redtiger

Ridgeview’s entire middle school team are supposed to be freshman/sophomores so I reckon they’re pretty good. Their JV not so much 

Probably been around a lot longer than most of you. Seen a lot of changes in high school sports. Matter of fact, I’ve seen 31 high school football teams play that no longer exist due to consolidation. We can also add a few basketball teams to that number like G.W. Carver. In ways, Consolidation has hurt numbers due to increased travel for some kids. However there are several other things also.
Redtiger hit the nail on the head with this year round practice. A lot of Coaches only want kids playing their sport. Also travel ball, I know someone who has one kid on 2 travel teams and their other kid on another travel team (3 different sports). My opinion, this travel ball leads to burnout for some kids and parents with all the practice, travel, and expense.
Another problem down through the years and some of you have probably seen it also, is Little League or Daddy Ball. Do I need to really explain this? There is a need to better organize youth leagues and make it fun for all not for a few. I’ve seen this Daddy Ball carry over into high school and what problems it can cause, especially with the numbers of players. 
Another problem today, kids have more things to do, lack dedication, and lose interest quickly. They are not as physically fit, they are softer and are use to an easier life. When some of us were growing up, high school athletics was the biggest thing in our lives, that not the case with a lot of today’s kids. So numbers are going to be low and will slowly continue to decrease for a lot of schools. 
 
Just our opinion.
 
 

Hubris among high school coaches these days is something to behold. Or at least, that's been my experience in the dealings I've had with them. Almost unanimously, they can't understand why kids, parents, administrators don't have the same burning passion for their sport they do. And should a kid have a "first love" other than the sport that coach wants them to have a burning passion for, that hubris leds the coaches to try to force the issue. Which in turn, drives the kid away from that coach and his hubris. 
I've told this story before but it's worth telling again. The basketball coach at Galax wanted a good friend of mine to talk his son into quitting golf to play travel basketball all summer. This kid is not your dads golfer. He's 6'-3" and weighs close to 200 pounds. He can stand flat-footed under the basket and two-hand dunk a basketball. But his passion since he was in diapers is golf. He is literally at Blue Ridge Country Club until dark every day. He's the #7 ranked junior in Virginia, has won several junior tournaments across North Carolina and Virginia, and is the reigning VHSL Class 1 state champion. This coach began pressuring the kid since the dad wouldn't do his bidding for him. So the kid finally told the coach, "I'm here to stay active when it's too cold to play golf."
Still, the hubris of the coach still wouldn't allow him to understand why anyone would choose golf over basketball so he persisted in harrassing this kid. So the dad ripped the coach a new asshole, in the middle of the gym after a game, in front of the stands full of parents and fans, and told him to never speak to his son again about the subject. 

Im a firm believer that football practice, or practice for every sports shouldn't be a year round thing. The VHSL allowing it has virtually eliminated kids playing multiple sports and those that do end up grinding themselves to a frazzle, and I wonder if its worth it. I know theyre young and physically are fine but mentally its a lot imo. Multiple practices a day, 6-7 practices a week, etc. It becomes a grind and sports are supposed to be fun.
For coaches, its a keeping up with the Joneses situation. If a coach cuts back because he doesnt believe its right but the next program practices all the time he looks like a slacker and adds to the criticism on him. That leads to coaches encouraging players to specialize in only 1 sport. Its just a mess.

Im a firm believer that football practice, or practice for every sports shouldn't be a year round thing. The VHSL allowing it has virtually eliminated kids playing multiple sports and those that do end up grinding themselves to a frazzle, and I wonder if its worth it. I know theyre young and physically are fine but mentally its a lot imo. Multiple practices a day, 6-7 practices a week, etc. It becomes a grind and sports are supposed to be fun.
For coaches, its a keeping up with the Joneses situation. If a coach cuts back because he doesnt believe its right but the next program practices all the time he looks like a slacker and adds to the criticism on him. That leads to coaches encouraging players to specialize in only 1 sport. Its just a mess.

Im a firm believer that football practice, or practice for every sports shouldn't be a year round thing. The VHSL allowing it has virtually eliminated kids playing multiple sports and those that do end up grinding themselves to a frazzle, and I wonder if its worth it. I know theyre young and physically are fine but mentally its a lot imo. Multiple practices a day, 6-7 practices a week, etc. It becomes a grind and sports are supposed to be fun.
For coaches, its a keeping up with the Joneses situation. If a coach cuts back because he doesnt believe its right but the next program practices all the time he looks like a slacker and adds to the criticism on him. That leads to coaches encouraging players to specialize in only 1 sport. Its just a mess.

Im a firm believer that football practice, or practice for every sports shouldn't be a year round thing. The VHSL allowing it has virtually eliminated kids playing multiple sports and those that do end up grinding themselves to a frazzle, and I wonder if its worth it. I know theyre young and physically are fine but mentally its a lot imo. Multiple practices a day, 6-7 practices a week, etc. It becomes a grind and sports are supposed to be fun.
For coaches, its a keeping up with the Joneses situation. If a coach cuts back because he doesnt believe its right but the next program practices all the time he looks like a slacker and adds to the criticism on him. That leads to coaches encouraging players to specialize in only 1 sport. Its just a mess.

