Well here is how John Marshall does their business if no one knew already.

[BlueDevil4Life2008]

https://phenomhoopreport.com/takeaways-from-tyler-lewis-hoop-fest-john-marshall-is-a-special-group/    Special group I'd say.  Especially since 3 of them that we know of didn't even go to school there.... and two of them didn't even live in the state of Virginia. We can have a lot of special groups of teams around the state if we put together teams the way Ty White does. VHSL must be hurting for money at the state tournaments.  Doing all they can to get people out from their backyard to come to the Siegel Center to watch the hometown recruited team play. 

Hey VHSL.  Just go ahead and pass the NIL while you are at it.  Ty White can have his own little Class 2 college team then.    Just like they tell their guys in the YouTube video  "Go get your money."   This while every other school in Class 2, Class 1 are developing the skills in their guys as players and as young men.  We aren't sore losers in Southwest Virginia.  We just play by the rules and develop our players from the communities they came from.  Now if the VHSL wants us to go recruit,  don't worry.  We can get the job done there too. I promise you. 

https://www.maxpreps.com/va/prince-george/prince-george-royals/athletes/desmon-rose/media/videos/?careerid=stgsrski8g2p9&videoid=9793a36d-bfc1-4872-926b-2b05a1aa1ac6   Desmon Rose  Prince George HS  6'6 Fr. 

https://prephoopsnext.com/2021/11/top-100-latrell-almond-north-carolina/   - Latrell Allmond  listed as small forward from The O'Neal School in Southern Pines, North Carolina playing for Team Loaded

https://m.facebook.com/super60showdown/videos/latrell-almond-team-loaded-vathe-oneal-schoolsouthern-pines-nc-2026-68-pf-latrel/581960943442098/?locale2=en_US   Latrell Allmond

https://www.verbalcommits.com/players/jason-rivera-torres  Jason Rivera Torres  Iona Prep School   Bronx, NY    check out his Twitter ... not playing for Iona.   Playing for John Marshall

https://richmond.com/sports/high-school/previewing-the-2022-23-boys-high-school-basketball-season-around-the-richmond-region/article_aa24016f-ca4b-5562-ad36-1f5052986c0f.html  Richmond Times when previewing John Marshall even talking about Coach Ty White's AAU influence from Team Loaded on the John Marshall team.   Hey Richmond Times.   If the "area's best young talent" mean bringing in talent from North Carolina and the Bronx, New York that's a pretty big area.  

https://www.maxpreps.com/news/Rw015V5PuEa58xjjtIvUPg/high-school-basketball-rankings-no-20-sierra-canyon%2c-no-24-roselle-catholic-and-no-25-myers-park-re-enter-maxpreps-top-25.htm   Looking at the number one team in the nation... Latrell Allmond listed for John Marshall now.  Interesting

[cityofRaven]

Now let's see the evidence of Tennessee products who graduated from Gate City...

[GilesBandanaMan]

For all the knocks on John Marshall and the recruiting/AAU stuff/etc, they are fun to watch.  Ty White is a dang good basketball coach.  Sure, he gets great talent and there's no doubt about it, but he's very good on the floor coach and leader of those kids in the community.  Is the recruiting thing wrong?  Yea, I think so, BUT.....as far a coach and leader for those kids in Richmond and the work he's put in Richmond, it's a very solid job.  If folks are upset at the recruiting type situation with Marshall and playing in Class 2( I am upset at it for sure) but the beef should be with the VHSL, not John Marshall in my opinion.  

[1inStripes]

2 hours ago, cityofRaven said:

Now let's see the evidence of Tennessee products who graduated from Gate City...

Is that versus WV products graduating from Richlands and Graham?

[cityofRaven]

4 hours ago, 1inStripes said:

Is that versus WV products graduating from Richlands and Graham?

No one from Graham or Richlands is bitching about JM though, only the saints in Gate City.

[Bluefield researcher]

17 minutes ago, cityofRaven said:

No one from Graham or Richlands is bitching about JM though, only the saints in Gate City.

Yes they are. Just not on social media.

[JGray]

I actually love what John Marshall and Coach White are doing. He's getting kids in school whether it through AAU or school ball. Maybe having those kids there with him is a better situation for them. We can only speculate what's going on. If the parents have those kids enrolled there then so be it. This happens here in Charlotte every year. The only difference is down here we have 20 public schools in the city. there are numerous other surrounding public schools as well as charter and private schools. Kids transfer all over the place from year to year.

