mitchell stadium from a salem fan.

[JamesL_CcLB34 10]

[ QUOTE ]

WOW! You guys are really incredible!!! And NO Richlands would NOT "Demolish" Salem every year... Salem very rarely loses to ANY TEAM! I think some of you are so hung up on the "Beaver Tradition" you think you can play with anyone based on that alone.

 

[/ QUOTE ]

BigD is right now maybe not this year because i think salem didnt have as good of a year as usual but they could beat richlands most years i'm sure...and have any of you bluefield guys even seen salem play??

[knightsfan3 27]

You can't always guarantee that a school that has considerably larger enrollment numbers than another automatically guarantees the bigger school would win in football,or any other sport if the 2 schools being compared were to play. An advantage in quantity doesn't always guarantee that a certain school would have an advante in the quality of athletes. This may not be the case when comparing Bluefield and Salem,but I do recall a few years ago Bluefield beating Martinsburg which is double the size of bluefield basically.

[Sources 10]

Some of these opinions are getting out of hand. Seriously.

[CPF 417]

[ QUOTE ]

"I think some of you are so hung up on the "Beaver Tradition" you think you can play with anyone based on that alone."

 

traditon is something to be proud of and enjoyed but doesn't earn victories in games, but the fact is the caliber of the stronger teams bluefield has every few years can or could compete with any va aa team in any of those respective seasons..... so it isn't the tradition it's the facts...

 

[/ QUOTE ]

 

And those facts are this, back in the 80's,70's,60's, and 50's that may be true but today in 2007 Bluefield High School could not beat Salem even half the time. Graham and Richlands are two perfect examples. Graham has beaten them once, in 1990. We couldn't even beat them in 1989. We came close in 93, but the rest of the time we have gotten smoked. Richlands has faired OK against them winning in 92 at home, and losing at home in 2004. Truth is you might be able to beat Salem, like Graham and Richlands if you have an exceptional team and Salem is down a little(for them), but year in an year out, you don't have the talent or coaching to hang with the Spartans.

[CPF 417]

[ QUOTE ]

You can't always guarantee that a school that has considerably larger enrollment numbers than another automatically guarantees the bigger school would win in football,or any other sport if the 2 schools being compared were to play. An advantage in quantity doesn't always guarantee that a certain school would have an advante in the quality of athletes. This may not be the case when comparing Bluefield and Salem,but I do recall a few years ago Bluefield beating Martinsburg which is double the size of bluefield basically.

 

[/ QUOTE ]

 

But you forgot to mention that Bluefield team was probably one of the best two teams at Bluefield High School in probably 35 years.

[beano5 14]

so back to my original question..how many championships does each team have?

[GMan 3,569]

[ QUOTE ]

so back to my original question..how many championships does each team have?

 

[/ QUOTE ]

 

<Valley accent>Like, I'm not sure, but, like, I think, like, both teams have won, like, a brazillion Championships in, like, all sports...like...totally...for sure...</Valley accent>

 

 

Some of you puppies might not get it....

[KINGPIN 10]

[buzzsawBeaver 12]

'04's salem team wasn't down, they earned the aa title in va., yet martinsburg was the only team to basically annhilate basset, who competed well in those aa playoffs.

It's not simply bluefield that would benefit from salem being down here and there, seems salem would benefit from bluefield's '05 or '06 caliber seasons as well would they not?

 

 

"But you forgot to mention that Bluefield team was probably one of the best two teams at Bluefield High School in probably 35 years."

 

But they weren't. That was a strong group of players which fielded 2 teams of that caliber, '03 and '04, '03 was likely stronger and more talented, likley they would have earned the title in '03 as well if it weren't for the wheeling island stadium.

Since the '70s, bluefield has never had a 5 year span without an outstanding group of players such as the '03 '04 group.

 

 

In the '90's bluefield had exceptional teams in '92, '96, '97 and '99, with the '91 and '95 teams having a lot of those players on them and they had formidable teams, but more youthful.

But particularly '92, '96 and '97 were in my opinion stronger than '03 or '04.

You won't convince me that at least 5 bluefield teams in the '90s wouldn't have been a tall order for any aa team in va, and that is competing. It's an opinion, but 1 that I could argue well.