Im a firm believer that football practice, or practice for every sports shouldn't be a year round thing. The VHSL allowing it has virtually eliminated kids playing multiple sports and those that do end up grinding themselves to a frazzle, and I wonder if its worth it. I know theyre young and physically are fine but mentally its a lot imo. Multiple practices a day, 6-7 practices a week, etc. It becomes a grind and sports are supposed to be fun.
For coaches, its a keeping up with the Joneses situation. If a coach cuts back because he doesnt believe its right but the next program practices all the time he looks like a slacker and adds to the criticism on him. That leads to coaches encouraging players to specialize in only 1 sport. Its just a mess.

I can't speak for every community but locally, coaches demanding football be a year-round venture is taking a toll on participation. In one form or another, I work with several parents of players (and former players that have already quit) and they all tell the same tale.

Also, this is why you never feel sorry for Gate City. 

The Curse of WCYB. 

got 'em right where they want 'em

I really don't know, I just see them making deep runs almost every season. They are talented but I've seen Riverheads absolutely take them apart so I wonder if the issue is they have talented players but maybe not real football players? The one time I saw them in person was vs Haysi in '13 and they were a solid outfit but were outmatched a week later vs a loaded Altavista team.
Its just hard for me to believe that they could have done much more than what they have, which is pretty impressive, albeit without many rings.

They absolutely 100% HAVE been a waste of talent.  They look like Appomattox on steroids.  Their talent is only outmatched (arguably) by Graham.  They are right there with Graham, Appo talent.  They are More talented year in and year than Radford, Glenvar, Riverheads, Central, Poquoson.  Their coach isn't Bad.  But, he's not great, especially offensively.  Their talent level should have had them beating Riverheads probably on 2-3 more times than the previous 8 or so years.  The coach at Essex is better than most in the Northern Neck area and he wins the Region, but he's not great.  The talent in that area is pretty impressive.  It's also good in places like Gretna, Nottoway, Central Luneburg, but the coaching down that way isn't great.  Poquoson and King William win down that way because of coaching.  There are several other teams with similar/equal talent.  For example.....Amelia.  Incredible talent, but loses 40-7 to Poquoson like it's nothing.  

Also remember years were Honaker or Haysi would get screwed too after going 9-1 and not making it because someone like Thomas Walker would go 10-0 playing cupcakes and get beat at home by 50 in first round 

Thank goodness things weren't filmed when we rode the bus home after games

Thank goodness things weren't filmed when we rode the bus home after games

There's a video on YouTube from back then when WCYB was covering it. I think the grandfather of one of the players said he was concerned over the threat. 

That's what I've been saying for a few years now. 

Being from Galax, I’m familiar with RH schedule. Playing a weak district schedule and coming from a weak region doesn’t pose the same difficulty as what they will face in Class 2. Regular season may be similar but playoffs will not. 
 
They may very well win a state championship in Class 2 but the road to get to that point will be more difficult. Winning a state title here or there is possible. Winning 7 consecutive won’t happen in Class 2. 

After watching lots of football so far early on.  This is my take in Virginia Class 1 and Class 2.
Class 2.
1. Graham, Appomattox, Radford, Glenvar, Central-Woodstock, Riverheads, Ridgeview are not as good as last year.  
2. Union is better.  Poquoson is much better.  King William is better.  Stuarts Draft is much better than last year.  Gate City is better.
3. What does the above mean?  I still favor Graham.  The gap hasn't closed enough in my opinion for any team to beat them in Class 2, but Graham is beatable.  In summary, Class 2 overall is down compared to last year.
4. Graham is the favorite in my opinion in the West.  Poquoson is the favorite in the East.  I wrote this in July and will stick with it.  The Regional A winner in Poquoson/King William will beat the Region B Winner (Riverheads, Central, Draft) in the state semi's.
Class 1.
1. George Wythe, Buffalo Gap, Galax, Essex, Grundy, Central Lunenburg are all not as good (but Essex will still represent the East).
2. Sussex is better (still hasn't close the gap with Essex).  Honaker is much better.  Giles is better.  Rye Cove is better.  Eastside is better.
3. Patrick Henry is the same, Holston is the same, Narrows the same, and the rest of the Northern Neck District schools in the East are mostly the same.
4. Fort Chiswell- as always, in a class of its own.  No way to know.  Might go 8-2.  Might not win another game.  Don't try to evalute them.
5. As a whole, Class 1 is also down if you look across the board in Virginia compared to last year.
6. Honaker is the favorite in the West.  I'm hopeful Giles can maybe overcome Grayson, Galax, and G. Wythe, and win the region.  I got Honaker vs Essex in title game.
Above are only my opinions.  A shi*ton of football is left to be played and anything can happen.  We may see Galax or Patrick Henry vs Sussex or Northumberland, or Union vs Stuarts Draft in the title.  Anything can happen.  Lots of football to be played and injuries always play a part, but imo, I favor Graham vs Poquoson and Honaker vs Essex.  
 
 

Thank goodness things weren't filmed when we rode the bus home after games

If ya'll want to see a finish. Flip over to NFHS and watch Central of Woodstock vs Riverheads in the final 1.5 minutes.  Central is down 7-0 and has the ball at their own 16 yard line.  Central drives the length of the field in about 1.5 minutes and scores to make it 7 to 6 with under 10 seconds left in the game.  Central is going to kick the extra point and take it to overtime, right?  Nope, the Sons of Bitches go for 2 and the get it!!  Won it 8-7

I’ll eat a lemon if Battle finishes first.