Lots more work to do at Graham. Tazewell shouldn't take nearly as long,
I thought the Tazewell project included moving and modifying the visitors bleachers along with a new track which will require more expansion. I'm not certain about the depth of the Graham project I'm sure it will take longer.
What work has begun at Tazewell? Still looks like it did after the last home playoff game!
I hope I'm wrong I really do because it could be a great addition but judging by the things I'm seeing out there currently and the pace up at Graham I'd be shocked if we aren't wondering when they are starting still in July or August. I just don't have my hopes up.
What does this job look like How many coaches are staying, How many can a new guy bring? How good was JV and middle school? Can it be turned around quickly?
I don't think you can bring very many in because if the old guys are employed as teachers or inside school system its not like they are leaving their full-time jobs just because they don't coach anymore. You'd have to find a load of assistant coaches willing to move to a place and coach for a $2000 stipend or hope they get full time jobs. People always say clean house and bring in your own assistants but thats not really possible for most of SWVA jobs you are stuck with people who teach at the school or already work in the area. It cannot be turned around quickly baring some influx or transfers or the ones who transferred out coming back because the JV and middle school teams had very little talent
LOL I’m with you on everything you said man. Hey we just scored let’s kick an onsides kick and give them the ball around midfield nah forget that let’s kick an onsides kick every time we score a TD or FG and we aren’t going to have anyone back to receive a punt. This program is toast and it’s sad cause they have some talented kids
The ultimately won the game last night with JV at Tazewell but I wondered why they have no one back to field punts. Is that a program thing?
I thought Tazewell Varsity looked better once it went to the regular game format they struggled with the defensive end getting pressure to Carter if he didn't throw quick developing plays but he's got a lot of really athletic targets so I think the quick developing passes may be best anyway. My biggest concern for Tazewell is I feel like there is a lack of depth and a pretty big drop off between the firsts and the seconds. It looks like a lot of the same numbers on both sides of the ball and when one of those guys came out it was pretty obvious the fall off
I’m going off what I saw at Tazewell’s media day it looked like 10 seniors, 10 juniors, 13 sophomores, 8 freshmen and 3 8th graders who are playing JV. I could be a little off some kids were moving around and some kids may have been with the wrong grade but that’s close. I think I know of four kids who are supposedly playing who weren’t in any pics but could have been injured or on vacation
The majority size last year was 8th graders. 4-5 upcoming freshmen linemen over 6’1”. The couple that will most likely get some varsity playing time will be around 6’1” 275 lbs & 6’3” 315 lbs. Both can move really well for their size and have been conditioning since the beginning of the year.
I think one of those may have been hurt last year so I’m not sure how much he got to play I’m glad he’s back I’ll have to ask my son about the other I can’t think of who it would be
Couldn't block anyone? Not one single kid? Really?
My kid was on the team and played quite a bit I think they went the first three games and never got a first down most games they never held the other team to a third down.
Tazewell’s line should be considerably improved. They return everyone and add 2 legitimate freshmen who may very well start Day 1. So long as Creasy is under center, Tazewell will be pass-first. But I don’t expect the running game to be a total liability this year.
So I watched that middle school team last year a lot and they couldn’t block anyone which ones would potentially start day one? I know they have a couple decent skill kids but the lineman struggled to block at all and I think most of the size they had were 7th graders
At least they don’t have the worst McDonalds. Clintwood wins that award by a country mile.
I can hear the crew at Tazewell saying hold my beer. I go there very rarely and in the last 3 years I have never once had my order be exactly what I asked for.
I had a pretty good angle on it. Mills went up for it, pulled it in against his body, and fell to ground, at which time the ball popped loose. Incomplete pass, and even if he maintained possession, he looked a couple steps OOB.
The most egregious thing to happen on that drive, which will be lost to antiquity, is the 1st-and-10 from the Richlands 20. Compton’s hand flat out slipped off the ball. That by rule is a snap infraction, which results in a 5-yard penalty and replaying the down. Instead, the crew just let the clock run, which caused Coach Harris to burn his last TO. It took away anything toward the middle of the field, and since a FG wins it…it had a huge impact on the game. The crew flat out missed that one.
