is 1D more talented then 1C

[SilverBulletStevie]

Since 1D represented C/D in Salem last year is the tide finally turning to Region D being more talented then Region C after years of C dominating?

[MMcMahon26]

We’re certainly closer to that than any point we’ve been recently. Rye Cove did win by a point on what were some pretty brutal field conditions if I remember correctly, so I wouldn’t say it’s turned yet. If Eastside, who I believe is probably most people’s pick to make it out of the west, is able to go to Salem, then I’d think it’s safe to say the tide has turned. I think one of the Region C teams gets them when the time comes, but we’re a long way from that.

[Sixcat Adjacent]

This is just my opinion based on living in the Region C area and following high school athletics pretty closely. Take it for what it is. An unbiased observation.

1C is getting more and more into other sports. Especially Olympic sports and soccer. I've seen more kids on swim teams over the past few years than football teams within the same school system. Many 1C schools could field multiple soccer teams that would be competitive on a state level. Look at what Auburn has done over the past 15 years and you'll see what the rest of 1C is becoming. Many other 1C programs have closed the gap on Auburn in everything other than football over the past few years, which has hurt football across the 1C Region. It's a pattern across 1C I don't see changing anytime soon.

My 2026 football prediction for 1C is, George Wythe and Giles will be the only decent football teams. Either could get to Salem but the depth 1C has experienced over the past decade plus just isn't here anymore. 

Again, an unbiased observation. 

[Wolf1207]

22 minutes ago, Sixcat Adjacent said:

This is just my opinion based on living in the Region C area and following high school athletics pretty closely. Take it for what it is. An unbiased observation.

1C is getting more and more into other sports. Especially Olympic sports and soccer. I've seen more kids on swim teams over the past few years than football teams within the same school system. Many 1C schools could field multiple soccer teams that would be competitive on a state level. Look at what Auburn has done over the past 15 years and you'll see what the rest of 1C is becoming. Many other 1C programs have closed the gap on Auburn in everything other than football over the past few years, which has hurt football across the 1C Region. It's a pattern across 1C I don't see changing anytime soon.

My 2026 football prediction for 1C is, George Wythe and Giles will be the only decent football teams. Either could get to Salem but the depth 1C has experienced over the past decade plus just isn't here anymore. 

Again, an unbiased observation. 

Makes a lot of sense. A lot of the Olympic sports have a much friendlier budget as football can be very expensive. Especially if you’re a small school that doesn’t have a big attendance number.

Same thing is going to happen to small colleges for the same reasons. 

[Sixcat Adjacent]

54 minutes ago, Wolf1207 said:

Makes a lot of sense. A lot of the Olympic sports have a much friendlier budget as football can be very expensive. Especially if you’re a small school that doesn’t have a big attendance number.

Same thing is going to happen to small colleges for the same reasons. 

Auburn has more money than virtually any other 1C or 1D school system. Their football trajectory had nothing to do with finances. They have some impressive youth programs centered around baseball, swimming and diving, track and field, cross country, volleyball, basketball, and golf. Those programs tend to take numbers away from football in numbers most Class 1 schools can't replace. When that many different sports are competing for, and often winning state championships year after year, those programs continue to build upon that success.

I know for Auburn, it's not about money as much as it is about having an abundance of much safer athletic alternatives. 

[Fairlawncat]

Auburn is an athletic machine and the best overall Class 1 athletic program in the state of Virginia and has been for a while. Even with their lackluster football, they more than compensate in about every other sport to get the nod as Virginia's best overall Class 1 athletics program.

[Sixcat Adjacent]

1 hour ago, Fairlawncat said:

Auburn is an athletic machine and the best overall Class 1 athletic program in the state of Virginia and has been for a while. Even with their lackluster football, they more than compensate in about every other sport to get the nod as Virginia's best overall Class 1 athletics program.

Their facilities are top-notch. Better than most schools twice their size. Just go to Google Maps and check out the high school. They have an 18-hole golf course across the street. 

[Pickett]

Region C 1A has been pretty weak (Football) past few years and that trend will continue.   

[MMcMahon26]

3 hours ago, Sixcat Adjacent said:

This is just my opinion based on living in the Region C area and following high school athletics pretty closely. Take it for what it is. An unbiased observation.

1C is getting more and more into other sports. Especially Olympic sports and soccer. I've seen more kids on swim teams over the past few years than football teams within the same school system. Many 1C schools could field multiple soccer teams that would be competitive on a state level. Look at what Auburn has done over the past 15 years and you'll see what the rest of 1C is becoming. Many other 1C programs have closed the gap on Auburn in everything other than football over the past few years, which has hurt football across the 1C Region. It's a pattern across 1C I don't see changing anytime soon.

