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Cassius Harris (Tazewell) committed today to the University of Richmond. Very happy for him!

I wondered why Bluefield was 12-17, now I know! 😉

A perfect example I'm familiar with is Bennett Sousa. The kid played 4 full seasons at Virginia and was hit like a drum the entire time. His best ERA was 4.09 as a 3rd-year, and his advanced metrics were all sorts of terrible. He ended up signing as a 10th-round pick for the Chicago White Sox in 2018, which was roughly 15 rounds higher than any Hoo fan expected he'd go. He goes to the minors, and where the bats are wooden and not BBCOR, all of a sudden his ERA through A/A+/AA is under 2.50 with great advanced metrics. He made his MLB debut this year, and is 3-0 with 1 save, despite some pretty wonky metrics. It's amazing what some of these guys can do with options.

I was a skeptic at first, but having seen a few of the games, I'm sold. The overall caliber of talent is honestly above what you'd see in the old Rookie League. For every Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Wander Franco that came through the ranks, you'd have 10 guys who were barely better than local high school players given shots based on nothing more than physical potential. The new Appy League has legitimate D1/D2 talent that project over Rookie League value. For example, Bluefield's 1B is a rising sophomore from Kansas State who hit .283 in the regular season with 5 HR, 22 RBI in 46 games. If that young man progresses at all, he'll be drafted and project much better than the average Rookie League prospect. And that's just an average player. Bluefield's best player is a rising junior from Morehead State who hit .393 in 214 AB, with 16 HR and 51 RBI in 56 games. For the stat geeks, his OBS is 1.184, which is astounding. He's hitting .377 in the Appy League, so that's not a fluke. That young man's a legitimate major league prospect, and unlike some of the other players in the pre-2019 days, he's not surrounded by guys who are essentially stiffs. I like the new setup. It has the feel of a "hometown team" as opposed to a corporate arm of an organization in Toronto or Baltimore.

Sorry, meant to "edit" instead of "quote". Duplicate post.

If I were doing a "High School Gameday" broadcast and had to choose the week's biggest games, I'd pick: (1) Week 1 - Bluefield v. Graham (Runner-Up: Virginia @ Tazewell) (2) Week 2 - Graham @ Tazewell (Runner-Up: Union @ Richlands) (3) Week 3 - Central @ Ridgeview (Runner-Up: Richlands @ Graham) (4) Week 4 - Graham @ Union (Runner-Up: Radford @ Galax) (5) Week 5 - Galax @ Graham (Runner-Up: Tazewell @ Riverheads) (6) Week 6 - Abingdon @ Central (Runner-Up: Richlands @ Ridgeview) (7) Week 7 - Union @ Ridgeview (Runner-Up: Tazewell @ Richlands) (8) Week 8 - Central @ Union (Runner-Up: George Wythe @ Galax) (9) Week 9 - Ridgeview @ Abingdon (Runner-Up: Pulaski Co. @ Graham) (10) Week 10 - Radford @ Glenvar (Runner-Up: Union @ Abingdon) (11) Week 11 - Richlands @ Virginia (Runner-Up: Grayson County @ Galax)

On that point, I'm seriously considering the idea of writing a science fiction/dystopian novel. As a brief summary: A group of scientifically adept SJWs in modern times have discovered a way to harness antimatter, and they discover that the collision between matter and antimatter creates enough of a reaction to open a time-travel portal. The stronger the reaction, the deeper the portal and the greater length of time they could travel. Through experimentation, they calculate the strength needed to travel back to the United States in the early 1800s, to cure what they deem to be the greatest injustice in American history: the institution of slavery. They create the reaction, and they end up in 1818, on the doorstep of the Missouri Compromise. They use modern SJW media manipulation tactics to stoke the anti-slavery fires, with the intent to create enough anti-slavery fervor to abolish the institution, or at the worst, to hasten the Civil War. Their tactics work to the extent that the nation comes to war regarding the expansion of Missouri. Deeming their jobs done, they reenter the portal to the modern day. What they find, though, is a world unrecognizable to the present day. With the war being one of an almost religious cause to the "Confederacy", fresh off military success in the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson's "Confederacy" won the Civil War, which leaves the United States carved into 2 countries based upon the boundaries of the Colorado, Green, Missouri, Ohio, and Susquehanna Rivers. The "Confederacy" resembles an apartheid South Africa, while the "Union" is a shell of itself economically and militarily. The course of world events is significantly changed as well. The "Confederacy" joins the Triple Alliance (Germany et al.) in World War I, while the "Union" joins the Triple Entente (Britain et al.). This impacts World War II, where emboldened by its alliance with the "Confederacy", the progeny of the Nazis fight to a stalemate with Britain in Europe. So on and so forth. Seeing the error of their ways, the SJWs must take it upon themselves to develop the technology once again to create a new portal, this time leaping to just before their first 1818 endeavor, to stop themselves from making the same mistake again (and not changing things, just as leaving a warning to murder Hitler, etc. [though I might feasibly make it a series if I have them toy with certain historical hypotheticals]). After 15 years of living in their newfound Hell, they do so. All is right with the world again. Finis. Moral of the story: Sometimes it's best to let change happen organically as opposed to forcing it upon unwilling segments of the population.

