Richlands @ Abingdon

[Union_Fan 2,155]

It is true with Lee. Jonesville and Pennington were good programs. So we're Clintwood and Haysi.

Same at Northwood, with Saltville and Rich Valley.

I say the jury is in on Ridgeview.....RV will be hard pressed to be as good as Cwood & Haysi.

There are more schools that consolidated, with the kiss of death to football.

Look at Holston, formerly Damascus and Liberty Hall. Grayson Co has been trying

To survive after combining Fries and Independence, and Pulaski Co was strong, but not nearly what they were at first after consolidation occured.

Just wait a few years with Union, and you will probably see a big drop off in

The football program if the pattern hits there like at other consolidated schools.

I think there are a few things that set Union apart from all these other schools.

 

Distance - Appy and BSG are only 2 miles apart. Old Appy HS is 3.3 miles from Bullit Park. Old PV HS was 3.4 miles from Bullit Park. Old Appy HS is only 6.8 miles from new Union High School

Expectations - Appy and PV were already on the bottom. Nowhere to go but up.

Youth league - The 8-12 yr old Peanut Football League serves both PV and Appy kids.

7th/8th grade football - Once again, this is a combination of both Appy and PV kids. If I'm not mistaken, Jonesville and Pennington still had separate teams until last year.

Family - I would dare say that everyone in Appy and BSG has at least one relative that is either from or currently resides in the other town.

Embracement - Once the fight was over, consolidation occurred, and that first team took the field against Lee High in 2011(to a standing ovation I might add), Appy and PV became Union and nobody has looked back.

 

These kids grow up playing TOGETHER, not AGAINST each other until 9th grade. And the community support is phenomenal from both towns.

 

I think several of the other examples that you cited are missing several of these ingredients. If there is a drop off, it will be due to declining enrollment, not consolidation. And if that happens, I look for Union to get a fresh injection from Norton.

 

Might be controversial, but if/when JI Burton closes, those kids will be coming to Union.

[SWVAFB 218]

Yes, I can't argue with those Schools. But those large peanut programs in elementary

Schools have a tendency to drop off when the kids hit high school. I read on this site

Just the other day where someone said there was a lot of students just walking the halls

At RV, and not playing Football. The interest seem to die out in larger schools for some

Reason. You are right again, about GC and Union, their programs are sold, and all indications

Will be so in the future, but GC has seen some down years also lately.

Good discussion!

[cityofRaven 2,444]

Just think, you are the same ones that were trashing Rebel Yell, I don't see much difference.

 

Do you drink gasoline daily or just while you're posting on here?

[redtiger 1,740]

Ridgeview is suffering from a drop in talent. Those of us from Dickenson Co saw it coming. Clintwood had a 8-9 year run where they were as good as anyone is SWVA, but they hadn't been that good since the 70s. Haysi had a nice 2 year run but were pretty average for the 7 years before that, 05 being the last really good team. 

 

The economy has hurt RV too, when consolidation first started moving forward the 9-12 enrollment for the county was over 725, Rv currently has around 650 students. That's a big drop in just a few years.

[jarhead24219 440]

Some of you aren't, but some of you are (jarhead, BigWinners).  And I heard a lot of crying and whining at Bullitt Park last year after the Glenvar game in person from A LOT of Union fans about the possibility (Richlands/Appomattox hadn't gone final yet) of having to go to Clarke County.

 

Granted, even in jarhead's case, he mentioned he still makes the trip, but he certainly whines about it. 

 

This seems to be a Wise County thing.  I will give you all some credit, at least you're willing to at least go to Richlands or Graham for a game without whining.  If it was J. I. Burton, they whine about just having to leave Wise County.

 

In closing, I'm not flaming or bashing or trolling.  Just making a poignant, astute observation.  If you're forced to make the trip, embrace it, enjoy it, treat it like an unplanned vacation.  Google stuff to do in the area.  Appomattox is a very historical area.  Plenty of stuff to see and do.  Being a Ridgeview fan, I would love just the opportunity.  But that isn't going to happen ANYTIME soon, except for maybe girls basketball.  I pull for every team in the Mountain, except Central, so come playoff time, I'll be a Bears and Blue Devils fan and possibly a Trojans and Generals fan too if they make it as well.

