Great City

I dug a little deeper. The original Arby's fields did not contain the talent the later years had. During the last 10 years......only 6 local teams have placed in the top 6 spots: 2010 Tennessee High 6th, 2012 Science Hill 6th, 2015 David Crockett 4th, 2017 Dobyns Bennett 5th & Gate City 6th, and 2018 Dobyns Bennett 6th. (I looked through the lists quickly. Could have missed one.)

Just took a quick look at the Arby's site. Did not search for complete brackets. Just looked at the top 6 places. 1983 Pulaski County won it all, and VA High finished 6th. 1984 Pulaski County was runner-up. 1987 Roanoke Patrick Henry won it all. 1988 Roanoke Patrick Henry finished second. 2017 Gate City finished 6th.

........and when I program like OSU (although I am not a fan) shows you the love, other teams take note. Could start an avalanche of offers.

To offer a slightly different perspective: Having 23 players on a 1A team and having 23 players on a 3A team are two different animals. On a 1A team the opposing team may have around 25-35 players. Your 3A opponent may have around 55-65 players. *Totally made up those numbers for comparison.

Week 1 was a great first step for the program. Most knowledgeable GC fans will tell you that we still have a long way to go. Our biggest hindrance will be our lack of depth. Is very difficult for a team of 30'ish to compete with a team of 50'ish. You have kids playing both ways, and they tire toward the latter stages of the games. This leads to an increased risk of injury, and a couple of injuries can ruin your season when you have low numbers. Fatigued kids are slower. The RB they could contain early in the game, easily makes it outside in the 4th quarter. We should be able to play with a lot of teams early in the games. The key will be how we play in the 4th quarters. I think 5 wins would be great for this team. Get a few wins, and start building more excitement for the program. More excitement will hopefully lead to more kids wanting to play.

I hear you Ryan. We GC fans have been having the same thoughts for years. Good luck going forward.

GC will not be able to consistently compete with a roster of 33 players. Unfortunately it is going to take some time.

Even more old school than most people realize. If you will look at the base of the uprights, you can see that a pipe has been placed over them. Original uprights were very short. When teams started kicking extra points and field goals, the uprights had to be made taller. ………..at least that is what I have been told.

The issue you have is a lot of people from Scott County who work in TN........move to TN so they do not pay a state income tax. Gate City is close to Kingsport/Eastman, but we lose families to TN all the time.

Well...…….is anyone going to enlighten the rest of us?

Good move by Ervin. He is an intelligent young man.....valedictorian level intelligence.

Gate City Sports Radio Gate City (25-3) vs. Radford (28-0) 7 p.m., Pulaski County High School The Skinny: Gate City is two wins away from its second straight state title, but a tough task awaits the Blue Devils on Tuesday night. … Radford is 55-1 over the past two seasons. The only loss in that span was a 67-48 setback to Gate City in last year’s state quarterfinals. … Radford has played just one game this season decided by single digits and that was a 59-56 victory over Northside, which won the Region 3D title and plays Cave Spring in a Class 3 state semifinal tonight. … “Radford has proven to be a state power for years and Coach [Rick] Cormany’s a wizard,” said Gate City boss Scott Vermillion. “He knows how to coach, I tell you that. His teams are really good and their players are really good. It’s going to be a challenge. They probably know us as well as anybody and we probably know them as well as anybody. It should be a good high school basketball game.” … Gate City grabbed a 47-41 state quarterfinal win over Martinsville, while Radford advanced with a 66-51 triumph over Graham. “Graham was a difficult game for us,” Cormany said. “They had a great game plan going into the game and besides [Cam] Allen and [Drew] Baker, the freshman [David] Graves had a super game.” … Gate City has not lost to a team from Virginia this year. The only setbacks were to Dobyns-Bennett and Cleveland from Tennessee and Wenonah from Birmingham, Alabama. Wenonah won the Alabama Class 5A state title on Saturday with a 52-34 win over Center Point, while D-B and Cleveland played in TSSAA substate games Monday night. … Gate City also has a win over TSSAA Region 1-AA champion Greeneville. … Gate City has reached the VHSL final four for the third time in four seasons and 10th time in program history. The Blue Devils are 5-4 all-time in state semifinal games. They won semifinal contests in 2018, 2013, 2008, 2007 and 1999 en route to the state finals. … Radford won state titles in 1949, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2017. The Bobcats beat Gate City in the 2013 state championship game. … Gate City senior Zac Ervin has scored 2,316 career points, while Bradley Dean has 1,349 career points. … This might be the most highly-anticipated game on the state semifinal docket. “Should be a great atmosphere with two good teams getting after it,” Cormany said. Up Next: Either East Rockingham or Goochland will play the winner on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.

