Only two schools on Union schedule had winning record this season. My guess is Union season is about to come to an end!
Where did you come from? Unions strength of schedule is pretty high when compared to most other 2a schools. Gate city rated a 67 and Richlands a 64ish. Union has a low 50’s. Central Woodstock, who is 10-0 and making a lot of noise, has a strength of schedule rating of 21! So my friend, who is your school. Let’s take a look at their schedule. Just for kicks and giggles. If Richlands pulls the upset, then I tip my cap to them and wish them luck. But the boys will determine the outcome tomorrow night.
Just because I said I felt like Union would beat any team in the region by 2-3 score does not translate into me saying Union beats graham by 21. Really guys? Two scores (12-16 points, yes). Some have mentioned higher margins. But that game isn’t scheduled. Union plays Richlands at the park Friday night at 7. A great rivalry with mutual respect. It’ll be a fun game.
Union has the best D in 2D, yes. But have you researched the other 24 teams in the playoffs? Appomattox has a D1 power 5 ACC player on it's defense, too. Poquoson plays a ridiculous schedule filled with bigger schools. Clarke and Central and both very, very good teams. I understand you're confident, as you should be. But that's a bold statement saying they have the best D in the entire state in 2A.
Sure I'm confident. But my claim about their Defense is doing from a rankings chart I looked at a couple of weeks ago. I was trying to find the site to like on here. Unions D was ranked at 101.9. Almost 20 points higher than any other team in ALL of 2A. Not the region. They were the top ranked team in ALL of 2A when averaging the O and D, according to this chart. I wish I could find the link. It could have come from a reliable source, or a crack head. It's only a conversation topic. I enjoy it. And I have looked at the other side of the state. I figure Central Woodstock will play for state from that side. It's all in good fun, that's how I look at it.
*EDIT*
The page is on VHSL reference. Seems like that page was blackballed on this site before so I'll pass on the link. It's showing seven games still. So it's not complete. Been like that for weeks.
If you have to come to a message board to get motivated your in trouble already. I think Mance is a better coach than Turner, but Turner isn't stupid either. Union has a legit D1 player and they are using him as they should. He does everything but drive the bus and if his age wasn't a factor he'd probably have his CDL's and do that good too. I think this is Union's nightmare scenario, but I believe that will do just enough to win, because Richlands is challenged on the offensive side of the ball. There is far more pressure on Union than Richlands, so much I can feel it in Kingsport.
I don't think our boys care about this board or what a bunch of has beens/never was players have to say week in and week out haha. I told my son to stay off this board honestly.
Region D has good teams top to bottom. But my opinion, Union is two or three scores better than every team in the Region. And if they execute, they will win the Region by such scores. It may be late in the game. I'm not saying "no doubters". And don't get offended. I mean no disrespect. Richlands battled hard to get in. VHS gets to host for the first time in 25-30 years. Graham has played solid ball all year. Ridgeview has been the talk of the town. So don't take this as cocky, arrogant, or disrespectful. I'm going with gut feeling and some of the popular Transitive Property that we all look at from time to time. Union has a ton of weapons at Travis' disposal. You don't know who is gonna hurt you on any given game day. And the Defense is tops in 2A.
But the game isn't played on paper. It's played on the gridiron and the playoffs are fun to watch. I pray each team has a safe, injury free run.
Why are there 8 teams in the Region playoffs? Seems watered down since there are only 12 or 13 in
the Region itself.Four would be ideal.It would also cut out a week in which the season seems too long
for High School football.
13 hours ago, Ryan4VT said:
Four isn’t enough. 8 is probably too much (though it benefited Richlands this year). 6 could be right and give the top two BYEs. Who knows. But at 4, Marion doesn’t make it and no 8-2 team should be left out.
My dad talked about when he played at Appy from 70-73. He joked about how they said go 10-0 or listen on the radio. That was before divisions were put into place. I think 8 is way too many teams. I agree that it does water things down. Maybe not this year in 2A D lol. But look at 1A B. Two teams in the playoffs at 0-10! Come on! When we won state in 92, it was a 14 game season. Seeds 1-4 and some of those teams in were questionable. But that's points. The only reason it's 8 teams is for the VHSL to get the gate of one more playoff game. GREED is what has made it what it is. But let's play ball.
I hope everyone picks against the Bears. Keep them motivated. Richlands is a team everyone was worried about playing. Union is the team no one wants to play. Bring on the doubt my friends.
Will be a very good game i think. Mitchell hurt you as a wr threat with motion and all. Limits him at qb I would think. How has the team adapted to that have not seen them plag sense richlands game.
We threw four passes agains y’all last game as best I remember. That’s with Bailey. We are a run team first. The thing is, ya never know who is gonna have the big night. Could be BZ, Owens, Jenkins, or Mitchell. Offense is averaging 36.3 per game while allowing 10.6 on defense. I’ve got a lot of respect for Richlands. The fact the NOBODY in the region wanted to play them in the playoffs speaks volume. This game will have a similar outcome. But a larger margin of victory for us I think. We won’t turn the ball over in the red zone two or three times again. Our last game wasn’t in question despite the score. This will be the same I think. But it’ll be a good ball game. Our boys better be focused and locked in for sure. I know Richlands will be.