NO ONE IS WHINING,given the fact that you sit at home every playoff season maybe this is all you have to do is bash UNION FANS!!.Yes we would rather be at home and yes I was at Clarke County.In retrospect I WAS SAYING WE WERE UN PREPARED for Clarke County/single wing. I haven't responded to your personal attacks because I know that while we will be watching our teams you will be at home playing keyboard terrorist and accusing people of whining , while they are attempting to make a point about travel expences(VHSL AGREES)and the lost instruction time in the classroom.

[SWVAFB 218]

Red tiger, the drop off in enrollment probably has something to do with the economy, but

Most schools are seeing that trend in SWVA. The hit the mining industry has taken has hurt

ALL of SWVA, not just the mining counties.

Smyth County has seen mining support industries layoff, and one is going to close soon. Alpha

Bankruptcy has got to hurt Washington Co also. But those two counties have other industries

That can help the hurt the mining industry is seeing. I seen the other day where another

Industry is opening in the coal fields, and that is great news.

The way the gov't has treated the mining industry is terrible. I have never seen one industry

Singled out so much in my lifetime, and admonished for the sake of the so called environment

When other countries keep ignoring the same regulations.

[swva_havok_fan 1,261]

NO ONE IS WHINING,given the fact that you sit at home every playoff season maybe this is all you have to do is bash UNION FANS!!.Yes we would rather be at home and yes I was at Clarke County.In retrospect I WAS SAYING WE WERE UN PREPARED for Clarke County/single wing. I haven't responded to your personal attacks because I know that while we will be watching our teams you will be at home playing keyboard terrorist and accusing people of whining , while they are attempting to make a point about travel expences(VHSL AGREES)and the lost instruction time in the classroom.

 

Lol.  I won't be at home.  I'll probably be at Bullitt Park for your first round game matter of factly, cheering you guys on.  Why don't you come say hello?

[JwDuke 8]

First off Richlands beat them selves. When the Qb doesnt read the field and only looks to one receiver, your asking to lose. Howie is injured to start out with and JLA doesnt like the pressure. Richlands has some the best receivers in SWVA and they dont use them.

[FalconVoice 38]

I didn't make it to the Graham game, so what's your opinion of why Reed quit throwing the ball? From what I understand AHS didn't pass at all in the 2nd half. They go up quickly 14-0 and then bail on what got them this far. I understand why he didn't throw as much last night in an attempt to keep RHS offense off the field, but why stop throwing at Graham?

 

I was not a fan of it as a fan of the game or a broadcaster, but I'm not paid to coach. As GMan mentions below, Abingdon was tearing up Graham's secondary with Jeff Wallace, and no one, not even Cousin could outrace him (keep in mind, as I said before that Abingdon couldn't catch Cousin that Wallace doesn't play defense, though he did occasionally last week against Richlands for the first time this year). But even in the 2nd quarter, Abingdon backed away from using him.

 

There was a lot of quirky stuff going on, what with the revealing of the varieties of the pooch kicks (remember that the Falcons were coming off of a win over Blacksburg, where they saw nothing but onside/pooch kicks), they opted not to go for a field goal deep in Graham territory on their first drive despite being 4th and long, and in total in the first half, got inside the Graham 30 four times in which they did not score. Sturgill threw two INTs, yes, one on an overthrown tipped pass and the other on a wheel route on the last play of the half where the Graham player CLEARLY interfered with Fulton, initiating contact well before the pass arrived going over his back to make the catch...but, apparently I've heard from some sources that were standing right behind the uprights that Sturgill had a wide open DeSalvo in the middle of the end zone anyway and just didn't see him, so the TD was there if he would have found him.

 

They threw the ball quite a bit in the first half but didn't throw a single pass in the 3rd quarter, then they went back to the pass in the 4th quarter with very little success.  Fulton ran very well in the 3rd quarter...I think Reed wanted to stay with a hot hand plus run the clock and keep the ball away from Graham.  They turned it over on downs a couple of times trying to put the knock out punch on Graham but the G-D held and Cousin took over.  Once they started passing again trying to play "catch up", Graham made some adjustments that shut down the passing game.  Sturgill was 14-20 in the first half but only 4-10 in the second half.