I use "traditional American values" in the sense that America, throughout its history, has been socially conservative to a level that is beyond what we would normally consider. My favorite example is California in 2008. As a collective, African-Americans and Latinos are significantly more opposed to homosexuality and alternative lifestyles than the "general public" (Pew Research). The turnout was so strong for Obama in 2008 (almost 80%) that Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriages, passed 52%-47%. There were peculiar bedfellows there: the "State of Jefferson" Northern Californians with the aforementioned groups. As people might imagine, that lit the socially liberal factions like a Roman candle. The Republican failure since Reagan to capture minority votes, when those groups are tailor-made for your exact brand of social ideology, is just insanity to me. But I digress. Wokism is being shoved down America's throat, and the vast majority do not appreciate it. Take the term "Latinx", as a simple example. According to Pew Research, only 20% of the Latino/a population had ever even heard of the term, which should really tell folks something. Of the 20% who have, 6 in 7 of Latino/as do not use the term themselves. It's a perfect example of the extreme social liberals inventing a problem that does not exist; foisting it upon a community that largely does not care; and seeing those who do care be openly hostile to it or reject it.

Seldom do I get to use my college major, but now is one of those times. The Roman Empire collapsed due to myriad reasons that I will fit into 5 categories (which are incomplete summaries that I draft such that this isn't TL;DR). The current United States draws some eerie parallels. (1) Rome: Overpopulation by non-Roman ethnic (barbarian) peoples. As Rome expanded, Rome incorporated the subjugated peoples into its population and particularly its military. When the Germanic invasions of the 400s took place, Roman military forces had virtually no ethnic or cultural ties to the motherland, and were more sympathetic to the invaders than the army it served. As Rome was over-expanded, there was no resistance in the interior to keep the Germanic tribes from sacking Rome over and over again. United States: Influx of non-native population due to tepid, ineffective immigration policy. As the United States ceased its expansion in the 1950s, immigration from the second-world of Latin America increased substantially. From essentially the Clinton Administration onward, there has been no reasonable plan offered to grant immigrants a speedy, holistic, and universal path to citizenship that fosters a sense of belonging to the greater whole. It's akin to Lucy trying to eat chocolates coming off the conveyor belt. What has resulted is a population that has virtually no ethnic or cultural ties to the motherland, and is more sympathetic to the nation whence it came than the one it currently shares with others. It's one of many types of fracturing. (2) Rome: Generational economic stagnation and over-reliance on slave labor. Rome was not only under attack from the outside, but it was rotting from within. Constant military activity and runaway overspending choked the imperial economy. Inflation and taxation evasion widened the gap between rich and poor. Rome typically relied on slave labor to tend its agrarian economy, but the lack of expansion ground it to a halt. United States: Beginnings of generational economic stagnation and lack of a qualified workforce. The United States has had incomprehensible overspending, particularly on the military budget, since the Reagan years (2 generations). Inflation has greatly out-stepped the rise in wages. Coupled with inadequate corporate taxation and far too many tax loopholes for the ultra-wealthy, the middle class in America is disintegrating into dust. American capitalism relies much too greatly on underpaid menial labor to support itself, and that portion of the workforce is now voluntarily excluding itself. There is a substantial labor deficit combined with "stagflation". (3) Rome: The schism of the Western Empire hastened the collapse of the Eastern Empire. Diocletian divided the Roman Empire into East and West. This was penny wise and pound foolish. East and West worked together very poorly and often squabbled over resources and imperial defense. The Greek-leaning West experienced prosperity, while the Latin-leaning East dissolved. United States: Europe is kicking our ass and we don't have the political and ideological infrastructure to keep up. The United States spends about 3x the money on healthcare per capita than its European counterparts, yet lags significantly behind them in life expectancy. According to the Social Progress Imperative, the United States ranks 18th of 128 countries based on 3 criteria: (1) availability of basic human needs, (2) access to information, and (3) personal rights / freedoms and access to education. The Top 5? Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, and Switzerland. Europe is prospering, the United States is not. (4) Rome: Corrupt government and political instability. Being the Roman Emperor sucked. During one period spanning between the 2nd and 3rd centuries, over 20 Emperors reigned in the span of barely 75 years. The Praetorian Guard would even auction the spot at times to the highest bidder. The Roman Senate was weak and feckless against the corruption. Romans essentially lost trust in their government. United States: Corrupt government and political cronyism. The same two parties have controlled American political discourse for 160 years. Essentially, that complacency has led the enterprise of becoming the President amounting to opening the coffers to pay for slick media production and presentation, hoping the middle 10% of the country chooses "your guy". Congress is weak and feckless against the political machine, and is all to happy to abdicate anything resembling a check/balance on the executive. The middle 60% of Americans have lost complete trust in the federal government. (5) Rome: Christianity and the loss of traditional values. The decline of Rome ran parallel with Constantine's proclamation of conversion to Christianity. The Edict of Milan legalized Christianity in 313, and it became the official state religion in 380. While this was a long-term net positive, ending the barbaric persecutions of antiquity and laying the foundation for the advancements to be made a millennium in the future, in the short term, monotheism displacing polytheism fractured the social fabric by shifting focus away from the state and toward a divine deity. Further, Popes and clergy, who were not seasoned in managing and building a nation, took an increased role in political affairs, often making disastrous decisions. United States: Wokism and the loss of traditional values. The decline of the United States is running parallel with the rise of wokism and the assault on classical American values. While in the long-term, a nation without persecution for living an alternative lifestyle must be obtained before the goal of freedom can be obtained, progress needs to be gradual and sustained. Wokism is determined to scorch and salt the earth to remove any and all traces of people or ideas that do not fit the woke agenda. Ironically, for many adherents of Wokism, this includes Christianity, which displaced the traditional values of Rome. Wokism is ripping social fabric along urban/rural and socioeconomic lines. Those who espouse wokism are those who are not seasoned in managing and building a nation, and they often advocate for disastrous, untenable positions. Is this list perfect? Of course not. I typed this in under an hour, so it's not meant to be a dissertation. But I hope it stirs some thoughtful, meaningful discussion.