My 2026 football prediction for 1C is, George Wythe and Giles will be the only decent football teams. Either could get to Salem but the depth 1C has experienced over the past decade plus just isn't here anymore. 

Again, an unbiased observation. 

No Grayson County? I know they lost a lot, but last year they seemed to have it figured out by the time the playoffs rolled around, and I have to believe they’ll do the same. Losing the Goads is big, but between Dowell and Thompson coming back, like I said, I think they’ll get the hang of it. Question mark seems to be O and D lines. You’re the go to for 1C on the board, so what’s say you, Sixcat? How does this season go for the Blue Devils?

[Sixcat Adjacent]

5 minutes ago, MMcMahon26 said:

No Grayson County? I know they lost a lot, but last year they seemed to have it figured out by the time the playoffs rolled around, and I have to believe they’ll do the same. Losing the Goads is big, but between Dowell and Thompson coming back, like I said, I think they’ll get the hang of it. Question mark seems to be O and D lines. You’re the go to for 1C on the board, so what’s say you, Sixcat? How does this season go for the Blue Devils?

I refuse to comment on that particular county for reasons some on here understand!

[goose111874]

2 hours ago, Fairlawncat said:

Auburn is an athletic machine and the best overall Class 1 athletic program in the state of Virginia and has been for a while. Even with their lackluster football, they more than compensate in about every other sport to get the nod as Virginia's best overall Class 1 athletics program.

All that SEC money 

[SilverBulletStevie]

i believe putting giles in the 1C conversation in the year 2026 is blasphemy last year was their best chance but that was squandered away once george wythe who was a young team figured out how to stop the run, they were very senior heavy and lost more then they retained. if you aren’t putting george wythe who probably returned the most starters or grayson who even if they lost key players you should never count out due to coaching in your top 2 then i really don’t understand your thought process in the great game of football.-silverbullet

[SilverBulletStevie]

On 6/29/2026 at 1:41 PM, MMcMahon26 said:

We’re certainly closer to that than any point we’ve been recently. Rye Cove did win by a point on what were some pretty brutal field conditions if I remember correctly, so I wouldn’t say it’s turned yet. If Eastside, who I believe is probably most people’s pick to make it out of the west, is able to go to Salem, then I’d think it’s safe to say the tide has turned. I think one of the Region C teams gets them when the time comes, but we’re a long way from that.

I agree but i believe region c is top heavy and region d is more balanced out 

[SilverBulletStevie]

4 hours ago, Fairlawncat said:

Auburn is an athletic machine and the best overall Class 1 athletic program in the state of Virginia and has been for a while. Even with their lackluster football, they more than compensate in about every other sport to get the nod as Virginia's best overall Class 1 athletics program.

their a few pieces away from being a football powerhouse too

[tornado99]

3 hours ago, SilverBulletStevie said:

I agree but i believe region c is top heavy and region d is more balanced out 

I’d argue that Region D is top heavy as well. Unless I’m forgetting someone, it’s Eastside, Rye Cove, and Honaker before a steep drop off. No disrespect intended as I’m ignorant of what the Hogo is returning, but Chilhowie is usually solid.

[SilverBulletStevie]

14 minutes ago, tornado99 said:

I’d argue that Region D is top heavy as well. Unless I’m forgetting someone, it’s Eastside, Rye Cove, and Honaker before a steep drop off. No disrespect intended as I’m ignorant of what the Hogo is returning, but Chilhowie is usually solid.

There’s an upper Tier, for sure, but you’ve got three teams in the hogo in RR, Holston, and Northwood that are right around .500. Twin Springs is in there around .500 usually too. But then in C after GW and Grayson the middle tier is basically narrows and giles last year and then a huge cliff.-silverbullet

[Sixcat Adjacent]

21 hours ago, SilverBulletStevie said:

i believe putting giles in the 1C conversation in the year 2026 is blasphemy last year was their best chance but that was squandered away once george wythe who was a young team figured out how to stop the run, they were very senior heavy and lost more then they retained. if you aren’t putting george wythe who probably returned the most starters or grayson who even if they lost key players you should never count out due to coaching in your top 2 then i really don’t understand your thought process in the great game of football.-silverbullet

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put tomato in a fruit salad.

[Pickett]

Auburn is getting close.....a little better line play and physicality on D  and they are there

[Fairlawncat]

2 hours ago, Pickett said:

Auburn is getting close.....a little better line play and physicality on D  and they are there

It's tough for me. Very tough call whether they make that jump to GW/Rye Cove/Grayson and maybe Eastside/Giles level of play in football, or do they fall short? You only have so many kids. It's a Class 1 school regardless of money. Those non football sports and Olympics type sports are maxed out with kids that concentrate on them for much of the year. If they were to trend way up in football, then it's going to be very tough to Not trend down in some other sports. Jury is still out on whether Auburn improves to the level of the teams mentioned above in football. They have improved, but that bar for improvement was one of the lowest bars in all of the state of Virginia. They were absolutely awful and even non existent for a couple of years.

