AA Football Predictions

[builder 10]

Who is going to be the studs this coming fall? Who lost what? Who will be the big suprise? If you have any information or predictions let us know. This is my potential list of playoff teams for 2004.

 

1. Frankfort - They have alot of talent returning.

2. Wayne - Did not loose much from a quality team.

3. Poca - You cant bet against the dots.

4. Bluefield - Lost some key players but still Bluefield.

5. Herbert Hoover - The schedule killed them in '03.

6. Weir - They have a quality program every year.

7. Tyler Con. - A bunch of speed with unproven linemen.

8. Mount View - More raw talent than anyone.

9. Liberty ® - Should be improved from '03.

10. Tolsia - AA will wish they would have stayed in A.

11. Keyser - Will be as talented as last year.

12. James Monroe - They were young in '03 but lost RB.

13. Shady Spring - Could be a little better than '03.

Could also go 3 and 7.

14. Clay Co. - Always aggressive on defense.

15. Ravenswood - They were dissapointed in '03.

16. Scott/Sherman Winner- Could be a huge game.

 

Other contenders - Westside, Webster Co., Magnolia, Grafton,and Winfield.

[guru 10]

1. James Monroe- More talent this year than most AAA.

2. Bluefield- Only loss will be to James Monroe.

3. Weir- Saw first hand the talent they have at their game against Bluefield.

4. Wayne- Should have beaten Westside if they could just hold onto the ball.

5. Poca- Rebuilding? Or reloading?

6. Mt. View- Could be a top 5 AAA team if they decided to play.

7. Shady Spring- Usually strong team, but seem quiet on the weightroom chatter this year?

8. Scott- Losing a lot, but will be strong and talented.

9. Tolsia- Will narrowly miss a home playoff game, but will be there nonetheless.

10.Herbert Hoover- Lose a little too much, but still more than others.

11.Frankfort- I don't think the talent they have coming back is as good as last year's talent?

12.Tyler Consolidated- Speed with no line means a busy trainer!

13.Westside- Will win 7 maybe 8 games.

14.Keyser- Better than the rest of AA left.

15.Sherman- Had a solid team last year, not losing much of it.

16.Wyoming East- You heard it here first, they make the playoffs this year.

CLOSE: Clay, Ravenswood, Grafton, Winfield, Chapmanville, Oak Hill.

 

SERIOUSLY FAR AWAY FROM BEING DECENT: Independence, Summers County, Liberty, and Richwood

[Bluefield_Rules 46]

I'm not going to rank the teams in a numerical order b/c it’s entirely too early for such. However, I’ll divide them into a couple of different groups.

 

The Preseason Favorites:

Bluefieldâ€â€ÂReturn the QB, three of the five RBs used last season, and three linemen on offense. Defensively return both starting LBs, all but two linemen, and a bevy of defensive backs. Does the loss the seniors from this year hurt? Yes, but Bluefield has more than enough returning to be an elite team again. Most of the returning starters are four-year starters with a ton of experience. They are also many younger kids that played quality minutes last year and did very well. There are also the rumors of an out-of-state transfer or two that would help to fill holes left by departing seniors. In addition, many are calling the incoming freshmen class next year potentially the best ever at BHS, which is saying a ton. Some of those kids could fill-in at the skill positions on offense.

 

Wayneâ€â€ÂThey return a lot from last year and will make a marked improvement thanks to the experience of a season ago. They should have faced Bluefield in the state semi-finals last season, but seven turnovers handed the game to Westside.

 

The other Serious Contenders:

Weirâ€â€ÂThe best WV AA team Bluefield played last year. They do suffer some key losses, but their QB is outstanding and if they can put the skill people around him then watch out.

 

Mount Viewâ€â€ÂThey return a number of key players from a state semi-final squad a season ago. Maybe, just maybe the MV program has turned the corner? Only time will tell, but as always the talent is there.

 

James Monroeâ€â€ÂReturn a number of players, but the loss of Tanre Franklin is huge. The kid carried them in the majority of games last year. Someone will have to step up and attempt to fill Franklin’s enormous shoes. They’ll be good enough to handle the majority of their schedule, but you cannot teach speed and the lack of it will hurt them against the likes of a Bluefield.

