SW_VA_boy

TRD is definitely the best district in Region C top to bottom wise in bball. Radford, well everybody knows what they got but everyone else in the district could beat anyone else on any given night if they showed up. And I wouldn't pay no mind at all to the Craig Co. thing. East Mont totally different team now compared to then.

http://www.roanoke.com/timesland/SchoolS...346&team=-1 This link to East Mont's season page on Roanoke Times site.

No, I meant with Roberts. Seen plenty of football this year in both states (Bluefield 4 or 5 times, JM the same one of them being Scott, Giles and Narrows numerous times, GW and Floyd). And Scott was not a playoff caliber team in Region C or D in VA. I know GW, Giles, Floyd, Gate City, Lebanon, hell even D 1 Clintwood would have beaten Scott by 2 TDs. Roberts hell of running back that kept a mediocre team afloat among mediocre opponents until they played a good team then it got ugly quick.

East Mont basically lives and dies by the 3 on offense. Their D has gotten progressively better as the year has gone along (shut down Narrows and shut down Galax when it mattered). They basically have one big man of note and thats it. If you can get him into foul trouble early you will take him out of their game plan. Fail in that and once in a blue moon he'll get his points (Galax game a prime example). Succeed and you can pound the glass and the post with SMART passing. They've gotten a lot better at on shutting down the passing lanes to the post. Probably because big man gets in foul trouble so much. Also don't let them get their 3 point shooters in a rythum early or you'll have to contend with it all night. Off the inbound they seem to like to use a relaxed 3/4 quarter 2-1-2. My best suggestion is to attack it and the rim whenever possible. If you show you can break it well enough, they'll go into a slow down type of game. On D, I would go with a 2-1-2 and have 2 of the 3 crash down in big man and the guards out in the face of the shooters and make them drive or dribble penetrate the lane since that's usually the last thing their guards want to do. NarzAlum, or anyone from Galax, anything to add or correct?

With Roberts, Scott isn't a playoff team in single A Div 2 in VA. Avg. team with one good back and good enough line in the scheme to create the big play. Bluefield, JM, Wayne and Magnolia were the only teams from WV I saw last year worth even talking about.

Because Steve Ragsdale has retired from football. Also on a side note, 2 of his long time assistants are going elsewhere also. Nothing but respect for all 3 guys. Their record speaks for itself. http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=7949706

Narrows 65, Pocahontas 56

72-70 Floyd according to WDBJ

The thing that got me was before the game. GC's crowd chanting and doing their usual thing then a Gretna player comes over to the sideline and starts taunting. That's understandable and all in good fun but then a Gretna coach joins in and to me makes an ass of himself. To me, that's classless and trashy and I know I wouldn't see that in return by GC or anybody else from this area for that matter. I don't know what was said (sit on Gretna side since it was the Clintwood side in their game and too sorry to move) or anything so maybe I'm jumping to conclusions here. But still, just the fact it's seen that way. If I'm from Gretna I'm upset my coaches are representing my school and town that way.

Your average Narrows team for the last few years. Plenty of tall rangy kids that can get up and down the floor quickly and physical but streaky shooters from the floor. Reed, Buraker, and Thompson pretty much lead the way. Dent's a scrapper. Elmore and Morris have good outside shots once they can find a groove. Lowe brings the kind of energy to the floor fans like to see with his defense but he can tend to play out of control sometimes. On their good nights, I think they can compete with anyone in Region C. Their bad nights, they have to get scrappy and get in foul trouble.

I think we all second that opinion. I know me and car load of other Narrows fans will be in Salem wearing our Green Wave attire helping Clintwood any way we can. Everybody have a safe trip where ever you're going.

(n/m)

I would have to agree with BR here: All state title games held across the street from a titty bar and casino facility. I think $$AC has the VHSL beat. On a side note: I heard from a friend a couple years ago the bar behind the stadium in Wheeling used to have a vertically challenged stripper. Is that dance half-price?

I think I remember that they play them in the middle school from watching the news. Just looking for conformation. We'll see ya Monday.

Honestly, great call for the MVP but his play at safety all night was blowing up blocking schemes for JM. I was more impressed with his play on D than I was on O. Great night all around for him.

