Gmen2021

And just as I hit enter, I redeem my dumbassness.
TD Graham

Welcome to 2A

And just like that, the best call of the night happens by Palmer with the QB keeper.

The bleacher coaches have never lost a game 😂😂😂 

Readers added context they thought people might want to know.
 
PWO means Preferred WALK ON.
Preferred means he has a roster spot but the school gave no athletic aid.
The young man, like Brody Jones, is betting on himself. And I think everybody on this board is pulling for both of those young men to be successful. 

Today at GHS- Senior WR/ CB Braden Watkins signs with Emory and Henry Football and Senior LB Gage Sawyers signed with Old Dominion University. 
both were All SW District , All Region and All State first teamers. That is now 4 players off the 2022 state champs going to play at the next level. 

Today at GHS- Senior WR/ CB Braden Watkins signs with Emory and Henry Football and Senior LB Gage Sawyers signed with Old Dominion University. 
both were All SW District , All Region and All State first teamers. That is now 4 players off the 2022 state champs going to play at the next level. 

Today at GHS- Senior WR/ CB Braden Watkins signs with Emory and Henry Football and Senior LB Gage Sawyers signed with Old Dominion University. 
both were All SW District , All Region and All State first teamers. That is now 4 players off the 2022 state champs going to play at the next level. 

Today at GHS- Senior WR/ CB Braden Watkins signs with Emory and Henry Football and Senior LB Gage Sawyers signed with Old Dominion University. 
both were All SW District , All Region and All State first teamers. That is now 4 players off the 2022 state champs going to play at the next level. 

Today at GHS- Senior WR/ CB Braden Watkins signs with Emory and Henry Football and Senior LB Gage Sawyers signed with Old Dominion University. 
both were All SW District , All Region and All State first teamers. That is now 4 players off the 2022 state champs going to play at the next level. 

Today at GHS- Senior WR/ CB Braden Watkins signs with Emory and Henry Football and Senior LB Gage Sawyers signed with Old Dominion University. 
both were All SW District , All Region and All State first teamers. That is now 4 players off the 2022 state champs going to play at the next level. 

Today at GHS- Senior WR/ CB Braden Watkins signs with Emory and Henry Football and Senior LB Gage Sawyers signed with Old Dominion University. 
both were All SW District , All Region and All State first teamers. That is now 4 players off the 2022 state champs going to play at the next level. 

I think everyone on the list earned it. However Dolin deserved the honors as well. I think the coaches didn’t want to give Graham all the DL spots. Meadows being out hurt him but that kid had an amazing state performance. I don’t care if you are a Freshmen, Sophomore etc… the best players should receive the recognition.I think the current process should be reviewed and changed. 

I felt like after the list was released I needed some clarification on the process so I asked around. Others may know this but I dare say some don’t. If a player doesn’t make 1st Team All District, he cannot make 1st Team All Region which is decided before the region is even concluded. A player cannot make All State if he wasn’t 1st Team All Region even if he had a spectacular game at the state level. Take Brayden Meadows for example, 100% pass completion, his best game of the season at QB was the State Championship game but he can’t receive any accolades for that because he wasn’t 1st Team QB for SWD District to begin with. It all starts at district level. You have Cody Dolin who probably had his best games against Appo & near best against CW but won’t be All State because he wasn’t 1st Team All Region and as I stated All State was already decided is my understanding before the game was even played. I could go on & on about the fairness or the process. My point being, you can’t put much stock in these things because it never shakes out fairly and the rules for how the selection work’s penalizes kids who play lights out in the playoffs in may opinion. If I had my way Graham’s ENTIRE defense would be 1st Team especially the D. Line, for district, region, and especially state but that would never happen, other coaches would not vote for that.  I guarantee a lot of kids that made 1st Team All Region but didn’t make it to the State Championship would trade that meaningless award for a ring. Just my two cents because I know there are a lot of unhappy people and hurt feelings. As a coach (which I’m not), I’d defer to Senior with all things being equal but unfortunately, lay people like me have no vote. Congratulations to the GMen on the championship  because that’s the most important award in my opinion. 

They are ready. Great video produced by the senior cheerleaders. 
 

Don't know if many people know this, but Meadows broke his other(left) hand in the 2nd quarter of the game Saturday and played thru it. To play like he did with that hand.....kid is a warrior.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

@GMan Can you add 2022 to the thingy above my rank lol. 

