lack of pride? motivation? SWVA

[redtiger 1,742]

A lot of great points made on here and almost all of them have merit. One thing nobody has mentioned is the infiltration of Prescription drug abuse into our area. All areas of the state have this problem but not to the extent of our region. We have more people hooked on Oxy and such as any area of the state. These people only produce kids which will probably follow in mom and dads example, sad but true. They will never contribute to society and only take from it. They definitely don't produce many good students, football players, and/or athelets of any kind for that matter. If we ever get an answer to this trend for Southwest Virginia being a drug infested area things will change here for the better. Football will pick up and so will the integrity and economy of the area as well. I would not dought that many of the thugs which taunt players and refs are druggies as well. They live amoung us and some are very hard to recognise.

 

Good point, its sad but true.

 

The solution is to get kids involved in after school activities, it doesent matter if its Band, Football or Forensics. Get them involved and show them what hard work, dedication and just putting forth effort can do. Show them that things dont have to be the way they are at home, that they arent doomed to follow in their parents footsteps.

Edited November 16, 2011 by redtiger

[Guest bigdaddyd50]

Whatever happened to Sheldon Adams? PV also had a huge TE. He had great speed, but lost to a very talented GC team in the Region. For GC fans reading, whatever happened to Tyler Kilgore and Isaiah Spivey? That State Championship team was probably the most physically dominant local team I have seen in the finals since finals were held at neutral sites.

 

Isaiah went to Carson Newman and played along with Zack Jones, and the Humphrey twins.

[tornado99 345]

Isaiah went to Carson Newman and played along with Zack Jones, and the Humphrey twins.

 

Other than watching Richlands win in 2006, I haven't been more proud of watching a SWVA at the neutral sites, than I was watching that GC team run roughshod over Essex. I figured they were special after seeing them beat Radford in a great semifinal matchup.

 

The year before the GW-GC game was also very memorable for me. It was the only time I have ever been to GW.

[1inStripes 933]

Thanks. Great athletes. One I played against who I thought was a great football player was Matt McCoy. Went to college with Jake Stepp, Clay Prewitt, and Luke Gilley. All solid players that I remember, although Julius Jones rightfully garnered the headlines.

 

Edwards? AD?

[tornado99 345]

Edwards? AD?

 

PV or GC alum?

[1inStripes 933]

Neither, but close.

[gcdevils47 10]

Speed kills is a statement made famous by John Madden. It is so true. Speed is one of the hardest things to beat, but it is beatable with pure determination. Someone mentioned Appy football. Appalachia was notorious for hardnosed ironman football. They were by far less talented than most teams they played despite the travis turner travis clark era, but they would smash you in the face every single play no matter the score. Powell Valley was like that too in toughness. We were coached to run through the people we hit and gang tackle.

Another noted piece of info on here was execution. Execution was drilled into us. We would run the same play over and over untill everything worked together like clock work in practice. We had 5 to 7 plays that we ran out of 5 different formations to perfection. Execution was key to 8 state championships at powell valley. Union knows how to execute just like that, the difference is we could take it if we messed up and a coach screamed at us and made us run. I heard from a parent that a kid messed up and Turner jumped his case and his mama was so pissed that someone had the balls to talk to their kid like that. Come on its football if you mess up you deserve to get fussed at. Kids dont have the ability to take critizisim anymore like they used to.

 

Hell, thats how we still play in GC. haha sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt, it depends on our depth and our skill level. What I have noticed in the course of just 3 count them 3 years, is that the "size" of our players have gone down. We don't have any real straight up size like we did before, and that hurts us. It's hard to see all these awesome teams just go by the wayside.

[tornado99 345]

Hell, thats how we still play in GC. haha sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt, it depends on our depth and our skill level. What I have noticed in the course of just 3 count them 3 years, is that the "size" of our players have gone down. We don't have any real straight up size like we did before, and that hurts us. It's hard to see all these awesome teams just go by the wayside.

 

I've noticed that as well, but find it odd. At Richlands the kids are much taller now, than I remember when I was in school and prior with much larger enrollments. The kids walking around are big and lean. The biggest difference I notice is the Graham. They used to be huge, or they looked bigger because they all wore neck rolls.

[redtiger 1,742]

Players arent as "thick" as they used to be, they are probably heavier now but not as solid.

Everyone is getting taller.

 

I have yet to figure out how anyone plays in one of those huge neck rolls! I tried one season and I couldnt move my head, couldnt turn to see. They do look pretty tough though.

[gcdevils47 10]

Players arent as "thick" as they used to be, they are probably heavier now but not as solid.

Everyone is getting taller.

 

I have yet to figure out how anyone plays in one of those huge neck rolls! I tried one season and I couldnt move my head, couldnt turn to see. They do look pretty tough though.

 

Not at Gate City. our tallest player was like 6'2 this year.

[redtiger 1,742]

I mean just Americans in general, there was a time when 6'2" was pretty tall and now its not that uncommon. Haysis tallest player was 6' 1-2"

[Guest bigdaddyd50]

The tall kids walk the halls and play basketball. Just think what threats the Arnold cousins would be on the football field. DANGGGGGGGGG......