[Sixcat Adjacent]

I'm not convinced Auburn will ever be a lot better than they currently are in football. At least not on a state level like they are in virtually every other sport. They may not ever be as bad as they were a few years ago again. But they are not going to be as dominant in football as they are in virtually every other sports. I don't see enough kids leaving every other sport to commit to football enough for them to be competitive on a state level.

I reached out to a friend in Montgomery County last night. Auburn has won 56 team state championships, 51 of which have been since 2012. That's not counting the dozens upon dozens of additional individual state championships they've won in sports like golf, tennis, track & field and cross country. Auburn has claimed the Class 1 VHSL Commonwealth Cup 9 times in 10 years, finishing second to Radford in the 2016/2017 school year. 

[tornado99]

5 hours ago, Sixcat Adjacent said:

I'm not convinced Auburn will ever be a lot better than they currently are in football. At least not on a state level like they are in virtually every other sport. They may not ever be as bad as they were a few years ago again. But they are not going to be as dominant in football as they are in virtually every other sports. I don't see enough kids leaving every other sport to commit to football enough for them to be competitive on a state level.

I reached out to a friend in Montgomery County last night. Auburn has won 56 team state championships, 51 of which have been since 2012. That's not counting the dozens upon dozens of additional individual state championships they've won in sports like golf, tennis, track & field and cross country. Auburn has claimed the Class 1 VHSL Commonwealth Cup 9 times in 10 years, finishing second to Radford in the 2016/2017 school year. 

What an impressive run?! I know very little, but if I recall correctly that’s a very wealthy area with good numbers compared to other Class 1 schools. I imagine that wealth/resources, location, numbers, and specialization in those sports go a long way to contribute to that success. 
I wonder if the that’s what the landscape will look more like with many schools continuing to concentrate on a small number of sports and those in Region D concentrating on the traditional sports somewhat due to lacking the specialized training and costs associated with the individual and Olympic sports.

Edited July 2 by tornado99
Wording

[Fairlawncat]

6 hours ago, tornado99 said:

What an impressive run?! I know very little, but if I recall correctly that’s a very wealthy area with good numbers compared to other Class 1 schools. I imagine that wealth/resources, location, numbers, and specialization in those sports go a long way to contribute to that success. 
I wonder if the that’s what the landscape will look more like with many schools continuing to concentrate on a small number of sports and those in Region D concentrating on the traditional sports somewhat due to lacking the specialized training and costs associated with the individual and Olympic sports.

Auburn (Riner area) has lots of VT/Radford higher ups/professors/IT technical types. So in summary, it has a high tax base, so resources are considerably higher. That clearly helps. Just a quick drive through the southern part of Montgomery County shows some massive homes and clearly, lots of money. If you are a tenured professor at VT or Radford, many of them end up around the southern part of Montgomery County including the medical professionals and attorneys.  When you compare their feeder population area to other Class 1 schools across the state, it's about as high as you can get financially. There's other well off suburbs in and around Va such as in Northern VA, parts of Richmond, Williamsburg and Hampton Roads, but these are generally schools that are Class 2 are higher 4-6 (NOVA). 

Poquoson (where my wife is from) is a well to do area. It's a mix of water (shrimp and crab workers) with a ton of NASA and Air Force employees. They do well in most sports other than hoops, but is Class 2, and has bucket loads of resources like Auburn. Like Auburn, other than basketball, they are in the mix in about every sport.

[tornado99]

It seems awfully quiet coming out of Coeburn. Isn’t Eastside loaded with everyone back?

[Union_Fan]

2 minutes ago, tornado99 said:

It seems awfully quiet coming out of Coeburn. Isn’t Eastside loaded with everyone back?

Real confidence usually is quiet. If they don't make it to at least the semis, I would be hugely disappointed if I were a part of that team/community.

There should be a championship caliber team coming out of Coeburn this year.

[SWVAgridiron]

With the skill players that Auburn returns, if they can get a decent line they will be top 3 in the MED this season. It’s very early but I think it will be Craig/GW playing in the 1C Championship. Grayson will be in the mix despite the amount of seniors they lost last season.They return some very good skill players and some decent linemen. Giles will have to fill a lot of spots from last season. We had a massive senior class and most were starters on both sides of the ball. The line is where we will struggle the most. Narrows returns a few good skill guys, and Craig returns a lot. Them two won’t have any competition in the Pioneer until they play each other. I have no idea what Galax will bring to the table this season with how the past 2 years have been. Hopefully they can play all 10 games.