Expoaeitall…………..I love it how you tell everyone to "put the past in the past", and then continue to type one of the longest posts in this board's history. Plus, you then talk about doing some investigation and make several calls. Not exactly leaving it in the past. You appear to not want to give some posts on this board any validity because they contain things that were being told second hand, but pretty much everything you cite you were told is second hand. Classic. "One person said it was said in the locker room before the game, which that can’t be believed because opposing teams don’t go in each other’s locker room" Hey...…..I think that was me. Never said it was a GC team member in the locker room. Actually, don't think I ever said they person who said that about Wise was in the locker room. Believe I said it was overheard when Wise was in their locker room. Is your misquote of me an example of your objective investigation? Love it. Also pretty cool how your "objective" investigation lists 4 negative things about GC. Fair and balanced...…...right? How about you talk to some fans from Union and see what their thoughts are on the Central basketball team? Maybe check with some other teams also? Just maybe you will find out that there are other teams that have some issues with Central. Go to some games and make up you own mind. Until then you are just repeating things you were told, and incorporating your own spin. Back to the game...…...if GC plays like they did against Lebanon, we will lose by 15+. Hope both teams play their best, and it is a good, clean game. Safe travels to everyone making the trip.

Hey.........then don't rely on the opinions of others. Come to a GC game and let us know what you think. Our fans are loud, and you may hear "fire up the bus", but it is not a bad crowd. Actually...........come to the next GC-Central game and judge for yourself.

I meant any GC home, basketball game.

Really? I thought the first push alone was terrible. I agree. Should have been ejected on the spot.

Not sure where to begin. You are never going to have any real "evidence" on what was said by who.......unless you have a recording. Everything else will be hearsay, and will be subject to being manipulated by human nature. You are talking about two games played in different season. Think that might contribute to part of the confusion. The following is all about last season. Thought I read a post on here where someone said they heard young McAmis say something in the hall at halftime about not letting Mac dunk the rest of the game. Am very open to being wrong about that. That would be first-hand evidence of at least the Central team trying to not let Mac dunk. If you look at the video of Mac being fouled......it sure looks like they are trying to "take him out" and not let him dunk. It is way more than a good, clean, hard foul. This would have been season before last. During that season I was at a GC-Central game being played at GC. A kid, who was in middle school at GC at the time, came and spoke to her mother who was seated beside me. She said that the Central team and coaches were talking and the kids were told to "take Mac out" and not let him dunk on them. Now granted the "take Mac out" phrase is from the young girl. No idea if that is what was actually said. I just know that she used those words. So.......during the same season you have someone saying they heard that Central was going to "take Mac out" and not let him dunk, you have pretty clear video evidence of two kids trying to do just that, and you have (I think) young McAmis saying they were going to not let Mac dunk. Kind of shows a pattern. Right? Is not just a heat of the moment action. But you are correct.......there will never be any real proof. This season: I was not at the last GC-Central game. I think if you were not there, it is real hard for you to make any meaningful comments on the game, so I have kept my comments to a minimum. I have known Scotty since he was born. Based solely on knowing him....I feel very confident in saying that he did not instruct one of his players to try and hurt an opposing player. Granted I was not there, and was not privy to any of the conversations he had with his team. Exposeitall..............have you ever been to a game at GC? Just curious to hear your opinions on how it went?

