RichlandsAlum

All about ratings points.  Although Liberty will accumulate a minimum amount for simply playing above their classification in district play, it's unlikely that it will amount to enough to qualify for postseason compared to other Region 2C teams.  Any Seminole District win would be huge in that regard -- but the Minutemen are oh-fer in district play for two years straight now.
The need for opponents in higher classification is two-fold.  One side is the points argument above.  At some point you actually have to win to accumulate enough points to qualify -- and wins against higher classification schools are more valuable than equal or lower tier teams.  The other side is that the closest schools in the same classification have effectively refused to play us.  So if you're going to travel outside the immediate area it makes sense to be even more strategic in scheduling (i.e. find a relatively weak Division 3 or Division 4 team).
I'm assuming that we'll continue to schedule county rival Staunton River (which is a Division 3 school).  Typically we do have a reasonable shot at beating them, which helps.  But the simplest (and arguably most reasonable) thing would have been for LHS to play in the Division 1/2 Dogwood District.  Outside of Appomattox, the Minutemen would likely be competitive with all other members -- but nothing close to dominant in football.  Yet that was the argument that Dogwood schools effectively made to keep us out (caveat there is that it probably would be true in all other sports).
I've been an apologist for the Virginia system for a long time.  But it is inherently screwed up in a big way now.  Admittedly it takes having your own ox gored for people to even know or care what's happening.  And recent reclassification may be driving a lot of scheduling decisions for 2023-2024.

Yep.  And prior to their consolidation in the mid 1970s you also had Dublin and old Pulaski High School in the mix.  The strength of its components (NRD and SWD) made Region IV football very entertaining in the first 10 years of the new VHSL class system.  Also very competitive.  Region IV teams won half of the state championships in Group AA from 1970-1979 and finished as runner-up once.  (And of course Giles won in 1980, but I was just sticking with a decade reference overall.)

Yep.  And prior to their consolidation in the mid 1970s you also had Dublin and old Pulaski High School in the mix.  The strength of its components (NRD and SWD) made Region IV football very entertaining in the first 10 years of the new VHSL class system.  Also very competitive.  Region IV teams won half of the state championships in Group AA from 1970-1979 and finished as runner-up once.  (And of course Giles won in 1980, but I was just sticking with a decade reference overall.)

I grew up around the old New River District (AA) and the Mountain Empire District (A). 
The NRD when I was a kid was...
Blacksburg
Carroll County
Christiansburg
Floyd County
Galax
George Wythe
Giles
Narrows
Radford
The MED when I was a kid was...
Auburn
Fries
Fort Chiswell
Independence
Shawsville
Bland, Rocky Gap and Mount Rogers played most sports other than football.
The old NRD was a gauntlet. Floyd left the NRD for the MED beginning with the 1980/1981 school year. Galax followed suit for the 1984/1985 school year. Narrows came to the MED in 1988/1989 school year. Which was the same year Independence, Fries and Mount Rogers consolidated into Grayson County.  
 

The Southwest District was formed in 1956, basically as a mechanism to make schools in this part of the Commonwealth eligible for Division I state championships.  I kind of lost track after the turn of the 21st century, but following is a pretty accurate account through 2003.
1956:  Graham, Grundy, Marion, Richlands, Tazewell, and Virginia High
1957-1964:  Graham, Grundy, Marion, Richlands, Saltville, Tazewell, and Virginia High  (* Gate City was an "affiliate member" in 1959 and 1960)
1965-1969:  Graham, Grundy, Marion, Richlands, Tazewell, and Virginia High
1970-1979: Abingdon, Gate City, Graham, Grundy, John Battle, Marion, Patrick Henry, Richlands, Tazewell, and Virginia High.
1980-1985:  Abingdon, Gate City, Graham, Grundy, John Battle, Lebanon, Marion, Patrick Henry, Richlands, Tazewell, and Virginia High.
1986-1993:  Graham, Grundy, Lebanon, Richlands, and Tazewell
1994-1995:  Graham, Grundy, Richlands, and Tazewell
1996-2003:  Carroll County, Graham, Grundy, Richlands, and Tazewell

The Southwest District was formed in 1956, basically as a mechanism to make schools in this part of the Commonwealth eligible for Division I state championships.  I kind of lost track after the turn of the 21st century, but following is a pretty accurate account through 2003.
1956:  Graham, Grundy, Marion, Richlands, Tazewell, and Virginia High
1957-1964:  Graham, Grundy, Marion, Richlands, Saltville, Tazewell, and Virginia High  (* Gate City was an "affiliate member" in 1959 and 1960)
1965-1969:  Graham, Grundy, Marion, Richlands, Tazewell, and Virginia High
1970-1979: Abingdon, Gate City, Graham, Grundy, John Battle, Marion, Patrick Henry, Richlands, Tazewell, and Virginia High.
1980-1985:  Abingdon, Gate City, Graham, Grundy, John Battle, Lebanon, Marion, Patrick Henry, Richlands, Tazewell, and Virginia High.
1986-1993:  Graham, Grundy, Lebanon, Richlands, and Tazewell
1994-1995:  Graham, Grundy, Richlands, and Tazewell
1996-2003:  Carroll County, Graham, Grundy, Richlands, and Tazewell

I think this can be easily resolved by referencing an observation from a great philosopher.
"It's not a lie if you believe it."  -- Costanza

I think this can be easily resolved by referencing an observation from a great philosopher.
"It's not a lie if you believe it."  -- Costanza

I think this can be easily resolved by referencing an observation from a great philosopher.
"It's not a lie if you believe it."  -- Costanza

Don't try to confuse any of us with the facts, please.