Thomas Walker hosted J.J. Kelly in 92 and lost. In 96 they won there first and only playoff game, can not remember who they played or where the first round was at.
Looks like TW hosted Ervinton in 96, winning 6-0 according to
http://cougarfootball .net/vhsl_playoffs/1997.htm
I can’t take credit for the link. This link was posted in the Swva all team thread a few weeks ago.
What is the wackiest upset you have ever seen or heard of in high school football?
1989 Appy and 1988 Jonesville post season run lol. Both 5-5 going in and win state. Appy in general, beat a Bath County team that had a short article about them in Sport Illustrated that year.
Looks like if Appo makes the semis then the road to state goes to them. Numbers changed after this past week. Love how this all works out. Thanks for all the work!
Mainly at QB and receivers, against their secondary. That front four is tenacious, and will be hard for anyone to run on. I'm just anxious to see how they do against a really good QB.
You do know battle is playing Union Friday night and not Central right??? But hey, stand by your team. Maybe y’all have a really good qb. Or just a good qb and haven’t played a really good defense yet?
You can't compare apples to oranges, etc. Teams matchup differently. Abingdon hasn't proven that they are a good team. They definitely aren't the team they were last year.
Still not seeing it bro. But that’s the fun of the forum. Everyone has a voice and point of view. I just don’t see battles qb being a big enough threat to keep this game close. He doesn’t have the supporting cast that Mitchell has at Union. And I don’t mean that disrespectfully. It’s how I see it. But that qb can play from what I’ve seen. Abingdon has a shifty qb and two solid RB’s that we had to contain. As a team, they were held under 100 yards rushing. I may be wrong, but I don’t think we’ve gave up 100 yard rushing in a game total all season. The freshmen from RV that has been on fire had 15 yards vs our D. Jordan at abingdon had 24 and Canada 38.
Transitive property is a hot topic in football. It’s easy to look at common opponents and lean on direction or the other. It’s not always the case. Matchups play a big part. The example I go by is my junior and senior year. Same situation in both seasons. GC beats Appy, then PV beats GC, and Appy goes on to beat PV.
But its its fun to lean on and I do it all the time haha.
What professional photographer will Jim I Adams wife try to have barred from taking pics so their daughter can. If your confused, look up Sammy Belcher on Facebook. He gracefully laid out the scenario. Just another reason I can’t stand norton.
Because Abingdon beat Battle whereas Union rolled the Falcons?
Union doesn't blow out good teams? Beating Abingdon by 28, Ridgeview by two TDs, and didn't Ridgeview beat you 24-7?
So Battle will play Union closer than Ridgeview did on the road, despite losing handily to two teams Union handled?
The RV game was also our first game without Bailey Turner under center. We were playing a 10th grade jv qb who wasn’t quite ready. Our offense may not be a 50 point per game juggernaut, but our defense keeps us from having to be. Battles qb is shifty. He’s not the first shifty or decent qb we have seen. I don’t like predicting games for Union. But I’ll say battle gets a td in first half due to qb play. But then we adjust and shut it down. We could shut them out too. Either way, we have to play our game and execute the game plan.
I observed that as well. In my opinion he's a punk from back during Wise (family member of the team at the time informed me of this) of him disrespecting the coaches of the lower leagues (when he was there) saying that was the reason his program was so unsuccessful, because the lower league coaches pretty much didn't know what they were doing/teaching the kids at a younger age.
This comment you made is almost verbatim as to how that convo went. I know because I was the youth president for 9 years (during Reeds 2 year reign). After our youth season, where we had won another title, I met with reed to discuss direction for next season. I did this with every coach after every year. When we started talking it was like you said. His special teams were bad because of LL. His line wasn’t physical because of LL. His backs wouldn’t hit the holes because of LL. His defense could cover the pass because of LL. An hour and a half I sat there being talked down to about a program I poured my life into. I took pride in. Even though we are at Union now, I’m still proud of the program I ran at JJK/Central. So I took this personal but really could do much but take notes as my son was going to be a freshmen the following season and I wasn’t giving him any ammo to use against him. He left wise a couple months later thank God. He wouldn’t let his other coaches coach. And he had two former head coaches and a future head coach on his staff. After his first year, about half the staff left. Gate city fans were happy we had him. Central people were glad he left. Not a people person. May be the best husband and Dad on the planet. But not a people person.
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Union vs. Richlands rematch
in SWVA Football
Posted
Where did you come from? Unions strength of schedule is pretty high when compared to most other 2a schools. Gate city rated a 67 and Richlands a 64ish. Union has a low 50’s. Central Woodstock, who is 10-0 and making a lot of noise, has a strength of schedule rating of 21! So my friend, who is your school. Let’s take a look at their schedule. Just for kicks and giggles. If Richlands pulls the upset, then I tip my cap to them and wish them luck. But the boys will determine the outcome tomorrow night.