cityofRaven

Hmmm...I think Haun might have done less with more but I totally understand your sentiment.  I still think the '87 team that lost to VHS in the playoffs on the infamous out-of-bounds call was one of the most talented teams Richlands has ever fielded.  But those two accounted for a decade of Blues football that saw a lot of size and talent not win a lot of games.  Immediately after they left, Vaught wins a title in 92 and then a few years later the Mance era begins.
In their defense, Richlands hadn't totally bought in to being great in football.  The teams I played on were big, physical and talented but partied non-stop.....I mean really partied.  They were serious about Friday nights but not much else.

Well, here is my take as someone who played during that time.  Richlands ran the Wishbone for years (after it passed out of favor) and I think it did not do justice to the talent it had.  The opposing defenses stuffed the box and made Richlands execute 12-14 plays to score.  As one would imagine, a fumble or penalty would occur during that drive.  Secondly, during the Evans years they ran a fairly complicated "read and react" defense that, IMHO, blunted some aggressiveness.  Overall....on both sides of the ball.....very conservative and I think it cost them.  They lost a lot of close games to really good teams and were, generally, a .500 team. 

There are several conundrums associated with the history of the Richlands varsity football program.  One of which is a theme of individual teams which were very competitive on the field but that somehow managed to finish with subpar records overall.  A good example is the 1986 season.  Tazewell won the state championship that year (in the first iteration of a six classification alignment) but only beat Richlands by a score of 9-6 in an absolute slugfest.  That same year Graham advanced to the regional championship game but only beat Richlands 14-13 in the regular season.  "And how did that scrappy Richlands team fare that particular year?" you may ask. The Blues finished 4-6 in what proved to be the last year of Bruce Evans' five year run as head coach.
I have always found it perplexing that Richlands has possessed what could rightfully be considered as great advantages throughout its football history but most of the time those never translated to success on the field.  The former midget league system is honestly only one example.  Even in its six team heyday -- during which almost every able bodied kid in the Richlands "metro area" played at some point --  the varsity team was still struggling to hit .500 or stay above that mark.  
Not likely to be a popular opinion here, but on paper the overall history of the Richlands football program plays something along the lines of "fair to middling."  And the successful run from 2001 to 2016 during Greg Mance's tenure is a statistical anomaly.  But don't take my word for it.  Check out Bluefield Researcher's excellent online resource at https://fourseasonsfootball.com/Website/Richlands.htm and let me know if I'm mistaken.

The main problem with the Richlands football program at the moment is that there are no longer 5 to 6 pee wee and midget teams in town.
The high school program did well when Richlands had a solid pee wee program. A few folks thought it was beneficial for kids to win instead of develop, so the program was diminished to two teams. With more kids on the sidelines and not getting the reps, it's fairly easy to see why kids on Friday nights have no real feel for the game. 
Anyone who has ever been around sports knows that sometimes, the 'studs' at age ten don't pan out to be that type of dominating player at the varsity level. Likewise, kids who may be undersized or underdeveloped in their early years grow into their bodies by high school and become D1-type players (i.e., Austin Fuller)
Until the powers that be in Richlands realize that more teams allow more kids to participate, learn, and grow in football, the Blue Tornado program will continue the trend that no one really thought we would see.  

Youth football should focus on fundamentals, fundamentals, fundamentals. What you put into a kid at that age will more than likely stick with them for their career. Good or bad. The youth football model that Jeff Gee and Danny Mullins had going in Tazewell several years back has helped not just Tazewell but Graham, Montcalm, and Mt. View. It focused on fundamentals and playing time for all kids. 
 

This seems to be a common theme for most youth football leagues, but youth sports in general. Many parents think that their kid has the potential to turn pro before or during middle school. Even when some don't grow over 5'9 and never reach that 5.0 40-yard dash. And many dads and parents live their dreams thru their children so they sacrifice building skills for winning trophies. I would just like to meet the fella who puts the youth football championships on his tombstone, so I could laugh at him. 

Coincidence? I think not.
 
Football Friday nights won’t be the same. The woman who compiles VHSL’s point system is retiring.
https://cardinalnews.org/2024/08/30/football-friday-nights-wont-be-the-same-the-woman-who-compiles-vhsls-point-system-is-retiring/
 

I'm sure that will be civil and reasonable. 

I'm sure that will be civil and reasonable. 

Another angle is that kids are not willing to put in the work to play. My nephew started playing this year, once the contact started, it was easier to stay home and play video games.
Another issue is that when the ones that are playing make a mistake, they'll have the coach in their face. I've seen this happen time after time. I wonder how many young men play 1 year then quit because of this.  Not saying all coaches are like this but there's enough of them out there.  

I'm sure that will be civil and reasonable. 

I'm sure that will be civil and reasonable. 