 

As GMan mentioned, they went away from it in the 2nd half, and did not throw a pass in the 3rd, correct. For those of us who have seen Abingdon play under Reed, one of his best attributes and in this case biggest faults is the confidence he has in his teams to win one-possession games. In this one, the Falcons were only behind one score in the 3rd, and so he was just content to keep it close and knew from past instances that they would have a chance to get back in it and win it at some point. But in this instance, that time never came, and once Graham went up two scores it was too late to mount a comeback.

 

It did feel a little punitive towards Sturgill (quite possibly the best player that AHS has ever produced) for his two 1H INTs that Abingdon didn't throw ONCE in the 3rd, but we've since heard from Reed that teams were dropping 7-8 guys against him and making Sturgill beat them, and it didn't help that the Abingdon receivers were not getting open. They also had an issue with one of their receivers being disciplined, but he played about 25% of the snaps by my count, and they were scattered across all four quarters (so it wasn't like he didn't start or was held out for the 1Q or 1H or anything), so I don't know what type of message that sent.

 

At any rate, the better team that night won because they outperformed, out-executed and yes, out-coached (and I'm sure that the Abingdon coaching staff would tell you that as well, just like Mance did after losing this week) the Falcons. I hate to harp on coaching, but everyone is entitled to a bad game every once in a while, even coaches (and broadcasters...I've had my fair share), and this was theirs. Call it hubris, call it getting too cute, call it whatever, but the AHS coaches weren't on their game in this one. In addition, the best player(s) in Cousin/Meade were on the other sideline.

[FalconVoice 38]

Also with you guys on the "Graham playing down" talk. I have never thought that way. Their situation is not altogether unlike Abingdon's ever since they became the lone 3A team on an island in far SWVA. I think I read earlier in the week in this thread or another someone questioning Abingdon's SOS. But the truth of it is, there aren't any 3A schools to play the Falcons South of Christiansburg or West of Patrick County (which is some trek for a regular season game). So unless you're talking about Christiansburg, BBurg, Patrick County or the Roanoke schools, or going out of state (perhaps a foray into TN, which the Falcons have done several times in previous years), there's not much they can do to play on their "level." All this to say, in a year like last year where the Blue Tornado thoroughly waxed the Falcons, AHS was being penalized twice under the current setup: once by even playing Richlands and twice by losing (forget the margin), which is absurd considering that Richlands was obviously the better team. So I'm not really sure that the current setup provides the equity it intends to.

 

Lastly, as for AHS' 2017 schedule makeup, I have it on good authority that they will be doing/attempting to do the following things:

 

Dropping:

CBurg

Graham

Lebanon

Va High

Tazewell

Marion

 

Adding Mountain District Foes:

Wise Central

Gate City (already on schedule from previous years)

John Battle (already on schedule every year)

Lee

Ridgeview

Union

 

and with the remaining two games, they will be adding Pulaski and Hidden Valley (Roanoke), which gives them a schedule in some form or sort of:

 

Battle

GC

Pulaski

BBurg

Wise Central

Lee

Ridgeview

Richlands

Union

Hidden Valley

[West12aaa 99]

First off Richlands beat them selves

nope, if you can't consistently run vs 8 mam coverage, you lost, you didn't beat yourself.

[EH31 2,518]

First off Richlands beat them selves. When the Qb doesnt read the field and only looks to one receiver, your asking to lose. Howie is injured to start out with and JLA doesnt like the pressure. Richlands has some the best receivers in SWVA and they dont use them.

But when you have the best receiver from SWV you make sure you force him the ball!

[jarhead24219 440]

Also with you guys on the "Graham playing down" talk. I have never thought that way. Their situation is not altogether unlike Abingdon's ever since they became the lone 3A team on an island in far SWVA. I think I read earlier in the week in this thread or another someone questioning Abingdon's SOS. But the truth of it is, there aren't any 3A schools to play the Falcons South of Christiansburg or West of Patrick County (which is some trek for a regular season game). So unless you're talking about Christiansburg, BBurg, Patrick County or the Roanoke schools, or going out of state (perhaps a foray into TN, which the Falcons have done several times in previous years), there's not much they can do to play on their "level." All this to say, in a year like last year where the Blue Tornado thoroughly waxed the Falcons, AHS was being penalized twice under the current setup: once by even playing Richlands and twice by losing (forget the margin), which is absurd considering that Richlands was obviously the better team. So I'm not really sure that the current setup provides the equity it intends to.

