Stranger danger 41 Report Share Posted August 3, 2022 Auburn Facebook is reporting 29 players out for practice on Monday and Tuesday. If that's total, I'm guessing no JV, but should be able to field a varsity team Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1inStripes 932 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 Not being familiar with the goings on in Riner, is there something particular that has led to the downturn in football players? They had really good teams not that long ago and they are a state title threat in almost every other major sport in Class 1. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BandanaVTDavis4321 1,717 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 1 hour ago, 1inStripes said: Not being familiar with the goings on in Riner, is there something particular that has led to the downturn in football players? They had really good teams not that long ago and they are a state title threat in almost every other major sport in Class 1. Tell you what, those kids can absolutely BALL on the hardwood court. A fun bunch to watch in Hoops over the years. Libre por Libre, pound for pound, one bad bunch in Hoops. I am happy the bunch from Riner looks like it will have enough to field a team. I'm still skipping Riner when the single wing show comes to Auburn, and I'm heading up on the mountain to Bluefield to watch the Beavers host Mr. Beavers and Ridgeview. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stranger danger 41 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, 1inStripes said: Not being familiar with the goings on in Riner, is there something particular that has led to the downturn in football players? They had really good teams not that long ago and they are a state title threat in almost every other major sport in Class 1. I'm with ya. Makes no sense that a school and community that takes great pride in their athletic programs, can't get participation numbers up for football. My personal opinion is since Cam Akers took over as head coach, participation numbers dropped off year by year. Kids just didn't want to play for the guy. Last year, he cut and ran last minute, when it became apparent he wasn't going to have enough players to field a team . He left that program in really bad shape, after inheriting a program in pretty good shape. Like I said, just my opinion. Edited August 4, 2022 by Stranger danger Mis-spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixcat 2,919 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 Auburn is experiencing a "perfect storm" according to an Montgomery County administrator. A head coach that wasn't well liked by the entire community. Covid kept numbers lower than expected. A talented group of athletes simply not interested in risking their baseball and basketball seasons due to football injury. They should be coming out of this "perfect storm" according to the conversation I had. Covid is not nearly the issue it was a year or two ago. The coach is no longer there and the new coach seems to be very well liked. The group of kids that won multiple state championships in baseball and basketball are coming to the end of their high school careers. 1inStripes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hokiebird7 1,416 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 Akers is from pulaski right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stranger danger 41 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 32 minutes ago, Hokiebird7 said: Akers is from pulaski right? Yes. He is interim head coach at Pulaski this year since Dixon's sudden retirement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hokiebird7 1,416 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 37 minutes ago, Stranger danger said: Yes. He is interim head coach at Pulaski this year since Dixon's sudden retirement. I mean he went to school at pulaski right? I knew he was coach there now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixcat 2,919 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 4 minutes ago, Hokiebird7 said: I mean he went to school at pulaski right? I knew he was coach there now I'm pretty sure he went to school at Pulaski. I think Akers was a bit too intense for the folks in Riner from what I'm told. Wasn't willing to compromise with other sports/coaches/parents. Wanted football players to be dedicated to football year-round and not play other sports. Which isn't going to happen in a community like Auburn. Hell, it's not going to happen in most small school communities. If Galax's football players didn't play basketball, wrestle, soccer, and baseball, they wouldn't have enough to field a team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT FAN 91 119 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 Galax coach's encourage players to play more than one sport. sixcat 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hokiebird7 1,416 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 37 minutes ago, sixcat said: I'm pretty sure he went to school at Pulaski. I think Akers was a bit too intense for the folks in Riner from what I'm told. Wasn't willing to compromise with other sports/coaches/parents. Wanted football players to be dedicated to football year-round and not play other sports. Which isn't going to happen in a community like Auburn. Hell, it's not going to happen in most small school communities. If Galax's football players didn't play basketball, wrestle, soccer, and baseball, they wouldn't have enough to field a team. If he went there I'm sure he has thar pulaski co attitude....like they are better than anyone else...which in reality they aren't. I despise Pulaski Co with a passion...every year they are gonna win the state blah blah blah sixcat 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixcat 2,919 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 25 minutes ago, MT FAN 91 said: Galax coach's encourage players to play more than one sport. Most schools in SWVA encourage kids to play other sports. I don't understand the "you have to specialize" mentality but some definitely have it. Patrick Mahomes was 1st team all state in 3 sports and had multiple D1 scholarship offers in all 3. Mahomes and Tom Brady were both drafted by MLB teams. 