PCLR32

I don't know the specific details as to why the Bears are playing Eastside since Union has wrapped up their playoff birth and doesn't need the help, and playing this game against Eastside could be seen as a gamble when considering injury risk and Covid risk for the Bears. But, pretty classy move by Coach Turner in my opinion. The kids want to play football. They are simply........... football players, and it's in the blood from the days of Appy and P. Valley. Coach Turner is simply letting his kids play football, and to he** with the risk. Sometimes, it just comes down to doing what you love to do, and that is......coach football and let the kids play football. Classy move on behalf of the Bears Head Coach and staff.

I can see the argument for Graham getting in. Graham has been the best team in the district for 4 years or so and has not lost a district game since 2016, and they have 1 state semi appearance and 1 state championship appearance. Graham is 5-0 this year and lets face it, they pass the eye test slightly over Tazewell and definitely pass the eye test of Richlands. It would be a stretch in any form to pick against Graham making the playoffs.

No offense to the Blues which are very good, but I think Richlands and Union would be a toss up game. There is no way I would say Richlands automatically wins over Union. Calpreps projects that matchup as 26-20 in favor of Richlands. I would pick Richlands to win in a close game if they played Union, but a Union win would not be a surprise to me.

Pardon my ignorance UVA, but what does "CCD" mean?

I don't think Richlands has the talent level up front that Graham does, including the athletes. Richlands has improved and could surely win it in my opinion, but I would be shocked. I think Graham wins it by 7-10 points. Something like 27-17, 31-21, etc. Graham's offensive line really showed me something in the second half of that Tazewell game. Graham's offensive line is flat out nasty. Going to surely be closer than the first one in final score, but I just don't think Richlands is as good as Tazewell and Graham this year, even though the Blues are still pretty darn good. If a team like Graham is 7-10 pts better than a team like Richlands, at the High School Level, a few turnovers and penalties can easily shift that 7-10 point differential in talent to a win for Richlands. The same goes the other way. If the Blues have a couple of untimely turnovers and untimely penalties, that 7-10 pts can go to 21 points in a hurry. My guess is is 28-20, Graham wins it and the game still in contention in the 4th qtr.

Fort Chiswell has quietly had a pretty dang good season. Since Dan River is not playing (not participating in playoffs from what I understand), and with the win over George Wythe, Fort Chiswell may actually be the 2 seed in that region behind Appomattox! Crazy, but very good chance that Fort Chiswell leapfrogs Glenvar to actually host Glenvar. It looks like Radford will be the 4th seed and travel to Appo for game one, with Glenvar and Fort Chiswell being the 2 and 3 seeds, and Fort Chiswell may get to host that game as the 2 seed regardless of their outcome with Galax.

Maybe in the past, but the talent level on Tazewells team is to great for VH to compete this year. Tazewell could walk in and have a couple of screws loose and win the game. No disrespect to the Bearcats who are young this year, but Tazewell has played and lost close (forget about the Riverheads score, that game was close) and Tazewells 2 losses are to the best 1A team in the state by a wide margin and if Riverheads were 2A with Graham, both of them in the top 4 teams in the state of Virginia. Both were near misses for Tazewell. The Dogs are talented enough to win Region D, even if that's a trip to Graham and Central and they are talented enough to win the state title in my opinion. But....so is Graham. If Draft gets ran out of the gym against the Red team Friday night, that's a good omen or at least should be a confidence booster for Tazewell and Graham. I know it transitive theory or whatever, but Calpreps has a 90% plus accuracy with it and it does tell us a bunch.

Agree, but you got to look at where Narrows was when they went to the Pioneer. If they were as good as they were now, they might have made a different choice. Either way, it's certainly not helping come playoff time compared to the other option that would have been a better option looking back.

Classy post my Narrows friend. Classy post. Best wishes to the Greens in every game the rest of the season.............except for 1. I think we make it a game and play you guys closer than expected, but you should have your way with us up front.

