SWVA Sports Trivia: Whose Stadium is Pictured Here?

[EH31]

3 hours ago, 1inStripes said:

Fort has one of the  more underrated setups for home fans.  Sitting back in the pines where its dark.  

here is a pic I took from the press box at Fort Chiswell. If you look at the bottom of the pic you can see the fans sitting in the dark. 

[Liam McPoyle]

This place was magical in 1988.

[cityofRaven]

1 minute ago, Liam McPoyle said:

This place was magical in 1988.

What is Jonesville, Alex!

[Liam McPoyle]

The Mayor is correct!  The 1988 Jonesville Bulldogs went just 5-5 in the regular season, but reeled off four straight wins to capture the Div 1 state title in its final year of existance. 

[Liam McPoyle]

 

[cityofRaven]

38 minutes ago, Liam McPoyle said:

 

Dobyns-Bennett, North Campus.

[Liam McPoyle]

DING DING DING We have a winner!

DB-North AKA as Gate City plays at Legion Field, which opened in 1966 at a cost of about $250,000.

The 5,000 seat stadium is named for the local American Legion chapter that donated $35,000 and holds regular meetings under the home grandstand.  

 

 

 

 

[Liam McPoyle]

Though constructed many years earlier, this 1966 photo was taken when construction crews were making improvements to the field.

The high school sits in the background just across a street.

The stadium has been home to three different high schools. 

 

 

 

 

[SW_VA_boy]

1 hour ago, Liam McPoyle said:

Though constructed many years earlier, this 1966 photo was taken when construction crews were making improvements to the field.

The high school sits in the background just across a street.

The stadium has been home to three different high schools. 

 

 

 

 

Saltville

[Liam McPoyle]

 

Photo credit: Rick Baker, Fourseasonsfootball.com 

This was tricky, but @SW_VA_boy comes up with the right answer

*Built in 1920, it's believed to be the oldest high school football playing surface in the state, since being established as such, still in use.

It's served as home field for the Saltville Shakers, R.B. Worthy Shakers, and the Northwood Panthers

 

* https://virginiapreps.forums.rivals.com/threads/some-football-history-from-a-good-friend-of-mine-in-saltville.75256/

[Liam McPoyle]

Rich Valley/RB Worthy Consolidation Tidbits:

-North Fork, North Smyth, Salt Valley, and North Holston were among the names considered. 

-Supposedly a student on the naming committee spotted a lumber stamp for "Northwoods Lumber Co" in a shelter by the school and suggested the shortened name. The generic Panther was the popular pick all along.

 

And say what you will, but a castrated bull and a pissed-off condiment dispenser were awesome mascots.

 

[rjhall71]

50 minutes ago, Liam McPoyle said:

Rich Valley/RB Worthy Consolidation Tidbits:

-North Fork, North Smyth, Salt Valley, and North Holston were among the names considered. 

-Supposedly a student on the naming committee spotted a lumber stamp for "Northwoods Lumber Co" in a shelter by the school and suggested the shortened name. The generic Panther was the popular pick all along.

 

And say what you will, but a castrated bull and a pissed-off condiment dispenser were awesome mascots.

As a student on the naming committee, I can attest that the names mentioned were indeed in the running, along with JEB Stuart. The one that received the most votes from students at RV was the Walker Mountain Wildcats. I can't remember exactly how Northwood or Panthers came into play and won, though. I can say that the original colors were supposed to be blue and yellow, but some folks said yellow would be too close to our gold (which was a mustard yellow), so silver came into play. How that was not considered close to RB Worthy's gray is beyond me.  In the end it all worked out though. In fact, at our very first home football game Don Morgan who had been the voice of the Shakers, shouted here come the Shakers over the PA system as we ran onto the field before correcting himself.

[Liam McPoyle]

1 minute ago, rjhall71 said:

As a student on the naming committee, I can attest that the names mentioned were indeed in the running, along with JEB Stuart. The one that received the most votes from students at RV was the Walker Mountain Wildcats. I can't remember exactly how Northwood or Panthers came into play and won, though. I can say that the original colors were supposed to be blue and yellow, but some folks said yellow would be too close to our gold (which was a mustard yellow), so silver came into play. How that was not considered to close to RB Worthy's gray is beyond me.  In the end it all worked out though. In fact, at our very first home football game Don Morgan who had been the voice of the Shakers, shouted here come the Shakers over the PA system as we ran onto the field before correcting himself.

