HowTheWestWasWon2017

Weird incest coaching? Oh no! Is Akers last name really Targaryen and the GC head coaching position the Iron Throne? Watch out for a lady on a flying dragon. She may be your aunt. Don't end up sleeping with her. It's Game of Thrones people! Now we have a thread going! It's the House Akers vs House ? Who is the one destined to take the throne? Now this thread is great to read!

Lots of drama on here I would say. To get back to the thread after reading this, I will go ahead and make my prediction for the game and I haven't seen any team play down there this year. Prediction: Union 63 Gate City. 14 With this much dysfunction and division going on, I find it hard to believe that a team would be able to survive a "United" Union. I also find it hard to believe that it being such a rivalry as has been stated on here that Union will let up on the gas. This may be a hard game to watch. Prediction Revision: Union. 70 Gate City. 10 Halftime Union. 56 Gate City. 0 When people start jumping ship this ship crashes and sinks. Just my opinion GC fans No coach or team can survive the division I am reading on here. You can only imagine what is being said at home by the parents. Good luck to both teams!

John Battle 61, Lebanon 21 Lee 57, Eastside 16 Marion 48, Tazewell 27 Abingdon 29. Christianburg 7 Union 34. Ridgeview 19 This Mountain District down the road looks tough. I'm not sure what the opposition is like but I am thinking if scores are any indicators it will be a tough battle for 1st place. I am not sure if Marion is in this district but they look like they may be a tough out for anyone this year also. Would anyone like to put together a prediction for the final standings in the Mountain District this far into the season? I am not sure who I would pick not being familiar with the teams. It looks like it would be a close race though. That's some points being put on the board right there!

Why would a sports complex have anything to do with upgrades to a facility? I would think that if you had money to build a little sports complex you can get money to upgrade facilities at your schools. I am sure that the people in charge of the schools use their money wisely down there. Sometimes the money just isn't available. School systems tend to use the money they are given to help their schools and teachers first. That is the purpose of it anyway. Reading this thread you would think that the athletics at Gate City is on the way down. Many people tend to over react more than they should. I am sure as always the football program is still the most popular program down there. It is the only thing I ever heard about from my friends at Tech who ever played at the school or against the school in football. I am not sure what your parent situation is like. As far as sports, I am sure the school is going through a down cycle. Wait until the studs graduate in basketball. I am sure there will be all kinds of talk on the basketball thread about the same things.

1. Union 2. Abingdon 3. Richlands 4. Marion 5. Graham

Radford was a football school in the 80's but since Coach Cormany's arrival we are mostly known for our basketball. A lot of that is because the players gravitate to our basketball program because Coach Cormany is a players coach. He is all about his players well being and his team enjoying playing the game. Don't get me wrong. Coach disciplines with structure but all the players love playing for the Bobcats. They know they will be pushed and have fun doing it. If Gate City has become a "basketball school" as you say, I am sure it began longer ago than you thought because players started realizing where they would compete and work hard and at the same time having fun and winning for a coach that they love playing for. You probably wont like hearing this but until that changes your school will probably continue to be a"basketball school" because players gravitate to people who enjoy what they do and enjoy having them there with them. Sounds like a lot of your best coaches are in the basketball program especially if your school is a "basketball school" now. Kids know who care about them not that the football coaches do not do so now. Kids are fickle though. As long as your basketball program stays hot and is very enthusiastic about the kids it will probably be your best program at Gate City. That is how it has been at Radford for a while and Cormany even encourages them to play football. I think that makes them want to play for him even more. The kids love a coach who supports them no matter what they do. Just a perspective from the outside for you to think about. Good luck to the Devils in future games though. All teams run through down cycles. Devils may be experiencing one now. Its your attitude though this cycle that will determine whether Gate City remains a "basketball school" or whether football makes a comeback. Just my thoughts on the matter.