 

Pocaâ€â€ÂYes, they are the 3-time defending state champs and as such I’ll put them in this grouping. However, the majority of people responsible for that success graduate this spring. They’ll be a factor, but not as much as they’ve been the past three seasons. They'll have to do some recruiting from other schools in their area if they hope to make a serious push for a fourth state title.

 

Other Possible Contenders:

Frankfort

Keyser

Shady Spring

Tyler Consolidated

Herbert Hoover

[footballfreak 10]

bluefield-it all depends on the line. they have good backs. but they lose alot of leadership and that might mean bad things. i know coach simon runs a strict program but leadership doesnt just come from the coach. Marrioti will hurt them becuase he kept alot of ppl inline during games. He lead by example. Losing Pannell and Williams doesn't make matters any better. if they can find some defensive tackles then they will be alright. i don't know about being in the championship but u can never count them out. losing martin and steele will hurt too.

frankfort-they are always up there too.

mt. view- they can beat any team in the state if they want to but its not gonna happen this year. their year will be the one after this one.

wier-they lose a lot but they do have a stud at QB. if he has a line and some receivers they could be tough to handle.

shady spring-they have everything back on both sides of the ball and all are senoirs except for 1 or 2. so dont count them out.

james monroe-i can understand them making the playoffs because they do have a good program. but why do you people even think that they will be ranked in the top 10. they are still rebuilding. i have heard rumors that robertson (going to be junior next year) got hurt really bad and will not return to play? if this is true then they will be hurting. with the loss of franklin, it might not look good for the mustangs.

braxton county-they are a sleeper. they have a lot of talent on their team. people just dont know about. so watch out because they could surprise some people.

Poca-they will be ranked high or low it just depends on who replaces santmyer. their running backs are gonna make or brake their season.

Westside-they have a lot of rebuilding to do. thats all that needs to be said about them.

Webster-same as westside they lose it all.

Independence-they wont make any noise this year but the year after they might.

Summers County-not hardly a chance.

Scott-losing Green will hurt. and there fullback and line will also hurt. they may make it.

Herbert Hoover-they can always be dangerous. you just never know about them. their schedule hurts them a lot.

Liberty®- hard to tell. they have some coming back but they lose lineman and receivers. they might make it to the playoffs.

Clay Co.-if they make it. it will only be because of their weak schedule. they dont play anybody except herbert hoover.

thats how they mostly always make it. is because of their schedule.

wayne-they usually always make they playoffs but im not really sure about the team this year. They might and they might not.

Oak Hill-not a chance. they lose grasty. and webster pannell.

top 5 in AA:

1.Frankfort

2.Shady Spring

3.Bluefield

4.Poca

5.Weir

[MavsRock 21]

I'll coment on 6 teams. This not a predicted ranking, but I'll start out with JM anyway

 

James Monroe: Should be a much improved defensive team. I know Tanre is gone, but if Robertson, Riggs, Mullens, and Galford stay healthy, the offense will be improved also. The big question is the line. Justin Weikle, Gareth Francis and Anthony Morrow will be missed. Games to watch: Bluefield, Oak Hill, Greenbrier East, Wyoming East, Shady Spring

 

Bluefield: Still lightning quick, but a little less powerfull on O. Mariotti, Martin, Steele, Williams, and Pannell were all very critical players. Coeburn, Wells, the Steptoes and Purdue will have to bring there A-game. L. Stonw will still be important. A couple of plays could be the difference between a deep playoff run, and only playing 9 or 10 games, just like 2 years ago.

 

Weir: Lost there star WR, but the QB is back, along with many key players. James Monroe nealry played this team in Wheeling in 1998, this year has the potential to take care of unfinished business.

 

Mount View: Doug Vineyard should pick up where his brother left off. There still the fastest team in the state. If Glen Carlock or Bob Lemley coached down there, a lot of college teams wouldn't be able to handle them.