2 Big games for the "Fort" coming up with George Wythe and Galax. Fort Chiswell has been quietly pretty good this year. We'll know a bunch more in the next 5-6 days. Fort Chiswell will either play there way in the Region C 2A playoffs or play their way out on Monday and Friday this coming week.

Jordan is a beast. No question, but lets give Bradshaw a little benefit of the doubt also. Jordan the majority of the time had help over the top with Bradshaw and the condition of the field was clearly not in a condition that you can get your feet planted to make a cut on a pass route. That helped Tazewell a bunch contain Bradshaw, but it also helped Graham contain Tazewell's passing game. I'm not 100% sold on Graham's pass defense. I seen a lot of WR's open for Tazewell and a bunch of near misses for Graham. Graham got pressure on the QB when Tazewell passed, but the coverage wasn't nearly as good as Tazewells on Graham. With the athletes Tazewell has in space on offense and defense, I'm not sold a dry turf field at Mitchell Stadium favors Graham at all. I think it favors Tazewell. Bradshaw on a dry field will have much bigger numbers offensively. It's a given, but I think Tazewell's guys will also have bigger numbers and one pass here or one more pass there, and Graham's guys may actually have trouble containing Tazewell's guys in open space on a dry field if the OL from Tazewell can give the QB enough time. If the two play again, I think its going to be another great game and close one, but Central is going to cause major problems for any SWD that travels there. There defense is lights out and their offensive line is much like Riverheads. Not big, but technique is excellent and they can absolutely control the clock and shorten a game against a team with athletes like Tazewell or Graham. I think the SWD team that travels there is a toss up game, and not surprised if Central wins it.

Giles guy here, just lucky and taking advantage of the NFHS setup. I've watched and seen more 2A and 1A teams this year than ever before. It's because of NFHS. I find Central similar to some of our great teams. Often, not big,.but excellent technique.and execution which is a product of great coaching. It's as clear as day from watching them against Abingdon and Union that they are just well coached. The talent doesn't blow you away, but they just execute.

The kids from Narrows are really going through opponents like a machine this year. Congrats to Narrows on another impressive season.

Tazewell is bigger but they aren't that much bigger. Graham isn't small on the O line, but technique, strength, and just being a good football player matters. Look at Central on the offensive and defensive line. They are probably considered small, but they really have increible technique, strength, and skill.

Central is the real deal and they are very well coached. Tazewell is going to have their hands full and in danger of losing the game down there. You don't beat Union 27-7 at their place and not be good. I watched Central against Abingdon and what I saw in the loss was impressive. They play great defense, run the ball well, and do not beat themselves with penalties and turnovers. That game down there is going to be a close one.

I agree with you. As a whole, Graham is a very well coached High School Team and their staff gets the best out of their players and they are a well oiled machine, but I said this earlier, two to three major miscues by the Graham staff with under 4 minutes left. They had Tazewell on the ropes. Gashing them on the ground and with 2nd and 5 at the Tazewell 16, they through the ball with about 3 minutes left. Then on the next play, the run the QB around the end to the hash setting up an incredibly difficult kick, and of course, they went for it on 4th and Tazewell stopped em. It was the 2nd and 3rd down calls that completely baffled me and two other guys I was watching with. Then, on Grahams final drive, letting the QB having a chance to throw the ball into the middle of the endzone from 10 yds out on play where Tazewell was playing clock and pass all the way and the int occured. Any of those 3 calls could have and almost cost Graham the game.

I think Graham and Tazewell, if they meet again will be another close game and I would not be surprised if Tazewell won it. I think Tazewell is that talented. Tazewell got the start they wanted and was one inch from pulling it off. The things you are concerned about for Tazewell that you know you can fix and you know can matter in the next game is the two miscues early in the second half that flipped the game. At the same time, if your Tazewell, you are concerned about Graham's ability to run it and run it well in the second half. Just a great game and if they play again, that game will also be a must see. But, Central will have something to say. Central, in my opinion, is the best coached football team in Region D. Everything they do is textbook. To beat them, you are going to have to beat them. This seems like the kind of team that just isn't going to come unglued, and if it is Tazewell going to Central, that game is going to be a battle with Central having just as good of chance in my opinion as Tazewell to win the game.

