Observer77

"ME-ONLY-ME Attitude""ME-ONLY-ME Attitude""ME-ONLY-ME Attitude""ME-ONLY-ME Attitude" gregory has this attitude he has said more than i can count. you dont no so shut up There you go big fella, that a way to be a big man - register last night on this messageboard and start talking about someone while you remain anonymous. You'll go far in life if you take that route, won't you now? You're no different than iknowthefacts - she also registered last night on the board you know. You're both whining like little girls - hiding behind the keyboard.

I most definitely don't think people should have to shut up. This was brought on the Abingdon football program/team by certain parents. I am sure it could have been handled in a more discreet manner, but I don't believe those parents cared whether or not it was handled that way or not. I've heard people from Abingdon even say that the football program won't be successful until certain parents quit meddling in the coaching staff's business and let the coaches coach in the manner that most area coaches do - tough, disciplined, etc, etc - and yes, this was spoke of long before Gregory arrived at the helm in Abingdon. I don't think the kids in Abingdon are any softer than the kids from other schools in SWVA - but I do believe the parents are and want to have their kids coddled. They want their head coach to babysit their boys while they were football jerseys - and that's exactly how it looks to me and others as well. My coaches in high school were very tough, they cursed, screamed/yelled and tried to find a way to "flick the switch" on me and other players as well - which I am believing this is the so-called "emotional stress" that the coach is being accused of. It was tough, very tough at times but I have more respect for them than just about anyone else I have known. It helped me mature as an individual and showed me that nothing is truly earned unless you work for it and go through some level/version of Hades to get to it. Bottom line, the parents drug this out into the media in their manner of handling the issue they have - so why should people shut up about it? If anything, talking it out should shed some light on those shallow-minded individuals who brought it up in the first place. If said parents didn't have that "ME-ONLY-ME Attitude" for themselves and their kids, this would never be a problem in the first place IMHO.

If I were coming from Richlands to Gate City for the game, I wouldn't get on I-81 myself, I'd take one of the routes mentioned above. It's race weekend in Bristol. Everyone have a safe trip down!

Chad Beasley (Gate City) is currently with the Carolina Panthers organization after being drafted a few years ago by the Minnesota Vikings. After playing DT in college at VT, most NFL teams considered him a better fit on the offensive line.

Great post Big Blue Alum, your posting is exactly what identifies you as a true supporter, win or lose. Programs need people like yourself to back the boys that you support, win or lose. Even though I am an adamant Gate City supporter, I was hoping that the Blues would bring a state championship back to Richlands & SWVA for that matter. Once the school I support is no longer in the mix, I always pull for those who represent our area. There's no cause or reason not to support those from our area, as we all have a common thread once we venture out of SWVA, Region IV, Region C or D, etc. If people can't get behind kids playing for a state championship from the area they are from they have issues in my opinion. Sometimes it takes some growing up & maturity to see the big picture. I try to look at the local "haters" (I think that is the current word used by the younger set) and take it with a grain of salt. They'll come around eventually. I remember attending the GC-Richlands game in the first game of the season at Ernie Hicks Stadium & seeing a large group of people wearing the number of the young man (I apologize that I can not remember his name) that played for Richlands not too long ago that lost his life in an automobile accident in Kingsport not too long ago. I went and talked to them before the game & it really made me think about what is important in life when it comes to those we love and support. People sometimes lose what really matters when it comes to competition and I admit I have and still do for that matter. The remembrance and support these people showed for the one they loved really could bring a reality check to others on what really matters as far as high school football competition is concerned. Once your high school day are over, you become a part of a much larger world. I myself prefer to consider myself an individual from Southwest Virginia, not from just one high school/community. People need to look a the big picture from time to time. Congratulations to the Blues on a great season & I know they'll be back next year. The only time I will cheer against our ex-SWD bretheren is when they play us. Otherwise, I cheer then on every week. Nothing to hang your heads about in the least bit, Richlands represented our area very well on the state level and made me proud to say I am a SWVA football supporter.

According to the enrollment ranges mentioned by CPF in a related thread, Gate City would remain single A based on their enrollment.