 

Shady Spring: There a lot like James Monroe, just slower and less disciplined. I agree with an earlier poster, they'll probably go to the playoffs or go 3-7.

 

Poca: Satmyer, Sotelo and Kinder won't be replace in one year. I love their coach, he'll get them to the playoffs, but they'll have to use the "secret" plays to get there. I look for some more talented team to knock them out, probably in the 2nd round.

[Bluefield_Rules 46]

I just looked at James Monroe’s schedule for the first time and I see that Princeton is no longer on it. I guess the JM/Princeton game was a causality of Princeton joining the MSAC, which is unfortunate b/c that had turned into a good rivalry...

[Outlaw 10]

in my personal opinion

i think Westside will do alright this season, they lose a lot to Graduation, but return a interesting nucleous

if there's anything that maybe iffy for them its who will be QB, everything else is pretty well set

with Westside's Schedule i say they got at about 8-2 maybe 7-3

the only teams i see WS possibly losing to is Scott, sissionville, and/or Iaeger

 

depending on who they'd face in the first round i could see WS going at least 2 rounds deep into the playoffs

there's no way i see them going all the way and winning it all

as some WS folks that i talk to think they will

i talked to Coach silas M<ullins a few weks back and asked him how he thought they'd do this yr

he said 10-0 and a deep playoff apperance

i just smiled and shook my head and said you reckon?

he said i know

 

personally i think he is delusional...lol

guess we'll find out though

 

as for Wyo. East

i dont see them doing much better than they did last yr

they may win two or thee games here or there

but that's about it

 

well these's are just an opinion from a Wyoming Countier

[shadyfan 10]

just 2 give a update 4 u guys on shady they've got about 30-35 kids turning out 3 days a week for weightlighting most of the ones that are not showing up are playing baseball or running track. They do return 9 starters on both sides of the ball including the entire backfield biggest weakness will be the line on both sides of the ball and disciplened coaching. Also a intresting note they picked up a 730 friday night scrimmage with woodrow at shady they are gonna try to treat like a game as much as they can so any of u guys just itching to see some pads poppin come check it out. And i predict a record of 7-3 and a playoff spot hopefully

[footballfreak 10]

Shadyfan i dont know if u have been updated or not but shady is not going to scrimmage woodrow because they are moving to a new conference. and you will be surprised about thier line.and shady doesnt lift 3 days a week and they dont have 30-35 kids in the wieghtrooms they have 40-45 and thats not including the ones in track and baseball they also lift 4 days a week. i dont understand why you all dont think they are not disciplined because if i do remember everytime bluefield gets a first down they celebrate and taunt i also understand haveing fun but when you start talking crap to the other team and rubbing it in. and now you are talking about discpiline football? tell me what you think discipline is? fans just dont see it or hear it. and some of you all are confusing discipline with playing the game. i understand shady's fans but i dont know why you all think the football team is the same way.

[shadyfan 10]

footballfreak sorry man just goin on what the kids have been telling me about the weightlighting that sucks about woodrow any idea who they will scrimmage instead? But about the line that will be shadys weakness they might b improved from last year but still will not be able to shut down the opposing rush, game in and game out. and the disiplened part just look at last year tyler fink whined if he didnt get the ball every other carry and if he didnt he didnt block or even care and the coachs let that be the senior leadership. I know the leadership should be better this year but unless the coaching staff takes more of a stand about the team concept i think they will struggle to make the playoffs.

[MavsRock 21]

I wanna know exactly where you heard that Robertson might not be playing. I know I haven't heard of such a thing. What I do know is that I saw him walking around at Poca less than a week after his knee surgery, and he didn't have much of a limp at all.

[footballfreak 10]

shadyfan, shady is going back to the grid-o-rama at Midland trail. the leadership and the line will be a lot better. things have already changed since last year. the coaches have learned a lot from last year and what happened this year,and all the whining and crying will not be tolerated anymore because it ruins a team. all the kids have positive attitudes about next season. and big things might happen next year. as for the line a lot of people do not know what they are gonna have up front. things are starting to look good. about that robertson kid like i said it was a rumor. and i didnt kno if it was true or not.