First off, great game played tonight and congrats beavers. Saw you guys play 4 times this year and other than the Mount View game they were all worth the price of admission. These 2 teams are very evenly matched with the speed vs. power match-up. I think the game very easily could have went to overtime though or even to JM in regulation had the Mavs not went away from what got them to Wheeling. I got a feeling Dave Witt won't forget this game for a long time. As far as Wheeling itself: I don't give a damn what the WVSSAC says, the only reason these two schools have to go that far is money. I never thought I would see a state title game being played across the street from a titty bar much less a gambling joint. What a joke. Screw wheeling, put it back in Charleston.

Narrows down 2 at the half, 25-23, and outscored East Mont 27-8 in 3rd quarter.

From what I understand, 24 will be officially retired on Friday night. If that is held true, then Dale Jones maybe getting to keep it under a grandfather rule considering he wore that number last year and I'm thinking the year before that also. Personally, I would love to see it retired in football and basketball too.

Narrows @ Radford Aug 10th

Me, 2 others from Narrows, and another from Monroe Co. sit wtih the Norton folks during their game after watching Giles go down. The whole game seemed spun toward Riverheads. The call at the end, sure it was the most controversial call and went towards making it a tainted title. However, I personally thought another call was much more obvious and just as deadly to Burton's title hopes. On what turned out to be Riverheads GW drive, on 3rd or 4th and long, they run a dump pass to Burton's right that was obviously 1) a foward pass and 2) hopped into the WR's hands after it bounced off the turf like an Allen Iverson crossover. After the officals convened for at least 5 mins and changed their minds once or twice, they gave them the first. That was just an example. There were a few more calls I could go with on this. But the crew was from the Winchester, as northern VA as it gets. The four as us left thinkin Norton got hosed, and after hearing things even said from the VHSL, we all know so.

Narrows doesn't even play Auburn in basketball. Their 2 losses have been to James Monroe and Floyd Co.

Big Creek alum fired from Northside. HUH? 3rd winningest active coach in Timesland and they want to go in another direction. Some things I don't understand. http://www.wdbj7.com/global/category.asp?c=57484

It's a sad set of days for Big Creek and I hate to see the day when consolidation comes our way in Giles Co. They've been trying to consolidate Narrows off/on for 40+ years and one day it will happen. When it does happen, I expect about the same reaction around this area. But, I just saw where Big Creek alum, Jim Hickam was fired from Northside. He was the 3rd active winningest coach in the Roanoke Times area behind Ragsdale at Giles and Lineburg at Radford. Why would they fire him?? That's beyond me. Only a couple years ago, Northside ran the table in the regular season and finished AP #1 in AA only to be beat in the first round by a always solid Blacksburg in OT. But isn't Big Creek consolidating with Iaeger? If so, now's there's a high profile and proven alum availible. I personally wouldn't mind to see it. http://www.roanoke.com/sports/highschool/wb/wb/xp-45247

I know it's at Rural Retreat. I would assume with the distance between the two it would be on Saturday but I have seen anything official.

After watching RR last week, they aren't as big as most the RR teams I've seen in the past but they are slightly quicker. The are fundamentally sound in the trenches. I don't know if I've ever seen a o-line pass block that well on a single A division 1 level. Their big weapon on offense is their balance because of this line which is just as good at run blocking. I know they have a all-state wideout and probably second team Hogo QB in Heldreth, but without that line, the o would struggle. The TB in small but quick and hits the hole hard and they like to run off-tackle and counters. Personally, my plan to stop these guys would be to stop the run first and try to make them one demensional. That wouldn't be easy but it would be a lot easier than shutting down Hawkins and co out on the edges. IF you can get them one-demensional, and if you got the guys that can cover one-on-one on the outside and not get burnt, I think you would have greater success making Heldreth beat you with his arm. The reason I say this is because he did have the tendency to run if he thought he had the slightest pressure coming in on him. A good pass rush up the middle and containment on the outstide I think they can be handled. Heltreth and Hawkins will still do their damage but this I think could stop the bleeding so to speak. On D, the line is just as quick off the ball. Running between the tackles is possible but unless you got a dominant o-line it'll take patience. If JI is a power run team, expect the safety to be lined up about 10 yards back from the line pretty much every play but they do play a LB back to try to cut off the quick slant. They appeared very succeptable to the play action with good enough blocking up front. I'm not going to make a prediction because I don't know jack about JI but obviously it was a great game down there last year and probably should expect more of the same this year.