Bluefield_Rules 46 Report Share Posted August 22, 2010 It seems since he has taken over the program the Graham faithful has grown less and less interested with each passing year. The build-up and hype for Beaver/Graham has gotten less and less during that time as well. This year, and last year, it seems the Graham folks aren't talking about beating Bluefield, but instead not wanting to get embarrassed. We are less than a week until kickoff and not one hint of a Beaver/Graham thread. It's truly sad that the most hyped and anticipated game in the region for decades has come to what it is today. Will anything short of Marrs stepping down as coach turn around Graham's program? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnhokie 10 Report Share Posted August 22, 2010 Coach Marrs's record against Bluefield is 3-3. How is this killing the rivalry? Talent comes in cycles. Graham has lots of talent in 6th-8th grade. As much as I loved Coach Carlock he had a very poor record against Bluefield. ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin 13 Report Share Posted August 22, 2010 Hasn't Bluefield won 75% of the games over the years between the two? Thats really not much of a rivalry to begin with other then the fact the schools are located so close together. I know the game is always packed with fans that don't come to another game all year. But the way Bluefield has dominated the series it really is hard to call it a great football rivalry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnhokie 10 Report Share Posted August 22, 2010 Bluefield has had a major advantage in enrollment over the years. For instance. in 1979 Bluefield graduated 330 and Graham around 140. Graham dominated Bluelfield that season. In the last few years the enrollments have gotten closer, although Bluefield has a major advantage in demographics. Not politically correct, but true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GetMoney55 11 Report Share Posted August 22, 2010 A major advantage in demographics? Are you serious? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluefield_Rules 46 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2010 Coach Marrs's record against Bluefield is 3-3. How is this killing the rivalry? Talent comes in cycles. Graham has lots of talent in 6th-8th grade. As much as I loved Coach Carlock he had a very poor record against Bluefield. ! Â What he has seemingly killed is the community's enthusiasm for the team and game itself. Several of the biggest Graham fans I know have shown little to no interest in the program since he took over. There is very little hype regarding "The Game" on Graham's end of the spectrum. Â And Graham has benefited multiple times from Bluefield's demographics b/c the amount of talent at Beaver has sent kids to Graham looking for playing time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPF 417 Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 It seems since he has taken over the program the Graham faithful has grown less and less interested with each passing year. The build-up and hype for Beaver/Graham has gotten less and less during that time as well. This year, and last year, it seems the Graham folks aren't talking about beating Bluefield, but instead not wanting to get embarrassed. We are less than a week until kickoff and not one hint of a Beaver/Graham thread. It's truly sad that the most hyped and anticipated game in the region for decades has come to what it is today. Will anything short of Marrs stepping down as coach turn around Graham's program? Â Â Â Â No. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blufan04 12 Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 All of the Graham fans I've talked to seem to have low expectations regarding this year's team. However I've been hearing good things about their backfield and the upcoming talent in the younger grades. Hopefully Graham will surprise us all and have a great season and many seasons to come! Then maybe the hype will be back to what it was. Â What makes this such a great rivalry is the fact that both schools are located in practically the same town separated by a state line. It's kind of like the childhood sibling rivalry. You want to beat your brother in just about everything which makes you play harder. And the fact that in most years this game is a dog fight regardless of the outcome. I honestly feel like Graham is just in a cycle right now and will be back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
player99 10 Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 Graham doesn't have the Bradshaws, Henrys, Graves, etc. Thats why the rivalry has died out. Not Coach Marrs doing. He does alot of the same stuff Coach Carlock did. And if the Graham fans aren't supporting then I don't guess you can really call them Graham fans then can you. A fan supports you no matter what the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blufan04 12 Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 And if the Graham fans aren't supporting then I don't guess you can really call them Graham fans then can you. A fan supports you no matter what the case. Â Community support is a major component to a team's success. A thing that Bluefield has really benefited from in the last several decades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futbolking 766 Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 What he has seemingly killed is the community's enthusiasm for the team and game itself. Several of the biggest Graham fans I know have shown little to no interest in the program since he took over. There is very little hype regarding "The Game" on Graham's end of the spectrum. And Graham has benefited multiple times from Bluefield's demographics b/c the amount of talent at Beaver has sent kids to Graham looking for playing time.  