[shadyfan 10]

thanx footballfreak for the info will they still scrimmage westside? I heard Josh Mann was gonna play defense only, any truth 2 that? And i hope u r right about the leadership cuz if they dont do anything this year its not gonna happen anytime soon after that i dont think

[footballfreak 10]

shady is still going to scrimmage westside it will be at home. josh mann is one of those people you have to have on both sides. but he probably wont play near as much offense this year as he did last year. because you can see for yourself josh mann is a defensive player but they need him on offense too. as for the grid-o-rama shady will be playing webster but i dont know who the other team will be. shady has 6 home games next year and a scrimmage at home too.

[shadyfan 10]

last year at the grid-o-rama they played webster and richwood the later was jus a waste of time maybe they'll get someone a lil better this year. And about Josh i think he could play less on offense cuz tyler prince can run fb bout 60-70% and they will b fine i also think sophmore jerry farrish is gonna open alot of peoples eyes this year. I look for him to have some nice plays on defense and some suprising numbers out of the backfield when he gives lynch and phillips a breather. But they need 2 mix up the defense a little add another lb or just play more aggressive. And on offense we need more passing or some more power sets everybody is keying on our pitch these days.

[guru 10]

Shadyfan or footballfreak... Looking at Shady's schedule, what games look like sure wins, sure losses, and toss up games?

[shadyfan 10]

guru greenbrier west, independence, summers county, mt hope, liberty, im sure of wins. sissonville, and scott 70% sure of wins. james monroe it could go either way. bluefield and mt view should be losses. Im hoping for 7-3 and a playoff spot we will be much improved on defense this year and offense will score lots of points just like last year. Shady will have more team speed against everyone except bluefield and mt. view.

[footballfreak 10]

im not gonna comment on the offense or josh mann. but i will comment on is sure wins and sophmore jerry farrish. first off, shady should win their first 4 games, mt.view is mt. view and you never know when they will play, bluefield its gonna be a battle in the trenches, mt. hope spray painted the back of our school and they are gonna pay for it, scott, sissonville and liberty probably. what hurt us last year against liberty was having 5 of our starters out. since we have 6 homes games this year it will help. as for jerry farish he probably wont get much playing time on varsity because he hasnt been in the wieghtroom since january, he has been playing sports but we also have lifting before school too. he came a couple weeks and i havent seen him up there since. some one that will give jeremy and brandon breaks will be travis surratt, an up coming senior, he looked really good in the JV games last year. the defense will be good next year. they werent bad this year either. they dont lose anyone except a corner and defensive tackle. but as for offense they are gonna change things and on defense to they will change things. who do you think will start on shady's line next year?

[shadyfan 10]

the line will be ward, evans, hetzel,kincaid, not sure of the 5th starter could be one of many. Who do you think will start? And changes on defense and offense like what? I hope your right about that we need some changes. As for surratt average player but good kid he will play but farrish weight room or not will open some eyes and play a good bit he also was very impressive in jv ball last year. We have our entire backfield back except for fink which im glad hes gone. Both lineckers and lynch, phillips, and ashley as db's either surratt, farrish, or nick mckinney will replace meadows as the 4th db. Who'll will be the man on line this year? I wish carlos was back he was a stud.

[footballfreak 10]

the line will probably hetzel is a talented athelete but he a has a maturity and leadership problems he will play a lot of defense as for offense i dunno, kincaid has done hardly anything to rehab his knee he did wrestle but he needs to get in the wieghtroom too or else he is gonna have knee problems again. choices are slim on the line but we are getting someone that will help but im not gonna mention name i havent seen him play. carlos will really be missed. jerry wont be any better next year then he was this year unless he gets in the wieghtroom. i'll give him the credit he does have talent but you need some strength to go with that talent. ward and evans have been making big strides in the wieghtroom from what i hear. as for the 5th maybe 4th offensive lineman there is a couple of people the coaches are looking at. there will be changes on offense but im not talking about positions. as for the stud on the line? they theres not really a stud but they all have experience and get along. you just cant really pin point one that stands out they are all good in their own ways. ward is the smallest one but he is strong as an ox. who do u think will be the stud or studs up front? surratt will probably replace meadows at corner. im not really sure if mckinney is playing next year. if farrish does stand out at sometime he will stand out when he is a junior because he just hasnt worked for it this year.