Being a football fan from Radford and knowing that these two schools have been powerhouses for a while I am wanting to find out what these schools have today. I caught a Richlands game with a friend of mine up this way in the playoffs and was really impressed with the quarterback Asbury I believe it was. I'm not sure what Gate City is like this year as far as qb and receivers. I don't think there are many great teams in this area except for those in the River Ridge District. We have Blacksburg as defending champs up here which is really cool. Out of curiosity as a fan who keeps up with the football teams in the lower southwest and watches this site I see this as a game that may be interesting to watch. Before I travel to watch a game with power teams playing I want to know how they match up. I would like for each of you who would to tell me how these teams match up at these positions: Gate City QB vs. Richlands QB (age, experience ability, toughness) Gate City Backs vs. Richlands Backs (age, experience, ability, toughness, toughest player) Gate City Receivers vs. Richlands Receivers (age, experience, ability, toughness, toughest player) Gate City Defensive Line vs. Richlands Defensive Line (age, experience, ability, toughness, toughest player) Gate City Secondary vs. Richlands Secondary (ages, experience, ability, toughness, toughest player) If anyone would like to show their football expertise in these areas this will help me to know whether or not I want to take a road trip and watch this game or not.

The NRD and the Southwest from what I have heard from my family members were the toughest around. It gave football the great reputation that it has now in the western part of.the state. How would the standings look today? Someone mentioned the SEC. Imagine a conference that looked like this: New River District Western Division: Marion, George Wythe, Radford, Chilhowie, Grayson County, Giles, Galax, Carroll County. Eastern Division: Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Fort Chiswell, Floyd County, Auburn, Narrows, Pulaski County, Southwest District Western Division Lee, Union, Central, Ridgeview, Gate City, John Battle Virginia High Eastern Division Abingdon, Lebanon, Richlands, Grundy, Graham, Tazewell, Patrick Henry Just thought this was interesting. I know I probably forgot some teams. The powers that used to be on top aren't anymore though. What would they look like today?

Why would he? Hasn't he already committed to Rutgers? That's a waste of time of you ask me. College basketball coaches never watch high school games anymore anyway. They already know who they want when they go.watch the big summer AAU tourneys.

Not a long year but a long, long year for GC and Volunteer? That's probably not the most promising of posts I have read for any two.teams on this board. It is just a scrimmage. Maybe it will not be as bad as you think.

As a Radford guy, I know in my sports experience the only school anyone up in the New River Valley talked about from far Southwest Virginia was Gate City in football and basketball. We had some rivalries with Virginia High in soccer but how many schools play soccer? Football and basketball are the main cash cows for a small school like us and I would guess Gate City. Hearing you talk on here it sounds like this may be a year where the basketball team may bring in more money than football. Maybe, maybe not. Gate City has been the one team I have always heard of from people living up this way. Like Radford our goals in basketball are not to win the district/conference title. Our goal is the state tournament yet some schools celebrate like they won a state championship when they defeat us. It's all about your reality and your culture. You either have a championship culture established where your players are focused on the end of the road in March or they just have a date circled to beat somebody local. I'm sure for some of Gate City opponents beating them is the best thing in the world and the only thing that matters. Yet for people like us up here all we are concerned about is meeting schools like Gate City at the end because then we know it takes the best to beat the best It's all about perspective.

It's football season but there is a lot of discussion on this board about players and teams for basketballs upcoming season. That's pretty exciting! This year the Bobcats of Radford move up to Group AA in basketball. This will be a big jump for Radford not that Group A was not competitive but the level will be better I would expect. Leaving Group A I would expect either George Wythe or Eastside to be the main threats to win the Group A championship this year. I mainly want to hear who the main threats will be to win it all in Group AA. Word I am hearing is that Graham and Gate City are the two main threats and Graham is extremely hungry for some revenge after last seasons loss to the Blue Devils. Looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts and best of luck to everyone this upcoming year!

From what I hear GC had better get all the young talent they can get because after the McClung, Ervin and Dean kids leave there will not be anything left to work with. Friend of mine went and watched them at Tech. Said Dean was the only real player they had and they got trashed bad every game. GC fans better pack the stands early the next two years. All the info I get is that the fun will be gone just as quick as it came. Hoping the 'Cats have a strong transition to the AA ranks this year after playing in the A league for awhile.

If I am a Gate City fan and this is Mac McClung's senior year, I am going to be there at 4pm waiting for the doors to open this year!

