Article about Bluefield and Richlands by BDT

[beaverbaseball 10]

http://www.bdtonline.com/articles/2005/11/29/sports/03tuehypes.txt

 

Column: Beavers, Blue Tornado serve up special seasons

Posted: Tuesday, Nov 29, 2005 - 12:45:05 am EST

By LARRY HYPES

Bluefield Daily Telegraph

 

 

 

 

Believing in the Bluefield Beavers is usually easy enough. According to the radio introduction for BHS football, Bluefield has posted 58 winning seasons, more than 500 total victories, 8 state championships, and now four straight appearances in the state title game including the 2005 showdown.

 

Tom Bone's article highlighting the Bluefield coaches was right on target. Fred Simon and his assistants including Tony Webster, Mike Craighead, Randy Albert, Bill Albert, Pete Sarver and Freddy Simon Jr., have done a remarkable job - and certainly not just during the current campaign.

 

Bluefield is the defending state champion, after all, and now returns to Wheeling for another game with Weir. These two played a classic game last year and now Weir (12-1) is fourth-ranked while Bluefield comes in as the underdog at no. 11.

 

That certainly takes the pressure off and hopefully BHS will come away with the victory.

 

 

 

I seem to recall Bob Redd saying that Bluefield switched to “AA†ranking in 1994 and during the past 11 years have been in the state finals six times. That surely does speak volumes about not only the parade of talent which has come through the school but also the fine coaching job turned in by the Bluefield staff. Coach Simon seems to consistently find ways to make the Beavers exciting and competitive.

 

Although I cover Virginia-side sports and seldom get to see the Beavers except on the radio, I admire their success which has set the standard for many years in the area. This current group was not supposed to be playing in December, according to the experts.

 

That is simply one more reason to be proud of the '05 team and coaches, and those loyal fans who support them all year long.

 

Richlands is only two steps away from a second state championship with Liberty-Bedford coming to Ernie Hicks Stadium Friday. Greg Mance's Tornado played one of its toughest games this past week against a Graham G-Men squad that did everything except win.

 

It will go down as one of the great games in the long history between these two Tazewell County rivals.

 

The Blue Tornado (12-0) has been ranked first in the state all season and this week will mark the final time RHS will play at home, no matter what, since the state finals will be in Lynchburg. Bedford (11-1) was also a top seed in its regional final and will be a tough opponent.

 

Greg Mance and his staff deserve high praise for their work. Richlands was supposed to be rebuilding but the Blues have spent the season dismantling their opponents.

 

The RHS players are a talented unit but talent is never enough. It is obvious they work well together on and off the field.

 

One step at a time is the rule but the Blues have already taken several giant strides in 2005.

 

Larry Hypes is a columnist for the Bluefield Daily Telegraph.

[buzzsawBeaver 12]

they should have the facts though, '95, '97, '99, and these 4 equal 7 title games since bluefield's been in aa.

[total 12]

95 vs Mussellman

97 vs Grafton

99 vs Wyoming East

02 vs Poca

03 vs Poca

04 vs Wayne

05 vs Weir

 

 

[total 12]

and just my curiosity, because i can't remember... but what happened on those other years? i remember losing to East Bank in the Semi's of 96, and i don't think we made the playoffs in 01... what happened in 98 and 00? and before '95... we lost in the AAA first round to Hedgesville in '91 (garbage), lost in the AAA quarter finals to Capital in '92 (GARBAGE), didn't make the playoffs in '93, and lost to Ritchie in the AA quarter finals in '94.

[buzzsawBeaver 12]

'98 I don't know, they had amaker and some others from the '97 team, but didn't even make the playoffs, in '00 they were just out of the plyaoffs if I recall, and I thought they had a better team than their record indicated but they had a really h,ard schedule and started 1 - 3, after graham, princeton pulaski and beckley were all really strong that season, not certain they ever really were on track after that. In my opinion had they earned the playoffs they could have advanced 2nd or 3rd round with that team.

0-1 was the 2 - 8 season with a lot of sophomores and a lot of the '04 players playing as freshmen.

[blufan04 12]

Bluefield went 4-6 in 1998.

[Sources 10]

The strength of schedule killed us in 2000, where we went 4-6. The first few games were against Graham (went to the state title game the following year), Princeton (made it all the way to the semi-finals that year, upsetting University along the way if I remember), Pulaski County (nothing needs to be said here), and Beckley (very good team that year with Mike Ross and Nate Manns).