24 minutes ago, Hokiebird7 said: If he went there I'm sure he has thar pulaski co attitude....like they are better than anyone else...which in reality they aren't. I despise Pulaski Co with a passion...every year they are gonna win the state blah blah blah I think most people in SWVA recognize the attitude you speak of or have encountered it at some point. It's easily recognizable. I was umpiring a 13U softball tournament about 15 years ago with an older gentleman. The Pulaski coach was pretty young, maybe around 30. He didn't like the fact his girls were getting beaten by approximately 20 runs by a team from North Carolina. He walked up to home plate between innings while Charlie was sweeping off the plate. As Charlie stood up and turned, not knowing anyone was behind him, the coach punched Charlie square in the face. Not only did the coach get arrested, he got the snot beaten out of him by a 65 year old retired professional boxer turned softball umpire. It was quite funny!!! redtiger and 1inStripes 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hokiebird7 1,416 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 9 minutes ago, sixcat said: Most schools in SWVA encourage kids to play other sports. I don't understand the "you have to specialize" mentality but some definitely have it. Patrick Mahomes was 1st team all state in 3 sports and had multiple D1 scholarship offers in all 3. Mahomes and Tom Brady were both drafted by MLB teams. I think most people in SWVA recognize the attitude you speak of or have encountered it at some point. It's easily recognizable. I was umpiring a 13U softball tournament about 15 years ago with an older gentleman. The Pulaski coach was pretty young, maybe around 30. He didn't like the fact his girls were getting beaten by approximately 20 runs by a team from North Carolina. He walked up to home plate between innings while Charlie was sweeping off the plate. As Charlie stood up and turned, not knowing anyone was behind him, the coach punched Charlie square in the face. Not only did the coach get arrested, he got the snot beaten out of him by a 65 year old retired professional boxer turned softball umpire. It was quite funny!!! Yeah that's exactly what I'm talking about....and I love it every year when Salem continues to slap them chumps around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stranger danger 41 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 41 minutes ago, Hokiebird7 said: If he went there I'm sure he has thar pulaski co attitude....like they are better than anyone else...which in reality they aren't. I despise Pulaski Co with a passion...every year they are gonna win the state blah blah blah Man, what are you talking about? Pulaski won a state football championship 40 years ago. That automatically qualifies them as one of the elite programs, year in and year out, in Virginia state history. Get with it Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hokiebird7 1,416 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 9 minutes ago, Stranger danger said: Man, what are you talking about? Pulaski won a state football championship 40 years ago. That automatically qualifies them as one of the elite programs, year in and year out, in Virginia state history. Get with it Man 30 years but close lol Haha...that sounds exactly like a cougar fans thinking Spot on man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BandanaVTDavis4321 1,717 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 Pulaski, outside of Dixon, has had rockheads at Coach and many assistant coaches (not all) since Joel Hicks left. The mentality of "run through the brick wall" and "we are going to war" (when you actually are not in war) has hurt them big time over the years. They have just refused to hire the thinker, the chess player, the finesse guy in between Hicks and Dixon. It's great to be "tough", but you have to be both in the modern age of football in my opinion. Perfect set of circumstances with Pulaski in the 80s/90s with lots of kids/school population and a good coach, then the Coach retires and the population is already declning, and then Pulaski goes the rock head approach after Hicks. You have a fanbase that was used to doing well and having some good runs to be stuck in a state of delusion after Hicks, and that's about where they are at the last 2 decades. Salem has been shi*kicking em for decades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWVAgridiron 1,469 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 Jack Turner had Auburn going in the right direction before he resigned. I really thought Akers would pick up where Jack left off. Cam is an intense coach, witnessed this when he use to coach track for Auburn. I hope he does well this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixcat 2,919 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 Pulaski loses some of it's best and brightest to Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Radford. Those kids have options considering the geography and infrastructure (roads) leading to better opportunities. Until they close the gap on those surrounding opportunities, they will never reach past glory, regardless of who the coach is. That's just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadCat 26 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 2 hours ago, sixcat said: Pulaski loses some of it's best and brightest to Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Radford. Those kids have options considering the geography and infrastructure (roads) leading to better opportunities. Until they close the gap on those surrounding opportunities, they will never reach past glory, regardless of who the coach is. That's just my opinion. Radford has had a few kids from Pulaski over the past few years but I don't think there are any this year. There was one kid that came and did some workouts this summer but isn't at Radford practices now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPrideNation 82 Report Share Posted August 4, 2022 1 hour ago, RadCat said: Radford has had a few kids from Pulaski over the past few years but I don't think there are any this year. There was one kid that came and did some workouts this summer but isn't at Radford practices now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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