sixcat

You don't know what you don't know! You're still stuck on size. A 6'-0" guard with a 6'-0" wingspan trying to defend a 6'-3" guard with a 6'-7" wingspan is a mismatch. Horton is not a center! Guard him with your center, he will blow past them. Guard him with your guards, he will play over them. Radford struggled the three times I saw them attempt to match up to that very scenario. Gate City has three of those players!

Carroll was a 3 win team in a relatively weak district that played a ridiculously weak schedule. They lead Radford twice for 3 quarters. I get the whole "woulda, coulda, shoulda" argument but the point remains (and seemingly skipped right over your head) Radford struggled mightily, twice, against a 3 win team because they couldn't control the length of Adam Horton. Length and size are two distinctly different things on a basketball court!

I have attended three Radford games this season. All three games they struggled to contain length. Wes Ayers from Grayson and twice against Adam Horton from Carroll. In all honesty, Carroll should have won both games against Radford. They led the vast majority of both games. I agree Radford will defend and keep the game close but I think they will struggle again with the length of McClung and Ervin. I'm not a fan of either program. This is just my honest, unbiased observation after seeing both teams play on several occasions.

It was. Although the result should be considered an upset, it’s certainly no fluke. Rocky River star Jaden Springer has been playing the game at a ridiculous level all over the world as a member of USA Basketball. He is also high on Virgina Tech as a potential college home.

A dunk is still worth 2 points. Doesn’t help much when you’re trailing by 15 late! Just saying!

If Galax can limit turnovers and knock down shots, I think the PM game will be much closer than the experts think. Galax isn't deep but this group can flat out play.

I found the article to be one of the more unbiased pieces from an outlet known for its liberal bias. I recently read two Pew Research Center articles. One cited US media bias as being among the worst in the world. I'm certainly not surprised. It seems factual accuracy has given way to shock and awe, regardless of political leaning. The other ranked US based media outlets in terms of biased reporting. I was surprised CNN was found to be the least biased media outlet in the US. I shouldn't be so surprised, though. The center has gotten so blurred in recent years, anything down the middle has a feel of bias depending on the readers political leanings. Rather interesting research from an organization known the world over for its unbiased, fair assessment of government.

Galax girls are blistering Covington 28-0 after a quarter.

Long time Galax basketball coach Verl Brown announced his retirement after Galax lost the Region 1C quarterfinal to Parry McClure. I didn't attend Galax schools so, I didn't have the pleasure of playing for him. My brother and I competed against him and always respected his leadership and dedication to his kids. And make no mistake, each and every kid that has came through the Galax school system over the past 35 years are his kids! He has devoted his life to making this community a better place for all of us. I can only hope he remains a fixture and enjoys his retirement! Thanks coach!

Skipping class to post ridiculousness online isn't serving your best interests! Is your homeroom teacher sick today?

A Grayson parent in my office suggested they will be suffering through the rest of the season. They have several cases of Mono.

The MED, and several other districts, settle potential ties with a pre-season con flip. I'm not sure why but feel certain weather often plays a role as Grayson often struggles to get all weather delayed games made up anyway. I was at the Chance Harmon. If Radford (or anyone else for that matter) base anything on what Gate City showed, they are playing right into the hands of Gate City. GC didn't need to show anything. Floyd is weak at best. Why show your hand in a game that wasn't in doubt before it even began? The other side of that coin, Radford struggled mightily to contain Ayers in the Grayson game and Adam Horton in two games against Carroll. Both Carroll games were very close and should concern anyone viewing Radford without rose-colored glasses. Carroll won 3 games all season and Radford needed late heroics by Morton-Robertson to pull out wins. Carroll actually lead the majority of both games, had the lead at halftime in both games and exposed Radford's weakness for not being able to contain length. Something Gate City has in spades.

To be fair, George Wythe won the MED on a coin flip. But you're right, I don't see Grayson beating either Gate City or Graham. Grayson is very good and would be competitive on a regional and state level in most years but this isn't "most years". Gate City and Graham are exceptionally talented. As I said in another thread, Grayson gave Radford all it wanted and then some. Wes Ayers had 21 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals. If Radford thinks it had a tough night guarding Ayers, wait till they see McClung, Ervin and Dean. In my opinion and from what I've seen, Graham and Gate City both would beat Radford handily.

Fixed the above message for myself!

The conference Wells is going into had 5 of 8 6 of 8 schools reach the state tournament last season in football. Three of those five six schools reached the state final-4. The I-Meck-8 conference is the toughest single conference in all of North Carolina regardless of sport, and that's saying something. Moorseville is the smallest of the 8 schools at nearly 1,800 students. My brothers kids go to one of those schools, Hough. I've been to a lot of athletic events through the years with him. I love high school athletics in SWVA, but there is no comparison to what you see down there.

Not baseball but if anyone gets an opportunity to watch Sydney Nester from Carroll pitch, she is phenomenal. She is 55-2 with an ERA of 0.55, 725 strikeouts and 67 walks through 3 seasons. She committed to NC State following her sophomore season. Carroll won the 4A state title in 2015 behind her pitching. They have lost extra inning games each of the past two seasons to northern Virginia teams in the state tournament.

Ahh, the smurf track! Moorseville has a distinctive field, to say the least. Mooresville is growing like gangbusters. My brother lives in Cornelius. As the areas closer to Charlotte run out of available space, the population keeps spreading further out.

An interesting insight into the Galax girls basketball program. http://www.virginiafirst.com/sports/local-sports/takin-it-courtsidegalax-girls-basketball/968719931

McClung isn’t a top 20 point guard by any recruiting service, much less a top 20 player. Both ESPN and Rivals has him unranked nationally and 49th by position. 24/7 has him 44th by position and 234 nationally. He is ranked #9 in Virginia, a state notoriously weak in producing basketball talent beyond the top 2 or 3 players in the state. Honest opinion and assessment doesn’t mean anyone is taking shots at this kid.

(3) He doesn't fit anything Buzz Williams wants to do on the floor at either guard spot. Buzz needs someone to control the basketball, control tempo, and lock down the opposing PG in order for his teams to play the way he wants to play. I'm not sure McClung can do any of that with an ACC schedule, especially the way Buzz wants it done. (4) Virginia Tech already has commitments from Landers Nolley, Jarren McAllister, and Jon Kabongo. All three fit what Buzz wants to do and are ranked higher than McClung by ever recruiting ranking service. I've seen McAllister and Kabongo play. Buzz is significantly improving PG play with those two commitments. I am not taking shots at McClung before anyone makes an irrational claim. He just doesn't fit anything Virginia Tech wants to do on the basketball court.

Kind of a skewed statistic but very interesting. California had more kids participate in high school baseball than Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina combined, yet all three states have a higher percentage than California being actively recruited.

I have seen Gate City and Radford as well. I watched Radford struggle mightily to contain Wes Ayers from Grayson, who finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, 6 steals and 5 assists. Wes is long, lean, athletic and aggressive. I would imagine after watching that game, Radford will need to figure something out before trying to defend three players better than Ayers in McClung, Ervin and Dean.

Winchester City ordinance doesn't allow for lighting in most zoning categories. Shopping centers and large parking lots are allowed to have lighting but they can't be over 35 feet tall and must point directly downward with minimal "ray". The city also has a strict 45 foot limit on the height of buildings from grade. The pretentiousness of NOVA never fails to disappoint.

Tanner McPherson is also a very good WR and basketball player. He is the son of the varsity football coach.

Wes Ayers at Grayson County is the best player in the MED. He is averaging 19 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists per game.