[TwhscoachT]

2 minutes ago, JGray said:

I actually love what John Marshall and Coach White are doing. He's getting kids in school whether it through AAU or school ball. Maybe having those kids there with him is a better situation for them. We can only speculate what's going on. If the parents have those kids enrolled there then so be it. This happens here in Charlotte every year. The only difference is down here we have 20 public schools in the city. there are numerous other surrounding public schools as well as charter and private schools. Kids transfer all over the place from year to year.

Then let them play a schedule like Oak Hill....

[UnionGuy2017]

12 hours ago, cityofRaven said:

No one from Graham or Richlands is bitching about JM though, only the saints in Gate City.

No one from Graham or Richlands has had to deal with John Marshall in a state title game either, Gate City has. 

[-oo-]

I have a few questions since I just don't know 100% of the facts.

1. What allows John Marshall to do this? Is there something different about the type of school they are from other public schools in Virginia?

2. Is there anything preventing other schools from doing this?

3. What's the legality of all of it? Is it actually "illegal" and the VHSL just turns a blind eye to it all?

4. What if a school from this area wanted to do this. What would that school need? Money for housing? Do parents need to move? Recruiting coordinator?

5. Is there anything preventing a school from SWVA to have those things? Do you need to have sponsors/parents/fans put money up for this to happen?

6. If there is nothing preventing other VHSL teams from doing this then Is it simply that people/coaches/schools want to keep it in house? Develop and grow people from SWVA instead of recruit out of state kids? Do school boards, administrators play a role in not allowing other schools/coaches/teams to do this? Would it be too much of a headache? Does the community simply want to keep it traditional?

I completely agree that there is no need for a team of this caliber to compete in 2a. It prevents opportunities for our area to go and get a championship. I'm kind of shocked that other schools aren't saying to themselves in football, basketball, soccer, baseball, etc. that if John Marshall can do it then we can to.

We all know there is some level of recruiting all over the country in high school sports but I know a lot of people have adopted a "win at all costs" mentality so why don't we see more schools doing this?

[Tigerman10]

2 hours ago, -oo- said:

I have a few questions since I just don't know 100% of the facts.

1. What allows John Marshall to do this? Is there something different about the type of school they are from other public schools in Virginia?

2. Is there anything preventing other schools from doing this?

3. What's the legality of all of it? Is it actually "illegal" and the VHSL just turns a blind eye to it all?

4. What if a school from this area wanted to do this. What would that school need? Money for housing? Do parents need to move? Recruiting coordinator?

5. Is there anything preventing a school from SWVA to have those things? Do you need to have sponsors/parents/fans put money up for this to happen?

6. If there is nothing preventing other VHSL teams from doing this then Is it simply that people/coaches/schools want to keep it in house? Develop and grow people from SWVA instead of recruit out of state kids? Do school boards, administrators play a role in not allowing other schools/coaches/teams to do this? Would it be too much of a headache? Does the community simply want to keep it traditional?

I completely agree that there is no need for a team of this caliber to compete in 2a. It prevents opportunities for our area to go and get a championship. I'm kind of shocked that other schools aren't saying to themselves in football, basketball, soccer, baseball, etc. that if John Marshall can do it then we can to.

We all know there is some level of recruiting all over the country in high school sports but I know a lot of people have adopted a "win at all costs" mentality so why don't we see more schools doing this?

A lot to answer but basically having a AA that can recruit all of Richmond plus other places gives them a huge advantage

[F@lcon]

4 hours ago, -oo- said:

I have a few questions since I just don't know 100% of the facts.

1. What allows John Marshall to do this? Is there something different about the type of school they are from other public schools in Virginia?

2. Is there anything preventing other schools from doing this?

3. What's the legality of all of it? Is it actually "illegal" and the VHSL just turns a blind eye to it all?

4. What if a school from this area wanted to do this. What would that school need? Money for housing? Do parents need to move? Recruiting coordinator?

5. Is there anything preventing a school from SWVA to have those things? Do you need to have sponsors/parents/fans put money up for this to happen?

6. If there is nothing preventing other VHSL teams from doing this then Is it simply that people/coaches/schools want to keep it in house? Develop and grow people from SWVA instead of recruit out of state kids? Do school boards, administrators play a role in not allowing other schools/coaches/teams to do this? Would it be too much of a headache? Does the community simply want to keep it traditional?

I completely agree that there is no need for a team of this caliber to compete in 2a. It prevents opportunities for our area to go and get a championship. I'm kind of shocked that other schools aren't saying to themselves in football, basketball, soccer, baseball, etc. that if John Marshall can do it then we can to.

