SwvaOG

His Pops is the coach….of course he gets it. 😂

I’d argue that Jenkins (GC) is more correctly labeled as an APB which makes me curious about the criteria for positions (% of snaps??).  Webb and Bradshaw are slots “Z” which are still WRs,  and Harris and Beavers are the closest to a classic “X” wide receiver.  Beavers has the best hands and ball skills, IMHO with the caveat that I haven’t seen Harris yet.  I would throw underneath to Bradshaw all day long and wouldn’t send him deep.  He is absolutely lethal YAC and the toughest to D up.  Webb may be the most versatile of all of them. Union’s Jenkins is just in a very crowded WR group this season.  
 
I’d love to see some stats…that’s a big part of it.  I remember back years ago that the Bristol Herald used to keep the weekly stats for passing, rushing and receiving for the local high school teams.  I really wish they’d do that again.

Game speed: Bradshaw
Straight line: Jenkins
Two totally different things. Bradshaw may not run a better 40 than Jenkins but his ability to accelerate suddenly on the football field is top notch.  Va High may have the best collection of speed in the region, Graham right there and, after watching Bluefield the other night, so is Bluefield.  But is it game speed?   Football speed (the only speed that matters): Bradshaw.  Just my two cents.

Show me where anyone has pretended they know more than any of the coaches and advocated for throwing it 50 times per game. I think RV should do it 35 times per game but I'm not pretending I know more than Tiller and RV staff, that's just my opinion. Same with Union. 

The collection of WR/ APB talent is off the charts this year…specifically WR.  Haven’t seen it like this before…serious skill.

Bradshaw is fastest football player, All around that I’ve watched the last few years.    Stevie Thomas , is close.  Webb and Beavers  are the 2 best route runners I’ve seen.  Va high , Graham , bluefield and Ridgeview have the biggest  collection of speed.  The football aspect of speed applies in the stop/ start and return game.  Webb and Bradshaw are lethal in that regard. .  They  probably have around 15 or 16 return  tds between them in their careers. And that’s with most teams kicking away from them. I’d say Thomas is right there with those 2.  No one should kick to them,  but occasionally they get one . Football speed is way more important on Friday nights.  Jenkins is fast but I’ve watched him twice and he doesn’t make cuts like Thomas or Bradshaw with the ball in his hands and isn’t as impressive  breaking  on the ball . Still a game changer.  Would have loved to see him on a more balanced team.   

Game speed: Bradshaw
Straight line: Jenkins
Two totally different things. Bradshaw may not run a better 40 than Jenkins but his ability to accelerate suddenly on the football field is top notch.  Va High may have the best collection of speed in the region, Graham right there and, after watching Bluefield the other night, so is Bluefield.  But is it game speed?   Football speed (the only speed that matters): Bradshaw.  Just my two cents.

Game speed: Bradshaw
Straight line: Jenkins
Two totally different things. Bradshaw may not run a better 40 than Jenkins but his ability to accelerate suddenly on the football field is top notch.  Va High may have the best collection of speed in the region, Graham right there and, after watching Bluefield the other night, so is Bluefield.  But is it game speed?   Football speed (the only speed that matters): Bradshaw.  Just my two cents.

Agreed.  Just have to look at the two teams that have found success winning state championships: Graham and Richlands….both had a good balance of pass and run and allowed their offenses to feature their athletes.  Union’s rigid adherence to an old school offense limits some their athletes.  I’ll never understand placing the culture of an offense over productivity.  RV has their problem with it as well.  They insist on trying to run first in a region where every damn defense is built to stop the run.  Only when they realize that the first  half is over and it’s not working do they go to what they are good at.  That is the folly of the coaches featuring THEIR offense and not featuring the athletes.  The whole concept of modern football is creating mismatches and making a defense defend the whole field.  Mance, at Richlands, was a master of this and his success shows.

Just love how threads on here start on one subject and before you know were talking about something else. This board makes my head hurt!

I don't mind them running some of the time, but you are correct. They should be passing. It doesn't have to be long passes. Just run screens and crossing routes. Easy throws that gets the players in space. When they did that in the 2nd half at Union they moved the ball effectively. It doesn't have to be bombs all game either.

Friendly reminder that Abingdon has 300-350 more students than the other M7 schools and shouldn’t be eligible to win M7 conference titles. It makes a difference folks.  
 
Good luck to the Union folks, the Falcons are a really tough team.

Wow, that looks like something from the last place contestant on “Cake Wars”.

Wow, that looks like something from the last place contestant on “Cake Wars”.

👁👄👁  <— Appomattox fans when they find out Ridgeview was able to get a train horn banned 

I agree, hell if you ask me it should be 30-35 times per game with those weapons. Or at least that many called passes and let the QB take off if nothing's there.

