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.

Complete beatdown of the Spartans. 
There is a risk of catching covid and losing the rest of the season for Union, a lot to risk and very little to gain. I can fully support getting games in and giving the players the opportunity to play but Turner is rolling the dice a little imo. Maybe he figures they don't have a lot to lose if they don't get to participate in the playoffs...

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.  

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.  

I still don't understand why y'all went to the pioneer to start...should have went to go IMO...would better prepare you for postseason unlike the pioneer
And by the way Giles is awful this year especially defensively and y'all should roll again Friday

No argument here from me.  Giles will easily be the best team weve played this season up to this point.  Then again, it's been that for the most part since the late 80's because the MED was garbage too for the most part until Dixon got to Galax because of how Fort and Grayson were perennial underachievers. So, seems par for the course really with PM and Covington not being up to their historical selves.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.  

No offense to anyone because I am by no means an expert nor do I claim to be. Graham has a first class coaching staff but I really have to question several of the decisions tonight at least on the offensive side of the ball.  Graham could have prevented an OT in my opinion on a couple different occasions but as I said, I am no expert. 

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.  

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.

Officials are taking this game over.  Have done a great job, and now call an ill advised PF on Tazewell.  Two game changing penalties for both teams in which I didn't see the need for a flag on either call.

Brody Meadows just showed why he's Major Div 1 on the Graham TD run.  Two Tazewell defenders including one defensive tackle pancaked.

Great game so far.  I had Tazewell winning the game by 3 points in the Tazewell thread.  Tazewell in my opinion, and contrary to what I thought and contrary to the Graham announcers, has not dominated the line of scrimmage on Graham.  I think Graham has played them even up on the line of scrimmage and its a draw.  The difference in the game has been the one athletic play by Tazewell and exactly what I touched on with Graham, that they would have a problem in the passing game with tighter coverage, and what would the QB do in that situation.  Do you throw the ball up in the air or in triple coverage, or throw it away or tuck and run.  The game has been a very good one, but I think Graham has held it's own on the line against Tazewell.  The problem for Graham is......Tazewell has held its own against them on the line, and they are BLANKETING Graham in coverage in the passing game and Tazewell's WR's are MUCH more wide open than Grahams.

I will go respectful different direction.  I think they can.  I am amazed with how well Central is coached.  They seem to me to be coached at a level beyond the overwhelming majority of their opponents.  The blocking is textbook.  The positioning on defense is textbook.  A team like Central that can truly run it well and run it when they have to and play great run defense is a threat.  I favor Graham slightly, but not by over 7 points.  Tazewell, I would call it equal.  Central matches up better with Graham than Tazewell.  The size difference can wear on you and in a smashmouth run type game, Tazewell will be very tough to beat.  

NFHS fails......no Graham vs Tazewell yet, and the game has been going for 10 minutes
 

I’m not sure there’s any real tangible psychological advantage there.  If anything, it favors the more experienced team in general, which is Tazewell.  I’m willing to call that a draw.
 
The field is in the best condition I’ve ever seen it, so I’m not sure it’s going to break down with all the rain.  Both teams would prefer to run the ball before slinging it, so it’s not as if grip would be that big an issue.

I've heard he was a pretty good QB....  😉

Graham matches up very well with Tazewell probably better than any team in the district. For every stud that Tazewell has Graham has a kid that is just as good just younger. I think Tazewell may have the size advantage up front but Graham has more quickness. 56 for Graham is going to live in Tazewells backfield IMO he is very good and underrated as a D line man that could end up being a major X factor in the game. I think Tazewell has weak link on defense in the front 7 it will be up to Grahams coaches to find it and be attack it all night and the run game should be good for them. This should be a close game but I will give the nod to Graham right now. With that being said this Tazewell team is talented and hungry but did snapping the losing streak to Richlands fill them up? That could be the key. Who ever can handle to emotions of this game will come out on top

Very interesting thanks for sharing 

Garden might have given Loony-burg fits, but the refs gave it right back, or it would've been a REAL nail-biter. The Dragons had picked up some 'mo' in the 2nd half but had to punt from near mid-field. The kick went out just b4 the pylon, but no stripes were near, and they called it a touchback. Had it been placed around the 2, who knows what would've happened.  Would've LOVED to see my Driver's Ed. teacher, Roger Rife, get drenched!