times and if we got out of line on the football field or with the coaches, we had to face our parents when we got home. Believe me, I would much rather had taken a good talking to from my coach as a good old fashion butt whipping from my parents.

Nicely played Sir. Nicely played.

Are you talking about the video about how great Graham is and how Union is really the underdog Saturday?
The one talking about how the GMen could stay up all night Friday celebrating their certain victory at The Park and they'd still cruise to an easy win?
That one? I'll try to find it! 🙂

Folks, when I say that I haven't seen one open competition in Dickinson County, I'm not exaggerating.  This is part of the reason kids leave the sport.  It sounds like Richlands has the same daddy ball habits.  I was fortunate enough to play for Ansil Salyers growing up.  He was a lifelong miner and tobacco farmer and coached the Baptist Valley Tigers for decades.  You wanted to be QB?  You had to beat out the 6 other kids who wanted it, too.  No favorites, no dads/uncles getting in the way.  The leagues have to get back to this. 
I'll say it again.  The varsity HC has to take more control over the youth league and middle school programs.  Prime example, my middle school team was coached by four coaches who were all teachers, were all part of the greater varsity program and had zero kids playing on the team.  We ran the same offense as varsity.  Two of those coaches were D. Palmer (current Graham DC) and Jeff Tarter.  Fast forward to RV middle school, coached by dads whose kids are the starting WRs and assisted by the starting QB's dad.  75% of the team were hold-backs and the coaches only coached this year and won't be back next year.   The offense was designed and centered around their kids.  Meanwhile the 6th and 7th grade kids just lost a year in development because the majority of the team should have been FR this year. 
It looks like this is now the new norm. 

Coach Crist has done a pretty good job with Clark.  Lots of knocks on Crist's on the field and game day knowledge but Clark has grown not just on the field but off the field.  He's matured a bit and this is the report from teachers in the classroom to fellow players to assistant coaches.  Crist has been a huge part of that.  Clark's got a lot of talent and if he keeps his head on straight, then he's got a good future.  He's definitely matured over the past year emotionally.

i can drive the "short bus"

Are you sure he’s not still there? DMV service sometimes takes awhile 😂

The team that stepped onto that field today was way different than the one that showed up at Ridgeview last year! They played hard & with heart today! They had a great group of Senior leadership! Congratulations to the Bulldogs on a great season & showing today. 

I have often times been a critic of Tazewell not playing with energy or having a bad mindset. This Tazewell team turned a corner in my opinion this year. They may not have beaten a great team but they never gave up like years past. If they can continue to build off what this team has started it'll a big step in the right direction. The talent is there.

I have often times been a critic of Tazewell not playing with energy or having a bad mindset. This Tazewell team turned a corner in my opinion this year. They may not have beaten a great team but they never gave up like years past. If they can continue to build off what this team has started it'll a big step in the right direction. The talent is there.

How could they go wrong picking anybody from Raven and/or Jewell Ridge? That's the heart and soul of Richlands football. Well I guess Big Creek too but that's beside the point.

LOL on the Big Creek/McDowell County toss in Mountain Football.  I see what you did there.  Might as well toss in the snake handlers down in Jolo.  I don't care if he handles rattlesnakes, by God he knows football, and is probably knowledgeable about "Defense and Making Adjustments."