RichlandsAlum

[ QUOTE ] I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS SUPPOSSE TO BE DISCUSSING HEATH MILLER. [/ QUOTE ] Personally, I'd like to know Heath's position on mutual funds.

[ QUOTE ] What in the hell are u talking about? Hurley-Richlands and BDD, when u say Black Diamond u think Twin Valley [/ QUOTE ] A thousand pardons, sir. You are correct. Maybe we'd be more competitive in the Lonesome Pine.

As long as they continue to play schools like Hurley, I'd have to think that Richlands is in the running to win the BDD. That's kind of related to this thread, isn't it?

[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] I've noticed in the past weeks, that some officials are being very inconsistant.. Mostly with letting lots happen inside the paint, then on the perimeter.. a defensive player guarding the ball is called for small bump fouls. The offensive player iniates the contact and the defensive guy, gets the bump and the foul!! I just cant get that one.. then I've seen some players drive to the basket throwing up shots out of control to draw fouls, and getting the calls. Then, a kid gets whacked and no call!! Maybe you can shine some light on my question? Its just something I've been seeing...Thought I'd ask you the question!! Thanks. [/ QUOTE ] In high school bball you will probably see many different officials night in and night out. Needless to say, officials have different styles and different judgements, just like you. Some officials seem to award good defense and will not bail the offensive player out when he/she is out of control. Inside the paint is the most difficult area to see and officiate. You have a offensive player trying to get position and a defensive player trying not to let them. It can get hairy. If a particular crew is consistent, I have no problem with that--Let the players adjust!! If players will play, if coaches will coach, and officials will officiate, everything will work out in the end. Words of Wisdom to Remember!!! [/ QUOTE ] In my best Blazing Saddles voice: "Now who can argue with that? Not only was that authentic frontier gibberish, but it got right to the heart of whatever argument he/she/it was trying to make."

[ QUOTE ] There may be some truth to that but it's probably more of a faith building thing. Tech's bread and butter is the Tidewater area. It's one of the most talent rich regions in the nation. Anyone who say's otherwise doesn't know the facts. VT has built relationships with the coaches there and I'm sure there are times when they "take a chance" on a kid who just has potential as a way to further build the trust they have with those coaches. There were many who felt WR Brendan Hill was only signed to help convince Marcus Vick to come to Tech. So yes, they may be more willing to bring in a contributor type from Tidewater, but the fact remains that a stud D-1 prospect from SW Virginia will be recruited by VT if he fits their system. There just arent as many of those prospects here as some on this board beleive. [/ QUOTE ] Agree with pretty much everything you've said, although there is tremendous historical precedent over many years which indicates that SWVA players simply aren't getting any attention from Division I programs. It's worth noting that it is inappropriate to single out any particular program, IMO. Fact is that nobody has this area squarely within its radar in terms of recruiting at the top level. Maybe whether or not this is a problem is a topic for debate in its own right. Programs like Wise and Emory would probably opine that it's no problem at all, since they're able to gobble up most of the talent on an annual basis. It's an interesting discussion nonetheless.

[ QUOTE ] I'm sure your info is reliable but the teams respective rosters just don't support it. VT has 2-3 times as many SWVA players as UVA. I agree with you and Bluefield Rules that everything turned out well for all involved. I just get a little bothered when someone claims Miller was somehow blackballed by Tech because of where he's from. [/ QUOTE ] Admittedly, I haven't read every thread in every forum here. If someone is making the kind of claim you mentioned, then that person is 100% clueless. Objectively speaking, I'm of the opinion that there are several guys in SWVA on an annual basis who could perform very well at the Division I level. In fact, I'd say that in terms of raw talent, SWVA compares favorably to non-urban Western PA (excluding Pittsburgh). Unfortunately, these players are not getting the type of attention from ANY Division I program that they deserve. I don't know if it's a simple function of media coverage, population density, or what. However, the rule of thumb appears to be that you have to be a real superstar or physical specimen to get Division I attention if you're from SWVA. But you only have to demonstrate "potential" (be it through 40 yd dash time, playing for a powerhouse program, etc.) to get that type of attention if you're from the Tidewater area. Walking on is always an option, but when it comes to the initial scramble for the scholarship, the SWVA "superstar" can still lose out to the Tidewater "contributor." The politics of football recruiting is a lot like peeling an onion. The more you pick at it, the more layers you find. And more often than not, it can be a somewhat stinky proposition. I'm sure that Tech has 2-3 times as many SWVA boys on the roster as UVa. But I'm not sure that this is a particularly meaningful statistic. It might be a simple matter of geography since Tech is the closest Division I program and walk-ons seem to matriculate to schools that are closer to their hometowns. I would be very interested to know how the two programs compare in offering scholarships to SWVA boys. My guess is that neither program is outdoing the other in that regard.

