Elder statesman

The reason I used the phrase "on paper" is because the season hasn't really gotten underway yet. But, until someone does knock Abingdon off, they are the heavy favorite for #1 in swva. You arguably have the top 2 players in the area with Osborne and Ramsey on the same team. Osborne proved last year that he was capable of big things with Ramsey being injury plagued for most of the season. He gave Bunch a run for POY statistically even though Abingdon did not have the team success that Union had. I do believe teams like Gate City, Ridgeview, Graham and VA High have tremendous athletes, but they must prove their basketball ability before they can get the nod over Abingdon in my opinion.

Opening tournaments for the girl's season have provided much to talk about. Defending state champions Wise Central and Honaker both won their respective tournaments, but other area teams did not make it easy for them. Eastside fought Honaker hard in a 9 point game before 2A Ridgeview gave them a serious run for the championship at VA High. Wise Central had a tough time as well. They had to beat Richlands in the semifinals in a matchup that paired two of the best players in SWVA against each other with McCamis and Annsley Trivette (sophomore and freshman). This was a hard-fought game but the outside shooting of Central was too much to overcome. The championship against Union was another back and forth game with Union getting close a few times until Wise had a late run to pull away. Some of the top individual performers were McCamis, Trivette, Williams (Burton), Slagle (Union), and Hammonds (Eastside). From my earlier predictions I have to say that Union surprised me with their start. If they can keep the team unity, they may be a solid contender for the Mountain 7. Ridgeview looked very tenacious against Honaker but with those low scores I am not sure how that plays out against the top 2A schools like Wise, Gate City, and Union. Not sure why you travel from Clintwood to Bristol when you have a higher quality tournament closer to home in Wise.

On paper, Abingdon shouldn't be beat by anyone from this area. The Mountain 7 is actually down compared to recent years with most teams in some rebuilding phase. Graham has athletes but historically they are football players who happen to play basketball. Ridgeview and VA High have some very athletic kids as well but just aren't at a level high enough to overcome that kind of size. Abingdon will face their test when they hit region play, then we will see if the guard play can handle that type of pressure.

Richlands gave Wise all they wanted. And with Eastside and Burton playing tough against Honaker and Union respectively, I don't think the 1A/2A championships are going to be a sure thing like some people were thinking.

There was also a couple of "Freshmen" phenoms last year at Central and Eastside on the ladies side who were both turning 16 while other freshmen are 14-15. It makes them sound so much better when everyone is saying they are just a freshman but their maturity and strengths give them an advantage over other kids in the same grade. You guys could argue the merits all you want but 95% of the time a kid is held back it is strictly for athletics. McClung was great either way but if he, Ervin, and Dean aren't held back then they probably don't fully accomplish everything they did. Especially his overall scoring record.

I guess you do whatever it takes to win. It just adds an * for the next 2 years. https://heraldcourier.com/sports/prep-girls-hoops-grundy-standout-madison-looney-transfers-to-wise-central/article_d7bafab4-65e1-11ed-92cf-f726dd71318f.html

I have to disagree with a lot of that. I have coached many youth teams, both boys and girls, and over the last 10 years it is very noticeable how things have changed. Maybe not for all schools but for the consistently successful programs in the 80's/90's the coaches were typically hard-asses who demanded respect and held players accountable during practices and games. Even today, the really successful programs like Gate City boys and Wise Central girls will have a much different standard those players have to live up to if they want to play. These coaches can demand that because they have the community and administration support (and they have consistently won for many years). I am also a firm believer that varsity athletes should be held to a higher standard than other extracurricular activities. If you are looking for simple good fun competition, I would suggest numerous rec leagues and/or pick up leagues. I do believe high schools sports should be fun but more with the pride and success on the field or court. If players are looking more at just having fun with friends, they can do that anywhere. You talk about what kids want out of high school sports, but have you considered what coaches want. My belief is that coaches want respect and for their athletes to buy in to their philosophy for success. I think they want players who are willing to do extra work on their own, have a team-first mentality, and strive to be coachable. Coaches get paid very little even if they actually only worked during season. To be successful, coaches have to be all-in for the program all year long. When practices and games are over and the parents and players go out to eat and celebrate, the coach is probably already analyzing past and future games. They are home watching film while their families are eating dinner and watching movies. They make road trips to scout teams while everyone else hasn't thought twice about the next game yet. But, I get it. Just like criticizing officials, it's easy to sit in the stands and question every little thing coaches do. I can't say that I haven't done that over the years but I try to keep reminding myself to give them the benefit of the doubt. I am pretty sure I now know the example you are speaking of, and I know both coaches so I can assume by your comments that you were not a fan of the coach that left. In my opinion, what makes a coach successful is not how likeable they are but rather their in-game knowledge, how they adapt to their situation each season, and how well they prepare their team in the off season. I actually think the coach that left is a great coach but with that being said, sometimes the coach and their situation just don't mesh well which I think was the issue in this example. I wish the best for both coaches in the future. Time will tell if the "fun" coach is the better fit.

