Lance

Just a quick update on things.

A few months ago Gman decided to step away from the day to day operations of this website and we no longer have McDonald’s as a sponsor anymore. I decided to pick back up and keep it alive. I guess almost 25 years ago I approached GMan with a plan to build this place as an all inclusive local sports website that would grow from the old yahoo based football page he had started. The idea was to build a bigger and better page with SWVASPORTS.COM as a one stop location for all things local sports. We never did anything for money, it was as free as you can get, we tried to have a fair place to discuss it all without censorship, although at times it was necessary to wield the banhammer, for the most part we let people sort things out instead of cutting it off. I feel like it’s been a great success story.  

When I took things over though a few months ago I put a “donate” button on the front page and figured if anyone wanted to help out keeping the doors open here it would be cool, if not I’m still going to do it, either way. Several people have kicked in some cash though and helped out. I don’t always know who sends it, it’s somewhat anonymous as most user names don’t correlate to real names here, unless someone specifically contacts me here  so if you don’t get a personal ”Thank You!” from me, that’s why. I  decided to make this post so I could thank you all for being here and supporting the effort! 

So…Thanks to everyone who donated a few bucks to the site. I’ve used it to pay for the hosting, the forum software license, tech support etc etc etc. basically you guys have helped keep the lights on. 

Appreciate you all for continuing to hang out and enjoy the site. In the days of social media places like this are a dying breed….but we are hanging on. 

When is Grundy/Honaker? Was hoping for Saturday so I can go lol. 

5 minutes ago, Tigerman10 said:

I think the turf gives Honaker a lot better chance in this game-Grundy won’t be able to muck up the field and slow the Musick brothers 

Grundy by 10. 

Thanks! 

Back to points? I know at one time they were alternating. What are they going to calculate points from the final regular season total? 
 

just trying to figure out if Abingdon stays the #1 seed how long we can play at home if we keep winning. 

So is it East or West this year? I assume that’s still how they are doing it, flip flop every year right? 

I’d say Va High will be fine. 

Abingdon looked bad last night. Really bad. JSB did everything they could to lose that game. 
 

-26-14 JSB 3 min left on their own 25 4th and 4, they went for it and didn’t make it. Abingdon gets a quick and easy TD. 
 

- on side kick, Abingdon got it but the refs give it JSB, guess it didn’t go far enough before touched, looked good from the stands. 
 

-JSB gets the ball back, all they have to do is run the clock out. They come out throwing? Almost intercepted by Abingdon, two players had hands on the pass and they couldn’t reel it in. Next play -5 yard run abingdon time out. JSB ends up punting to the 20 and only ran off a few seconds. Still 3+ min left on the clock. 
 

-Abingdon gets past the 50 quick, but gets a penalty that brings it back. Drives the field again. 1:30 left Abingdon knocking on the door from around the JSB 30 or so and throws and INT on a horrible pass. Game over. 
 

-Abingdon had receivers open all night and couldn’t get the ball to them. Overthrown and INT’s. 
 

-Abingdon looks undisciplined and the run game is suffering from blocking issues. Most rushing yards came off blown plays or coverage and the QB keeping it. 
 

When Abingdon looks at this film they are going to watch a game they lost, not a game JSB won. That’s not to take away anything from the JSB kids they played their hearts out last night and took advantage of what Abingdon couldn’t accomplish. 
 

Abingdon has Christiansburg at home next week then goes to Gate City. I’m not sure where you go from here after losing the game the way the did to JSB, but that’s a tall order. 

I’ve been around for 20+ years. I started swva sports.com back when I started swvaol.com which was a dial up internet device. Roughly in 2001 or so. At that time gman had the old swvafootball message board going.  My idea was to bring it all under one roof at swvasports so we could have one place to visit and talk about everything year round and not 15 different pages that were dedicated to each sport. Gman liked the idea and this place was born. At some point years later I got busy with kids, life, family etc etc. and kinda faded in to the background. Gman has kept it rolling along but he’s ready for a break. Instead of closing doors here I told him I’d just come out of semi retirement and keep it rolling. So here we are. Getting ready to move it to a new server, clean up a few things, and on down the road we go. Together. 
 

gman will still be around I’m sure. 
 

not much should really change. I’ll try to do a few things to make it better. 
 
anyway … it’s all good. Enjoy. 

It’s not the end, I’m going to keep the lights on. No worries. 

Who made it? what's it made of? A or AA or AAA? No Abingdon, Hurley, etc.... looks like the all Richlands/Graham team...lol...which, they had good teams don't get me wrong... but don't call it the SWVA "anything" team...totally bogus. 

who made this list? lol....horrible.