Don't try to confuse any of us with the facts, please.

As a complete aside, I was trying to explain this rivalry to one of my current neighbors outside the area.  Couldn't really make them understand how I could simultaneously state that I hate Tazewell but I have many lifelong friends who are THS alumni, I tend to pull for them in the postseason (unless they face Richlands), and I'd be willing to fight any outsider who makes a disparaging remark about them or the area in general.  Perhaps it is due to my heaping helping of Scots heritage.
That's enough for now.  Get back at it, Observer and.... Observer.

Don't try to confuse any of us with the facts, please.

As a complete aside, I was trying to explain this rivalry to one of my current neighbors outside the area.  Couldn't really make them understand how I could simultaneously state that I hate Tazewell but I have many lifelong friends who are THS alumni, I tend to pull for them in the postseason (unless they face Richlands), and I'd be willing to fight any outsider who makes a disparaging remark about them or the area in general.  Perhaps it is due to my heaping helping of Scots heritage.
That's enough for now.  Get back at it, Observer and.... Observer.

As a complete aside, I was trying to explain this rivalry to one of my current neighbors outside the area.  Couldn't really make them understand how I could simultaneously state that I hate Tazewell but I have many lifelong friends who are THS alumni, I tend to pull for them in the postseason (unless they face Richlands), and I'd be willing to fight any outsider who makes a disparaging remark about them or the area in general.  Perhaps it is due to my heaping helping of Scots heritage.
That's enough for now.  Get back at it, Observer and.... Observer.

Meanwhile at the Tazewell press box Friday night...... 

As a complete aside, I was trying to explain this rivalry to one of my current neighbors outside the area.  Couldn't really make them understand how I could simultaneously state that I hate Tazewell but I have many lifelong friends who are THS alumni, I tend to pull for them in the postseason (unless they face Richlands), and I'd be willing to fight any outsider who makes a disparaging remark about them or the area in general.  Perhaps it is due to my heaping helping of Scots heritage.
That's enough for now.  Get back at it, Observer and.... Observer.

Don't try to confuse any of us with the facts, please.

As a complete aside, I was trying to explain this rivalry to one of my current neighbors outside the area.  Couldn't really make them understand how I could simultaneously state that I hate Tazewell but I have many lifelong friends who are THS alumni, I tend to pull for them in the postseason (unless they face Richlands), and I'd be willing to fight any outsider who makes a disparaging remark about them or the area in general.  Perhaps it is due to my heaping helping of Scots heritage.
That's enough for now.  Get back at it, Observer and.... Observer.

As a complete aside, I was trying to explain this rivalry to one of my current neighbors outside the area.  Couldn't really make them understand how I could simultaneously state that I hate Tazewell but I have many lifelong friends who are THS alumni, I tend to pull for them in the postseason (unless they face Richlands), and I'd be willing to fight any outsider who makes a disparaging remark about them or the area in general.  Perhaps it is due to my heaping helping of Scots heritage.
That's enough for now.  Get back at it, Observer and.... Observer.

I sincerely hope that the Richlands faithful tore down the goal posts to commemorate this glorious achievement.

I sincerely hope that the Richlands faithful tore down the goal posts to commemorate this glorious achievement.

I sincerely hope that the Richlands faithful tore down the goal posts to commemorate this glorious achievement.

A day after the meeting and I still don't know where my local high school will be landing.  Obviously the decision has been made and several other folks are reporting their results publicly, so I can't understand why the VHSL hasn't posted the minutes yet.
And in my particular case it's like waiting to hear who will win in the category of Best Actor in a Portugese Documentary.  Diogo Morgado has a strong fanbase, but nobody is likely to be surprised or upset if it actually turns out to be Joaquim de Almeida.  Just tell us already.

Only thing I picked up thirdhand was that James River's request was denied.
Satisfying myself with the notion that I won't be happy with the resolution of Liberty(Bedford) either way.  Travel in the Seminole is ridiculously easy (despite the fact that we're likely to get our heads handed to us in quite a few sports).  Theoretically we'd be more competitive overall in the Dogwood, but our closest trip there would be equal to our longest in the Seminole.
If the change is approved by the VHSL -- and based on what I've read on this site -- I may or may not be packing whenever we have to play at Gretna.