 

graham and richlands might not have faired as well against salem, but then with all due respect in the bigger scheme bluefield has been a stronger program.

Maybe salem does defeat bluefield 3 games to 2 in "most" 5 season spans, maybe in another here and there such as the '90s, bluefield 3 - 2. But again overall that would amount to a "competitve series, which is all I'm arguing potential wise."

I'm not at all suggesting bluefield's program is stronger presently. In my opinion it is better than some credit it for being, it's easy to put that behind based on the more recent seasons.

Again though this is a series or game that will likely never happen.

[CPF 417]

[ QUOTE ]

'04's salem team wasn't down, they earned the aa title in va., yet martinsburg was the only team to basically annhilate basset, who competed well in those aa playoffs.

It's not simply bluefield that would benefit from salem being down here and there, seems salem would benefit from bluefield's '05 or '06 caliber seasons as well would they not?

 

I strongly disagree with you which teams were stronger at BHS. You have blinders on because you are a fan of that particular team. The 04 BHS team as well as the 01 Graham, 06 Richlands,98 Salem,89 Graham, and 97 Bluefield teams are probably the best I have saw in the last 35 years. No way any of those other Beaver teams could have beaten that bunch. If they would have, you'd have won the state in 02 and 03 as well. As for Salem, while Bluefield has a great AA program, Salem is at another level. Bluefield might beat them twice if they played in a 10 year stretch. Sorry, but all the speed you have is matched and then some. Plus your offensive coaching is not up to par with Salem. Mags would eat those Beaver defenses alive. As he would with every other school in SWVA. I watched him exploit Richlands defense time and again with the Hariston kid, and there was nothing the Blues could do about it. What makes you think Beaver could stop him? The guy is on another level as a play caller.And by the way, don't blame the field on Bluefield losing that state title game, Poca played on the same field. But Bluefield learned a valuable lesson and destroyed Wayne on that field a year later. Sometimes you must learn how to lose before you can become a champion. Just ask Richlands.....

 

 

"But you forgot to mention that Bluefield team was probably one of the best two teams at Bluefield High School in probably 35 years."

 

But they weren't. That was a strong group of players which fielded 2 teams of that caliber, '03 and '04, '03 was likely stronger and more talented, likley they would have earned the title in '03 as well if it weren't for the wheeling island stadium.

Since the '70s, bluefield has never had a 5 year span without an outstanding group of players such as the '03 '04 group.

 

 

In the '90's bluefield had exceptional teams in '92, '96, '97 and '99, with the '91 and '95 teams having a lot of those players on them and they had formidable teams, but more youthful.

But particularly '92, '96 and '97 were in my opinion stronger than '03 or '04.

You won't convince me that at least 5 bluefield teams in the '90s wouldn't have been a tall order for any aa team in va, and that is competing. It's an opinion, but 1 that I could argue well.

 

graham and richlands might not have faired as well against salem, but then with all due respect in the bigger scheme bluefield has been a stronger program.

Maybe salem does defeat bluefield 3 games to 2 in "most" 5 season spans, maybe in another here and there such as the '90s, bluefield 3 - 2. But again overall that would amount to a "competitve series, which is all I'm arguing potential wise."

I'm not at all suggesting bluefield's program is stronger presently. In my opinion it is better than some credit it for being, it's easy to put that behind based on the more recent seasons.

Again though this is a series or game that will likely never happen.

 

[/ QUOTE ]

[BLU 10]

"But particularly '92, '96 and '97 were in my opinion stronger than '03 or '04."

 

I agree right there. good call.

[thundercloud 179]

I would be curious to know the size of school population during 92,96,97, compared to 03, and 04. Have to wonder, if since you think the earlier teams were stronger if population is working on Bluefield like most others in our part of the country or maybe that was just the years you were in school BLU.

[BLU 10]

Not sure, but looking at the graduating class over the years, there much the same. If anything I think population has increased from 94-98

[buzzsawBeaver 12]

I think it has decreased some, if i recall bluefield used to be around the 6th or so biggest aa team, and now are around 15th or 16th, but enrollment for aa varies slightly every few seasons and a few teams have moved in and out. But it's not as it has been with some teams who are always on the decline, teams that used to be aaa in the '90s and could actually be a sized schools within a decade.

