HowTheWestWasWon2017

Look at it this way. Next year the region's are split in half. Won't have to worry about a lot of travel next year.

From what I have heard Gate City has been playing very well. I have also heard that when things do not go well they snowball. I am not sure how long it has been since they had a "snowball" game but I predict it happens tonight. Glenvar is a very tough place to play. My friends said they played Glenvar at Bluefield. Glenvar isn't Bluefield. Prediction: Glenvar 20 Gate City 13 Halftime Final Score: Glenvar 38 Gate City 27

1. Radford 2. George Wythe 3. Graham 4. Richlands 5. Union 6. Gate City 7. Eastside 8. Galax 9. Chilhowie 10. Abingdon 11. Fort Chiswell 12. J.I. Burton 13. Lebanon 14. John Battle 15. Castlewood 16. Honaker 17. Ridgeview 18. Virginia High 19. Marion 20. Lee High I am going to keep up with basketball in this area this year. From all that I have read how close would this poll be to how people feel about which teams have the top programs in SWVA as of now? It's hard to take the Bobcats out if the top spot.

It's Wytheville vs Nickelsville. If you have been to either one you would easily know. The 'Roons 70-0 by halftime

My friends at Tech from NoVa will probably hate this post. While taken back at the direction of this power point's post, the first official flag of the Confederacy was not the "stars and bars". The "stars and bars" actually was the third flag adopted. The "stars and bars" was originally the Battle Flag of NoVa. Yes my NoVa friends from Harrisonburg, Richmomd, Arlington. This flag represented you. Slavery was a great evil and still is in many parts of the world. The South was an agriculture economy while the North was more industrial and relied on products from the South for some of the industries like textiles. The South had a way of life and the North had a way of life. Now slavery may have been a part of that way of life as sad as it may be but not every white person in the South had slaves as some might believe. Go to http://newobserveronline.com/hidden-facts-about-slavery-in-america/ Now this isn't trying to "stir a pot". This is just putting out facts. In defense of this small town Hurley, don't think of them and their people who are a bunch of racists backwoods people. Think of.them as people who were part of a group of people in history who were ready to go to battle for their beliefs. I am not talking about beliefs in slavery, I am talking about Northern infringement and influences on a laid back Southern way of life that today we now love. And because Trump calls a spade a spade and calls some of the drug lords down south "bad hombres", he isn't trying to insult a race of people. Let's face it. Some people are way too sensitive in this world. Yes we are a nation of immigrants as Hillary said but what Hillary needs to realize is that this is 2016 not 1889. Terrorists posing as immigrants coming to this nation with intents of destroying our country is a little different than people coming to here when the country is just a little over fifty years expanding west and new technologies and ideas are developing to help the country grow. Yes we need more technical schools and vocational tracts in schools but what good does it do us without any jobs. Yes I am a college senior with my own opinions. I try to keep an open mind and see reality for what it is. Hurley, Virginia should be proud to be rebels. Many people are more afraid of hurting feelings than telling the truth. I would rather someone tell me the truth than be PC and cower and cater to me. Just my opinions. I'm ready to read the haters comments after this. I'm sure there will be some. Oh well. I have my whole life ahead of me and I am sure there will be more.

Richlands and Abingdon may be the game of the year in Southwest Virginia. I wouldn't mind driving down from the 'Burg to watch this. Probably will be the battle of the year of the two beat quarterbacks in that part of the state. I think the town of Abingdon needs to rezone or something and make themselves smaller. Playing in AAA is competitive suicide. Their schedule is weak with the exception of Richlands, Graham and maybe another but that's it. Beating people by 40 and 50 don't help but set you up for a big fall later.