I also find it very hard to believe that a "coach" would instruct his players to do something like that. However, when you take a look at the video of Mac being fouled, it is hard to argue that what you see are good, clean fouls.

I think some of the confusion stems from different people talking about different GC-Central games. Long history of conflict between these two programs. Not a chance Scotty asked Dean to throw an elbow. Very possible he said something along the lines of don't let them push you around, like I believe all coaches would do. Probably not a basketball coach in the state that would tell his/her team to let the other team push you around. Central's game plan against GC has always been to be overly physical. Is not a bad plan if you are facing a better team. Try to get the other team out of rhythm, and get them to lose their cool. Central has just always taken it a little too far. (Believe that is a big reason Zac did not get any minutes the last game. Scotty did not want to take the chance of him getting hurt in a game that was essentially meaningless.) One of the problems with taking it too far is your team ends up in foul trouble, and GC shoots a lot of free throws. Not a good thing for the other team since we shoot over 70% as a team. Another problem is that you purposefully turn the game into a mauling. These are high school kids. If a team decides to use those tactics, there are going to be consequences/injuries. NOT excusing anyone's behavior. Just saying it is inevitable. Officials have to take control of the GC-Central games early and not let them get out of hand. Unfortunately, that has not happened. It really is not as complicated as a Springer show. Fairly simple. Central is 0-18 (I believe) all time against GC. The last few years their tactic has been to be overly physical. Multiple people saying one Central team was instructed to not let Mac dunk, and to "take him out". When those two teams take the floor, tensions are already high. High School kids are not exactly known for keeping their emotions in check. Add all of that up and you get some examples of not very pretty basketball.

From a GC fan...........that type of behavior should not be tolerated. To me it looks like a heat of the moment act, but it still should be addressed.

Yeah......you really just have to watch this video to see what the current state of the Central basketball program is all about. Do not see how you can watch this and argue, with a straight face, that the game plan was not to “take Mac out”. Video also shows why there is so much friction between GC and Central.

Not so fast my friend......... What some people on this board may have forgotten is that BEFORE the game in question had even started, the Central coaches were talking to the team in the locker room. Part of their game plan was to "take Mac out" if he tried to dunk on them. I was at that game. Was told that information before the game started. Tensions were obviously high. Then............you saw what happened when Mac went up to shoot. You are living in a fantasy world if you believe "that" coach's attitude/beliefs do not extend to his team. Not sure the Central - GC relationship in basketball will ever get better as long as McAmis is on the bench. I also know our fan base.....we can be kind of.........uh.........fanatical at times. Hate it for the Central kids. They have potential, but the coach dampens it. It is not just GC that has issues with that particular Central team. It seems when that team gets down in a game, questionable tactics pop up. That deterioration of behavior is directly caused by the coaching staff. Hope Richlands does not get to experience it first hand.

Believe this is the best compilation video I have seen https://twitter.com/bluedevilslive/status/1095097592801882113?s=21

As a life-long GC fan, I am very confused as to how I should react to this post. Maybe Who? can help me? Since this is a basketball thread, assume my response should be based on basketball. 1. Well...…..we are pretty good. Even after losing one of the two best players in the Region, we are still a pretty good team. So...…..not sure if I should be arrogant and tell Who? to take off the letterman jacket he bought at Goodwill and take a long look at himself in the mirror. 2. I have no issues with the way Scottie is coaching...…...dang it. Do not guess I can reply blaming the coaches. 3. Hmmm...…...think it is pretty obvious we are not as good as we were last year, and not as good as we were at the beginning of this year. Really.....only one 2A team will win at "the end". Everyone else will lose. I do not think we will repeat as champions, so I guess we will be losers at the end. So...……...should my response be...………….(See what I did there? Silence.) Who?...….please help me. I am so confused.