Hokie1Pokie

Just want to be sure and not that it matters now, is Pass Interference only a 10 yard penalty in High School and not a 15 yard penalty? Because if it's still 15, then Goochland got 5 yards on a mis-marked penalty and it slid by the entire Graham coaching staff, including the officials. Again, if 10, then oh well and we scored anyway, but they literally marked 10 yards off and not 15 on that pass interference call the last series of the first half.

Agree with UVAObserver regarding the coaching thing. I didn't want to say it publicly or on a forum, but Casto is as good as there is in Virginia. I lived in Lexington for 2 years and I would watch a bunch of Valley teams including the current Shenandoah District. Of all those schools, Riverheads has on any given year, more talent than only 1 or 2 of them. I'm telling ya, it's true. Regarding shear athletic talent, they are in the lower 3rd of talent in that district. They literally outsmart opponents, and smarts in football means, out-coach. Casto sees stuff that the overwhelming majority of his peers does not see, not just during the game and adjusting at halftime, but during the week in preparation. The examples this game......Riverheads with a quick over the middle pass knowing the Chilhowie defense is foaming at the mouth to get a piece of Riverheads again, emotions high, and knowing that "Chilhowie knows" Riverheads is a running team. Boom, quick pass, out of a run formation (very tight formation), touchdown. That's coaching. What he also does very well is running the same play with 2 or 3 different looks that many at the High School level just don't do. For example, he runs the back through the B or C gap with a tight set, trips left, trips wide, a balanced formation, etc. That happened to Chilhowie in the second half. Riverheads was running the same mostly B gap headers, but the formation before the ball was snapped was far different than what Chilhowie saw in the first half. When Chilhowie ran Sanchez through the B or C gap, the formation was pretty much identical in quarter one as it was in quarter four. I'm not knocking Chilhowie's Coach. I'm just simply stating Casto is on a very, very high level of coaching for a High School Coach, regardless of them playing at the lowest level in Virginia in 1A. Only my opinion here and I mean no disrespect to Chilhowie. The Warriors had a great season. The old saying goes, "a great coach can take his and beat yours, and he can take yours, and beat his." The talent level this game wasn't 28 points different and that's what one poster meant (I think) in saying the two teams are not 28 points different. I agree with that regarding talent, but if the talent is close or comparable, Casto and Riverheads will beat you.

Chilhowie got beat, period. They didn't get out coached or out refereed. Chilhowie, sure, they should have maybe tried some more diverse stuff early on, but they actually did try some passing on early downs in the second half and it resulted in a pick 6, and the QB was under duress. Riverheads does nothing spectacular, but they do everything very well. That's why they win. The game wasn't over even when down 21-7, but Riverheads started to get some big chunks on the ground when Chilhowie knew they were running and they couldn't stop em in the fourth quarter. With more diversity offensively early on for Chilhowie, instead of a 35-7 game, it's still a 28-14 game at best. Chilhowie had a great team and a great season, but they simply got beat by a better team.

Chilhowie needs to consider more spread/passing looks or formations on early downs. I know that's not Chilhowie's preference, but Riverheads weakness is their secondary. They are not very fast and on 2 pass attempts I've seen by Chilhowie, guys are running wide open. Always easier said than done of course, but Chilhowie is not going to three yards and a cloud of dust Riverheads. Their interior and up front is to stingy against the run. Hopefully Chilhowie gets this W. The first drive will be key. I expect Chilhowie widens the formations a bit and throws on some of the earlier downs.

Agree! No offense to any teams/coaches Graham has faced. That includes Turner and Mance and Simon and all of the rest including Radford's Saunders. Goochland will be at Least the best coached football team Graham will have seen. Don't let the "Goochland has a new coach in his first year," fool you. Goochland's long time coach is still the AD and he's around the program and the guy running the show has been his protege for a good while, and this guy is sharp. Equally important, the new coach does a bit more offensively than the former coach/current AD, and much like Graham, Goochland has improved at a much higher rate since game one than what most other teams improve until this point in the season. Graham is playing a very, very good football team tomorrow and I promise you (my opinion, so not really a promise), if Graham turns over 3 times, we lose the football game. If Graham turns over 2 times or less, we are state champs. Goochland's D is far, far better than Radford; or Union's or Richlands D (no offense to either one) for this year 2018), it's closer to Bluefield's and we will move the ball, but we aren't scoring every 3 or 4 plays like on Radford. Goochland will require the G-Men to take some time off the clock in scoring which is fine, but turning the ball over can be a problem. Their run game is very good and I think the G-Men stop em pretty dang good, but it only takes an off sides on 3rd and 4, or a face-mask on 3rd and 6, or a personal foul on a 3rd and 3 in which we stop em, but they get the first and shorten the game. High School football is only 12 minute quarters and Goochland's coach is more than aware of that. If the G-Men don't have over 60 yards in penalties and don't turn over more than 2 times, we win the state title. If we turn over the 3 times, Goochland will win their third in 12 years. <----All of that is just my take on it and yes, I'm a homer so it is what it is. Graham wins this thing 27-24.

Kicks Country 106.3 and/or you can watch the game live on a smart phone or on a personal computer by googling "NFHS network", and pay 10 bucks and you can watch almost every state title game in the country.

The GMen will be fired up and ready and will not take it lightly, but even if they take it serious (and they will) and are fired up (they will be) it still may not be enough. Graham is playing a team that is very solid and athletic and skilled and will be the best team other than Bluefield. If Graham turns the ball over 3 times, we will lose. Goochland is a little "Salemish" in that they rise to the occasion and bring their A game and don't turn over. The fact that they beat East Rock and Poquoson are examples to that. But ..Graham's A game can beat Goochlands A game This game will truly come down to turnovers in my opinion.