I agree with you 100 percent...You will not find a bigger Graham fan than me...I have not missed the Bluefield game for 36 years...I'mogoing, but for the first time, it may not be my first choice of how I would want to spend this coming friday night... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futbolking 766 Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 (edited) Graham doesn't have the Bradshaws, Henrys, Graves, etc. Thats why the rivalry has died out. Not Coach Marrs doing. He does alot of the same stuff Coach Carlock did. And if the Graham fans aren't supporting then I don't guess you can really call them Graham fans then can you. A fan supports you no matter what the case. Â I support the kids 100 percent... Â Â This rivalry was around WAY before the Bradshaw's, Henry's and Graves were even put on this earth.... Â Would you support the captain who's leading your ship into an iceberg? Edited August 23, 2010 by futbolking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frito gonzales 103 Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 People can blame Marrs all they want. I personally don't think it's his fault...although I do know there is another coach there that all the kids hate and don't like playing for. One kid with good talent has left because of this coach. This coach teaches things not many people have ever heard of like tackling high. He told several players last year that they better tackle Lilly up high if they want to bring him down. He tells the corners to never look back for the ball. This is why GHS football is suffering. Maybe things have changed & I just don't know it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falconman 44 Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 Dont know who Mars is, just what you guys spew on here. Let me give my 2 cents. How bout you guys leave him alone and let him coach? I went to Va High Friday and believe or not, (it pains me to say it), but the Gmen didn't look bad - not as good as the falcons of course (when they finally get to play), but not bad. I think u should let the man coach and support your team. The players seem to play hard for him. Just my 2 cents. :cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 It seems since he has taken over the program the Graham faithful has grown less and less interested with each passing year. The build-up and hype for Beaver/Graham has gotten less and less during that time as well. This year, and last year, it seems the Graham folks aren't talking about beating Bluefield, but instead not wanting to get embarrassed. We are less than a week until kickoff and not one hint of a Beaver/Graham thread. It's truly sad that the most hyped and anticipated game in the region for decades has come to what it is today. Will anything short of Marrs stepping down as coach turn around Graham's program? Â Answer to the thread title: YES. Answer to the question in your post: NO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 Graham doesn't have the Bradshaws, Henrys, Graves, etc. Thats why the rivalry has died out. Not Coach Marrs doing. He does alot of the same stuff Coach Carlock did. And if the Graham fans aren't supporting then I don't guess you can really call them Graham fans then can you. A fan supports you no matter what the case. Â What I'm going to say is going to sound like sacrilege, but... Â High school football masks many coaching deficiencies. Carlock and Marrs are cut from much of the same cloth, I think. Unimaginative, almost dumb, offensive playcalling. Rock-solid defensive background. But Carlock flat out had the horses to win. Graham never beat people in a game of finesse, and lost enough of them (see: Harrisonburg, 2001). But Graham would hit you straight in the mouth, and if you backed down, you lost. Â I agree with your first two sentences. But Marrs IS responsible, as Carlock would've been under the same circumstances [how soon everyone forgets the mid-80s]. Not changing one's style with OVERWHELMING evidence that it isn't working is not only mule-headed and frankly stupid, but it's unfair to those kids who bust their rumps day after day. Â There are more than two ways to skin a cat. Marrs seems to only know 1, and I wonder if he actually knows that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegendatLegion 109 Report Share Posted August 23, 2010 I honestly haven't seen the G-men play in years until the Jamboree at VaHigh this year. I don't know about demographics, or about enrollment numbers the last few years, but from the product i saw on the field, they play hard. The kids were giving it their all every play. The backfield has a lot of kids that can flat run, they reminded me of several G-men teams in the ealry '90's. Do the detractors think another coach would be winning the region every year? Â With that said, i don't see all the good sized linemen Graham was always known for. They had one guy 71 who is huge, but i didn't see the O-line and D-line i am accustomed to seeing. Â The halls of the High School may have tons of kids roaming around who are huge and don't play, i really don't know. Is it all the coaches fault? I guess that remains to