Overall I don't think there's much difference, although actually the present graduating class if I'm correct was actually considerably bigger than more recent classes. That's what a friend who's daughter is graduating in '07 told me.

But this class seems to be an exception.

The big decrease was around the late '80s when they decreased from aaa size to aa size.

[buzzsawBeaver 12]

[ QUOTE ]

 

 

I strongly disagree with you which teams were stronger at BHS. You have blinders on because you are a fan of that particular team. The 04 BHS team as well as the 01 Graham, 06 Richlands,98 Salem,89 Graham, and 97 Bluefield teams are probably the best I have saw in the last 35 years. No way any of those other Beaver teams could have beaten that bunch. If they would have, you'd have won the state in 02 and 03 as well. As for Salem, while Bluefield has a great AA program, Salem is at another level. Bluefield might beat them twice if they played in a 10 year stretch. Sorry, but all the speed you have is matched and then some. Plus your offensive coaching is not up to par with Salem. Mags would eat those Beaver defenses alive. As he would with every other school in SWVA. I watched him exploit Richlands defense time and again with the Hariston kid, and there was nothing the Blues could do about it. What makes you think Beaver could stop him? The guy is on another level as a play caller.And by the way, don't blame the field on Bluefield losing that state title game, Poca played on the same field. But Bluefield learned a valuable lesson and destroyed Wayne on that field a year later. Sometimes you must learn how to lose before you can become a champion. Just ask Richlands.....

 

[/ QUOTE ]

 

I don't have any binders on at all, I graduated in '84 and don't have any connections to any bluefield teams since, those teams mentioned were simply strnger physically along the lines and on d than the '03 '04 group.

The '92 team itself was likely the most physically talented teams in bluefield's modern history.

What the '03 '04 group really had going for them was the fact that because of an unorthodox lack of upperclassmen in '01 and '02, they started with a lot of playing time as 9th and 10th graders, granted they wewre 2 - 8 in '-1, but that youth was a big reason and they leanred through the school of hard knocks and had a great attitude in '02.

Not to suggest they weren't a very talented group.

They also for the 1st time had an o coordinator who actually used a passing game and a wide open o, whereas the bluefield teams of the '90s were much more 1 demensional for 1 reason or another. they also had davis transfer back to bluefield in '04, after he had transfered to princeton in '02 and '03.

All in all that made for an exceptonal team, not denying that in the least, but physically they simply weren't as big or as strong and physically talented as some of the teams before.

'03, I do blame the field, of course poca played on that field, but read the topic on here about the differences in speed of teams in mud and on turf, i elaborated on that considerably. Maybe you don't agree, but that's factually the way it is.

I do agree a defeat 1 season makes for a stronger team than a victory does though.

I'm certain salem does have exceptional coaches, but that doesn't suggest that coach could simply outcoach every team every game. sometimes it's about that the other team can do and you simply can't dictate everything they way you're used to. In some season's salem might be as fast but I doubt that there's few that they're actually faster, unless they have "a lot" more minorities than they seemed to in the past. Maybe they do that though, not certain.

[1inStripes 935]

Theres one thing about it, most times when Graham defeated Bluefield, it probably wouldn't be close with Salem.

 

Also, if you lose to William Campbell, you wouldn't have a shot with Salem. Although WC is very good year in and year out for a A school, they are not on Salems level.

[thundercloud 179]

There's so much good football in the River Ridge, the SW VA and Southern WVA its sad not to see some of them mix it up.

Bluefield should at least invite Salem and Beckley, or the likes to there gridorama. When you put all that coaching and talent up againist each other somebody has to gain some knew knowlege somewhere.

[knightsfan3 27]

I don't see why Bluefield wouldn't welcome Salem to play in the grid-o-rama if the decision of who get's invited is basically the decision of Bluefield High School,but possibly the fact that it's sponsored by pocahontas coal leaves the decisions of who's invited up to them,and not Bluefield high school.

 

As for Beckley being invited the thing is that Bluefield and Mount View have tried to schedule them during the regular season,but they've stated they don't want to play against any school classified below AAA,and as long as they're a part of the MSAC they won't have to.

[bluefieldRocks 14]

Beckley is just scared of getting beat by a AA team. Thats it