[shadyfan 10]

I agree with you no studs on the line this year but lots of experience all the way across. If the line can stop the opposing rush better this year and not give up the big play like last year shadys gonna hurt some people cuz their gonna score and its gonna be often. I do hope they open up the playbook a little more this year cuz everyone is keying on our pitch man the last couple of years. And your right if hetzel gets his head on straight this year he will be a nice one two punch with josh because he has a huge upside. But all said i think if the coaches get the boys to play together they have a chance of making a nice playoff run. And i think we'll see our first 1,000 yard back since remmy this year maybe even two. What's your thoughts?

[footballfreak 10]

there will be some competition at defensive end this year. ward is strong and played extremely well last year. and dont count out donald brooks either. its gonna be a shoot out between ward, heltzel, and brooks at defensive end. the linebackers are good. tyler prince is smart and physical and josh is an all out worldbeater. the secondary is gonna be good. last year liberty threw all over us its because we had most of the secondary playing outta position. they boys will play together. and i know its gonna be an exciting season. the interior line on the defense isnt gonna be bad but there wont be any carlos' but they will still be able to stop the run. we had a lot of big plays agianst us. our special teams has hurt us the past few years. of course we have josh mann on the special teams and he made a lot of hard hits on kickoffs but it doesnt due us any good if they are on the 50 yard line. i think we possibly could have 2 1,000 yard backs this year. as long as brandon phillips doesnt have knee problems and lynch performs game in and game out it will be a great season. surratt might be a surprise too. as long as they play as a team, stay focused and they dont have injuries they will be hard to handle. whether some of you people out there like it or not shady could have one of the best defenses in the state. im not making excuses because a loss is a loss but bluefield beat us 28-0 but we still held them to 150 yards of total offense, and most teams had big plays. we should be in for an exciting season.

[PioneerPA 11]

Just got the official schedule from www.wvssac.org . I figured I would post it here because Wayne is supposed to be one of the better teams in AA this fall in WV, and I know Bluefield will be loaded again.

 

August 27- at Lawrence County, KY--AAA-sized school. Has been a fixture in the Kentucky playoffs over the years. Produced scholarship players to UK (Gerred Parker) and Tennessee (Jared Hostetter) recently. Coming off worst season in a decade. Used to battle Fort Thomas Highlands (Jared Lorenzen and Gino Gidulgi) for KY supremecy...battles they usually lost.

LAST SEASON: DNP Wayne. The Bulldogs finished 6-5, losing to Rockcastle County 14-12 in the first round of the playoffs.

 

September 3- CHESAPEAKE, OH--Class A size...would be AA playoff participant nearly every year, but definately would not be DOMINANT in our classification. They play in D-V in Ohio, which is larger A and smaller AA sized schools in WV. They are a good program that usually makes the Ohio playoffs. Their games with Wayne are generally competitive. They made the Ohio Elite 8 in 2002, the year Wayne beat them 40-0...compared to 1999, when they went 10-0 and beat everyone they played by 28+ points...and got beat 43-8 in the Round of 16.

LAST SEASON: Wayne 22, Chesapeake 12. The Panthers went 8-3, losing to Wheelersburg 40-16 in the first round of the playoffs.

 

September 10- HERBERT HOOVER--Huskies scheduled themselves right out of the playoffs last season. Should have been there.

LAST SEASON: Wayne 35, Herbert Hoover 28. The Huskies won their last 5 games to break even at 5-5, including a 30-6 win at Poca.

 

September 17- at Winfield--Generals have talent...T.L. Asbury is a very good QB. They just have to find an identity on offense.

LAST SEASON: Wayne 20, Winfield 6. The Generals finished 3-7.