Agree, Tazewell had a couple of near misses on those fly patterns late in the game with one on one coverage. I was amazed at how well Tazewell covered Graham. For the most part, their pass defense was in check and I listed to the Graham guys and they said many of times, Graham has many wide open receivers, but I also watched the NFHS feed and I didn't see it. I thought Tazewell had more open WR's than Graham when Tazewell attempted a pass.

I agree. The game can be close. For Richlands, they are going to have to find a way to cover Graham's WR's, not just Bradshaw, but in general, Graham's passing game. Webb is a beast and the Blues have improved, and they are very solid up front, but they are not the best at covering the pass this year. If they can get enough deflections, picks, pressure up front, etc, it can be very interesting. I am not sold on Graham's staff committing to the run. I think Graham is nasty up front, but if Richlands gets Graham in a 2nd and 10 situation, that thing is going in the air for the next two plays. It's that 2nd and 3rd down that will determine if the Blues give themselves a chance to win it.

Great game. Richlands is going to have one heck of a time beating Graham. Richlands better pray for rain, because if the field is dry, they will have a tough time with Bradshaw. For Graham, I would hope their coaches take away from this game what many fans talked about including Eric Robinson on the radio. Can Graham be patient with the run for 4 quarters. Graham was patient enough until the last 4 minutes where two.....lets face it, boneheaded coaching decisions allowed that thing before going to OT. Graham in my opinion only, and I am just a fan and former player and probably know less than most on this board, but Graham's staff better realize from this game in the last 4 minutes and the Appo game, you are going to be in games where you simply can't out athlete opponents. You are going to have to run the ball to win. Graham sold out very late on the run when the run would have ended that thing in OT. Also, this years Graham team should look to the Gate City and Powell Valley and 92 Richlands and the old Graham state title teams that went East and had success and forget about the recent state title team that was so far ahead in the talent column they could out athlete any AA team and win. I would write Giles but teams knew we were running it and so did we. This years team has the ability to be very old school Graham with excellent line play up front on both sides and Tazewell is as good as there is and Graham neutraled them in the first half and got the best of Tazewell by a bunch in the second half up front, and Graham, even with Bradshaw, when considering all guys in open space, does not have the athletes they have had at the skilled positions. They doesn't mean they aren't great football players. They are, but this Graham team should commit to the run and they know they have enough capable passing when they need to in order to be somewhat balanced, but running the ball 99% of the time at the 2A level wins titles. Graham is good enough to absolutely gash opponents and they should ride that all the way, and of course, getting Bradshaw enough touches per game to mix it up. When Graham and Tazewell play again, I think it's another toss up game. Even if the game is at Graham and on a dry field, I think Tazewell actually has the better athletes in space and it's not Tazewell, but Graham who is better up front. A dry field may not help Graham like many think it will.

Now that folks, is why we play High School Football and don't cancel seasons. Now you know!

Excellent line play on both sides. I'm impressed with these bigs up front. Also, the sophomore for Tazewell, the younger Harris kid? Good Lordy, a freak athlete.

No, not successful in the middle of the field from 11 yds out when Tazewell is expecting a pass to the endzone. You run the ball and kick the FG to win the game. At the very least, you tell your QB unless he's 100 sure, do not throw the ball. That's coaching brother.

Pass should have never been called. Completely a failure on the Graham Coaching Staff and simple as that. There's really no other way to frame it or put it.

Again, hate to knock em, but if your Graham with that timeout, what do you tell your QB? Under ZERO circumstances do you throw the ball in traffic and simply tuck and run or throw it away. An extra point fg attempt wins it. Again, another poor coaching decision by Graham and the difference in this game has been coaching. Graham has just been poorly coached. There's simply no other way to look at it. Literally, 2 chances in the last 3-4 minutes to put it away and coaching did that. Coaching kept Tazewell in it, now anything goes in OT.