What does this say about WV football

[Hacker 82]

Beaver has four out of state games on their schedule. I know that a lot of programs have dropped them in the last few years.

 

I know it says a lot about Beaver tradition, that schools won't schedule them, but it is a bit ridiculous.

[BeaverHokie 35]

I think it says that in general, WV football is pretty weak. Bluefield usually comes into the playoffs with a couple of tough losses, but is still often ranked higher than teams with one loss (and sometimes undefeated) due to the strength of schedule. Honestly, Bluefield has never seemed to shy away from playing tough out-of-state teams. I remember when Bluefield scheduled that Pikeville KY team, and lost to them. Still, we don't seem to shy away from scheduling those teams, maybe because we HAVE TO in order to get 9 or 10 games.

 

There are so many AA teams in WV scared to schedule Bluefield, or any tough games, so they can have a clear path to the playoffs (where they get hammered by Bluefield). Over the years, I've seen a lot of WV playoff games where Bluefield has hung 50+ points on a supposedly good AA team.

 

Sorry if all of this sounds like boasting, but it feels like too many teams run away from the Bluefield challenge.

[hokie07 11]

Sorry if all of this sounds like boasting, but it feels like too many teams run away from the Bluefield challenge.

 

It does sound like boasting, but honestly, it is just the facts.

Take last week for example, Bluefield's 9th grade team played the majority of the game and Bluefield still won by 50 points. What does Oak Hill do? Back out of a series that has been going on for as long as I can remember. GMan posted a list in another thread of teams who are all "geographically" related to Bluefield but absolutely will not schedule them.

 

My personal political views don't exactly support regulation and mandatory series, but Bluefield is at a HUGE disadvantage when compared to any other WV AA school in the state and something honestly needs to be done. Most WV AAA teams won't schedule the Beavers. Don't get me wrong, I love when Bluefield plays the Gate City's and the Richlands', but those games should be scheduled out of mutual consideration rather than more so out of desperation (i.e. Charlotte Country Day).

 

As long as Coach Simon excels and the Bluefield tradition gets stronger, it is only going to become more difficult for the Beavers to fill a schedule.

[Jason 299]

I have to agree with you guys. I would say you will keep GC on the schedule as long as you want to. If those other WV teams want to improve then they need Bluefield on their schedule or some other good teams. I think most are fine with going 10-0 and losing early in the playoffs. A battle tested team will almost always go far.

[redtiger 1,742]

"GMan posted a list in another thread of teams who are all "geographically" related to Bluefield but absolutely will not schedule them.

 

My personal political views don't exactly support regulation and mandatory series, but Bluefield is at a HUGE disadvantage when compared to any other WV AA school in the state and something honestly needs to be done."

 

There in lies the beauty of districts. Put 6-7 teams that are geographically close to each other together and that makes scheduling alot easier

Edited October 2, 2010 by redtiger

[EH31 2,523]

considering pikeview is in the same county and same classification there is no reason they shouldn't play blufield

[redtiger 1,742]

"GMan posted a list in another thread of teams who are all "geographically" related to Bluefield but absolutely will not schedule them.

 

My personal political views don't exactly support regulation and mandatory series, but Bluefield is at a HUGE disadvantage when compared to any other WV AA school in the state and something honestly needs to be done."

 

There in lies the beauty of districts. Put 6-7 teams that are geographically close to each other together and that makes scheduling alot easier

[BeaverHokie 35]

It does sound like boasting, but honestly, it is just the facts.

Take last week for example, Bluefield's 9th grade team played the majority of the game and Bluefield still won by 50 points. What does Oak Hill do? Back out of a series that has been going on for as long as I can remember. GMan posted a list in another thread of teams who are all "geographically" related to Bluefield but absolutely will not schedule them.

 

My personal political views don't exactly support regulation and mandatory series, but Bluefield is at a HUGE disadvantage when compared to any other WV AA school in the state and something honestly needs to be done. Most WV AAA teams won't schedule the Beavers. Don't get me wrong, I love when Bluefield plays the Gate City's and the Richlands', but those games should be scheduled out of mutual consideration rather than more so out of desperation (i.e. Charlotte Country Day).

 

As long as Coach Simon excels and the Bluefield tradition gets stronger, it is only going to become more difficult for the Beavers to fill a schedule.

