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Varina vs Huguenot

I really don’t know who pulls this thing out on Friday. The state’s best offense vs the state’s best front 7.
You are the king of crazy statements…🤣🤣🤣

But after watching each team’s first playoff win i think Varina is the better overall team by a small margin. Game could go either way. As of Sunday I’ll take Varina by 3
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Riverheads 29 Stuarts Draft 28 Final

Wasn’t making an argument because objectively I can see where you would see it the way you do from your perspective. I have major issues with both of those scenarios in general not specific to any play in this game.

First off the closer guy is generally deferred to unless there is something egregious. That said I did see the Draft side judge indicating that the runners knee was down. If that was the case they should have called an officials timeout as the offense was reporting to the ball with a play that had already been called, potentially based on that initial spot. That is my opinion on that specific play and although annoying it wasn’t a huge deal.

As for winding the clock, I agree it’s when the white hat winds it but the mechanics should be that the dang ball is at least spotted prior to that occuring when there is a first down. This isn’t about the last two minutes either, it’s just a pet peeve of mine and this guy was quick with it all night (against both teams)

And not to put too fine a point on it by the white hat added time specifically because the ball being moved late was delaying our opportunity to snap the ball or so I was told. And not to rehash open sores but it’s rich that there is a social media uproar over the clock when several years ago it was of benefit to Draft at their field in an extremely tight game.

Either way the game is done and that was a very good senior laden Draft team that I could have seen make noise against any of the Bull Run teams. IF L Graber would have been healthy it may have been different. He is the epitome of what you want from a HS football player and I have a ton of respect for him laying it all out there battling his shoulder.
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Riverheads 29 Stuarts Draft 28 Final

So to follow up with Gunz who has been around and knows what he is talking about for the most part, lol. I have two questions for you. First who has the primary call on spotting the ball if it’s nearest one hash or the other? Second when is the ball supposed to be put back in play after a first down?

And for the record the white hat is the head of officials for his area and very knowledgeable. I would say if he rewatched this game he would see several opportunities.

Both CAN say where the spot is (especially if one has a better angle), but my comment on that isn't even that the spot was correct when they moved it back. My entire point on that is for those who are saying they did it without any reason either don't know or don't want to know. Its very easy to see it on NFHS as well that they had different spots and the SJ on SD side saying he was down.

For your other question, I am not understanding what you are asking. If we are talking about the same play, it wasn't a 1st down. But if we are talking in more general terms, the White Hat starts the clock, so whether he starts it fast or slow or exactly how you would expect, that is WHEN YOU START THE CLOCK. And the thing is, he also didn't change the amount of time he used to wind the clock for that time in game as compared to earlier. P.S. these also weren't just after a 1st down.

Again, there is a multitude of proof of what I am saying. And again, it has ZERO to do with the players on the field or their coaches. It was an incredible game feom that stand point

Few Surprises in Class 2, Thoughts and Predictions

I rewatched the first meeting between the two, obviously Smith leaving the game & Slagle not playing was huge for VH. By the same token, I had forgotten how badly Graham shot themselves in the foot repeatedly in that game. Hopefully, the upcoming game won’t be a repeat of countless unforced errors on Graham’s part. Gage Palmer has gotten better with ball protection and Roberts has come along with the short & intermediate passing game which wasn’t utilized in the first VH game. It should be a good one. We’ll see who limits mistakes and takes advantage of the other’s miscues. It will definitely be cold & hopefully that benefits Graham. I know lots of folks want a VH upset but I’m wanting GMen to win obviously, lol!
Smith hadn’t done anything before he left the Graham game — he’s been balling against Marion and Lebanon(x2) and tazewell since that game — 3 teams with no defense at all - Graham gonna be just fine against him and whoever Slagle is - all those Virginia high fans that swore up and down he didn’t play in the first meeting against Graham — nah he left early. The passing game was utilized in the first game but once the Qb threw 2 terrible INTs Graham decided to just run it - hope for a great game - can’t wait til Friday
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Varina vs Huguenot

I think Varinas regular season schedule was a lot tougher than huguenots schedule. I don't think they'll be able to run the ball on Varina I think you will have to go to their passing game, by the quarterback starting for Varina last year the coaches should know all of his weaknesses and exploit them . Varina is the best team Huguenot has faced this year without a doubt. It should be a good game for the first two quarters
I respect it and I hope you’re right. I want our Blue Devils to pull it out but Huguenot is the best team we’ve seen this year as well.

Riverheads at Strasburg

Thoughts?

I know the Gladitors dominated the scrimmage. Side note for that a lot of Strasburg 's starters did not play. No excuse.

