Southern Gap Predictions

[Unchained]

11 minutes ago, honestjohn said:

Never know what any team is going to do until they take the field

Most of it depends on whether the head coach can ensure chemistry which is so critical-especially with new programs. When my eldest played baseball at CHS,the kids from Wise hung out and ran with Wise and Pound did the same. Zero cohesion, and that's on the coaching. Robin Dotson has done a tremendous job fusing the communities in basketball, but the other sports just haven't seen that.

[Stelley]

13 minutes ago, honestjohn said:

Never know what any team is going to do until they take the field

Lebanons core group that graduated looked like they were going to be Graham slayers in middle school, just never know how big the line is actually going to be

[Stelley]

2 hours ago, Unchained said:

 

Not always a safe assumption. When Central was formed, I thought with all the success at JJK plus some more athletes from Pound in baseball, the Warriors would be a juggernaut. They have been mediocre on the diamond since the get:(

Centrals had a great team the past couple of years, just end up playing the wrong team on the wrong day. If Wyatt wasn’t hurt they would have been neck and neck with Union when it comes to talent level.

The team they had last year and even the year before could have easily been state champions had they played this year 

[Unchained]

1 minute ago, Stelley said:

Lebanons core group that graduated looked like they were going to be Graham slayers in middle school, just never know how big the line is actually going to be

I used to watch JJK drub PV in JV and folks swore the titles were coming. Coaching is EVERYTHING. This is why I am so excited about the new boss we have at Union. We are already seeing the tremendous attention to detail.

[Unchained]

Just now, Stelley said:

Centrals had a great team the past couple of years, just end up playing the wrong team on the wrong day. If Wyatt wasn’t hurt they would have been neck and neck with Union when it comes to talent level 

Yet honestly, still way short of Abingdon and Battle. Even with Union's talent, they are underachieving.

[Stelley]

1 minute ago, Unchained said:

Yet honestly, still way short of Abingdon and Battle. Even with Union's talent, they are underachieving.

In unions defense. Battle and Abingdon are underperforming with the talent that they have. Been hearing some pretty big news lately about those situations 

[Stelley]

3 minutes ago, Unchained said:

I used to watch JJK drub PV in JV and folks swore the titles were coming. Coaching is EVERYTHING. This is why I am so excited about the new boss we have at Union. We are already seeing the tremendous attention to detail.

Having watched Lebanon these past couple of years in baseball compared to football and basketball, the little things are what wins you games or sends you home. Football and basketball have had talent but zero success

[Unchained]

1 minute ago, Stelley said:

Having watched Lebanon these past couple of years in baseball compared to football and basketball, the little things are what wins you games or sends you home. Football and basketball have had talent but zero success

Gotta have massive commitment especially in the weightroom. I used to laugh when folks whined about GC being in the LPD running roughshod over folks. Those same kids were in the weightroom before the sun came up and after it set-no coincidence they were beating us like a drum. Our kids were out at the movies or cruising.

[Fairlawncat]

5 hours ago, Unchained said:

Gotta have massive commitment especially in the weightroom. I used to laugh when folks whined about GC being in the LPD running roughshod over folks. Those same kids were in the weightroom before the sun came up and after it set-no coincidence they were beating us like a drum. Our kids were out at the movies or cruising.

What will the Devils have this year? Wonder if they ever get close to what they once were? They've had some fantastic individual athlete/football players, but it just seems their top 22 can't match Union/Graham/Ridgeview's top 22 most years. I see where the younger Jenkins brother is D1 and will probably get more offers than W&M due to his height and speed. 

[Unchained]

24 minutes ago, Fairlawncat said:

What will the Devils have this year? Wonder if they ever get close to what they once were? They've had some fantastic individual athlete/football players, but it just seems their top 22 can't match Union/Graham/Ridgeview's top 22 most years. I see where the younger Jenkins brother is D1 and will probably get more offers than W&M due to his height and speed. 

They have some solid skill players, but the line will be their telltale factor as well as a lack of depth.

