Thanks, you two.
Brings to mind many of the schedules in the tidewater region. The growth has slowed down there, relative to NOVA, but the way the schedules play out is similar. You can have a 4 or 5 win team in 3a, even 4a that is just as stout as many of the 8 to 9 win teams elsewhere.
The growth in NOVA almost defies belief. I can appreciate people seeking the high paying jobs up there, but man, the price they pay. The traffic and commute is a heck of a burden. But, for me, to be part of a community that many, if not most of the families can claim to be two, three, four, even five generations connected to the area is a tremendous asset. This is something that is basically non existent up there. It's hard for me to believe that most of the population in NOVA have any sense of being truly vested in their communities, let alone their schools.
Is this a bad thing for high school athletics? Maybe, maybe not. Probably more perspective than anything else.
It has been a long, long time since I visited the Winchester area, but it is clear the growth in that area has been tremendous also. My mother came from Berryville. I remember as a young boy taking frequent visits to the area to visit family. My mother used to talk about Clarke County HS football. They must have been a powerhouse in that era. I seem to remember something about a very long undefeated streak?
Wow, what a difference a day, (or a whole bunch of days), makes. There are probably more high schools in the greater Winchester area now than there were students at Ckarke County HS back then, (facetiously spoken).