For this matchup.
Is Riverheads totally healthy?

The LOS is gonna be huge. Both teams love to run it all night long. Strasburg has the size advantage on the lines, RH has the quickness advantage on the lines. Strasburg has 5 ball carriers including the qb. All different running styles. Conrad has returned for the Rams on the lines. His first 2 snaps against Fort were sacks. Strasburg did something they did not do all season they passed for 200 yards. Brady Knight played another great defensive game with another pic.

Riverheads is Riverheads in my opinion they love to run it play sound d and special teams. Didn't get to see them much at all. Definitely not as dominant in my eyes as when CCC was there. That is not a knock on this team at all.

My gut tells me Strasburg will win the LOS and in turn win a close one 24-21

Varina vs Huguenot

Can Huguenot OL handle Varina DL? That’s where the game will be won. Athletes all over the field at skill positions, the trenches will decide the game…
I think Varinas regular season schedule was a lot tougher than huguenots schedule. I don't think they'll be able to run the ball on Varina I think you will have to go to their passing game, by the quarterback starting for Varina last year the coaches should know all of his weaknesses and exploit them . Varina is the best team Huguenot has faced this year without a doubt. It should be a good game for the first two quarters
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Riverheads 29 Stuarts Draft 28 Final

So to follow up with Gunz who has been around and knows what he is talking about for the most part, lol. I have two questions for you. First who has the primary call on spotting the ball if it’s nearest one hash or the other? Second when is the ball supposed to be put back in play after a first down?

And for the record the white hat is the head of officials for his area and very knowledgeable. I would say if he rewatched this game he would see several opportunities.

Riverheads 29 Stuarts Draft 28 Final

Alright, well since the game was brought up again and to complain about something in Riverheads favor, I will now have to respond. Its absolutely AMAZING that after winning the game in the way it was won that "we" want to talk about a SPOT.

Before we get into the game (or more specifically the last drive), I would like to congratulate the Riverheads FOOTBALL TEAM and Coaches. They played like I knew they would and made great adjustments from the 1st game and played a great game. Nothing that follows has ANYTHING to do with them. And in all honesty, it has nothing to do with Riverheads fans (well you will understand). It was an incredible game that was an instant classic between 2 great programs and a shame anyone had to lose.

1st: I will address the spot play that was discussed and upset about. It was marked one spot by one side judge, another by the other with him saying his knee was down. It wasn't moved back for no reason. You can say it was the WRONG spot which is fine, but there was a reason.

2nd: I am sure there is some disagreeing on the last 2 plays and if Riverheads got in the endzone on 3rd and/or 4th down. That probably depends on the vantage point or more realistically what shade of Red you were either wearing or wanting to win. I can have my opinion, while others have the complete different and no argument here on that. As for 2 pt conversion, GREAT CALL, both going for 2 and the play call to convert the 2 pt conversion.

Now for the real reason for the post. And I also have a better understanding of it than most because of doing it myself. The clock issues were absolutely INSANE and a travesty to the game that was played on the field. And ALL of this can be verified on film, in person, and through NFHS. So RH last possession, heck we can give it the old NFL "The Drive". One play (2:07 on the clock at start), was a 14 yard gain. That took a grand total of 1 second off the clock. 4+ more times the clock didn't start for 2-3 seconds AFTER the ball was snapped. The 1st clock adjustment (from 1:55 to 1:58), I won't even argue it (not exactly correct, but overlooking that one for argument sake). The 2nd time out came the play after this spotting of the ball that is in question. And no, I don't mean directly after it, Riverheads ran a play, called timeout with 1:09 remaining. Once the timeout was concluded, the time on the clock was 1:17. For this one, its not like there was a delay in TO being called from sideline, where needed to adjust because of that. The timeout was called as soon as he was tackled. The play was the RH ballcarrier being tackled at line/or loss where the ball was SNAPPED at 1:14/1:15. So there is NO CONCEIVABLE way that running a play adds time. And since a play was ran, an official can't then adjust anything.

So without even factoring in the multiple times the clock didn't start on time, but JUST the one play where it didn't run and the added time on the 2nd TO, that is 12 seconds. The 4th down touchdown was SNAPPED at 11 seconds. Again, factoring in the others, by my clock, that 12 turns into around 30.

Call it sour grapes, call it whining, call it whatever you want. I will reiterate that this has NOTHING to do with the FOOTBALL GAME played on the field, NOTHING AT ALL to do with The Riverheads FOOTBALL TEAM OR COACHES, and NOTHING to do with more than 2 people in that stadium as far as my knowledge goes.