be seen. Â I do have one question about a coach that may start even more debate. Who would the Graham fans rather have as coach? Someone in the system now? Who would you get to come to Bluefield? How successful would a new coach be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETSU09 10 Report Share Posted August 24, 2010 (edited) Coach Wyatt would be a great replacement very good offensive mind.He is working in Bluefield area from what I hear. Edited August 24, 2010 by ETSU09 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futbolking 766 Report Share Posted August 24, 2010 People can blame Marrs all they want. I personally don't think it's his fault...although I do know there is another coach there that all the kids hate and don't like playing for. One kid with good talent has left because of this coach. This coach teaches things not many people have ever heard of like tackling high. He told several players last year that they better tackle Lilly up high if they want to bring him down. He tells the corners to never look back for the ball. This is why GHS football is suffering. Maybe things have changed & I just don't know it? Â I agree, defense is a big problem at Graham.....and the lack of fundamentals is obvious, everybody in the stands can see it...and at the scrimmages a couple of weeks ago, the receivers from the other teams were just running wide open down the field....The tackling is a little better for Graham this year, but I suspect that some of the other coaches may be helping with that...He did get assistant coach of the year for the state of Virginia last year...(allowing 36 points per game). ???? Â I think if this defensive coach is bad for the team, it's the head coaches job to straighten him out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futbolking 766 Report Share Posted August 24, 2010 Coach Wyatt would be a great replacement very good offensive mind.He is working in Bluefield area from what I hear. Â Yeah, heard he was at Dudley...maybe he's taking a year or so off, would be helpful to Graham's staff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futbolking 766 Report Share Posted August 24, 2010 I honestly haven't seen the G-men play in years until the Jamboree at VaHigh this year. I don't know about demographics, or about enrollment numbers the last few years, but from the product i saw on the field, they play hard. The kids were giving it their all every play. The backfield has a lot of kids that can flat run, they reminded me of several G-men teams in the ealry '90's. Do the detractors think another coach would be winning the region every year? With that said, i don't see all the good sized linemen Graham was always known for. They had one guy 71 who is huge, but i didn't see the O-line and D-line i am accustomed to seeing.  The halls of the High School may have tons of kids roaming around who are huge and don't play, i really don't know. Is it all the coaches fault? I guess that remains to be seen.  I do have one question about a coach that may start even more debate. Who would the Graham fans rather have as coach? Someone in the system now? Who would you get to come to Bluefield? How successful would a new coach be?  Kids have stopped coming out for the team...I think any change would be better...I think Marrs is good with x's and o's...but is not a good motivator of kids(maybe, just from what I hear) he'd be better working with adults, I think...the atmosphere around the team has taken a complete 180 since Carlock was there..I think, in part to one other coach on the team who is very abrasive, also. Football should be fun and something the kids are excited about, not something they don't enjoy. Sure it should be physically challenging and tough on them, but it should build their character, not break them down. I've talked to kids who just don't want to play in that system, anymore. I don't know what it'll take, I sure don't wish anybody to lose their job...maybe just a change of attitude and some help with the defense and Graham may be back to their winning ways.  I think somebody over there needs to swallow a little pride, admit what's going on isn't working and fix the sinking ship. they're losing players, fans and $$ at the gate.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETSU09 10 Report Share Posted August 24, 2010 Coach Roach would make him a good defensive coach. I think that both Wyatt and Roach would help the Graham program program out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futbolking 766 Report Share Posted August 24, 2010 I was praying for that to happen this year. I like both of those guys a lot, first class individuals, really show the kids compassion and they try to teach as they coach. I just don't understand what Graham is trying to do on defense anymore, it baffles me...linebackers and secondary are constantly out of position. But what do I know....I just want them to start winning again, get back to the way it used to be. Â I am encouraged by the young talent Graham has on the team this year, if they stick it out and don't end up quitting or going to Tazewell or Richlands, they should be pretty darn good in a year or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ETSU09 10 Report Share Posted August 24, 2010 It looks as if Coach Marrs only wants his former players to help him . That way he will never be questioned about anything he does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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