Widespread_Panic

This game was a blowout last year in PHś favor and they didn´t graduate a lot from that team. Burton did have a few turnovers early in the game to give PH some help. This is a good size (PH) vs Speed (Burton) matchup but I think PH wins by running the ball and not doing anything to beat themselves. Burton does have an advantage in their schedule has been more competitive than Patrick Henryś so that may help in preparation for this game.

I agree but the defense has come on strong the last 2 games to help out. Bud has done a magnificent job with this young group.

Agree that Battle does not finish ahead of Wise Central or Gate City with a healthy squad. They would probably finish with 4 wins instead of 2 and get blown out in the first round in the playoffs like they have the last 3 years. Disagree that this Friday will come down to the fourth quarter. Union should be up by 2 to 3 scores by the end of the first quarter. Ridgeview could have had a running clock by the middle of the second quarter at Battle. Union shouldn't have a problem...

I readily admit I do not know Marion's situation very well but I don't believe travel ball solves the problem with youth sports. When travel ball teams form the kids who suffer the most are the ones who come from low income families who can't afford to make the trips or pay the dues to pay on these teams. Rec league at least allows a majority of the kids in your town to participate and possibly turn into a contributor for varsity sports on down the road. It seems like a majority of towns across SWVA are turning to travel ball and I've not seen it pay off for many schools. I do see a lot less turn out in sports because the kids are either burnt out once they reach high school or they were not developed at the elementary or middle school level because of a lack of participation in rec league.

Baseball

I'm leaning towards Wise Central but their struggles with VA High are concerning. Battle lost to a bad Marion team and Wise played with Abingdon for a half so I'll give Wise the edge.

It is a small class but they are offering guys with either no other offers or competing with Liberty and ODU. 6 seniors is very small but I have a feeling there will be at least 5 to 10 more in the transfer portal by the start of next season.

True but the 2020 class currently sits at last in the ACC. A lack of talent added with a lack of player development is a sure formula for continue losses. I could give Fuente the benefit of the doubt with how young the roster is but the future looks bleak when the next recruiting class ranks somewhere in the 80s. If some of the more talented players hit the transfer portal Tech will be in a long rebuild mode.

Fuente didn't do himself any favors with the staff he hired. He should have went after proven recruiters to compensate for his weaknesses. After Friday he should have taken over play calling duties and owned up to the problems on offense instead of passing the buck to his OC who is in way over his head.

Did it? I don't recall Battle being successful once Wright left the program. I don't think they have won a post season game in a long time.

Ideally the Mountain District is not the place to start your coaching career. Turner, Mullins, Owens all have a lot of experience. Houseright can lean on his Dad for assistance. Finishing 1-9 or 2-8 in year one with several players quitting is going to make it an uphill fight. Hopefully Ricker can recruit and get kids excited about the program but it will take a lot of work.

That camel was dead before the season began regardless of injuries.

Seth Padgett

It also hurts that VHS lost Barry Reed as their AD. He was aggressive enough to reach out to coaches like Wheeler and recruit them to VA High. He put in a lot of time raising money for their athletics as well. I don't believe they did a good job of replacing this position when he left.

He beat Richlands on the road and came close to beating Abingdon. I don't care if Gate City wins another game, Houseright should be coach of the year. Now if Wise Central were to shock Ridgeview or Union I would lean towards Owens but Houseright has done an excellent job.

Battle and Lee are 2A schools that consistently finish in the bottom of the Mountain District. The rest of the schools on their schedule are far from consistent winners outside of Chilhowie. It will be hard for PH to go far into the playoffs when their schedule doesn't give them much competition. Chilhowie and Burton have schedules that PH should try to emulate.

I think PH has the easiest schedule in SWVA.

And there for a second I was actually wanting to see Gate City turn their football program around and win some games. Thanks for snapping me out of that!

This is either Jimbo or Jimbo.

Abingdon by 17, maybe 24. Battle has a new coach and the Mountain District is not too kind to rookie coaches unless they have superior talent.

Should have kept Wheeler. He had that program headed in the right direction.

This is a myth that has been bought into by most high school coaches. A team is more successful with athletes who play multiple sports as opposed to a roster of players who specialize in only one sport. A majority of colleges prefer that their recruits play multiple sports and any high school coach encouraging their players to focus only one is doing a disservice to their players and the school.

Young and small is not the formula for "better than we think".

Scoreboard looks good, turf looks horrible. Hopefully they don't practice on it and give the grass more time to grow. I'm always amazed at how run down they let high school facilities get before they do work to them. The bleachers in those pics don't look like they've been pressure washed in over 10 years.

Big sigh of relief that you are not in the education system...