We all know there is some level of recruiting all over the country in high school sports but I know a lot of people have adopted a "win at all costs" mentality so why don't we see more schools doing this?

If I remember correctly from the first time this was discussed, the city of Richmond has a rule that anyone within the full city radius is allowed to choose any school within that same radius regardless of district lines.   The  Richmond metro area has a population so 1.2 million people so that puts all other 2A schools at a major disadvantage.  Plus, the rumors of players being from other states brings in a whole other controversy.

[cityofRaven]

1 hour ago, F@lcon said:

If I remember correctly from the first time this was discussed, the city of Richmond has a rule that anyone within the full city radius is allowed to choose any school within that same radius regardless of district lines.   The  Richmond metro area has a population so 1.2 million people so that puts all other 2A schools at a major disadvantage.  Plus, the rumors of players being from other states brings in a whole other controversy.

So... Why do they suck at every other sport?

[GilesBandanaMan]

Richmond, VA, is like Charlotte, NC. It's called open enrollment.  This means, if you live within the Richmond/Charlotte City limits, you can go to any school you choose as long as you get yourself to the school.  The cities have school boundaries, and JM has its own boundary, but if you live outside of that boundary, but still in Richmond, and you want to go to John Marshall, you can go as long as you provide your own transportation.  Open enrollment is done because of parents that work around the city and they work perhaps in an area Other than the district they live in, so they can drop their kids off while going to work.  This ie one reason for open enrollment.  Academic reasons are another.  If a parent is unhappy with the academics of the local school boundary and they want their kid to go to the top school in Charlotte or Richmond, they can send them there as long as they take them.  One of the goals is to increase competitveness academically for all schools within the city.

The problem or downside.  When 1 school has an AAU, NFL, or major Div 1 connection on the coaching staff.  The best athletes will often flock to this certain school, and the danger with a large city is......there are a LOT of kids to choose from.  How does it work in Charlotte and other cities like this around the country.  It's like Waccamole with success.  One school has the coaching connection and gets the kids and dominates, then the coach leaves and that school falls off and another school rises to the top and takes the reigns, then that coach leaves and another school comes to the forefront.  We've seen it in Charlotte over the years and how it rotates with first Independence, then Butler, onto Providence, onto Catholic, etc, etc.  The coach at John Marshall will not be there in 3 years.   He will be in the college ranks and you will see Marshall slowly fall off, and somebody else in Richmond will gain a coaching/AAU connection and they will rise up.  

John Marshall is within the rules. Their coach is doing his job and doing a good job.  If folks are upset with it again.....blame Richmond or the VHSL.  John Marshall and their staff are doing what any other staff would do, if in the same situation.  

[GilesBandanaMan]

6 minutes ago, cityofRaven said:

So... Why do they suck at every other sport?

Because they don't have the AAU connection in football like they do basketball.  Or to put it another way, they don't have the NFL or Major D1 connection in their High School Program.  One of the reasons you are seeing Graham get kids in football is because of guys like Isabelle and Bradshaw being around the program.  Two former NFL players, and kids locally absolutely know they have connections to the next level (and they do).  Kids want to be around that.  They want that connection.  They want to increase the chances, even if only a small percent, they want to increase their changes of playing at the next level.  The process is circular.  The winning occurs and connections are there and the winning keeps occuring and the connections there, and all of a sudden, you are dominating local schools.  This is what's happening at Marshall, but not just locally, they are dominating state wide, and Graham in SWVA and probably now in all of 2A in football, is bordering on dominate type level.  Certainly, not at the level of John Marshall, but they are just head and shoulder more talented and deeper than pretty much any team taking the field with them.  It's crazy to think, but Appo 2 years in a row had actually been.....Out Talented on the football field.

[F@lcon]

10 minutes ago, cityofRaven said:

So... Why do they suck at every other sport?

Because they have many different high schools in Richmond.  It’s the coach at John Marshall that pulls the kids.

[GilesBandanaMan]

2 minutes ago, F@lcon said:

Because they have many different high schools in Richmond.  It’s the coach at John Marshall that pulls the kids.

It's the CONNECTIONS that the coach has at Marshall that is pulling the kids.  Most coaches, if not all in Richmond, are trying to get kids, but they don't have the same Connections that the Marshall coach has.  In Hampton for DECADES with Mike Smith, they had several kids go on to play in the NFL starting as early as the 60's, then the 70's, 80's and 90's and these former players were around the program after the NFL with Head Coach Mike Smith.  Mike Smith had the Connections, and every kid in Hampton, Newport News, Phoebus area that was a great football player was beating down the door to get to Hampton High, and the process becamse circular.  Winning, talent, more winning, more talent, and just rinse and repeat until Hampton finally fell off (after about 50 or so years).

