Graham Vs Tazewell

[bulldog05-CO2017 102]

I think Tazewell isn’t up to par with the GMen yet. Lol. However I was impressed with the run game from the dawgs. I just hope Creasy comes back and stays healthy. I’m not saying Creasy is the only one to help Tazewell, but it’s gonna be a big impact if Creasy goes down. Im gonna go with graham 56-20

 

[Gridiron60 2,555]

I need to recover & process tonight’s game before I can think about this one 😂. 

[bulldog05-CO2017 102]

33 minutes ago, Gridiron60 said:

I need to recover & process tonight’s game before I can think about this one 😂. 

Come on now!😂 I can’t wait even tho I don’t think it’s gonna be in my favor. Lol. Being Creasy is most likely gonna be back, I may give it a little better outcome. But I’m afraid to say. I hope for an injury free game for both!

[CzarYakov 70]

I smell upset... I do.

Tazewell has the ability and the speed to be a menace to anyone that they play this year, so I will say it is tight, but they pull the upset here. If not here, Tazewell pulls an upset somewhere on the schedule this year.

[buck_up 18]

Graham by whatever they decide. Tazewell played good against a terrible Virginia High team. Don't get to far ahead of yourself. 

[FootballFan77 66]

Graham is good and I was impressed with their offense and how it’s progressed since the last scrimmage but it still needs some work. They need to develop some routes for Watkins. As I see it, Graham needs to work on 

1.  Penalties- The amount of penalties they had allowed Bluefield to come back 

2.  Pass Defense- I said it last year and it is still an issue. Bluefield had players wide open and thank goodness they didn’t catch it or it might have been a different game. Watkins did great on several pass plays last night. 

3. Bluefield didn’t run the ball up the middle much but when they did they got yardage. Talking with some of the long time Graham fans last night, we all are in agreement that Hughes needs to be in at MLB with Meadows. The Isabel kid is not ready and when they took him out and put Hughes back there, defense played their best. I know his dad is a coach and played that position but not really the best for their team. 
 
I was impressed with Edwards last night, Clements is one of a kind, Roberts was strong, Meadows is just a great kid and a huge asset on offense and defense. The OL at times last night could have done better. I have no doubt that Palmer will continue to get this team better. 

[Mountain Football 1,532]

37 minutes ago, FootballFan77 said:

Graham is good and I was impressed with their offense and how it’s progressed since the last scrimmage but it still needs some work. They need to develop some routes for Watkins. As I see it, Graham needs to work on 

1.  Penalties- The amount of penalties they had allowed Bluefield to come back 

2.  Pass Defense- I said it last year and it is still an issue. Bluefield had players wide open and thank goodness they didn’t catch it or it might have been a different game. Watkins did great on several pass plays last night. 

3. Bluefield didn’t run the ball up the middle much but when they did they got yardage. Talking with some of the long time Graham fans last night, we all are in agreement that Hughes needs to be in at MLB with Meadows. The Isabel kid is not ready and when they took him out and put Hughes back there, defense played their best. I know his dad is a coach and played that position but not really the best for their team. 
 
I was impressed with Edwards last night, Clements is one of a kind, Roberts was strong, Meadows is just a great kid and a huge asset on offense and defense. The OL at times last night could have done better. I have no doubt that Palmer will continue to get this team better. 

Penalties and pass defense definitely need to be corrected. Bluefield exposed our pass defense pretty bad last night. Our DBs got caught looking inside several times and allowed the receivers to get behind them.. Harris(Tazewell) will smoke us on that.

As far as Isabelle. He's a very young 10th grader, that's learning and doing a pretty dang good job. I can't imagine being 14 or 15 years old being the son of a outstanding talent like his dad and playing in front of 10k people. I know it's only natural to make comparisons but it's really not fair to either of them. Did he make mistakes? I'm sure, all of them did. Some are not very physical and don't set the edge but we won't mention names and throw older more mature kids under the bus lol. 