[redtiger]

On 7/9/2026 at 3:59 PM, Stelley said:

Basketball will be nowhere near as bad as baseball. Grundys been decent in basketball. But in the region tournament for baseball the three teams lost by a combined margin of 51-0, that’s including council forfeiting to PH

I saw some of the baseball scores in the paper. Ouch

[vol_husky]

On 7/10/2026 at 1:10 PM, Unchained said:

I used to watch JJK drub PV in JV and folks swore the titles were coming. Coaching is EVERYTHING. This is why I am so excited about the new boss we have at Union. We are already seeing the tremendous attention to detail.

I always laughed when I heard people say “But Powell Valley had talent. That’s why Powell Valley won all those championships!” Of course. Talent is a part of the equation. Talent isn’t everything. Phil Robbins was a top-notch coach. One has to be able to manage a team and develop strategies that will help them succeed. 
 

Just to make an analogy, Bama had talent even when Shula was the coach. But Shula had them at “just pretty good” at best. Then Saban comes along. Bama was a .500 team in Saban’s, but after 2007 they never looked back. 

[Unchained]

8 hours ago, vol_husky said:

I always laughed when I heard people say “But Powell Valley had talent. That’s why Powell Valley won all those championships!” Of course. Talent is a part of the equation. Talent isn’t everything. Phil Robbins was a top-notch coach. One has to be able to manage a team and develop strategies that will help them succeed. 
 

Just to make an analogy, Bama had talent even when Shula was the coach. But Shula had them at “just pretty good” at best. Then Saban comes along. Bama was a .500 team in Saban’s, but after 2007 they never looked back. 

When JJK's girls had that magical 30-0 season years ago, our own fans were yapping saying "With all that talent Robin has, a chimpanzee could win a state title with these girls". He more than made that laughable and continues to with what 8 rings now? Coaching is everything.

[tornado99]

I do think coaching is critical, but nowadays it’s so closely related to obtaining and keeping the talent. 
I think both things can be true, and 99 percent of the time, you need both. 
Powell Valley under Robbins had both. I know success breeds success; however, it can’t be overlooked that 4 titles came from NFL talent on the roster. A single title or two compared to 6 makes a great coach, an all-time coach. Could he do the same at one of the unfortunate neighbors? No offense, because I consider him a great coach, but I have my doubts. He improves the program, but not multiple titles in my opinion.
The Shula-Saban comparison translates more to Dotson’s success. I think part of the magic is talent acquisition and recruiting. I view Saban as a much better recruiter with a greater talent edge. The other facets are obvious, but the talent multiplies the effect. 
Dotson is no doubt an excellent coach as well. He probably could do more with less, but has the luxury of doing more with more. Those girls transfer from other areas to Wise because of that success. I’m not an expert, so I don’t know the details, but either way talent and coaching are closely intertwined. 

[Widespread_Panic]

58 minutes ago, Unchained said:

 Coaching is everything.

You can be the greatest coach in the world but if you don't have a youth program set up to develop the talent coaching will only get you so far. Phil Robbins, Robin Dotson, and all of the other successful coaches have a good youth league.

[Unchained]

20 minutes ago, Widespread_Panic said:

You can be the greatest coach in the world but if you don't have a youth program set up to develop the talent coaching will only get you so far. Phil Robbins, Robin Dotson, and all of the other successful coaches have a good youth league.

You can also have a stout youth program and not next level HC and fall short time and time again.

[Cousin_Hoyt]

Cousins Claude and Delbert were saying this weekend at the Tazewell Fiddler’s Hoedown that Greg Tester should be sending a BIG Thank You note to the Tazewell School Board for giving him a football win over Richlands.  

[honestjohn]

4 hours ago, Cousin_Hoyt said:

Cousins Claude and Delbert were saying this weekend at the Tazewell Fiddler’s Hoedown that Greg Tester should be sending a BIG Thank You note to the Tazewell School Board for giving him a football win over Richlands.  

 I really don't think Coach Tester needed the Tazewell School Board to do anything.

[Cousin_Hoyt]

7 minutes ago, honestjohn said:

 I really don't think Coach Tester needed the Tazewell School Board to do anything.

Richlands could now be a 4th win since Davis is gone

[honestjohn]

1 minute ago, Cousin_Hoyt said:

Richlands could now be a 4th win since Davis is gone

We will see.

[IRISH-FAN18]

The only people buying the hype and drinking the Kool-Aid is in Buchanan Co.  They're lacking size up front and athletes in the skilled positions. If they somehow manage to finish the season with a .500 record I'd be surprised.