jeffro

Graham has a winning season & makes playoffs. That’s about as much as I’ll predict until I see how many more players Big Mike mooches. 😂😂😂

As Denny Hamlin tweeted last night about becoming a Knicks fan, “I’d rather sit on an ant hill.” 😂😂

Due to recent events at Richlands, and probably not much football being played down there, we cordially invite you and your friends to come to Graham and watch football and help fill these stands .   😂 

It's ok....the trophy case will be filled 

Let’s call it like it is. He started his personal training business and got kids in there working out with him and now they’re at Bluefield.  Graham was fine without Daniel Jennings when he left for Princeton. Graham will be fine. A big loss , sure but the season marches on. Good luck to both young men. 

Great news for Graham football!  Hope it meets the VHSL  standards for playoff games 

Unless something is clearly going wrong that must immediately be dealt with, patience is a virtue not often displayed in recent years. (Again, I don’t know the details here so it could be legitimate or not.)
Coaching tenures are shorter and shorter. One thing, both historically and currently true, is that patience and stability are key to success. As I look at the most successful programs in the area, one thing they certainly have in common is very little turnover. Though I often point to talent discrepancies in some areas which may help coaches stay, the fact remains that there is very little turnover. 
Phil Robbins, Tom Turner, Glynn Carlock, Fred Simon, Tony Palmer, and he who shall not be named have had sustained success. Bluefield, in particular with one coach that continues to hang on is arguably the most successful around. Graham, due to the untimely death of Carlock and several mediocre years, were successful almost immediately after Palmer took the reins. I still believe that talent helps get and keep them there, but they remain committed to not mess it up. 
As far as Richlands is concerned, in my opinion it is a typical student body with some talented classes and others not so talented. It takes prolonged commitment to build and establish a program to be successful. Look no further than Greg Mance. I was there when he took over for Dennis Vaught and a coaching staff somewhat in shambles. People forget during his first four seasons, he was 20-23, bolstered by my 9-3 senior class. If he would have been let go or abandoned who knows where it would have gone. He stayed the course and Richlands experienced a successful run. I think it takes commitment on both ends.

I agree I would not want to be the one to have to pick up the pieces and put them back together

Great news for Graham football!  Hope it meets the VHSL  standards for playoff games 

Once completed, Graham will have once of the nicest home field advantages. I think the seating will be perfect for the average Graham home game. 
 
I always have said Graham and Bluefield have great fan support but it looks scarce playing in Mitchell. Home side is never full unless it’s a big game. Won’t have to worry about that anymore. 

Hmmm if they can’t play there, wonder if they’ll donate bleachers to Graham 

Grundy was 4-6 last year. Two of those wins were over teams they are consolidating with. Honaker beat Grundy 66 to 16 last year. Best case scenario would be 650 students at Southern Gap next year. I agree that Tester is a good coach but I'd pump the brakes on winning 7 or 8 games in year one.

Hmmm if they can’t play there, wonder if they’ll donate bleachers to Graham 

Hmmm if they can’t play there, wonder if they’ll donate bleachers to Graham 

Hmmm if they can’t play there, wonder if they’ll donate bleachers to Graham 

Hmmm if they can’t play there, wonder if they’ll donate bleachers to Graham 

Lost all respect after the Graham-Tazewell 50+ penalty fiasco.  And yes Graham had a part in it also but you had to have been there.  Tazewell could/should have done better 

As long as you sleep, shouldn’t be a problem 

As long as you sleep, shouldn’t be a problem 

As long as you sleep, shouldn’t be a problem 

It does seem like the parents in Tazewell may be the best defense to any success in town.

1977 Raven Crimson tide-  Ok nobody laugh but this was a great team that rolled the opponents until playoffs. We were over confident and got beat.   Still to this day I can’t believe it.    

1977 Raven Crimson tide-  Ok nobody laugh but this was a great team that rolled the opponents until playoffs. We were over confident and got beat.   Still to this day I can’t believe it.    

They had better come without being "under suspicion of transferring for sports"....or they will be sitting out for 365 days.  That's not just for Union, but for everybody.   Also, who in their right mind would move from the Roanoke area to Big Stone Gap for their kid to play football for somebody....Salem is 30 minutes away... LCA....Heritage, etc.....why go to Big Stone Gap.  They would need their head examined.  They might land a Lee kid or 2....but they had better move with their parents....their old home sold and the whole family unit move.  Who in their right mind does that for High school football and end up at Emory and Henry or UVA-Wise anyway?  There aren't a ton of James Mitchell's  or Ahmad Bradshaw's coming.  

Bostic was definitely not better than Dissibio this season, and I’ll agree it should always be the best players in the state, but I don’t think there’s 8 guys better than dissibio