No one is in yet. Honaker may possibly be, but they still have one or two district games left. Chances are that they'll win those games, but that's why they play the game. As far as Gate City, Haysi, Powell Valley & Clintwood are concerned, no one is in. Three of the above will likely join Honaker in the playoffs, but to say anyone is in right now would be a mistake.

Lance, I appreciate the lopsided score you have in the GC - Lee High game, but with the number of kids we have banged up right now I doubt it will be a blowout (although I'd love for it to happen with what we have being able to take the field).

That's when I played as well. You're right, there wasn't anything like it. Like I said before, I didn't realize just how competitive it was until I got out of high school. One of my teammates from HS has a son that plays for GC now & we were talking about the scrimmage against Graham the day before it took place. We were telling him how it was facing Graham & the old SWD teams when we played. As far as Graham & most of the others are concerned, it hasn't changed much at all. Still hard-nosed slobber-knocking style of football. In reference to Graham, the last time the G-Men faced Gate City at Legion Field, Coach Carlock seen Coach Fry sitting in his car close to the fence. Coach Fry had been retired for many years and his health wouldn't permit him to sit in the stands any longer. Coach Carlock trotted over to the fence and the two shook hands and hugged each other. There was a lot of competition and heated rivalry there, but the two men had a lot of respect and compassion for each other. That to me summed up a lot of how the old SWD rivalries stand still today.

I don't know myself lol... I knew when I heard you guys were coming to the SWD you'd have your work cut out for you, that was certain. Grundy had a great season last year, Richlands is always tough, Graham is always tough as well. Tazewell looked good to me last year even though we had a decisive win & I knew they had their program heading in the right direction. It's not an easy district to belong to, but only makes your programs better in my opinion when you venture outside of it. If GC gets knocked out of the playoffs now that they are single A, then the next team I support is whoever is still alive out of the SWD. The SWD schools are closer to being "family" to old has-beens like me than the schools that are in our current district. Not knocking the other schools in the LPD, they're some good ones within it, personally just don't have a common thread per se to share with them.

As far as I am concerned, the jury is still out on Gate City this season. Right now they have a lot of kids out with injuries & played Pound with several defensive starters out. One LB position had the starter and his backup out, so the 3rd team LB started. There is a lot of young talent on this years team, but inexperienced. I'm just hoping we have most of them back before the Virginia High game, or they may be in trouble. I'd probably go to the Richlands-Graham game, but my son is playing little league in Gate City now, so he'll want to go. Myself, I am a product of the old SWD. I really didn't realize then how competitive our district really was. Graham, Richlands, Tazewell and Abingdon had great programs/teams, Grundy wasn't an easy win either most of the time. Lebanon had some decent teams as well. If you won the SWD back then, you could really say you did something. Still today I think it's a great district & always look forward to seeing GC face SWD teams.

I'd love to catch the Richlands/Graham game this week, but I'll be at Legion Field watching the Devils face Lee High. Both Graham & Richlands have great traditions and very good teams this season. Makes a man wish Gate City wasn't as far from Tazewell County as it happens to be. I've wondered why we've kept Lee on the schedule since the new ratings system was put into place since they haven't done much of nothing as of late. The playoff race in Region D Div. 2 is shaping up to be a barn burner this season if it plays out like it is looking so far. Now that I've said that about Lee High, watch them put a loss on Gate City this week lol...

I agree, that is why I posted my response. Granted Lebanon won't have as great of a season as last year, but I still see them giving Richlands more ratings points than if they had Lee High on the schedule. Richlands should be cheering for Honaker, Lebanon & Gate City to have productive seasons. It only benefits them (the Blues) if they do, not that the Blues will need much help this year it looks like lol.

Last years total rating points total for defeating the three single A schools mentioned: Honaker (8-2) - 12 pts defeated + 16 rider pts = 28 Gate City (9-1) - 12 pts defeated + 18 rider pts = 30 Lebanon (9-1) - 12 pts defeated + 19 rider pts = 30 The Group AA Highlands district points based on last year: Abingdon (2-8) - 16 pts defeated + 4 rider pts = 20 Lee High (1-9) - 16 pts defeated + 2 rider pts = 18 Marion (3-7) - 15 pts defeated + 6 rider pts = 21 Va High (4-6) - 15 pts defeated + 8 rider pts = 23 Just because a school is of a higher classification doesn't mean you will garner more rating points if you defeat them, or lose to them for that matter than a lower classification team. I think sometimes people get caught up in the initial awarding of points for the classification their opponents play within and forget about the rider points that are awarded based on opponents overall records. The only team that Richlands earned more points for defeating Lebanon was Grundy last year (33). The Richlands victory over Lebanon earned them more points than any team Graham defeated last season. Not trying to start a ruckus, just wanting to point out playing good single A schools can sometimes pay off when tallying points at the end of the regular season in hopes of making the playoffs/getting a higher playoff seed.

