PV2VT

What I've watched of appo on maxpreps they seem to run a 3 man front with a linebacker sneaking down on the line from time to time. If they run a 3 man front against Union we can run the trap play to zirkle all game long.

We wont throw at all in this game. It just worries me that he is a D1 level DB. im not even concerned about the slant rout to him either. Im confident in our linebacking corp and James to lay the wood on him if he touches the ball. Like mentioned above ball control on offense and limit Appo to as few touches as possible and we will win. If they have given up 700 yards then we can easily play our normal game plan and run run run run run run run run.

Sorry should have added this to the last post. I feel like our biggest concern is there D1 NC State commit at DB. If he is half the ball player I think he is, then we may have trouble moving the ball. Im not talking about passing but a true D1 player will make plays. He will make it hard for us to break off any long runs and we will have to protect the ball as we run down the field.

Let me ask this question. I know Appo is 2 time defending state champs and have only lost, what, one game in three seasons, but as the old adage goes "Defense wins championships", do the bears have enough defense to win? IMO yes. We have shut down the best in region D and have only allowed points through out 3 playoff games (8 of which came on our second string). WE have shut down big bruising backs like Ford. We have slowed down high powered passing attacks like Graham. (held them to 0. Nobody has done that this season). We have smashed people in the face every game. Appo has speed but from the film I watched Glenvar was in there backfield more than once but couldn't keep down field containment. I just do not see the same Appo team that they have been the past two years. I don't see them dominating the LOS and blowing d lines off the ball like last year. Ive said it before and Ill say it again, 2017 bears are not as talent laden as years past but they are playing as a team more than ever before. Coach Rhodes has my upmost respect. He has the bears d playing football. I feel if we can hold the ball and stop Appo on two drives we win. the best defense against speed and explosive teams is do not let them have the ball.

GMan you may be correct, Coach Palmer may have never said these words but here is where I heard it from. I will be the first to apologize if in fact he did not say it. Im not trying to ruffle feathers, just commenting on what I have read is all

Bring the horn! I want to rock appo out of the stadium!

If we cant get Giles' train horn maybe our neighbors and friends from Gate City might just bring there horn. It would be a well appreciated gesture (hint hint wink wink). And also maybe our buddies in Lee county might just bring the cannon down too. Just some simple suggestions lol

ground and pound. Union has had more talented teams than this team, but this year's bears are playing like mid 90s Appalachia. Play together and win at your job every down. Union is doing kind of that same thing. These kids are playing Iron Man ball and doing an amazing job.

not for sure. I'll look it up and see though. I'm one of the few people alive that does not have a facebook! I know I know it's some kind of sin but I'm just too old school for facebook. Give me ICQ baby

It may be a smart a$$ move of me to make but I want to recall coach Palmer's remark about the Bullit Park record and how he had already booked a room in Appomattox. Guess he isn't bear Bryant after all

Po Jervis usually does a facebook live for Union. Hell probably be all over it saturday

I'm not the smartest guy around but I remember watching Appalachia play a ground and pound style football for years with much success. Coach Tom Turner would run the same play over and over until a team would stop it then he would just switch sides and run it again. Ball control and our stout defense will win this game. Unions pass d is better than we have been accredited for too. It starts up from with pressure but our dbs do a great job too. Graham did over throw a few passes but that was because our d line was on there ass. And our dbs made two interceptions with something like two or three pass deflections. I don't have the stats but I would say unions d has scored more than any other teams d has this season. Basically strong d and ball control we win

No 13 won't but 37 to 0 and 49 to 15 damn sure will. Union has scored 99 points and only allowed 25 in the playoffs. Those are damn good numbers. And yes I'm rude you troll

what about the 49 on Marion and holding there stud running back to what union held them? Or what about putting up 37 on Graham while holding the most explosive offense in region d to a big ole goose egg? Is either of those wins big enough to win? My guess is no cause you're the guy who said union was "lucky" to even be in the playoffs. Dude in all due respect you're a troll. All you know how to do is stir the pot and show your complete lack of knowledge. You my friend have been wrong each week. Please do my bears a favor and keep on doubting buddy.

this is the most truth I've heard so far. Unions d is the reason they are where they are. Look at the short fields we have had because our d shuts teams down. Also, this is not the most talented union team either. IMO 2015 was more talented but the 2017 are playing like a team. This is the first time in 7 years we have the proper coaching staff and the kids are playing like a team. That will be the reason Union will win Saturday against appo.

I hate that Turner lost an entire season but I have to say the bears are running the ball at an unbelievable rate. I think it is the best offense for Union this season. Ground and pound eat the clock and control the ball. It sucks that Turner went down and Mitchell didn't get to shine as a receiver but look what they have done running the ball. I'm proud of how they have overcame and play as a solid unit

Don't worry about unions superstitions. I will wear my lucky boxers to offset any bad ju ju. I haven't washed them since Powell valley's 98 season lol

Don't tease us. Please bring it and gate city can bring there's too. Hell I might go to party central and buy out every noise maker I can find lol

over thrown cause 10 didn't have time to throw like he did on everyone else and yes Richlands is the 4-7 team you'll ever see. I promise you that. I'm calling it now, Richlands will be a 10-0 team at the end of next season. I'm union first but Richlands will be back full force next season, 2017 belongs to the bears.

5 had the ball more than once for Graham on sweeps and short passes. The deep pass wasn't there cause unions d was all over the qb. That's called solid pass d. If you keep the qb from throwing deep then it's the same as solid coverage. Union dominated Graham point blank. No body else in region d could do it but union did.

Union faithful will be loud and proud all game. If appo don't like noise I can promise they will hate bullit park next weekend. It'll be loud I promise. on another note, thanks to all of the support from other towns. swva has shown some love to the bears.

All season people have hated on Union. I've heard everything from Union has played a weak schedule to Union can't pass so we will stack the box and stop them. Hopefully people can see that Union dominats everyone they play. Richlands is the only exception and they are our rival. All I can say is the record speaks for itself. We dominate. We stop passing teams. We stop rushing teams. And nobody can keep us from consistently gaining 3 to 5 yards at a time. Today should show that Union is capable of winning every time they take the field. If Union plays like they did today union will beat appo by two scores.

one last prediction before I head down to the park. I've heard a whole bunch of chatter from Graham that this is there year to beat Union. I've talked with some of the young men from Union about what they are feeling. With my last prediction I'm going to call this one Union by two scores. That means 10 points or more for this who don't understand what two scores mean. GATA Bears. Every down. Every second. From snap to whistle GATA

Want to wish my new found friends on this amazing site a Happy Thanksgiving. God bless y'all and God bless my bears lol

Well to the point of being a coach at a small school compared to bigger schools and wins Vs loses let's look at the history books of swva football. Coach Tom Turner for the Appalachia bulldogs was a 300 plus win coach with multiple state titles and probably never had half the talent on his sideline compared to the teams he faced. Tom could take a hand full of boys from little coal camps and play Iron Man football and beat schools like gate city, Powell Valley, etc. And in years that teams like gate city and Powell Valley beat appy it was seldom a blow out. If a coach like Tom Turner had the talent that rolled through Powell Valley and gate city he would have won 10 or state championships in my humble opinion. I've seen mid 90s appy teams with 30 kids that could kick the crap out of just about any team today due to there sheer toughness and coach Tom turners ability to fire em up.