I can't say that I know any inside information for this situation, but I do have some theories. I believe that the culture of youth sports has changed so much with this generation that it forces coaches and administrations to adapt in how they relate to the athletes. IMO, kids these days are more emotional when it comes to being coached and parents are too involved in the day to day practices. Past coaches could rant and rave, even yell and cuss at their teams and the players would just let it go in one ear and out the other. Deep down they knew it was simply the coach blowing off frustrations and a tactic to get their attention for more focus. Now you have to be very careful with your tone and words or you get demonized quickly. This very much differs with each school. What works at a Gate City, may cause an uproar in Big Stone Gap and vice-versa. It comes down to that school's culture and each group of parents culture. If that is the case with Bostic and his team, someone will have to be willing to change if they want to succeed. Not necessarily for this situation but in general I am old school and personally think these kids need a little ass-chewing occasionally to motivate and steer them in the right direction. And, I also personally think parents need to stop being so quick to raise hell every time their kid comes home complaining.

According to VHSL rules the family would not be allowed to maintain 2 residences. The original residence would have to be vacated completely by either sale or lease to someone else. The entire family would have to move as well which keeps one parent from living in the new location. Exceptions would be legal separation or divorce (which I have heard of happening so a kid could play somewhere else)

To my knowledge, in order to transfer without sitting out a semester, they would have to physically move. It's not as easy as simply renting a place in Wise on paper and staying there during the season. It would have to be justified as the main permanent residence for the family. There was a rumor that a family attempted this at Gate City a few years back in boys, but Vermillion wouldn't risk it with the team they had at the time. It would serve other Mountain 7 teams (especially Gate City) interests to check into the situation.

Watching Ridgeview boys last year, they are a lot like VA High. Both teams rely on their speed and athleticism to wreak havoc against opposing teams. Their problem is that they play so reckless they often end up beating themselves. I do think Ridgeview has the basketball talent to win quite a bit this year if they can keep it under control. On a side note, Bradley Dean(Gate City) and Luke Lawson(Eastside) had a really good outing for UVA Wise against King in their opener.

that's usually where it starts

Wise may have won last year but Gate City gave them a contest during the season. McCamis is good but she had a heck of a supporting staff. Losing 3 senior starters would hurt any team. Union has the best "big" in the district with Slagle and with the addition of Kaylee Lamb they should be able to contend at times if they can ever figure out their issues with getting girls to actually want to play. Ridgeview lost their top 2 players (graduation) as did Abingdon (injury/transfer) but their JV teams dominated the district last year with Gate City being right behind them. With Ridgeview and Abingdon being so young their seasons will depend a lot on team chemistry and who steps up. Gate City returns the bulk of their team from last year as well as pulling up talent from JV so I think they will contend heavily with Wise for the 1-2 spots and could possibly be the top 2 teams in 2A. As for the boys, Abingdon should be decent at the guard position once football ends and those kids get acclimated to basketball and the only reason I think Union could be above average is simply because of their athletes. The Anderson kid is lightning fast and they have some talent coming up from JV that could contribute if they are mature enough for varsity. On paper, Abingdon should win district but I wouldn't be shocked to see them upset a couple times during the season. New coach and a lot of egos on the team.