[UNIONFAN 10]

Taller and thinner. I think this dang EMO movment is causing this. Young men are affraid to loose their figure and get a belly so they watch what they eat like a bunch of dang cheerleaders. I hate to tell them but fat happens with age no matter what haha. The comment that kids arent as solid is the truth. Kids today aint got near the strength they used to. In the mid 90s when my brother played at Powell Valley the majority of the starters could bench 300 or more. That included the smaller d backs as well. Out of 18 starters (some went both ways) a good 15 of them could push 300 and the others were knocking at the door. In the early 2000s when I played, that number went from most of the team benching 300 plus to part of the team. Im gonna say half of the team couldnt do it. Now if a kid can rack 300 its in the dang local paper like he is Mr. Olpymia.

All the points so far have been dead on the money and all of them are the reasons why football isnt the same. Drugs, lack of motivation, no mean streak, weaker, and so on....... It was mentioned about all the D1 talent in the 90s that came out of SWVA, JMO but alot of these kids today could be if they were around calliber athelets like the past to make them work harder and be better. No reason a kid like Josh Chandler or Evan Orre couldnt go D1 but lack of good athelets around them caused them to not work near as hard as they should.

[trigger 10]

This^^^^

 

It is really hard for some people to realize the decline in enrollements of all the area schools. Richlands and Grundy both had near AAA numbers in the late 80's and up into the 90's. Garden had more students in the early 90's than Richlands does now. Tazewell also had up in the 800-900 student range.

 

20 years ago you had A schools with more numbers than todays area AA schools.

 

Wasn't this the exact reason for the playoff change in single A? I remember watching Clintwood face Buffalo Gap for the title and Gap had almost twice the enrollment. As far the numbers, I don't see how it can get any closer than what new system has given us.

[cwood78 161]

amen!!!!

[tornado99 345]

Taller and thinner. I think this dang EMO movment is causing this. Young men are affraid to loose their figure and get a belly so they watch what they eat like a bunch of dang cheerleaders. I hate to tell them but fat happens with age no matter what haha. The comment that kids arent as solid is the truth. Kids today aint got near the strength they used to. In the mid 90s when my brother played at Powell Valley the majority of the starters could bench 300 or more. That included the smaller d backs as well. Out of 18 starters (some went both ways) a good 15 of them could push 300 and the others were knocking at the door. In the early 2000s when I played, that number went from most of the team benching 300 plus to part of the team. Im gonna say half of the team couldnt do it. Now if a kid can rack 300 its in the dang local paper like he is Mr. Olpymia.

All the points so far have been dead on the money and all of them are the reasons why football isnt the same. Drugs, lack of motivation, no mean streak, weaker, and so on....... It was mentioned about all the D1 talent in the 90s that came out of SWVA, JMO but alot of these kids today could be if they were around calliber athelets like the past to make them work harder and be better. No reason a kid like Josh Chandler or Evan Orre couldnt go D1 but lack of good athelets around them caused them to not work near as hard as they should.

 

I agree with many of the points; however, I can only speak for what I see from Richlands. I admit there are fewer who bench press 300 pounds, but the kids I have seen in the weight room are much better athletes. I am a firm believer that as a whole, kids aren't nearly as tough although there are still exceptions. On the other hand, which may go along with the system argument, the weight programs have gone to speed development to complement the offenses. A classic example would be the 205 pound junior Jeremy McCommons vs the 225 pound senior Jeremy McCommons. As a junior, he wasn't as strong, but anyone would agree he was much faster and more explosive. Also he wasn't as injury-prone when he didn't have the "bulky" muscle. I believe it has paid dividends for Richlands in getting away from the low rep/high weight workouts. In the 90s, all we wanted to do was "get bigger". Now with age, I wish I would have worked on benching 200 multiple times instead of 300+ once or twice.

[redtiger 1,742]

I was a big guy but only maxed out at 325 or so goin into my SR year but I could put up 200 quite a few times. We always mixed it up 3x5, 5x3, 3x8 and occasionally pyramid sets, or 3x3. We were looking for athletic strength not bulk, bulk doesent help you on the football field. Its about delivering power explosively for four quarters.

 

Lack of competition on teams does lead to complacency in the players, Haysi is suffering from that to an extent. The kids ask "why should I work harder, I know im gonna start?". The concept of making themselves better doesent cross alot of minds now a days.

 

I sound like an old man, you do to UNIONFAN! I thought you were atleast in your 40s lol

Edited November 19, 2011 by redtiger

[gcdevils47 10]

The tall kids walk the halls and play basketball. Just think what threats the Arnold cousins would be on the football field. DANGGGGGGGGG......

 

if they would have worked out with the football team, a good one. Right now not so much. They get shoved around a bunch (well besides Paul, but he graduated last year) But they are nonetheless good ball players. Just not strong.

[UNIONFAN 10]

Athletic strength is good but when you got kids on the O line that cant bench there bodyweight how are they expected to move a person that weighs the same over and over. Physical strength no matter bulk or rep has been on the decline in football. Kids today (not all but most) couldnt start on most of the 80s and 90s teams.

Its a sad realization of the combination of everything brought up on the post. Has football lost its luster? Do young men just not care as much as they used to? Something has shifted and Im not liking where its going. SWVA needs to some how some way get on the incline of winning once again.