[ QUOTE ] Actually Groh took over for Welsh in December of 2000...two months before Miller signed his letter of intent. I don't remember if he gave his verbal before or after Welsh left but I'm sure Groh reassured him he would play QB. [/ QUOTE ] Pretty much on the money. Although I don't think Groh was any more committal about giving him a shot at QB than Welsh was. I believe Groh stated that he would honor Welsh's "commitment," which was never more than a chance to be considered for the QB position to begin with. [ QUOTE ] I can't find anything on the internet but I seem to remember Miller having an offer on the table from VT. He was one of the top prospects in the state that year. I just don't see them asking him to walk on. Like you said, maybe they were close to the limit that year and wanted him to prep...but that would just mean he'd come in with the 2002 class rather than the 2001. He still would have gotten a scholarship. [/ QUOTE ] My recollection is that Tech would've strongly preferred for him to prep, but they were willing to find a place for him if he wanted to come on. Turned out to be academic, and this particular recruiting situation worked out well for everyone, IMO. Bluefield Rules had a good point above. [ QUOTE ] Anyway, the point of my first reply was the misconception that VT ignores SWVA kids in favor of Tidewater players. That's just not true. Tech has more local kids on it's roster than any D-1 school in the nation. A comment earlier in this thread claims UVA takes more chances on SWVA kids...but the fact is they only have two local guys besides Miller. One from George Wythe and one from J.J. Kelly. 49% of the players on UVA's roster aren't even from Virginia as Groh has been getting more players from out of state. [/ QUOTE ] Technically, what you're saying is correct. I don't think Tech ignores SWVA kids in favor of Tidewater players. However, I know for a fact that this staff (and the one that preceded it) is willing to "take chances" with players from Tidewater (and NoVa, to a lesser extent) while they do not have the same kind of policy when it comes to SWVA. And while they don't flat out ignore the region, Tech's staff has missed out on enough fantastic players over the past 20 years or so that one may have pause to wonder about the Hokie staff's view of this area. Things have improved since the Dooley days (when Tech burned a lot of bridges in SWVA), but I think it's fair to say that UVa is more willing to take chances on kids from the region than Tech. Pains me to admit something like that as a Tech alumnus, but based on the info I've heard out of B-burg and from numerous coaches around the region, it is nonetheless true.

[ QUOTE ] I think what blew it for Tech was that Tech just offered for Miller to walk on, and UVA offered a full scholarship. [/ QUOTE ] That sounds right. I think the timing of Tech's involvement worked against them as well. Hokies were either at their limit for schollies that year or close to it. Pretty big miss for Tech any way you look at it. Here's hoping that things work out very well for Heath at the next level.

Don't mean to split hairs here but Miller was recruited by George Welsh, not Al Groh. And Welsh was supposedly able to seal the deal by promising to give him a shot at QB. Others in the running for his services were Tech and Iowa. Tech was forthright from the beginning about projecting him at TE. Not sure what the story was with Iowa. The business about him prepping at Hargrave (or anywhere else, for that matter) is news to me. And completely contrary to what reliable sources in both B-burg and Honaker have told me. BigD4VT is correct regarding Tech's interest in Miller. The Hokies wanted him badly. It's just that they knew for certain that he'd never take a snap at QB and said as much.

Richlands 60, Hurley 48 And I'm still wondering why in the world these two schools are playing each other.

Either the Hokies win a close one or the Tigers win in a blowout with all the breaks going their way. How's that for hedging?

Heard last night that they've hired Don Montgomery, DC at Mount Union, to take over the reins in Emory. In all honesty, this sounds like a good move.

[ QUOTE ] As I said, those are the rumors that are going around the Emory community...and yes, I do believe they are talking about Curt Newsome - everyone has referred to him as the Def. Coord. @ JMU - I didn't know that he was not the Def. Coord. ----- anyways, I actually heard that Newsome would take the job if he could make at least $60,000 - which is probably about what Emory will offer. Also, I agree that if Jack isn't the one, they will go through the process again in a couple of years. [/ QUOTE ] Makes sense. I think Newsome's a great coach, and I think he'd do a tremendous job at Emory. I personally don't think he'd stay there, but he'd be worth the "gamble" in that regard. Then again, there's always Terry Smith.

[ QUOTE ] The rumor is that there are over 90 applicants for the job...including one of the coordinators from Mt. Union, the defensive coordinator from James Madison, and the former coach at Southern Utah (Allen Gregory's brother?). Also, I heard that Heath Shuler had applied???? Don't know if that is even close to being accurate, but those are the rumors around Emory. Personally, I pray that Dewey Lusk does not get the job - look at the E&H baseball program !! Getting back to the point, I have heard that Coach Ginn hasn't applied as of yet - that he is liking the situation he is in @ NCWC. Anyways, I hope that they get a good candidate, and I would love for Coach Ginn to be the man!!! [/ QUOTE ] It's probably one of the more attractive jobs in Division III, so I'm not surprised by the number of rumored applicants. This post does raise a couple of questions, though. You sure it's the DC at JMU? That would be George Barlow, who has no ties to the area. Curt Newsome, the assistant head coach, is an Emory grad. I would think that he'd be more likely to be interested in coming home (although he's also rumored to be an up and comer in the larger college ranks). Last I heard, Heath Shuler's in real estate in Knoxville. Can't imagine that he'd be willing to take what would likely amount to a pay cut. I'm sure that E&H will have its pick of several excellent candidates. But if they're looking for someone who can be successful and who is willing to stay there once he is, they really need to be pursuing Jack Ginn instead of simply waiting for him to apply. Otherwise, I predict that they'll be going through this process again within five years. Either the new coach won't produce, or he'll use it as a stepping stone. It's no skin off my nose, but those of you with Emory connections ought to stay plugged into this one.