Watching the NIT this week experiment with some rule changes in the college game gave me some ideas that could possibly help the high school game. The game of basketball like other sports and peoples has evolved greatly over the years. I feel that the game is at a point where it could evolve more. Here are some ideas / changes I would make to the high school game and the reasons for them. Change #1 - Watching the threads this year I noticed many people talking about being out late at night for games called supers where all the teams play in one night. I would change the high school game to be like the college game and make the game 16 minutes halves. Each team would be granted two full timeouts and two 30 second timeouts with a mandatory under 8 minute full timeout in each half at the occurrence of a dead ball. If a team gets down 30 then the game will have a running clock. I believe all this will help with the flow of the games as well as help manage substitutions better. For the JV games the games would have 12 minute halves with a mandatory under 6 minute timeout in each half. Change #2 - Referees should not be able to stop a game after a made possession to discuss whether it was a two or a three point shot that was made. There needs to be a place and time for it. If a team scores a basket and it puts them up one and the other team is coming down the floor with ball in hand already play should not be stopped at anytime that would disrupt the flow of the game and give an obstacle to the team with the ball that would prevent them the opportunity to tie or take the lead in a game. If play is stopped and the team with ball in hand is made to throw the ball in again while the officials discuss the call then the team with the lead has a chance to set up their.defense which otherwise might be in a scramble situation or unorganized allowing the team with ball in hand the chance to score. I saw this happen a couple of times during the year this year at critical times. So not stoppage in play while play is going on. If there is a question it should be addressed in a manner that does not disrupt a teams possession. Change #3 - Fouls. If the team foul limit reaches 7 could before 8 minutes all fouls will be one and one no matter the number. After the 8 minute mandatory timeout all team fouls are reset to zero in both the first and second halves. This should help allow more focus on play during g the game while still allowing for end of half and end of game situations at the ends of each halves. These are a few ideas I have. I feel that they would be of use to the high school game and help it become a greater tool for player development.

Heard from some friends who have family down south that a coach who was very successful here in the Roanoke Valley about 20 years ago at Salem resigned at the school he was coaching. I remember my dad talking about how strong the teams at Salem were under this guy named Charlie Morgan. He said they won some state championships when he was there. Did he resign on his own or was he forced? I talked to my cousins down there in Tennessee and they said the school where he was didn't have a lot of talent as it used to which probably factored in and they said it was probably his decision but wasn't sure. Any word of if he is planning a return to this area? The Roanoke Valley and the New River Valley are hotbeds for basketball. I'm sure if he wanted to coach here in this area again he could with his resume from Salem.

I don't know how it sounds home cooked. From an outsider looking in it looks like there might also be some changes in the works for the basketball staff if they are bringing in a basketball guy. Any changes coming that you know of? Trying to find out Radford's football schedule for next year also with the change in classification. Should be a tough road for the Bobcats in football.

Prep schools are not prestige. They basically say I can't make the grades at my regular school and where I play is beneath me. If major colleges want you they will find you. I have family in the Tidewater and schools like Georgetown and UNC found Alonzo Mourning and JR Reid at Indian River and Kempsville. Duke found Grant Hill at South Lakes and JR Reddick at Cave Spring in the Roanoke Valley. I'm pretty sure these guys were studs on their teams and were surrounded by people who never played college basketball. So if a guy feels he must leave his team to go somewhere else "better" sounds like other underlying factors involved. Just my opinion.

I know there have been some recent consolidations out west with a lot.of smaller schools that have now become larger schools playing a level higher. Who are some of the counties that should be looking at consolidation? Here in the New River Valley and points east we already have a lot of counties who have schools who have already unified and consolidated into one high school: Patrick County, Carroll County, Grayson County, Floyd County, Franklin County, Pulaski County, Giles County, Craig County, Bland County, Bath County, Rockbridge County, Allegheny County, Nelson County, Amherst County, Appomattox County, Buckingham County, Halifax County, Orange County, Louisa County, Goochland County, Amelia County and Madison County to name a few. I have listed 22 schools in the state in our area and East and I believe there was one in the West if swva_havok will correct me called Ridgeline or Ridgeview or something like that which is in Dickenson County and another county named Lee which is also a county school I believe? So that makes 24 just that I know of. The other ones left not consolidated between the western Virginia border and the county of Montgomery that has just one county school in it would be: Wise, Scott, Buchanan, Russell, Washington, Tazewell, Smyth, And Wythe counties. That 24 of 32 counties from the western Virginia border to the northern West Virginia border to the area of Montgomery, Roanoke, Botetourt, Bedford, Henry and Pittsylvania counties that does not have a one county, one consolidated school system. If these unconsolidated school systems did consolidate what would it be like? Do we see any of them joining together as one in the future. If so what would they be renamed if anything and would they be better off academically and athletically?