The main problem with the Richlands football program at the moment is that there are no longer 5 to 6 pee wee and midget teams in town.
The high school program did well when Richlands had a solid pee wee program. A few folks thought it was beneficial for kids to win instead of develop, so the program was diminished to two teams. With more kids on the sidelines and not getting the reps, it's fairly easy to see why kids on Friday nights have no real feel for the game. 
Anyone who has ever been around sports knows that sometimes, the 'studs' at age ten don't pan out to be that type of dominating player at the varsity level. Likewise, kids who may be undersized or underdeveloped in their early years grow into their bodies by high school and become D1-type players (i.e., Austin Fuller)
Until the powers that be in Richlands realize that more teams allow more kids to participate, learn, and grow in football, the Blue Tornado program will continue the trend that no one really thought we would see.  

I have often said that if Palmer would have got the job when Williams did that this run by Graham may have started a little earlier. 

Talent was there the whole time, it either was used incorrectly or didn't bother playing for those two coaches. 

The main problem with the Richlands football program at the moment is that there are no longer 5 to 6 pee wee and midget teams in town.
The high school program did well when Richlands had a solid pee wee program. A few folks thought it was beneficial for kids to win instead of develop, so the program was diminished to two teams. With more kids on the sidelines and not getting the reps, it's fairly easy to see why kids on Friday nights have no real feel for the game. 
Anyone who has ever been around sports knows that sometimes, the 'studs' at age ten don't pan out to be that type of dominating player at the varsity level. Likewise, kids who may be undersized or underdeveloped in their early years grow into their bodies by high school and become D1-type players (i.e., Austin Fuller)
Until the powers that be in Richlands realize that more teams allow more kids to participate, learn, and grow in football, the Blue Tornado program will continue the trend that no one really thought we would see.  

The main problem with the Richlands football program at the moment is that there are no longer 5 to 6 pee wee and midget teams in town.
The high school program did well when Richlands had a solid pee wee program. A few folks thought it was beneficial for kids to win instead of develop, so the program was diminished to two teams. With more kids on the sidelines and not getting the reps, it's fairly easy to see why kids on Friday nights have no real feel for the game. 
Anyone who has ever been around sports knows that sometimes, the 'studs' at age ten don't pan out to be that type of dominating player at the varsity level. Likewise, kids who may be undersized or underdeveloped in their early years grow into their bodies by high school and become D1-type players (i.e., Austin Fuller)
Until the powers that be in Richlands realize that more teams allow more kids to participate, learn, and grow in football, the Blue Tornado program will continue the trend that no one really thought we would see.  

The main problem with the Richlands football program at the moment is that there are no longer 5 to 6 pee wee and midget teams in town.
The high school program did well when Richlands had a solid pee wee program. A few folks thought it was beneficial for kids to win instead of develop, so the program was diminished to two teams. With more kids on the sidelines and not getting the reps, it's fairly easy to see why kids on Friday nights have no real feel for the game. 
Anyone who has ever been around sports knows that sometimes, the 'studs' at age ten don't pan out to be that type of dominating player at the varsity level. Likewise, kids who may be undersized or underdeveloped in their early years grow into their bodies by high school and become D1-type players (i.e., Austin Fuller)
Until the powers that be in Richlands realize that more teams allow more kids to participate, learn, and grow in football, the Blue Tornado program will continue the trend that no one really thought we would see.  

The main problem with the Richlands football program at the moment is that there are no longer 5 to 6 pee wee and midget teams in town.
The high school program did well when Richlands had a solid pee wee program. A few folks thought it was beneficial for kids to win instead of develop, so the program was diminished to two teams. With more kids on the sidelines and not getting the reps, it's fairly easy to see why kids on Friday nights have no real feel for the game. 
Anyone who has ever been around sports knows that sometimes, the 'studs' at age ten don't pan out to be that type of dominating player at the varsity level. Likewise, kids who may be undersized or underdeveloped in their early years grow into their bodies by high school and become D1-type players (i.e., Austin Fuller)
Until the powers that be in Richlands realize that more teams allow more kids to participate, learn, and grow in football, the Blue Tornado program will continue the trend that no one really thought we would see.  

The main problem with the Richlands football program at the moment is that there are no longer 5 to 6 pee wee and midget teams in town.
The high school program did well when Richlands had a solid pee wee program. A few folks thought it was beneficial for kids to win instead of develop, so the program was diminished to two teams. With more kids on the sidelines and not getting the reps, it's fairly easy to see why kids on Friday nights have no real feel for the game. 
Anyone who has ever been around sports knows that sometimes, the 'studs' at age ten don't pan out to be that type of dominating player at the varsity level. Likewise, kids who may be undersized or underdeveloped in their early years grow into their bodies by high school and become D1-type players (i.e., Austin Fuller)
Until the powers that be in Richlands realize that more teams allow more kids to participate, learn, and grow in football, the Blue Tornado program will continue the trend that no one really thought we would see.  

Richlands' schedule's a gauntlet, which is fine if you're a perennial contender. Not so much if you're trying to rise from the ashes. 
 

7-3 may keep Lebanon from crying to go down to Class 1...

Marion's opponents almost never punt, so I think it's working.

Carroll Dale Stadium > Tommy McAmis Field