[FootballFan77 66]

9 minutes ago, Mountain Football said:

Penalties and pass defense definitely need to be corrected. Bluefield exposed our pass defense pretty bad last night. Our DBs got caught looking inside several times and allowed the receivers to get behind them.. Harris(Tazewell) will smoke us on that.

As far as Isabelle. He's a very young 10th grader, that's learning and doing a pretty dang good job. I can't imagine being 14 or 15 years old being the son of a outstanding talent like his dad and playing in front of 10k people. I know it's only natural to make comparisons but it's really not fair to either of them. Did he make mistakes? I'm sure, all of them did. Some are not very physical and don't set the edge but we won't mention names and throw older more mature kids under the bus lol. 

I’m not saying the Isabel kid isn’t talented but why mess with your LB duo of Meadows and Hughes that got them to state and have chemistry.  Go back and watch film when they move Hughes to MLB. He was communicating with every lineman and player. That is what you need in that position. Isabel is taller and fits an OLB position better and actually played that position in several games last year and did pretty good. Several coaches on the team have said the same thing as well. 

[Gridiron60 2,555]

13 minutes ago, Mountain Football said:

Penalties and pass defense definitely need to be corrected. Bluefield exposed our pass defense pretty bad last night. Our DBs got caught looking inside several times and allowed the receivers to get behind them.. Harris(Tazewell) will smoke us on that.

As far as Isabelle. He's a very young 10th grader, that's learning and doing a pretty dang good job. I can't imagine being 14 or 15 years old being the son of a outstanding talent like his dad and playing in front of 10k people. I know it's only natural to make comparisons but it's really not fair to either of them. Did he make mistakes? I'm sure, all of them did. Some are not very physical and don't set the edge but we won't mention names and throw older more mature kids under the bus lol. 

I’m guessing Graham coaching staff will be tweaking a lot of things this week. Overall, I’m pleased with our first game out. I think our line okay will be stronger than Tazewell. If we can keep their defense on the field & limit the time Creasy & company are on offense , we should win. Tazewell has athletes. Our offense had Bluefield’s defense on the field the majority of the first quarter. If we do that to Tazewell, we win easily is my thought. I think our offense will progress. Meadows is an athlete and isn’t afraid to go through a pile of big guys. We had some young guys do pretty well, some their 1st start. We did over pursue on defense a couple of times. I’d rather over pursue than not pursue 😂. 
One thing for certain, Tazewell County teams won’t go 3 for 3 next week! I’m just hoping one win goes to the GMen. 

[stu_bean 1,058]

Just the quick thoughts from last night on the Dogs. Defense is greatly improved. Only one run broke 10 yds. Was in the backfield on many runs. The Dogs noe have a run game. Only one pass thrown in second half. Kaizon Taylor is a beast running the ball and throws the stiff arm like I haven't seen in high school in a long time plus not afraid to wrap up the ball and power through. 

V High is rebuilding and they do have athletes but the tone was set early in that game and they didn't give up without a fight for sure. Their defense has decent pass coverage and deep is covered well but short passes eat them up. Run defense overall needs work but again they are a decent team with good outlook going forward. 

This coming week will be interesting. I see weaknesses in each team that could easily be exploited by the other. I see Graham winning it but don't think will be a run away game either. At the same time it would bit surprise me if the Dogs could pull out a W. 

[Iceman2553 23]

Tazewell had a very impressive game last night. The run defense is most definitely improved, the run game was a surprise to most and also the line play was improved as well. One of the biggest weaknesses for Tazewell is coaching mistakes. I think that’s what wins the game for Graham is the coaching discipline. Tazewell has the athletes to keep it close and maybe even to pull an upset but it’s going to take a perfect game from the coaching staff and the athletes. 
 

Graham by 14

[stu_bean 1,058]

3 minutes ago, tazdawgznation61 said:

Tazewell had a very impressive game last night. The run defense is most definitely improved, the run game was a surprise to most and also the line play was improved as well. One of the biggest weaknesses for Tazewell is coaching mistakes. I think that’s what wins the game for Graham is the coaching discipline. Tazewell has the athletes to keep it close and maybe even to pull an upset but it’s going to take a perfect game from the coaching staff and the athletes. 
 