And you give Powell Valley a passing grade so far? Just wondering... No, Lee High and Coeburn aren't measuring sticks for either team. I was even asked if we'd know what GC had this year after the Coeburn game & I said no. No offense meant towards Coeburn, mind you. But please don't try compare Seymour to Richlands either. I didn't compare Tazewell to Breathitt Co. the past two years myself, as there was a difference there as well. I guess I could have came online and made that same statement after PV lost to Breathitt, but I know better as the season is young. Gate City might not be the team they were last year, but I also don't believe Powell Valley is the team they were last year either. Bottom line, a loss to Richlands and a win over Coeburn to me isn't any better or worse than Powell Valley's win over Lee High and loss to Seymour. Through 2 weeks of the season I can't say that I know any more than that. I didn't see the Seymour team granted, but did you see the Richlands team? I didn't think so.

And it seems as if Powell Valley got a zero on a pop quiz last night before even having a test themselves since everyone in Big Stone Gap thought they'd run all over Seymour, TN since they knew nothing about their football team. Gate City's & Powell Valley's schedules are identical except for Gate City facing Richlands and Virginia High & with Powell Valley facing Seymour, TN and Breathitt County, KY. I've heard Breathitt has fell on hard times with a 0-3 record giving up an average of more than 50 points per game so far. It will be interesting to see what both teams records are when they finally meet.

The LPD board has a lot picking GC by 10 or more? Where the hell do you see that? I went through the entire picking panel thread as well as others mentioning the game and there was only one person picking Gate City over Richlands by 10 or more and he said 20-10 Gate City. If you would actually read the link below, you'd see that most people are picking the Blues and in a big way. http://www.hostboard.com/LDPforum/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=LDP&Number=194935&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=all Just trying to stir the pot or wanting some locker room fodder? If either team can't get up for this one, something's amiss. Could you try to be more factual with your statements in the future, it would be much appreciated by all.

You can read the postings from the LPD forum on the scrimmages. Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend due to circumstances. Check the links below: http://www.hostboard.com/LDPforum/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=LDP&Number=194711&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=all http://www.hostboard.com/LDPforum/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=LDP&Number=194740&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=all

That's not the gospel (that score), but it came from a phone call giving us scores of regional games while we were at the Gate City/Honaker matchup.

Honaker has a great football team, no doubt. I was thinking that GC's season had ended after the last Devil turnover late in the 4th quarter. It was a close football game as most informed fans knew it would be. Congrats to the Tigers on a great football season!

The last I heard was Twin Springs over Twin Valley 30-0, think they said that was the halftime score but not sure on that.

[ QUOTE ] yeh ur right but at the time i was kinda ticked some of the ppl over on the lpd forum were driving me crazy [/ QUOTE ] I would venture to say there are some Gate City fans that feel the same way based on derogatory/anti-GC comments that have been made before the season even began and continue to be posted on the LPD Forum up to this point in the season. I don't think you will see it cease either, both will be ripped periodically on any forum that makes mention of the two.

After tonight, I have seen both teams in action. I believe it will come down to which Richlands team shows up ("A" Game vs. Other). Not a betting man in any sense, but I'd go with Richlands by 2 TD's.

Aww, come on Mark, don't hold back...tell us what you really think...

I myself expect it to be a dogfight (pardon the pun). I am sure the GC coaching staff & players won't be taking Tazewell lightly as it is obvious they are greatly improved over last year. Even though the score was lopsided last year, some of us fans talked about the Dawgs future & felt as if it looked bright. I think this game will be a lot closer than what most think...maybe even closer than some GC fans would like, especially since the game will be played on Tazewell's home field.