Widespread_Panic

All coaches defend their players. Most do it from their own box though.

I've seen Vermillion come way out of his coaching box many games. I don't think he's innocent in all of this.

Union beat South. South beat Battle by 30. Battle is not in the mix for top 3. Two things are certain: Gate City finishes first and Abingdon finishes last.

Of course he applied. No one else will touch the guy and rightly so. He's got 0 options.

Outside of Gate City the Mountain is going to struggle to do much in the postseason. Wise and Union might be decent but it drops off real quick after that.

TN High is really bad. Wait until they play someone decent to get a better gauge on Gate City.

If they can't beat Northwood they are finishing last in the Mountain.

4? Holston had a losing record the previous 4 years and got bounced in the first round of the playoffs. Battle also bounced in the first round of the playoffs and finished with a losing record. Abingdon got blown out in their 3A playoff game 63-27. Might be time to set the bar a little higher.

Considering J.J. Kelly had averaged 1 win a year for the previous 4 years before he arrived and then making 3 playoff appearances after his arrival is not bad.

That’s great but coaches are measured on wins and losses not on hugs and telling kids everything is going to be alright.

Kevin Saunders would disagree.

Big difference in who these teams have played during the season. LB has been beating 3A & 4A schools. Abingdon will get rolled in this one.

It's gonna take a lot of patience. After these two applicants what successful coach with experience would be remotely interested in the Gate City job? It's a basketball school, they play the toughest out of district schedule in SWVA, their AD seems clueless, youth program participation is poor and they are in a conference with 2 traditional powers plus a decent 3A school. The only glimmer of hope they have is that Sullivan County consolidation provides an influx of football players. This program is nowhere what it used to be.

Wise Central was coached by Darren Reed 5 years ago. According to this board they automatically win and he deserves all the credit!

Then maybe don't talk trash about Abingdon when your own program can't win more than 2 games.

Must be working considering they've beaten Gate City the last few years...

Are we talking about the same guy who cussed his players, denied doing it, and was cussing them on a school bus video? And the same guy that yelled and demeaned injured players and the athletic trainer at practice? And the same guy who threatened to expose his principal in the press and accused his AD being addicted to drugs only to change his story later on? Yes, that guy will be an excellent hire and will be available for coaching for the rest of his life because no other school system with any common sense will ever hire him.

So there is a worse candidate out there than Darren Reed. Senseabaugh would not only ruin the football team but also the community.

Won't know until the playoffs. Good coaches win the big games.

The talent is there but it's on the basketball court. Take McClung and Ervin and put them on the football field with what is already out there and that team is easily 5-5. Gate City will need a recruiter who can sell kids on coming out for football and not focusing on one sport.

Wise Central usually hosts a bigger one at UVA-Wise that features several SWVA teams and goes all day long for the basketball junkie.

Northwood is open. I think he will either have to take a coordinator job or a HC job at a less prestigious school.

Thomas, Julius, Heath, Josh, and Justin all played 3 sports in high school. If McClung had played football all 4 years he would have still received offers in basketball and Akers might still have a job.

This is one of the worst misconceptions out there in youth sports today. Devoting time to just one sport year round is not making players any better. I'd take an athlete from the 80s who played the big 3 sports over any kid today who focuses on just one.

Amazing how teams win when he leaves a program.