Graham by 14

I do see some coaching mistakes but an issue I saw last night that affected some of the late snaps was the clock. The play clock on the scoreboard side screwed up several times and would show 17 16 15 then 3. While the field house clock counted down correctly. So going that direction and watching that clock could have easily screwed up getting set and snaps off in time. Don't know what was going on with that but hope that issue gets resolved before Friday. 

[Real Sasquatch 1,865]

Tazewell has improved for sure.  Graham's pass defense is suspect. Hopefully Creasy  will be back and at 100%.  Tazewell could make it interesting, they have several athletes.  Last week I would have said Graham by 3 or 4 touchdowns.  This week, I would say it could be a good ballgame, especially if Graham continues the personal fouls and penalties.  Seems as if Graham is their own worst enemy at the beginning of each season.  They definitely need to clean some things up.  Although Graham did throw a td pass, they seemed awfully one dimensional, especially in the 2nd half.  They have got to get the ball to those receivers in space, Bluefield was very creative  in getting the ball to their playmaker, the O.C. for Graham should take notes 

[SwvaOG 601]

Is there any better comparison for this game at this point in time than Alabama vs Tennessee?  Grahamabama fans know they will win but are very cordial and head patting to the Tennessee Bulldogs. “ I hope we play our game.” “ I’m concerned about X.”  Meanwhile the Tennewell fans “We look great.  We’re Back. I see an upset.” 
Hope springs eternal this time of year.  As much as I’d like to see the Dogs win, Grahamabama rushes for 200+, doubles Harris…gives up some big plays but wins by 14+.  Lord help this board win Tennewell does beat the Crimson Tide…..er G-Men.

[Austrian Ben Shapiro 66]

16 minutes ago, SwvaOG said:

Is there any better comparison for this game at this point in time than Alabama vs Tennessee?  Grahamabama fans know they will win but are very cordial and head patting to the Tennessee Bulldogs. “ I hope we play our game.” “ I’m concerned about X.”  Meanwhile the Tennewell fans “We look great.  We’re Back. I see an upset.” 
Hope springs eternal this time of year.  As much as I’d like to see the Dogs win, Grahamabama rushes for 200+, doubles Harris…gives up some big plays but wins by 14+.  Lord help this board win Tennewell does beat the Crimson Tide…..er G-Men.

Graham Crimson Tide 42

Tazewell Volunteers 20

Corso dons the Big G-Al pregame much to the dismay of the Volunteer Navy on Lake Witten. 

[stu_bean 1,058]

25 minutes ago, SwvaOG said:

Is there any better comparison for this game at this point in time than Alabama vs Tennessee?  Grahamabama fans know they will win but are very cordial and head patting to the Tennessee Bulldogs. “ I hope we play our game.” “ I’m concerned about X.”  Meanwhile the Tennewell fans “We look great.  We’re Back. I see an upset.” 
Hope springs eternal this time of year.  As much as I’d like to see the Dogs win, Grahamabama rushes for 200+, doubles Harris…gives up some big plays but wins by 14+.  Lord help this board win Tennewell does beat the Crimson Tide…..er G-Men.

Although excellent points made and not to far away from the truth in many ways, it makes me want to 🤮 thinking of us as Tennessee 

[Mountain Football 1,532]

27 minutes ago, SwvaOG said:

Is there any better comparison for this game at this point in time than Alabama vs Tennessee?  Grahamabama fans know they will win but are very cordial and head patting to the Tennessee Bulldogs. “ I hope we play our game.” “ I’m concerned about X.”  Meanwhile the Tennewell fans “We look great.  We’re Back. I see an upset.” 
Hope springs eternal this time of year.  As much as I’d like to see the Dogs win, Grahamabama rushes for 200+, doubles Harris…gives up some big plays but wins by 14+.  Lord help this board win Tennewell does beat the Crimson Tide…..er G-Men.

This is pretty funny. Pretty good analysis my friend.

[Deleted Account 5,203]

I follow both teams, for reasons that should be obvious to longtime readers of this message board.  So I will try to give as unbiased a take as I can.