 

I can guess why a lot of AAA teams in WV won't schedule Bluefield. When a AAA team plays down a level, I don't think the game counts as much in the computer rankings. Someone can hopefully enlighten me, but I think the game is a lose-lose for a AAA team. They lose, or even if they win, they don't get as much in the point calculations for it.

 

I do think there ought to be regions in the state, and that the teams in the region ought to be expected to play one another. I think most states do that, and WV is one of the few who doesn't.

 

There are plenty of AA teams within a 2-2.5 hour bus ride of Bluefield. We really ought to be playing them...no excuses by the teams who won't do it. When I lived up in Teays Valley/Scott Depot, I liked when Bluefield came up to play Poca. Would always go to that game. There's also Winfield right across the river, also a AA team (still AA, right?). Herbert Hoover up I-79 was (still is?) a AA team. And heck, those are the distant teams, not even looking at all the AA teams in the south end of the state.

[Jason 299]

I can guess why a lot of AAA teams in WV won't schedule Bluefield. When a AAA team plays down a level, I don't think the game counts as much in the computer rankings. Someone can hopefully enlighten me, but I think the game is a lose-lose for a AAA team. They lose, or even if they win, they don't get as much in the point calculations for it.

 

I do think there ought to be regions in the state, and that the teams in the region ought to be expected to play one another. I think most states do that, and WV is one of the few who doesn't.

 

There are plenty of AA teams within a 2-2.5 hour bus ride of Bluefield. We really ought to be playing them...no excuses by the teams who won't do it. When I lived up in Teays Valley/Scott Depot, I liked when Bluefield came up to play Poca. Would always go to that game. There's also Winfield right across the river, also a AA team (still AA, right?). Herbert Hoover up I-79 was (still is?) a AA team. And heck, those are the distant teams, not even looking at all the AA teams in the south end of the state.

 

 

Why would you want to play them? I think you guys are better off doing what you have been doing. If WV teams are as weak as some have said here it would hurt Bluefield to play them. Also in Virginia Single A Divisions 1 and 2 are doing away with Regions as it has caused alot of problems. In Region B they have Division 1 teams that are bigger than Division 2 teams in other Regions.

[BeaverHokie 35]

Why would you want to play them? I think you guys are better off doing what you have been doing. If WV teams are as weak as some have said here it would hurt Bluefield to play them. Also in Virginia Single A Divisions 1 and 2 are doing away with Regions as it has caused alot of problems. In Region B they have Division 1 teams that are bigger than Division 2 teams in other Regions.

 

I've always felt that a lot of the problem in Virginia was when they split each letter (A,AA, AAA) into half, to go from three to six divisions. I know Virginia has a lot of teams, but I always felt that the six groupings (size wise) was too much. Here in Georgia, we have very small schools, and some enormous ones, and we only have five divisions (A through AAAAA). I especially felt it was troublesome at the A and AA level. I can guess the reason to split was the enormous AAA NOVA and Tidewater teams, where a lot of them were twice as big as the AAA teams they were playing. Maybe they should have split the AAA group in half, which would work, as there are so many big schools in those two areas, and leave A and AA alone.

[Bluefield_Rules 46]

It's quickly getting to the point that Bluefield's scheduling options are going to be so limited they'll be lucky to field the required eight game schedule each year.

[BeaverHokie 35]

It's getting so tiring seeing the schedules of some of the relatively local AA teams.

 

Greenbrier West is 6-0 on such heavyweights as Shady Spring, Richwood, Independence, Oak Hill, Summers County, and PikeView.

 

What happened to Wyoming East? They were pretty good a few years back, now they're 2-4.

 

To make my own list of teams that ought to be playing Bluefield, I'd suggest:

 

Greenbrier West

Wyoming East

Poca

Herbert Hoover

River View

Liberty-Raleigh

Westside

Independence

 

 

I'd like to see just 2 or 3 of them step up and show they have the nads to play a tougher schedule.

[redtiger 1,742]

Districts are the way to go, a school plays local teams of similar size but still has room to schedule weak or strong out of district teams.