Abingdon has been oddly up and down….hard to explain why they struggled with GC for 3 quarters ….but Jenkins will do that to you.  I would have to disagree on the RV/ Union game.  For those who follow RV, we feel that first half was the worst football they played all year and the worst overall performance…..only rivaled by the John Battle first quarter, which was definitely the worst quarter of football RV has played in a couple of years.

RV has a problem embracing what they are….a spread run/pass offense.  They still want to be a spread to run and just get in their own way.  They should be throwing it 20-25 times a game…period.  Beavers should get it 10-12 times a game…Counts should get 8-10 a game.  In no situation should the second team RB touch the ball more than #7 or #5.  Against Union they wasted three possessions trying to “establish the run”.  They should have came out firing and stressing the defense from the first play.  It feels like they just haven’t figured out how to use their weapons.  Get the ball to 7, 5 and 13 as fast and frequently as you can. 

I'm not debating the "legality."  I didn't infer about the "legality of decibel level."  What I inferred was.....if you are a Union fan, stop sidestepping and pissing in the wind about what is the obvious.  That is......it's a moral wrong to blow a train horn during the snap.  At least, the majority of normal humans likely feel that way; otherwise, it would be far, far more common.  
We agree on a portion of your post and your statement, "I'm not savvy with it blaring during live action."  Well, I kind of disagree on that also.  I think you should be a firm NO, and not "savvy."  Also, I am ok with the train horn blaring during the middle of the play.  It may sound weird, but I'm fine with it.  Blaring during the middle of the play doesn't give the D an advantage.  The snap count is a no brainer.  If the ball is snapped and your defense is accustomed to the train horn and it fires them up, then fire 3 train horns during the middle of the play.  That's fine.  
Any Union fan with common sense knows that what opponents are complaining about is not your train horn during the game.  They are complaining about it during the snap, and some, not most, not all, but some Union fans have tried to shift the goal posts in this argument over the years to make it sound like opponents are arguing against the train horn all together.  You and I both know they aren't arguing that. 

Well, at least one talented team is going home in the 1st round:  Graham, Union, RV, Central and Va High can’t all make it to the 2nd round.  The talent level at the skill positions for the playoffs will be amazing….best in years: Bradshaw, Webb, Thomas (and others from Va High) Jenkins, Lomax, Ethan Mullins, Beavers, Hill (RV) Harris (Tazewell)….just the WRs alone.  Has there been a more talented WR group in your memory? 

I think the Union fans need to calm down a bit. Your season isn't over by any means. You lost to a team that has a legit shot at winning region. You still for the most part control your own destiny. Plus its pretty obvious that there is no clear cut favorite to win the region (maybe Graham).  The playoffs around here in 2d should be really good. Especially the semi and championship round,. 
Then we will sacrafice that team to Appomattox for Peace on Earth!

They are peaking at the right time.  Now, I think all those LBs are Seniors.  That will be hard to replace next year but can absolutely carry them this year.  No one plays within their system and to what they do well better than Central.  Union isn’t far behind and RV simply doesn’t want to fully embrace being a passing team (it should).  

In case anyone else is remotely interested, here is a shot of a Richlands player from 1974.  The jersey is light blue with red numerals and white cuffs.  The pants are light blue with a red/white/red stripe.  The helmet is obviously white -- both the stripe and the 'R' logo are red.
 

The train horn blew through the snap count in the first half ….often.  I’m not sure how you can honestly say you are in compliance with the rules.  I just think it unnecessarily detracts from the game and experience.  You don’t NEED to do that…good park, good fanbase and good team. I know numerous RV people specifically brought air horns to “give them a taste of their own medicine”.  This is where we are now and I’m willing to bet that VHSL outlaws all air horns in next two years.  It pisses me off when someone behind me unleashes one and I’m taking a drink of coke or a bite of hotdog.  

Having watched both.  Centrals linebackers is its sweet spot on defense.  They are all fast, incredible lateral movement for High School linebackers and very tough.  Meaning, they very easily take on the block from the fullback and can not get taken out of the play trying to tackle the trailing running back.  They lose no ground with the opponents lead blocker and very quickly disengage from the lead block and get two hands on the running back.  They also cover in space very well with the opponents ends and backs on pass routes.  They did a marvelous job against Christiansburg.  Lastly, perfect technique (which is coaching).  They always seem to be in the right positions.  I agree with the one poster on Central's linebackers.  Best linebacking group of actually ANY team I've seen play this year.  I've seen C-Curg, Union, Graham, Bluefield, Appo, Union, Ridgeview, Radford, Giles, Galax, and even Riverheads.  They have 3 linebackers at Central that are very, very good.  Now, it's not the best defense I've seen.  Not the best team I've seen.  But, when dialing in specifically to the iinebacker group, it's the best unit I've seen.