I forgot that JEB Stuart was being considered. It seems like it was a popular choice with the adults. I didn't remember Walker Mountain, but that would've been so much better than the generic Northwood name.

[rjhall71]

@Liam McPoyleOh yes, my dad was so mad when JEB Stuart Generals did not win out. I think a lot of us kids at the time wanted something different and new, and that is why it didn't gain traction. We RV folks tried to compromise with the Shakers by saying we could name it Salt Valley, we could keep their maroon, and we'd keep our gold as colors. For the mascot, we would keep our first 3 mascot letters and the last 3 letters from the RBW one. They didn't go for it, unfortunately lol.

[1inStripes]

8 hours ago, Liam McPoyle said:

The Mayor is correct!  The 1988 Jonesville Bulldogs went just 5-5 in the regular season, but reeled off four straight wins to capture the Div 1 state title in its final year of existance. 

All in cardiac fashion.  The biggest margin of victory was in the mud at Rye Cove 7-0.  The Dog defense kept RC from getting into the end zone even though probably 80% of the game was played inside the Bulldog 40.

[RichRich]

On 6/8/2025 at 8:59 PM, Liam McPoyle said:

Stadium #9

Year unknown

-Last hosted a game in 2010

-Defunct school and stadium that has since been razed

I remember 85 or 86  I think Powell valleys only loss was there.  May be wrong its been a while

[Union_Fan]

8 minutes ago, RichRich said:

I remember 85 or 86  I think Powell valleys only loss was there.  May be wrong its been a while

85.

Went 10-0 in 86 with a 1st round playoff loss to Garden.

[RichRich]

1 minute ago, Union_Fan said:

85.

Went 10-0 in 86 with a 1st round playoff loss to Garden.

That's wild I was just thinking I wonder if a Pic of gardens field is posted

[Liam McPoyle]

=

 

-This school started playing football in 1941, but didn't get a stadium of their own until 1980. 

-Two different schools have called this field home. 

-The 1986 season was particularly special here, which included one of the biggest upsets in SWVA football history.

 

 

[#1BLUESFAN]

4 hours ago, Liam McPoyle said:

=

 

-This school started playing football in 1941, but didn't get a stadium of their own until 1980. 

-Two different schools have called this field home. 

-The 1986 season was particularly special here, which included one of the biggest upsets in SWVA football history.

 

 Garden Green Dragons 

[Liam McPoyle]

#1 Blues Fan with the correct answer

The home field for Garden Green Dragons and, of course, the Twin Valley Panthers following the Garden-Whitewood consolidation.

-Roger Rife led the 1986 Green Dragons on an improbable run all the way to the state final.

-The 7-3 Green Dragons shocked Powell Valley by a score of 15-0 in the first round of the playoffs. Phil Robbins' Vikings were defending state champions with a 21-game winning streak.

[cityofRaven]

1 hour ago, Liam McPoyle said:

#1 Blues Fan with the correct answer

The home field for Garden Green Dragons and, of course, the Twin Valley Panthers following the Garden-Whitewood consolidation.

-Roger Rife led the 1986 Green Dragons on an improbable run all the way to the state final.

-The 7-3 Green Dragons shocked Powell Valley by a score of 15-0 in the first round of the playoffs. Phil Robbins' Vikings were defending state champions with a 21-game winning streak.

The 1986 Garden team was always interesting to me. Always wanted to see some film of that playoff run.

One thing that was always intriguing, especially with your note on Powell Valley, was how did Garden have the home-field advantage in Region D?

[Bluefield researcher]

1 hour ago, cityofRaven said:

The 1986 Garden team was always interesting to me. Always wanted to see some film of that playoff run.

One thing that was always intriguing, especially with your note on Powell Valley, was how did Garden have the home-field advantage in Region D?

They alternated between districts.

[redtiger]

On 6/9/2025 at 4:26 PM, Liam McPoyle said:

Photo by Rick Baker

Photo by Jeff Williams, Giles at Haysi (1993 State Semi-Final)

FYI thats what a real SWVA football field looks like!

[Liam McPoyle]

After years of playing in a park, this school built an on-campus stadium in 1961.