Congrats to the Gate on the hire. The Houserights are all tough dudes and know football. I loves the old Graham and Gate City matchups. I hope Gate City is good again in the future. You guys used to have some hellacious and rough football teams. Best wishes GC

Nice!

Well, I got me a little flask just in case it gets to cold, or we lose, or now that I think about, if we win, the flask will be empty by the end of the fourth. I'm more worried about a pat down. Real men don't carry their flasks in a bag, they carry their flasks in their groin in order not to be caught at the gate, and in order to not have to share with anyone else.

Was there last year. They Did search bags, but they didn't do a patdown. I'm bringing my airhorns (3 of them) and they will go at the bend of my lower back tucked into my belt and hidden by my coat. If they catch me, then oh well, but I'm going to make the attempt at bringing them in regardless.

Is that J Houseright as in Jake, the son of Bill? College experience doesn't always translate to successful coaching, but if Jake is the guy, intensity will not be an issue with Gate City. As far as defense goes, the dude learned from one of the best college D1/FBS coordinators.

According to a tweet from an Amelia fan that watched the Goochland vs Poquoson game, Poquoson went 1 for 15 passing with 3 passes dropped for touchdowns with a defender not within 5 yds. Goochland trailed 14-7 with 8 minutes and Poquoson had a first and ten from the Goochland 11 and Goochland got a deflected interception at their own ten. They were about to be down 21-7. My point is, it appears they may be susceptible to the pass. Amelia had 150 yds passing on Goochland in the regular season. But, Amelia only mustered 20 yds passing in the second half and Goochland gashed them with runs. Goochland is susceptible, but having seen them about 4 times in the last 15 years, they are VERY athletic. Do not let the run and pound you style fool you. It fools a many of teams on many years by thinking they are more athletic than Goochland. Goochland is very athletic and has athletes all over the field. They play smash and run because they can, not because they don't have athletes. They have reminded me much of the old Rustburg teams from the late 80s and all through the 90s in that they love to run the ball and play defense and are physical and have guys flying to the ball defensively, yet they are still very very athletic.

The team that was better than King George was the semifinal game against W. Campbell. I think we scored on a David Bailey int pick 6, or it set up a score, but we couldn't move the ball and W. Campbell moved it better than Graham did. Graham probably should have lost that game, but carma happens because Graham should have won the game over Rustburg in the semis in 1990, but lost. Lots of could of would of should of, but I think the GMen should have 1 more title. My opinion only, but we should have won it in 1990, lost it in 1995, and won it in 2000. Of those 3 teams, the 1995 was probably not better than the other two, but it's all about matchups, peaking at the right time, and turnovers

No need to hope on that one my friend. Trust me, if it's MaxPreps, it's wrong 50 percent of the time 100 percent of the time.

Riverheads 28, Chilhowie 24

I got Graham by 3 points. I was way overly confident the last time the GMen plyed for the title and it felt like a given Graham would beat Harrisonburg after the Liberty beatdown. We had incredible athletes all over the field and it kind of feels a bit like back then with the athletes, big offense, and explosive semifinals performance. Therefore, I learned my lesson years ago. What is different from back then is./was.......Harrisonburg was 7-3 in regular season unlike Goochland this year, and Goochland has won 2 titles in the last 12-13 years so this upcoming game kind of has the feel of a tossup game

Evolve or Die is spot on. But, where things get messy is what defines Evolve. Why not play on dirt instead of turf? Dirt requires no maintenance of any kind. Some of the cleaning ages used on Turf and some of the chemicals placed on grass field are linked to neurological illness like MS and Lou Gehrig's disease and if you get the latter, you die. Therefore, which one of the above is evolving? My point is, because something is done different or is new, or is invented with technology does not mean something is automatically evolving. Evolving in its evolutionary sense (as it truly relates to living or dying) is not always related to technology. Now, if the jest of your message was, "get with the program because this is the way things are now and this is the way it is," then no argument from me. But to say "we have the way it is now and they way it used to be was then and we have evolved" is subjective.

Maybe Big Winners. I'm talking to some friends right now here at the stadium and I got one guy that might do it. I am not a smart phone guy, so I am out, but I've had a bunch of buddies from Graham around the southeast that can't make it to find me someone who will live it on facebook. If the guy does will do it, I will post the facebook link at 1:15pm. If no post by 1:15, then he isn't doing it.

Cancel your subscription after next weekend's state title games or they keep charging you automatically each month. It's really a pretty good deal, but don't forget to cancel your subscription within the 30 days. Keep I mind, you can watch ALL state championships of interest whether, WV, Kentucky, TN, Flordia, etc. You can watch live or watch the replays anytime during the month your paying.

Fairmont is very very well coached. Their line played solid, but they fooled Bluefield offensively in addition to their line play on both sides of the ball. Whoever their Coach is, it's pretty clear that guy is sharp.

Best wishes to the Mighty Beavers! I hate you once a year, but always lovin the Bluefield Beavers when playing somebody other than Graham. Bring another title back to Bluefield. Give em hell Beavers!!!!!

I'm more concerned about my driving time. If in Salem, I'm going to have trouble getting back to work in time. If I had my way, they could move it to Tazewell and play in a monsoon mud bath. I think the GMen are going to do fine either way. On a wet field, some forget that this also requires defensive backs to keep their footing with a speedy WR and the GMen have some speedy WRs.