In the times that I have traveled south to the mountains (for example the Smokies, etc) I have noticed that there are not many middle class suburbs or communities in the Bristol or East Tennessee area. I have not been to places like Norton or Wise. I haven't been to Gate City or Abingdon but from what I can tell just by the lay of the land is that the people who lives in those areas down south need some kind of big business to move in and create jobs for all the people who live there. The only difference between that area and the New River Valley is spacious amounts of land in which to build. With as much mountainous terrain as there is I find it hard to understand what anyone does for a living down south. Someone told me that the city of Kingsport, Tennessee that you spoke of had a major manufacturing plant but honestly if one major buisness is all that you are able to have in that area then you will never have anything. Pulaski County was a thriving economic center at one point because of all the industry it had. The Cougars were a football powerhouse and at one time used to be ranked consistently in the USA Today Top 25. Then we had some industries and people move out and now we are nothing like we used to be. If this city of Kingsport one main industry moves out it sounds to me as if the entire area would dry up. Which leads me to one conclusion. All of you people had better be luring some big major factories or businesses to your area or one day you may regret it.

I was reading over this thread checking on Dan River information. I didn't see this person play but this kid you talk about with the ego and arrogance? To me there are two cases of arrogance: There is the Bill Laimbeer, John Starks Rajon Rondo type of arrogance or there is the Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller or Larry Bird type of arrogance. One is more productive and more likeable than the other. I went a little old school with these examples but to me nobody in the league today exemplifies confidence, in a good way, more than these guys. Stephen Curry probably can be included here. Maybe Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving. There are some other major stars who are riding the fence IMO. I hope you understand my different levels of arrogance.

My friends and I love watching good high school basketball teams play and our first thought was actually going to watch Richlands play the Union team at home. After watching Richlands play the other night the last thing we want to watch again is another team giving them a swift kick to the arse. We then thought of going to Gate City but we also have friends who said that they might want to forget that trip because we would never get a seat. My friends family said Graham was taking a pep bus and that they were opening the doors at 5:30pm for that 7pm game. He has friends that are going early so they can line up at the door at 4pm. Are people down there that crazy about basketball? That's insane! I have never heard of anyone waiting three hours for a game to start. It does sound like a crazy atmosphere to experience though.

I watched Richlands play Graham last week at Graham with some friends of mine who wanted to come in from Tech to watch this game. We are sitting around now laughing so hard at that Richlands winning by 40 points comment. You do realize one of the guards for Graham had nearly 40 by himself and the PA guy said he was just a junior also. Now I'm not sure if any of the other guys play other sports but Union has some really good looking athletes and one is the Mitchell guy. I'm sure he isn't the only decent guy they have. This is playoff time. If Richlands plays the way they did the other night I watched the 40 point defeat will not be dealt to Union. If Union has any kind of team at all Richlands will lose. They look slow and old and not very athletic. The big 6'5 kid was the only decent looking "player" they had. You will not like this but my prediction is Union 68 Richlands 49 I feel zone defense will rule the night if Union knows anything about Richlands at all. Graham did and look what they did to them.

Been to Radford lately? Third time is the charm right? New River Valley Tradition! And as far as a "dynasty", how would call Gate City a dynasty? Has Gate City always been good in basketball? I have always heard about them up here as primarily a football school. Basketball "dynasty" is kind of a stretch. What would be some "facts" to support their being called a "dynasty"? Dynasty (def) - A succession of rulers from same line of descent. A powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time. A considerable time. So a dynasty in high school might be what 30 or 40 years? You would have to win a whole lot in a high school program to be considered a dynasty. A few years doesn't cut it for me. So Gate City in basketball a dynasty? What would you call their football program? I always heard their football was the standard. I need to be informed. Radford, George Wythe, Martinsville, Galax, Floyd County girls, Cave Spring, Hidden Valley. These are basketball dynasties.

Been to Radford lately? Third time is the charm right? New River Valley Tradition!