FBDevotee 34 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 Traditionally, SWVA's Lonesome Pine District Schools offer the very best in championship caliber highschool football. The 2005 season will see that tradition continue. Three teams, Gate City, Powell Valley, and J.I.Burton, begin the year with legitimate state title aspirations. Here is my brief preview and predictions. First, projected order of finish. 1. Powell Valley 2. Gate City 3. J.I.Burton 4. Clintwood 5. Appalachia 6. J.J.Kelly 7. Pound 8. Coeburn Powell Valley lost a large group of quality seniors to graduation but have an even larger group of young and talented players as replacements. 80 boys showed up for the first day of practice. Skill, size, and speed is abundant. Mix that with one of the top high school football coaches in the country and it will produce success. Gate City is in a very similar situation. 65 hard hitting farm boys showed up to take the place of a group of accomplished seniors. The LPD title game will be played when the Blue Devils visit Bullitt Park in November. If the game was played during September, I'd pick Gate City. J.I.Burton is loaded with speedy and crafty veterans who know what it is like to play for a state title. Never underestimate the value of experience. The Appy and JIB game will be fun early in the year but the Bulldogs are still too young collectively. Clintwood would win the Cumberland District this season and may play in more close football games than any team in our area. The other three schools are likely to be more competitive than last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89bluedevil 10 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 Farm boys? I'm hurt. Sullivan North used to chant that at us back in the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FBDevotee 34 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 I used farm boys to imply big and strong. Size and strength remain characteristics of Blue Devil football teams. Recently, LPD teams other than Powell Valley and Gate City, have lacked the size and power needed to compete for a state title. Most LPD teams have sufficient speed and all LPD teams have sufficient heart to be state champions - but the boys in blue usually have the bulk as well. I've heard that both PV and GC will likely have 300+ pound tackles on their lines again this season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89bluedevil 10 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 Didn't get to see Powell Valley play last year, but did make it to a couple GC games and was impressed with the size of a lot of the players. Just kidding around about the farm boy thing anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GC_Quincy 582 Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 Um, you might've heard wrong.....lol. We have a transfer from Miami that's over 300lbs, but that's it size wise. We should be quicker all the way around though. As for Powell Valley, we'll worry about that bridge when we come to it. I don't understand why you'd pick Gate City in September, but not in October, but that's your opinion and you're entitled to it. The last four games will be tough, with Clintwood, PV, Appy, and Burton. Not to mention the season opening game with Richlands and Virginia High is back on our schedule. We're not used to having that many players show up, and from what I understand with the little league numbers growing as well this could be the norm in GC for years to come. It's good to see high school kids show up in number like that when they could very easily be at home on the computer or playstation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89bluedevil 10 Report Share Posted August 6, 2005 Since I've started coming to games in the last couple of years, my girlfriend who went to school at Daniel Boone in Gray was always amazed at the number of players on the football team. She was also amazed at how the GC fans travel. There is a lot to be said for the tradition of Gate City football that makes young kids want to play when they get old enough. I would say you're probably right about the number of players in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GC_Quincy 582 Report Share Posted August 6, 2005 I need to apologize to ya FB. After watching Gate City's blue and white game this morning, they are by no means as small as what I had heard. There are some horses on that line, and very little fat on them. You can tell your informer that he's a pretty intelligent cookie.....lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballbreaker 10 Report Share Posted August 6, 2005 If i was a betting man i would put my money on gc this year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FBDevotee 34 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2005 I saw my first Gate City football game in 1970. They had a great team that year and made a big time first impression! Through the years, the speed factor has varied from year to year on Blue Devil teams and some years they have been a bit too slow to be champions. But they have always had the size and power. Hard working blue collar & always with class. This season I think team speed will again be the limiting factor. I think that early in the season, Gate City will field the best LPD team but later on I look for Powell Valley to overtake them. My main reason is the critical QB position. Gate City has a senior in Price that is solid but I do not look for great things from him. Powell Valley has a young gun named Mitchell that I feel will be a star player. But he is only a Soph. If he gets his legs under him by playoff time, PV could make another playoff run this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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