I was talking with some coaches and they indicated that he actually snapped the ball but thought the quarterback was under center rather than in the gun and then he recovered the ball but I don’t know for sure how it worked out
He dropped the ball when he hit the ground I think. Looked to me like it was gonna be out of bounds anyways, but he dropped the ball when he hit the ground.
It looks that way on NFHS the official comes over and picks the ball up
Just confirmed... The screen cuts away on the final play of the game on NFHS, so how you saw it... I'm not sure?
Yeah I watched when I got home as well and there is no possible way you could see if he was in bounds on NFHS the camera moves to the middle of the field. I was 100+ yards away near the scoreboard but from my view it looks like the official came over and picked the ball up off the ground and you can actually see the official bend over for the ball on nfhs as well. I’m not sure the ball wasn’t on the ground just no one could see from stands because of the players around it
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Tazewell's line made up of Jrs and Seniors?
Yes they are they actually have three seniors and one junior who have a ton of experience I think at least two of which have had quarantines at some point though
That issue will be fixed in the next few years. There are 51 kids on Tazewell’s middle school team (grades 6-8). They’ve had to scramble to find helmets and purchase jerseys for all the kids that have come out. Combined with a healthy 9th grade class, Tazewell’s numbers will be in the high 40s to low 50s like most other 2A programs by 2023-2024.
It takes a while to build a program and establish a culture where little remained before. The kids coming through the ranks now were young when Tazewell was a doormat. It’s hard to get a high schooler up to speed with the kids that have spent years training and learning the system. The culture’s clearly been set and has taken hold. The numbers will follow.
The community has always been hungry for a winner, and I think the 2020s will be very kind for them.
I agree numbers will come up assuming those kids stay with football from middle school to high school but that's not a given considering they had 15+ eighth graders last year but only five freshmen after one more quit last week.
@Real Sasquatch I know you will give me the most accurate and honest opinion, as I’ve not been able to make it to a Tazewell game yet, how are they looking? Thanks!
I know I’m not who you are asking for opinion but if it’s ok I’m going to weigh in anyway. Tazewell is scrappy and they have a pretty athletic group of skill players and players in their secondary. Jared Mullins is all heart on both sides of the ball and Cassius Harris both jump out to me, Creasy has looked better than he should given the situation. The line is really bad on the offensive side and not good on the defensive side. Both games they have been undersized and not as athletic as their opponents. The defense many times beats the ball to Creasy as I think they’ve now used three centers so far this season that I’ve counted. I think it may improve I can think of at least two starters on the line who didn’t play last night at all and one who hasn’t played in either game. The biggest weakness besides the line is depth they have none. Harris, Mullins, Mullins, Mills, Witt and Huffman seem to all be in the game almost all of the time and by the end it shows, the poor kids are beat up and exhausted. I think they win four games this year against Mount View, Grundy, Marion and Battle the rest could be rough nights with some excitement from the above mentioned skill players and secondary but by the end just not enough depth to keep making up for the front.
Disappointed with Graham not taking a knee for our injured player. Graham has a dozen coaches on the sideline. One of them could have told the players to take a knee. Maybe I'm over reacting. Personal fouls not a good look either. Graham has a lot of talent on that roster, but lack of discipline won't get them very far come playoff time. They have a lot to work on. As for the dogs, they fought hard. Had a lot of adversity and played hard, all you can hope for. They were simply outmanned and Bradshaw is incredible. Clements for Graham showed his speed on a long td that was called back.
I’m not sure at what point it goes from “penalties to clean up” to it being just the way they are coached you could call an illegal block in the back or a holding on them on every play
I think the rosters I saw for the green/white game had 18 on one team and 17 on the other I’d say given I think a couple of guys didn’t play somewhere between 35-40 is accurate
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I thought the Tazewell project included moving and modifying the visitors bleachers along with a new track which will require more expansion. I'm not certain about the depth of the Graham project I'm sure it will take longer.