[F@lcon]

3 hours ago, BandanaVTDavis4321 said:

It's the CONNECTIONS that the coach has at Marshall that is pulling the kids.  Most coaches, if not all in Richmond, are trying to get kids, but they don't have the same Connections that the Marshall coach has.  In Hampton for DECADES with Mike Smith, they had several kids go on to play in the NFL starting as early as the 60's, then the 70's, 80's and 90's and these former players were around the program after the NFL with Head Coach Mike Smith.  Mike Smith had the Connections, and every kid in Hampton, Newport News, Phoebus area that was a great football player was beating down the door to get to Hampton High, and the process becamse circular.  Winning, talent, more winning, more talent, and just rinse and repeat until Hampton finally fell off (after about 50 or so years).

That’s totally implied.  But it’s on two fronts.  They want to play on his team for what he can do for them and he is getting the best possible players to make his team what it is.  He’s not taking scrubs and making players out of them.  He’s taking tremendous athletes and combining them with 9-10 other stars to dominate.

[Bluefield researcher]

The city of Richmond's population is around 225,000. It is an independent city like Bristol and Radford. Technically anyone living in Henrico, Goochland or Chesterfield County would have to move into the Richmond City limits to go to John Marshall. Thomas Jefferson is now competitive in football because the City kids go there for football. Maggie Walker - soccer.

[Account Deleted]

8 hours ago, Bluefield researcher said:

The city of Richmond's population is around 225,000. It is an independent city like Bristol and Radford. Technically anyone living in Henrico, Goochland or Chesterfield County would have to move into the Richmond City limits to go to John Marshall. Thomas Jefferson is now competitive in football because the City kids go there for football. Maggie Walker - soccer.

City of Richmond football players are finding their way onto the rosters of Dinwiddie and Highland Springs. As are baseball players at Cosby, Freeman, Glen Allen and Manchester. It's no different than the Carroll County and Grayson County kids that have come over to Galax to play sports over the past decade. Or the kids from Bland who play at Graham. It's not unreasonable to assume basketball players are coming into the city to play for John Marshall. I know for a fact, one of JM's current basketball stars lives in Chesterfield County. His dad owns a business there and they live in the apartment above. 

[Bluefield researcher]

1 hour ago, sixcat said:

City of Richmond football players are finding their way onto the rosters of Dinwiddie and Highland Springs. As are baseball players at Cosby, Freeman, Glen Allen and Manchester. It's no different than the Carroll County and Grayson County kids that have come over to Galax to play sports over the past decade. Or the kids from Bland who play at Graham. It's not unreasonable to assume basketball players are coming into the city to play for John Marshall. I know for a fact, one of JM's current basketball stars lives in Chesterfield County. His dad owns a business there and they live in the apartment above. 

That is why I said technically. We all know how easy it is to use fake addresses.

[goose111874]

Buddy Garrett putting that mailbox in a vacant lot has ruined highschool sports

[tornado99]

Those are excellent insights in this thread,both locally and state/nationwide. Athletes are more empowered and are able to take advantage of greater resources available. Those with the most resources are able to offer more, and reap more rewards. The rich get richer.John Marshall is an excellent example of a microcosm of our society as a whole. 
My biggest debate is whether it is good for the sport in the long term. For historical and contemporary perspective, I think of antitrust legislation in the US, and practices in major sports. 
In my opinion the preference whether political, or in sports, I err on the side of regulation being necessary, but the least amount to drive competition. I point to the NFL’s success compared to MLB or the NBA. The salary caps and revenue sharing in the NFL creates a greater level of competition, rather than the richest markets having too great of an advantage.   Because of its success the competition still generates revenue that benefits each team. 
That’s the result deep down I would love to see in VHSL/SWVA but I wouldn’t want or expect successful teams to roll over.

[GilesBandanaMan]

The number one ranked AAAAAAA Team in Georgia (Grayson) goes down to John Marshall.  JM beat em by 12 points.  

[GilesBandanaMan]

The USA Today released their first "Super 25" rankings for the 2022-23 season yesterday.  

John Marshall is ranked 6th in country by USA Today.  Interestingly, St Paul VI from Chantilly, VA is ranked 3rd in the nation.