Considering Tazewell lost in the tournament semifinals to Virginia High, in OT, with one marquee player injured, I’d say they didn’t.

The real question is: Why are coaches even “recruiting” at all? By the letter of the law, so long as the kids’ addresses change by virtue of the parents’ move, the kids are allowed to play immediately, without penalty. However, far more families in this area rent than own their homes. The rental market is so robust that it’s simple to jaunt across the boundary lines at will. This leads to situations where Richlands (circa 2010) becomes little more than the Coalfield All-Stars and where Graham (circa today) becomes little more than the Southern West Virginia All-Stars. It’s a juicy ethical question whether or not coaches should induce families to make those sorts of moves solely for the purposes of sport. I come down as a hard NO on it for a multitude of reasons. I would love to see the VHSL come down hard in imposing transfer limits upon kids. Absent a written petition and exception made by the VHSL, beginning with a child’s 6th grade year, a 1st transfer should result in the loss of 2 months’ participation in sport. A 2nd or subsequent transfer should result in the loss of 2 consecutive semesters participation in sport. At some point, the tail has to stop wagging the dog.

The 3 kids you name have higher aspirations than balling out against local teams in 7-on-7 games. Harris is on the verge of getting better offers than Elon and Richmond. McDonald has D1 measurables despite being just a sophomore. Noel can fly too, having been a part of those Bulldog relay teams that showed out this spring. Not saying all 3 of those young men are going to a major FBS school, but the VaTech camp was a big draw for them, and they wanted to be 100% for it.

See the post directly above yours. No use to wear yourself out at a meaningless 7-on-7 when the stakes are much bigger the following day.

No announcement made yet, which is troubling.

I hear that Tazewell’s resting some of their key players. Virginia Tech has its football camp tomorrow, and a few of the guys need to be in tip top shape for it.

Dillon’s a fantastic guy and a whale of a broadcaster. Hate to lose him, but I wish him well in what lies ahead!

Please shoot me some recommendations! I’m going to be staying overnight there, so good eats are always welcome!

I will eat my shoe if they lose to Colonial Heights. It’s a Clark’s shoe, so not the cheapest thing in the world. This board routinely has no clue how good or bad teams in the 804/757/703 usually are, but Colonial Heights is historically pitiful. They went 4-6 last year behind an absolute stud of a QB who is playing Division 1 collegiate football this fall. There is absolutely nothing aside from him.

One’s a done deal, another’s about 95% certain.

I take that as a sign that he was indeed FBS caliber after all...

"By far"?!

Not all those pieces will be there in August...

They're building a little SWVA pipeline up there...

I think the 2-district setup is fine. The only thing I would change is to have John Battle merge into the SWD.

Hard to find a role for 51 players, which is historically more than double the usual number. The coaching staff worked more to develop the kids than gunning for a gaudy W-L record. As a result, Tazewell will have a bonafide JV team for the first time in a while. On the varsity level, there will be some meaningful additions this year that will play early and often.