Grundy is wrestling in a major tourney this weekend at Reno...95 teams from 12 different states at all different levels....so far Grundy is 13th out of 95 and just a point or so out of the top 10...pretty good so far.

Someone else might have more info...I just saw the team scores in one of the parents postings on Facebook.

in the 70's it was salt tablets........and you better not ask for water during 2 a days........lol,  I made that mistake once.......ONCE !

I think they would let you have water just so they could make you puke it back up lol.

^^^This. I love hearing about these times (the good ole days) from our elder statesmen. I don't know if it was quite as tough, but even in the 90s it was more similar to the above description than today. I wonder what and when it changed.

I don't know, but the further back you go the harder it was...a lot of it had to do with the equipment too...our helmets in the 80s were not as good as the 90s...the 90s not as good as now...we didn't know anything about hydration and heat stroke or concussions...tape fixed everything back then...the guys in the 50s had leather helmets and no face masks, I can't even imagine that? You were issued a broken nose with your jersey I guess...artificial turf was just a pipe dream, something most colleges didn't even have. But it was football and we loved it.

From Grundy: Luke Owens, David Scamell, Cary Perkins, both Marcum Brothers, Luke Dales, Albert Childress, Junior Coleman were all exceptional players.

Other schools in the area: Ahmad Bradshaw, Devon Johnson, JLA, Viq Hall, Paco Jones, Q. Reed, Mike Compton, and lots more I can't remember off the top of my head lol.

Best all around, I'd probably have to go with Bradshaw because he was just fun to watch on all sides of the ball....he was a top RB but he loved to hit as a DB and I saw him level a lot of people, the hit on the kid from Martinsville in the playoffs is still one of the best defensive plays I've ever seen...plus he was a threat on special teams...pretty much able to change the game any time he was on the field.

Perkins didn't show up until 1987 or so...he was a year behind me, grew up playing football with him and JK from 4th grade on...his dad was one of our coaches. Rough bunch though from 1980-1986 in Grundy, they didn't have the best record or even a lot of Wins to show for it, but the kids loved to hit...pretty much all of the schools back then were like that. People really don't know unless you played during that time or coached or went to the games just how violent it was...we all beat the living hell out of each other, literally. It was just a different time and a different game.

We were not allowed to hang out on the fence and talk to cheerleaders or people in the crowd, couldn't take your helmet off, water was a reward especially during two-a-days when it was 100+ degrees in the cow pasture we practiced in, most of practice was spent hitting each other not running plays, Monday = gut check, not everyone dressed out on Friday night even the good kids had to earn their jersey each week, if you missed a practice for any reason you didn't dress out that week, you didn't talk back to your coaches you just did what you were told and if you did it wrong god have mercy on your soul, weight room was not in any way an optional place to hang out when you felt like it, if you didn't win the long bus ride home was silent and you could hear a pin drop...things were just different than they are now.

You ain't kidding brother! The travel alone was brutal for other sports besides football, going to Grundy, Graham from GC for a weekday basketball or baseball game then getting back in the middle of the night was "fun".

In football you better not lose 2 games or the playoffs were out. I remember one year in the early 80's when GC was 8-2, lost to Abingdon, and Graham in close games and beat 9-0 Tazewell 7-2 in the 10th game. I think they all finished 9-1

well back then winning the district meant something, and everyone with a heartbeat didn't make the playoffs in any sport...the games were better and more fun to watch...the rivalry between any of those schools was strong...it was just a better time, even with the travel.

 Not quiet the first one 

quite contrary..indeed.

Lol wow, just noticed that myself. All these post and your the first one to notice, or at least say anything!

yeah I'm a dick.

Awful Quite

Quite what?

Richlands will probably have to out score Appomattox to win.

This is pretty much the greatest post ever on this message board.

The last good year for the SWD was when you had Graham, Tazewell, Richlands, Grundy, Lebanon, Marion, Patrick Henry, Abingdon, John Battle, Virginia, and Gate City.  That was around 1985.

Those were the Glory Days of the SWD....and it was brutal!

One last thought, I don't know how many games on all different levels I've seen over the years where one team "didn't have a chance" and won the game...it happens. Just this past year, Cubs down 3-1 and took the World Series, Cavs down 3-1 and took the NBA Championship...Ronda Rousey is all but retired now after being "unbeatable"....Phoebus just went down in flames...Mike Tyson got knocked out by Buster Douglas once upon a time....The heavily favored(-14)  Rams "Greatest Show On Turff" lost Super Bowl 36 to the Patriots...all I'm saying is, it happens.

Question now is....does Mance have one more trick up his sleeve? I know everyone is going to say they don't have a chance, but I think if they can keep it a fumble free/turnover free game it will be interesting to see what happens. Richlands has to be a scary "underdog" for any team to face.