[ QUOTE ] I hope he gets the chance if that's what he wants. It was nice to learn what he's been doing the past 15 years. I don't remember too many Richlands players from his time, but I do remember Jack and his brother Mark. [/ QUOTE ] Mark's another "local boy made good." He's a tenured professor of mathematics at Appalachian State. Ran into both of them going into the Bassett game. Genuinely good folks, both of them. And excellent ambassadors for RHS.

[ QUOTE ] I'm not familiar with NC Wesleyan. Would E&H be a step up, or just a lateral move? [/ QUOTE ] In straight terms of classification, it would probably be a lateral move. Wesleyan is a Division III school playing in the USA South Conference (same league as Ferrum). Several intangibles at work here, though. Working against Emory is the fact that NC Wesleyan is a start-up program. Jack was selected from a very large pool of applicants to put the football program together from scratch, and I'm certain that he feels a strong obligation to see that through. On the positive side, I know that E&H is probably Jack's "dream job." And if they were to hire him, he'd probably retire there given the opportunity to do so.

[ QUOTE ] Looks like he would be a logical choice. Who are the candidates? [/ QUOTE ] Don't know. In a story dated 11/19, the Bristol Herald-Courier alluded to a "nationwide" search, although the author (Allen Gregory) seemed to be promoting current Wasp assistant Dewey Lusk for the position. No knock on Lusk (or anyone else), but assuming that they can acquire Ginn's services, they'll be hard pressed to find a better qualified candidate.

[ QUOTE ] I was young at the time but I remember Ginn being a great kicker at Richlands. I didn't follow his college career too much though. What has he done since then? Has he been coaching? [/ QUOTE ] Jack has a pretty impressive resume. Check it out at the following URL: <a>http://annex.ncwc.edu/athletics/Football/jginn.html</a> It's worth noting that his NC Wesleyan team finished over .500 in the very first year of the program's existence. He also served as Director of Admissions for E&H during his previous stint there as an assistant coach.

are insane if they don't approach Jack Ginn about their head coaching vacancy in football. Discuss. (Since the school is in SW Virginia and this involves football, I figure it's an appropriate topic for discussion here.)

[ QUOTE ] Did Sandy ever get a NFL tryout? I thought I had heard that he went to some camps after he graduated. [/ QUOTE ] For some reason I want to think that he worked out for the Redskins, but that didn't pan out. I think the '87 NFL strike and its associated turmoil impacted his odds in a very negative way. Last rumor I heard was that he was in Alaska. But the shelf date on that rumor would be at least a dozen years ago by now.

This thread raises one extremely large question in my mind.... Why in the world is Richlands still playing Hurley? This isn't meant as a slight to the good folks in that part of the world at all, but I have a hard time understanding how this series benefits either program.

[ QUOTE ] I still think the best Richlands team talent-wise was the 1987 squad with Adam Lallande, Chad King, and Mike Compton, among others. [/ QUOTE ] I tend to agree. Several excellent athletes on that team overall. Talent-wise, the 1982 team merits mention as well. A lot of guys from that team played on the small college level. Three guys in particular (Sandy Rogers, Dale McGlothlin, and Jack Ginn) went on to play for E&H where they all had distinguished careers. Rogers in particular probably could've played at a higher level if he'd been given the chance. Unfortunately, those were the days when no Division I program would give you a look unless you played for Graham and your name happened to be Eddie.

I'll second that. He's one of the best TE's I've ever seen. Even though I'm a VT alumnus, it's easy for me to applaud the achievements of this fine Swords Creek fellow. Here's wishing him the best of a bright future.

[ QUOTE ] Anybody heard the news about Coach Mullins resigning as boys bball coach at Bland/Rocky Gap? I heard Coach Puckett was returning! [/ QUOTE ] GB would have to have the inside track there. Look at what he did for RHS football and golf.

[ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] They had 7 shut outs that year. The shut-outs came against some very top notch teams. Lord Botetourt, Northside(Roanoke), Giles, Lebanon, Grundy, Graham, and someone else but I don't remember. [/ QUOTE ] The other team was Gate City. [/ QUOTE ] Score of that one was 7-0. And I don't even have a yearbook in front of me. Guess that makes me some type of savant. I'm pretty solid on most of the games from '87, but I've blocked most of the scores from '88 out of my head beyond the first few games. FWIW, the '88 squad was MUCH better than its record.