 

Lastly, as for AHS' 2017 schedule makeup, I have it on good authority that they will be doing/attempting to do the following things:

 

Dropping:

CBurg

Graham

Lebanon

Va High

Tazewell

Marion

 

Adding Mountain District Foes:

Wise Central

Gate City (already on schedule from previous years)

John Battle (already on schedule every year)

Lee

Ridgeview

Union

 

and with the remaining two games, they will be adding Pulaski and Hidden Valley (Roanoke), which gives them a schedule in some form or sort of:

 

Battle

GC                                    points galore on this,looks like they just picked all playoff teams, exceptRidgeview

Pulaski

BBurg

Wise Central

Lee

Ridgeview

Richlands

Union

Hidden Valley

[BigO 316]

First off Richlands beats them selves.

TMI...

 

Lol. This is the first post attempting to excuse RHS from defeat. It's definitely the outlier. I will gladly say that the remainder of Richlands posters on here (about 87% of all posters...lol) have been very humble and gracious. I'm very appreciative of the sportsmanship and it has not gone unnoticed, by me, at least. Well done and thank you.

[BigO 316]

Also with you guys on the "Graham playing down" talk. I have never thought that way. Their situation is not altogether unlike Abingdon's ever since they became the lone 3A team on an island in far SWVA. I think I read earlier in the week in this thread or another someone questioning Abingdon's SOS. But the truth of it is, there aren't any 3A schools to play the Falcons South of Christiansburg or West of Patrick County (which is some trek for a regular season game). So unless you're talking about Christiansburg, BBurg, Patrick County or the Roanoke schools, or going out of state (perhaps a foray into TN, which the Falcons have done several times in previous years), there's not much they can do to play on their "level." All this to say, in a year like last year where the Blue Tornado thoroughly waxed the Falcons, AHS was being penalized twice under the current setup: once by even playing Richlands and twice by losing (forget the margin), which is absurd considering that Richlands was obviously the better team. So I'm not really sure that the current setup provides the equity it intends to.

 

Lastly, as for AHS' 2017 schedule makeup, I have it on good authority that they will be doing/attempting to do the following things:

 

Dropping:

CBurg

Graham

Lebanon

Va High

Tazewell

Marion

 

Adding Mountain District Foes:

Wise Central

Gate City (already on schedule from previous years)

John Battle (already on schedule every year)

Lee

Ridgeview

Union

 

and with the remaining two games, they will be adding Pulaski and Hidden Valley (Roanoke), which gives them a schedule in some form or sort of:

 

Battle

GC

Pulaski

BBurg

Wise Central

Lee

Ridgeview

Richlands

Union

Hidden Valley

I'd love to see them play these teams!

[SXSW 557]

I think the thing that eventually hurt Union as well as the rest of the Wise County Schools and any school north of Duffield is the economy. The coal jobs are not coming back and eventually that will eat away at the numbers and depth, I see Union and Wise Central and maybe even Lee dropping to 1A over the next three to five cycles. I think the closer you are to Tennessee the better you will be long term at holding numbers. The future is not good for the northern part of southwestern Va.. Scott County may be the exception as 75% of the population lives within ten miles of Gate City and most of those people work in Kingsport.  

[FalconVoice 38]

I'd love to see them play these teams!

 

Apparently they tried to get TN High, but because HS in TN schedule their 2-year agreements on a different year (or at least TN High said they did), they've never been able to synchronize.

 

Also, Carroll County might be a possibility if they don't get Pulaski, but I think they prefer the latter, and the former may only be a rumor. No one with the school has confirmed it as even a possibility. But the schedule posted above is pretty much a done deal.

[West12aaa 99]

I think the thing that eventually hurt Union as well as the rest of the Wise County Schools and any school north of Duffield is the economy. The coal jobs are not coming back and eventually that will eat away at the numbers and depth, I see Union and Wise Central and maybe even Lee dropping to 1A over the next three to five cycles. I think the closer you are to Tennessee the better you will be long term at holding numbers. The future is not good for the northern part of southwestern Va.. Scott County may be the exception as 75% of the population lives within ten miles of Gate City and most of those people work in Kingsport.

Lee county population has stabilized for the most part. It might happen but I think lee will be the last to move down.