This post is about Run First Teams, Graham of 2021 and 2022 and the Graham-Central Game and Tony Palmer.  It might be a fun read if your bored and just want one fan's Opinion, otherwise, skip this post.  It's long.
Run First Teams that can pass it efficiently when one on one coverage presents itself is the formula for High School Football state titles in Virginia.  Sometimes, you can run it so well (Riverheads) at lower classifications or Giles back in the day that you don't need to throw much at all, but it's what Graham had in 2022 compared to 2021.  I'm not arguing which team was better.  The point I'm making is, Graham was more run first in 2022 than they were in 2021.  That didn't mean they couldn't run it well in 2021, but in 2022, they were run first.  
At the beginning of this season after 3-4 games, it was apparent Graham was good, but the Emotion of not having the explosive wide open passing touchdowns as a first option made it appear to some that this 2022 team was not as good as the 2021 team.  It's deceiving folks.   Run first teams that do it well, and are good enough to pass it efficiently when defenses crowd the box to stop their run and giving one on one coverage are Dangerous football teams.  That's what Graham was in 2022.
Run first teams are more enabled to recover or have some leadway when injury occurs compared to pass first teams. Teams that are good at run blocking as a first option find the transition easier to pass blacking compared to pass blocking/pass first teams that have to make the transition to run blockng when the pass is taken away and the team is forced to run.  Look at Appo in their state titles.  They would gash with the run and was run first, but when the box got crowded and Appo had those one on one open looks with WR's when Defenses started to crowd the box, they would pass it well with Scruggs and Lawing and hit those passes just like Meadows did.  
The formula for Graham in 2022 was just damn near perfect or about perfect for a Class 2 team in Virginia.  Central Woodstock also had the right formula in my opinion, but they just didn't have the athletes/WR's on the edges to be able to get open in one on one coverage against a much more athletic Graham team.  In my opinion, I think Central did everything from a coaching perspective it possibly could have to give their kids the best possible chances at winning.  That was a very well coached football team from the screens to misdirection to ball control attempts, etc.  They just faced better players and they faced a team that also very well coached in Graham, and Graham's players also being put in the best possible position to win, and win they did.    Outstanding game plan and game of chess playing by Palmer and staff, and a pretty good game of chess played by Central's coaching staff as well.  
Tony Palmer should get every vote for Class 2 COY in Virginia.  The reason is largely because of what Graham did from the 2021 season regarding transitioning from a pass first or somewhat pass first as an option offense to a heavy run as the first option offense based on the strength of his players/talent on hand.  He literally matched the talent he had perfectly to the style needed and many coaches just can't do that.  Folks, there is more to simply "getting 2 players from Mount View or whatever."  There is ON THE FIELD coaching that matters and Palmer is dam* good at it.  I also think Palmer was above average when he started in 2015 (of which many coaches are) and many coaches stay average or above average.  He has improved every year just like his team has.  Graham is doing some funky Sheeeittte with blocking schemes, offensive sets, defensive sets, and crazy different looks they are giving the opponents.  That's coaching, and that's a scary thing when you add this coaching to an already super talented bunch.
 

I agree, it just proves the best at a position don’t always get the accolades. Cody definitely deserved 1st team. A Senior who lead by example & played lights out almost every game, with all things equal defer to the Senior. Nothing against Rotenberry or Hill for O Line & D Line but Dolin. deserved 1st team. Graham’s D Line , every kid on that line deserved it. Best D line across, the district, region, & state in 2A. Best from Graham in a really long time. I didn’t get a vote obviously, lol. 

Very . I think the Lloyd kid from Graham should have made first team. Aside from that , Va High had more defensive guys than I thought considering. 

Very . I think the Lloyd kid from Graham should have made first team. Aside from that , Va High had more defensive guys than I thought considering. 

All the non Graham fans to include Radford, Glenvar, and Appo fans. You are cordially invited to the "Thread of Irrelevance " to shit talk about what could be, should be, or any other excuses that  may be applicable. 
All Graham kids have  heard all year is" your not as good as last year. You don't have your power 5 players", "You cant beat Union , they have your number" ," Ridgeview waiting to kick your ass, been waiting and working all year", " Radford is the best team in 2A", "Appo is Appo, Coach Smith is a genius and you can't stop or slow down Pennix "  Thanks for the  motivation!
 

I think Tony gets credit for turning the program around and for assembling a great supporting staff that compliment each other.  

I really don't see Snake as one who cares about personal accolades. He just loves football and coaching defense. I agree if there was a Hall of Fame for assistant coaches or DC, his career at Richlands & now Graham would make him worthy of a spot. I'd like to know his win/loss record as a DC  & playoff appearances, I bet it's pretty impressive. 

Snake Palmer puts the pressure on an offense, then adjusts from there. That's his usual over they years. Here is what I mean...
Central, when they line up trips left or right, whichever side, many coaches would think, "Big game, it's early, let's put a safety over the top to be safe." Palmer is different in that he will likely force the action. Meaning, don't be surprised if he plays with help Only underneath and not over the top to start the game, putting emphasis on immediately stopping the run, then adjusting from there if need be.
Most coaches will start out playing a safety over the top, and then if they can't stop the run, they will walk another DB into the box, as they initially are scared to death to get beat long. Not Palmer. Central has gashed people on the ground all year, and then they set up the pass, usually play action, after the defense has been forced to put 8 in the box. Do not be surprised if Graham starts with 8 in the box, and then if easily stopping the run, backing off to only 7 in the box. Snake does it a bit different and he's dam$ good at what he does.