That is what some people up here are saying. People I know from Richlands and Graham believe this is their year to head to state. Group AA will be a dogfight next year as my guys told me the Bobcats are going up to AA from A next year? That should be fun to watch. All that I have heard about GC up here at Tech is that the McClung guy is a good athlete but not a strong guard as he can be erratic at times. I remember the Barnes guy last year and he can shoot it. If GC is as young as people say in some places I wouldn't expect a lot. Being inexperienced isn't good come playoff time. Richlands and Graham are strong. I would expect they will represent the West in a big way this year.

From what I am hearing from my Tech guys up here I say Union rolls. I think and this is going on pure word of mouth observations that if Union keys on the qb Collier and some guy named Hamilton they could name the score especially if they make Hamilton run sideline to sideline instead of allowing him to run downhill all night long. Keys are Collier and Hamilton (I think is his name) and make everyone else beat you. Not to mention the factor of the traveling Union fan base if what my friends from GC says is correct. Heard that Friday night you could sit wherever you wanted on the visitor side. Guy from Big Stone told him they would fill up the entire side if that was true. Mitchell plays in true beast mode. Three scores for him at least. I believe this is also a tie breaking game. Friend told me that since Union became a school Union and GC are split 3-3. Sounds like a great Southwest Virginia rivalry to me. Halftime score: Union 42 Gate City 0 Final score: Union 56 Gate City 6

I woukd think Abingdon would destroy Blacksburg. I don't get any newspaper nor have I read anything score wise. I believe Bruins lose big.

Haven't heard what happened score wise last night but from the talk in the Roanoke and Telegraph papers Bluefield in West Virginia shouldn't be that good this year.

My Bobcats are supposedly moving to Group AA next year. Expecting to see some good games in the future with this move.

So how many Thursday night games are going on tomorrow night and who are they? Same question for Friday? I have classes Friday so no driving in for games on Thursday but would like to know who all is playing on those nights.

Have some college buddys who tell me that McClung posted on Twitter that ETSU offered him a scholarship. So really only mid majors looking at him from all I have heard from people.

Why is that? Are they not allowed to finish that low in Gate City? (I jest.) The McClung person you spoke of. One person does not make a team nor two if they have two for that matter. You need a complete team to be really good. Radford has shown that for many years. Good luck this year tho.

Just stating an opinion. Everyone has one.

Not much on the knowledge of Tazewell but if you split the county into two high schools with half going to Richlands and half going to Graham I would think academics would be even better and athletics would have a football and basketball team in the state finals every year. That district would be a true beast!

From what I hear and read no one ever knows anything about John Battle because they are so terrible. How could a school that size constantly be so bad year in and year out? Abingdon isn't that much better overall. They just now seem to understand what it means to win in football. And like John Battle are terrible in everything else.

May be biased but the Clinch Mountain and all those other conferences I have heard about in the past from that end of the state do not really match up with the athletes from the history of the New River, River Ridge and the Blue Ridge districts of the past. My dad has shown me a lot of film and those athletes were beasts. Growing up in Radford, this city is very sports minded with a lot of success that speaks for itself. My dad says people he talks to who he played against in the past in the Highlands, Southwest and Lonesome Pine live in their own little worlds. Not saying the talent wasn't good. Just not the level of Roanoke, Salem and Blacksburg area talent. In any sport that is.

Looking from afar in Blacksburg I believe the Clinch Mountain will be wide open. Union probably is the favorite but only because everyone else is so weak. Central might be the second best team and Ridgeview the third. People I talk to up here at Tech from Gate City say that the Devils will be going through a young phase in all sports. Football, Baseball and could possibly finish 3rd or 4th in basketball behind Union, Central and maybe even Lee. So by the sound of all the talk the Clinch Mountain is Union's to lose, Central's to sneak in to take, Ridgeview's to look at and the "Playoffs?" soundbite will be heard all year long in Gate City.

Who will be the Top 10 teams coming out of SWVA? (West Va. not included). This is my poll. 1. Richlands 1. Abingdon 3. Union 4. Galax 5. Graham 6. George Wythe 7. Giles 8. Hurley 9. Central Wise 10.Lee