 

I would like the 6 division setup if it was all of the schools split 6 ways across the state(not regionally) or if the Divisions were set according to set enrollment #s (like A is going to be next year). TNs new setup is nice, 3 groups in the reqular season, split into a 6A format for the playoffs, allows for easier scheduling(easier to fit schools into geographic districts)

 

Also no playing up or down in a region because it really screws with the playoffs, single A schools in SWVA such as Honaker Haysi Coeburn and Clintwood(legitimate division 1 schools) have paid the price for years because traditionally AA schools(Gate City, Grundy, Graham) petition to play up, it throws the D1/D2 balance in the regions off.

 

I know everyone is not going to agree with my last paragraph but thats how I see it.

[GMan 3,569]

Speaking of "districts", this is another issue that creates difficulty for Bluefield scheduling teams from outside the area. Most of the schools that others have mentioned in WV AA as possible opponents are in "conferences" and already have 7 or 8 games "automatically" on their schedule. Teams like Wayne, Poca, Herbert Hoover, etc..., all belong to conferences not leaving much room on the schedule to add Bluefield.

[WaveFan09 50]

What district is bluefield in?

[GMan 3,569]

What district is bluefield in?

 

There are no "districts" in WV. Some schools belong to a "conference" which is similar to a district, however Bluefield does not belong to any "conference" for football.

[BeaverHokie 35]

Speaking of "districts", this is another issue that creates difficulty for Bluefield scheduling teams from outside the area. Most of the schools that others have mentioned in WV AA as possible opponents are in "conferences" and already have 7 or 8 games "automatically" on their schedule. Teams like Wayne, Poca, Herbert Hoover, etc..., all belong to conferences not leaving much room on the schedule to add Bluefield.

 

The middle part of the state has a few conferences like that, but the southern end doesn't. And if they're gonna have them (and get their schedule tied up), we ought to have them in the south end, too. Teams like PikeView, Wyoming East, Independence, Summers County, and Liberty-Raleigh all ought to be in a conference with Bluefield, Mount View, James Monroe, and maybe Greenbrier West and Westside.

[redtiger 1,742]

District Conference same idea. It really does solve alot of scheduling problems. Why are some teams in Conferences and some not? Just up to the teams, sort of a gentlemans agreement?

[Hillbilly 14]

District Conference same idea. It really does solve alot of scheduling problems. Why are some teams in Conferences and some not? Just up to the teams, sort of a gentlemans agreement?

 

Exactly they are very informal for the most, and regional. IMO the reasons a AA conference does not exist in the Southern part of WV are two, Bluefield and James Monroe. You could create a very nice Coalfield Conference with AA teams in southern WV but then they would be forced to play Bluefield and/or James Monroe and not many (read none soon) are willing to do that.

[Blu_Man 10]

I hate the idea of a conference in the south. It may be beneficial for scheduling, but horrible for SOS. From all the schools that would be in the conference, only Bluefield and James Monroe have scheduling problems. JM has scheduled some VA schools and go to Ohio this year and Bluefield always going out of state. Bluefield are who they are because of their schedule each year. The other AA southern schools would be no contest for Bluefield year in and out and would hurt the Beavers by not seeing tough games. They get beat up, hit in the mouth, and even lose to the teams they schedule. Come playoff time, that makes them dangerous. It would also be boring seeing Bluefield play the same teams every year. Bluefield coaches, players, and administrators are not as upset as everyone else seems to be about scheduling. They like the challenges.

[Jason 299]

I've always felt that a lot of the problem in Virginia was when they split each letter (A,AA, AAA) into half, to go from three to six divisions. I know Virginia has a lot of teams, but I always felt that the six groupings (size wise) was too much. Here in Georgia, we have very small schools, and some enormous ones, and we only have five divisions (A through AAAAA). I especially felt it was troublesome at the A and AA level. I can guess the reason to split was the enormous AAA NOVA and Tidewater teams, where a lot of them were twice as big as the AAA teams they were playing. Maybe they should have split the AAA group in half, which would work, as there are so many big schools in those two areas, and leave A and AA alone.

 

I would like to see VA go to a 4A system with 4 state titles.

[redtiger 1,742]

Too much difference is size in a 4A system, it would b something like

A 1-600

AA 601-1100

3A 1101-1700

4A 1700-

 

Those numbers are probably way off but you get my point, 5 seems about right to me, 6 is ok but seems like a bit much