SXSW

The "full house backfield" when you got the backs to run it is tough to stop. Coach Fry once told me that all he needed to do was avg. 3.5 yards per carry and zero turnovers and he's take his chances and win 75% of his games. But I have no clue what they will run or who the backs will be. The lack of running game outside of Collier was a problem last year, I was told that they had a few good backs but they were young.

Have they surprised you, I have heard that there is a completely different vibe with them, than this time last year. I was told that a little bit of the lost pride has returned!

Yes he will, if left alone. he has a really good freshman class coming in and I believe that this season may be his worst and after that he will very successful.

Coach Jones at Volunteer is like when Coach Colobro went to Sullivan East. When he told them to cut their hair, take out their piercings and cover up the tats, a third of the team walked off the field.

Does it really matter, they will play three or four backs a game anyway, with the offensive production they should have I wouldn't stress myself over who the starter would be.

Coach Jones believes in discipline and the babied kids at Volunteer don't like it and hence the parents don't like it. That is why Volunteer has never won and never will.

Dang does Stripes know the rules or what!

Practice, we talking about Practice......Practice! Come on man, practice!

Sullivan North scrimmages Sullivan East Friday Night I think. It might be something for us football starved people to see.

The GMAN has spoken!!!!!!!!!!

I think Gate City may be a much better team than last season, but the murders row schedule they play may keep the record down. Everybody else looks spot on. Will the Blue's get over the hump and beat Union if they don't do it this year they may never do it.

I want to see them both stay local, but what those schools do is lure them away and reclassify them, usually drop them back one year and develop them into D-1 BB players, that has happened to Science Hill and DB in Northeast Tn. for years.

Is there any truth to the rumor that Mitchell is thinking of transferring to a basketball academy type school. I have also heard the same thing about McClung from GC.

That old LPD forum was brutal, if you didn't have thick skin and an "open carry permit" you could get hurt. That was in the PV and Appy hey day, and when the decline started it was brutal on anyone bringing it up, unless you were from PV or Appy.

Imagine that a rumor on a message board, a rumor! How dare anyone put anything on the internet that isn't true. Shame! Shame! Shame!

Any old time Appy fans here remember how good Appy threw the ball out of the full house backfield. You don't have to run the spread to throw it. Like redtiger said the talent to run a legit spread just doesn't reside in the coalfields in 1A.

If Honaker hates their schedule and being 1A, move up to 2A. You can come into the Mountain District and be welcomed with open arms. Problem Solved and when you get out of the Murder's Row you have to play, you will be championship worthy because your schedule will have made you that way. Schools used to man up and play up but not any more and I don't blame them but if no one is happy with the current situation, change it!

Kids transfer from schools every year , that is a fact of life you must learn to except or be pissed off all the time. With the demographics of Virginia changing a State champion from our end of Virginia is going to become as rare as it is from Northeast Tn. I'm not expecting a champion this year from S.W. Va. ( I hope some schools can prove me wrong and I'll gladly eat that crow) this season and to transfer just for a shot at a title is a little selfish, but you are dealing with 16 & 17 year old kids and parents that give them anything they want. With that being said if they transfer within the rules the adults have to make the decision to act like an adult or behave worse that the kid that left. Be a adult and just realize times are different now.

You can be very successful running the option, but you better have an outstanding QB handling the ball or your screwed from the start and also be about five deep at RB. Georgia Tech and the academies run it to perfection. The best option I every saw was DB a few years ago with Swafford and Forman, also Lee High ran some good option stuff years ago and when GC won the state in '03 they ran the option, but Spivey at QB was a man among boys.

Playing Sullivan North will help your strength of schedule, because they are probably win 7 or 8 games, maybe nine.

Have you folks from Hurley called Sullivan North in Kingsport, they need a game or two for next year, they will come and play up there, if you are willing to come to Kingsport. call them and see if they still need games.

If you took a map of SW Va. and drew a line from Duffield to Abingdon and squared it off with the Tennessee state line that would be the only area where coal has not affected the economy severely. The rest is in danger of just going away. And our coal industry isn't the only one suffering now The Powder River Basin mines are shipping about 50% less coal than they were a year ago. We in our lifetimes, unless a miracle occurs will see the complete banishment of an entire industry. Along with the railroad jobs, the support jobs, the power plant jobs and the stores and families that they support.

Jones was an unbelievable talent, the only time he didn't run wild on the Devils was his freshman year when he fumbled the opening kickoff and the Devils returned it for a touchdown and coach Robbins benched him, his sophomore through senior seasons were incredible to watch. GC had a streak of not giving up a 100 yd rusher that was season's old till Thomas' sophomore year. The best I ever seen in S.W. Va., I didn't see Clark, or Mickey and Phil Rodgers I am sure those backs would have something to say about that as would a few others.

Stone Drive in Kingsport, and I-26 to Johnson City in the morning is running the gauntlet and playing Russian roulette everyday.

Quincy the very idea as a parent of putting a 16 year old child, with little or no driving experience on I-81 or on Memorial Blvd. to Blountvillie sends shivers down my spine. If I can put a child in a car from Rock Springs and be in GC in fifteen minutes or take the I-81 gamble they are going to GC. And can you imagine an early release from school for snow on top of all that.