 

September 24- at Sissonville--The Indians have a new coach, but have to replace a lot of players on a 2-8 team. Everyone remembers their actions at Wayne after they upset the Pioneers. This could be very intense.

LAST SEASON: Sissonville 25, Wayne 18. The Indians went 2-8, beating only Shady Spring the rest of the way.

 

October 1- POINT PLEASANT--The Big Blacks are out of the SouthEast Ohio Athletic League (SEOAL), which will do nothing but help. How good are they? We'll find out.

LAST SEASON: DNP Wayne. The Big Blacks finished 5-5.

 

October 15- at Tolsia--The hated Rebels return to AA and the rivalry will pick up after they scored 21 points in 8 minutes to win at Wayne last year for the first time since 1997 (Wayne's last 0-10 team). Revenge is a dish best served cold.

LAST SEASON: Tolsia 21, Wayne 20. The Rebels went 9-4, beating Fayetteville and Parkersburg Catholic in the playoffs before falling in the semifinals at Williamstown.

 

October 22- POCA--They're the 3x-defending state champs...and two of those teams lost at home to Wayne. These teams have combined to play in the last 4 state championship games. They lose a lot, but they know how to win and have good coaching.

LAST SEASON: Wayne 30, Poca 20. The Dots beat James Monroe, Ravenswood, Mount View, and Bluefield to claim the AA state championship.

 

October 29- at Chapmanville--The Tigers weren't too good last year. Losing three of their top players won't make them any better.

LAST SEASON: Wayne won a scrimmage pretty soundly. Tigers finished 3-7.

 

November 5- LOGAN--The Wildcats don't have the defense they used to.

LAST SEASON: Wayne 47, Logan 14. The Wildcats finished 1-9.

 

First game should be interesting...Wayne hasn't lost on an opponent's home field since a Week 3 loss in 1999 at Poca in OT, and that streak will be severely tested. If Wayne somehow wins that game (and good Cabell Midland teams have gone over there and gotten obliterated), the streak will pass 5 years somewhere in the September 10 area.

 

Wayne has lost in that time period to James Monroe in Princeton, Bridgeport in Wheeling, and Westside in Beckley. Wayne has lost 7 home games in that time (odd stat, isn't it?).

 

As for the Pioneers, Wayne returns 17 starters from last year's 8-4 fumble plaugued team that lost in the quarterfinals to Westside (and prolly set a playoff game record for turnovers in the process), 24-16. With all the key players back on offense with the exception of WR Kyle Wellman, the Pioneers running attack should be much stronger this year. Last year's small line will be a year older, a year bigger, and a year stronger, which can't hurt an offense that scored 28 ppg last fall. The program is strong in each class...and next year's freshmen will be great if they keep working.

 

Players to watch (next year's class):

Jr. QB Nick Newell (6'3, 195)-Threw for over 1,000 yards in Wayne's "archaic" offense.

Sr. RB Josh Powers (5'10, 170)- Should run for 1,000 yards this year.

Jr. TE/MLB Trevor Marcum (6'4, 225)- This kid runs a 4.8 and will get D-I looks before he's done. He's still growing.

 

Sanders, Gilliam, Roland should all contribute heavily as well. On paper, this is Wayne's best team since 2001...but games aren't won on paper...they're won by 365 days of hard work and dedication by players and coaches. Good luck to everyone next fall!

[builder 10]

Nice post PioneerPA. Very informative. It is nice to see the deifferent views and opinions on AA football. I can see Wayne going very deep in the playoffs if not all the way. It sounds like Shady has some very positive plans for this fall. They obviously have some fans on this board with some insight. Some posts have been made about Bluefield and James Monroe. What about the other teams in the area or in the state? It is discussions like this that make my blood boil for crisp Friday nights.

[shadyfan 10]

hey footballfreak got word today that shady got a pretty big lineman transferring from woodrow, any truth 2 it? if so is he gonna be and good, also got word we got several new kids coming out that are big and strong any truth 2 that? And one last thing i heard this from one of the coaches about the offense changes being made as we speak gonna throw the ball alot and use the wing-t alot less.