 

Tazewell’s offensive scheme is tailor-made to give this iteration of the Graham defense some major headaches.  For just the second time in the Palmer era, Tazewell simply has better athletes at the skill positions on offense than does Graham on defense to cover them.  That’s no disrespect to Graham, whose athletes are capable but raw and relatively inexperienced.  If Graham doubles Harris, they’re signing their own death warrant.  Virginia High tried that, and Creasy went 9/11 for 162 yards and 1 TD.  Creasy’s first pass of the season wasn’t to Harris, but a 65-yard gain off a swing pass to K. Taylor.  McDonald, Alley, and Gillespie are more than capable of eating up soft spots in coverage and taking 6-10 yard bites out of a defense.

 

Graham’s formula for success is leaning on that veteran line to wear down Tazewell throughout the course of the evening.  Tazewell’s OL and DL are markedly improved, but the lines are not on Graham’s level.  Palmer & Co. also cannot rely on simply being vanilla on the offensive end, either, because Tazewell’s defense is good enough to avoid letting 1-2 different plays beat it.  Graham has to get push, and Clements has to run downhill…find the hole and hit it with conviction.  If Graham tries to throw the ball 20+ times, that’s going to play right into Tazewell’s strength.  
 

Graham should rightly be favored.  To be the man, you’ve gotta beat the man. But there are reasonable paths this game could take that could end Graham’s 6-year winning streak over SWD opponents.

[Gfan 155]

Graham wins by 2+ TDs. I don’t think Tazewell has the better skill players. I would put it more of push. Bluefield has better skill players top to bottom. Outside of a HB pass and few blown coverages the Beavers couldnt move the ball against Graham. Clements will be the best player on the field. Graham will cleanup some penalties and the GMen line will be to much for Bulldogs. 

[Gridiron60 2,555]

1 hour ago, Gfan said:

Graham wins by 2+ TDs. I don’t think Tazewell has the better skill players. I would put it more of push. Bluefield has better skill players top to bottom. Outside of a HB pass and few blown coverages the Beavers couldnt move the ball against Graham. Clements will be the best player on the field. Graham will cleanup some penalties and the GMen line will be to much for Bulldogs. 

This has been my contention since game against Glass. Graham’s defense is ahead at this point than in the past few previous seasons. In 2018, they weren’t a solid cohesive unit until about game 4 or 5.  I’m not saying 2022 D is better than 2018 defense but by end of the season, it might be close. Rex & Snake got those boys heading in the right direction out of the gate. They have depth which has been an issue sometimes. All this is my humble opinion, other sports’ board coaches might disagree. 

[Mountain Football 1,532]

The one thing that sticks out the most to me about this Tazewell team compared to recent teams is attitude. Positive kids. The people down in Tazewell seem to be happy with their attitudes and work ethic. None of the negativity that you would hear about from recent teams. I'm not saying the other teams was full of negativity but it only takes one or two to change the attitude of others. Regardless of the outcome Friday I hope they come to practice on the following Monday with the same attitude they have today.

[Sasquatch456 0]

Tazewell’s o line is nothing to look past they have plenty of size and guys who can move their feet especially on the right side of the line where they ran the ball to all night against Virginia high 

[Gridiron60 2,555]

32 minutes ago, Sasquatch456 said:

Tazewell’s o line is nothing to look past they have plenty of size and guys who can move their feet especially on the right side of the line where they ran the ball to all night against Virginia high 

@Real Sasquatch you’ve got offspring 😂

[bulldog05-CO2017 102]

18 minutes ago, Gridiron60 said:

@Real Sasquatch you’ve got offspring 😂

I was literally thinking the same thing😂

[bulldog05-CO2017 102]

If Tazewell upsets Graham, I’ll literally have a heart attack. I’m not putting Tazewell down at all, but I’m not sugar coating nothing either. Tazewell is very talented and athletic this year, but it’s hard to beat a team of this caliber. As Chase Collins says, to beat the man, you have to be the man. Tazewell can beat graham, but they’ll have to work their asses off for it.