[BigO 316]

i hope they get Pulaski. Much rather see that game. No disrespect to Boothe, et al, but im afraid Sturgill may have us spoiled. I have no idea what's behind the Juniors as far as talent...so my concern may be unfounded. But Sturgill isn't an every year talent.

[FalconVoice 38]

i hope they get Pulaski. Much rather see that game. No disrespect to Boothe, et al, but im afraid Sturgill may have us spoiled. I have no idea what's behind the Juniors as far as talent...so my concern may be unfounded. But Sturgill isn't an every year talent.

Yeah it's hard to project. Certainly, it's going to be an adjustment, but I'm heartened to see that at least this year, Boothe has gotten plenty of meaningful reps. When he's come into the game in a blowout situation, Reed has let him run the offense (at least to some degree), continuing to pass with a running clock. In my opinion, that's the only kind of rep that really helps development. Just look at how unprepared (to take over as the starter the next year) each successive QB was under Frank Beamer was post-Vick, because they never did anything other than hand off when they came into a game. As a former E&H OC told me after a 50-0 victory, "Chris, I'm not paid to stop my own offense. If my team has scored 43 points and a 3rd string QB who's never attempted a pass at the collegiate level throws a TD to a fullback who I've never seen catch a pass in practice, and you're going to complain that I'm running it up? Tough shit. Get better. I'm not taking food off my family's table because of your feelings."

[Falcon Mania 235]

nope, if you can't consistently run vs 8 mam coverage, you lost, you didn't beat yourself.

THIS!!! Richlands didn't beat themselves. They got beat by a team with a better scheme and who executed it extremely well. Spin it however you wish that helps you sleep better at night. But they didn't beat themselves.

[Ryan4VT 4,554]

THIS!!! Richlands didn't beat themselves. They got beat by a team with a better scheme and who executed it extremely well. Spin it however you wish that helps you sleep better at night. But they didn't beat themselves.

 

He's literally the only Richlands fan I've seen that made an excuse. I've put on here and VaPreps that Abingdon had a defensive plan and executed it to perfection. Simple as that. The weather hurt both teams. Abingdon has a better running game. The Falcons employed a prefect scheme. Richlands could have easily won. We made it inside the 5 on 4 separate occasions and came away with 7 points. Can't win with that ratio. Give credit to the Falcons for punching us right in the mouth. 

[BigO 316]

Ryan, do you agree with my assssment that RHS is a "big play" team? With less room, i.e. Inside the 10, they may struggle moreso than usual because of less room for Howie and gang to get open. Has the offense had a lot of opportunities in the red zone or has most of JLA's TD passes been over 20 yds? I'm guessing you don't have those stats at your fingertips, but just from your memory, have most of their TDs come form outside the 20? I may be way off, as I've only seen the game against AHS, but I've been a part of a team that had that exact scenario...just need plenty of room for the WRs to do their thing. Thoughts?

[Ryan4VT 4,554]

It's been about even, actually. Most teams in the red zone don't drop 8 and dare us to run from 5 out. Mostly because most lines can't compete with ours (outside of Union). And in the case of Union, Ball made some crazy catches in coverage.

 

I'd say most spread offenses are better suited between the 20s. You're not wrong in that. But I think it was more the defense that Abingdon ran than anything.

 

Mance said that he was going to find a way to fix that problem of no running game. We'll see how they come out against Lebanon.

[Bigrhsfan 884]

I think for the most part your right about the big play for the blues and of course that comes from not having any kind of real running game to fall on when inside the 20,  but most of the teams we have played with the exception of Union, Graham, Bluefield and Abingdon,  didn't have the speed or athletes to be able to cover all of our receivers so it didn't matter where we were on the field.

 Whether it was from outside the 20 or inside it didn't really matter until we run up against a team that has the speed and athletes and scheme to shrink the field in the red zone that we really ran into trouble.

I am hopeful that we can figure out a way to be able to at least run the ball enough so we can score against these types of teams when we are especially inside the 10 when things really get condensed.  I think we do have the athletes that can do it if we put L.Lowe back there along with Howie in those instances.  We have enough wide outs to be able to cover for Howie those times that we are down that close and want to go with the big backfield if coach Mance wants to go that route.

But he may have his own way of dealing with those issues and knows a lot more about his team than I ever will.