That is hard to believe. Many great memories watching one of the smallest schools in the state dominating in basketball for almost 10 years. I remember watching them upset Mt. Zion and give Oak Hill a huge scare at Va High tournament in the 90's. With today's classifications for single A, they would have had multiple state titles during that span.

What is everyone hearing as we head into the season? On the girls side it should be Wise/Gate City at the top again. Union had a big transfer which should propel them right in the battle for the top spot. Ridgeview and Abingdon will probably be on the outside looking in for the top spots. Lee and Battle may pull an upset along the way but overall, probably fighting to stay out of last place. On the boys side it appears that Abingdon should be tough to beat with the size they have. Union, Gate City and Ridgeview should still have the athletes to compete. Not sure what Central, Battle and Lee can put together on the basketball side. This season may be one for soul searching to see which program can get back to past success.

Can you really blame the kids and parents for feeling this way? First, you take away the coach they seemed to all love and have a long relationship with. Second, you don't give any real explanation about why this happened. (Legal issues or not they deserve an explanation). Third, you have an explosive meeting where you basically tell them their opinions don't matter and afterward you expect everyone to accept it and be happy about it. Handling situations like this causes people to draw assumptions and place blame. A few of the parents I know are already talking about kids transferring to different schools. These situations have happened at a few other local schools in recent years and the outcome wasn't much different. Typically, administration wants to show that they are in charge and parents feel like they should have a say in what happens with their kids.

I agree that Richlands winning state in 2A would be very tough because of Central. From what I have seen, Trivette could be right there with Mccamis this season for being a force. I have watched her play for a couple years now and her ability to go along with her size makes her a tough match up for any team in SWVA. The reason Wise will prevail is because their supporting cast will just be better than Richlands. Rumors are that the Central powers-that-be have been busy bringing in players to replace last year's seniors. Names that have been mentioned are Damron from Eastside and Looney from Grundy.

Imagine if high school was like college. When a coach leaves then a group of players transfer. That would send a message.

. Sorry, didn't mean to send this reply. Accidentally hit the button

You forget that it was the same when Jody Fuller was ran out of town as boys coach. All it takes is someone with more connections wanting the job. Phillips was able to get it done then, now I would assume it’s the same with Rife. A good team coming through and somebody thinks they know better how to use it to win.

I have watched a lot of bball at Abingdon over the years and the crowd comes when they are actually competitive. The “big kid” did help that team but they were good either way. That was Covid year or I guarantee the gym would have filled up. Coach Williams is one of the best at building a team plan around the players he has and his defense that year IMO was the reason they were able to come within 3 points of a state title. Last year’s team was quite a rebuilding year. Even with Ramsey, the loss of Hungate, Thacker, and OQuinn is hard to replace. Then Gibson quits (I presume for baseball)and Ramsey stays hurt for a lot of the season and you have a team of varsity newbies trying to win in a stacked Mountain 7. They played in the Arbys with mostly JV players and no starters from the previous year. Talk about bad timing.

I agree that Williams is one of the best coaches in SWVA. Abingdon tried the “young ambitious guy” with coach Hubbard a few years back. The problem with that approach is those young guys just aren’t experienced enough to be successful in the Mountain 7 and then the regional/state contenders in 3A. (Coach Hubbard went to Holston and has much improved in that program.). IMO, going that route again will not be a good thing for that coach or the program in general. What makes Abingdon a tough place to coach is the interference that happens. Whether it’s from parents entitlements or from other sports encouraging kids to specialize, having the right kids to build a winning combination can be an uphill battle.

I agree that they won’t do it. Just saying that is the only way the vhsl would ever change things. They don’t care if coaches complain because it’s not publicly embarrassing them. They still get all the money and just ignore the complaints. They have proven time and time again that they don’t care about anything other than the $$$.

But it’s not really their “shot” if they have zero chance to even keep it close.

Like I said in an earlier thread, the only thing that could produce any results would be for the opponents to refuse to play. Show up to the venue and refuse to take the court. If you publicly embarrass the vhsl, they may do something to change the format.