And that is the shame of this, 2 people that have NO BUSINESS being part of the story are THE story and it ruined the game for 2 VERY DESERVING programs who in one way or the exact opposite are effected by it.

If you want to justify it because of a rooting interest for one side, then IF it ever happens to you then you have no ground to complain. Yes, IF it happens to you in the future, BOTH are wrong. But if you look at it without a biased view (there are those out there who have), and you can admit that it happened props to you. But to me, sports is the only place on earth that we overlook something when it is in our rooting interest because it makes us "feel" better and more accomplished. Id say we all probably do it at some point with something borderline, but for those who know me they will know that I will tell fans from my own side when they are complaining about something during a game and they are wrong. And guess what, it happens A LOT.

Riverheads 29 Stuarts Draft 28 Final

I have now watched the NFHS broadcast of this game, and I have some more compliments to pass out, followed by one huge criticism.

First of all, hats off to NFHS itself. When it first came out a few years ago, it drove me nuts with all the freezing and poor reception. But from the little bit of football and volleyball I have watched this fall, they seem to have ironed the bugs out of it to make it a nice alternative to watch a game.

This game was very well presented and having announcers made it even better. Seeing a game with just fan reaction or maybe complete silence is better than not seeing it all but in this case, Leland and Jeff helped make this game a real media event.

I also have to reiterate my praise for both teams and the incredible game that each one played. Each team scored on just about every possession and they did it with far fewer turnovers (one total) and very few penalties (3 or 4 tops) than you would ever expect to see in any game.

They should also be congratulated for keeping their cool at the very end of the game, which ended with the wild scramble in front of the Riverheads bench. We have all seen enough games to know that kind of ending could have led to some pushing and shoving or worse, but these two teams had enough respect for each other to not sink to that level.

But speaking of sinking to a low level, and you probably know where I am going with this.........I have to ask. What in the H*** was that referee thinking when he deliberately picked up that ball and moved it back two yards? For those of you who have not yet seen this, take five minutes of your time to play the game tape to see what I am talking about. You don't have to watch the whole game, just fast forward to Riverheads' final drive with about a minute or so left in the game.

The Big Red had just run a play down to the SD 25 yard line. The ball was clearly marked ready for play at that spot and the teams had gone to their respective huddles ready for the next play. Riverheads was actually breaking its huddle and heading to the line ready to go, when an official stepped in, picked the ball up, and moved it back to the 27. It had absolutely nothing to do with the previous play or the spot. He just did it for whatever reason he had on his mind at the time.

I give credit to the announcers for expressing their amazement at it and for not mincing words with their commentary, because it was just ridiculous and defied any common sense or logic. Sure officiating is a tough job and referees miss calls all the time in all sports (holding and face masks in football, block/charge in basketball, safe/out in baseball) but those things are going to happen because of how fast the action can be. But surely anyone can see how this was a totally different situation and there was no pressure on anybody to make a call.

I don't know anything about the politics of the VHSL and whether officials are evaluated, if formal complaints are ever filed, or if there is any kind of accountability expected of them. But in this case, the very LEAST that should happen is for that guy to be shown how he looked on camera, so he can explain himself.

Few Surprises in Class 2, Thoughts and Predictions

As a Graham fan, this game scares me. Smith and Slagle are both home run hitters. Graham has had some inconsistency on offense. Graham's defense has been consistent and will keep them in any game against anybody they face, however 1 or 2 big play could beat them, if the penalties show up and the offense is inconsistent
Yeah, Graham’s offense needs a performance like this past Friday and no stupid penalties. The problem is VH defense is much better than Lee’s, no offense to Lee. I have confidence in our defensive coaches and know if the players can execute what the coaches come up with, we can limit the amount of damage Smith & Slagle are capable of putting on an opposing team. VH will be ready and hyped up. Graham needs to play very disciplined & know their assignments and do them-all business no foolishness!
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Hayfield

An analogy.
Once there was a scorpion that could not swim that wanted to get across a river. The scorpion asked the turtle to give him a ride across the river. The turtle said no, you will sting me and we will both die. The scorpion pled and pled and convinced the turtle that his motives were pure and that he could be trusted.

So, the turtle finally agreed, and with the scorpion on his back, began to swim across the river. Half way across the river the scorpion stung the turtle, which began to die. As they both began to sink, and drown, the turtle asked the scorpion why he did this? The scorpion’s answer was simple, because I’m a scorpion.

Fairfax County Public Schools have allowed this entire affair to occur. Now with the latest court ruling, they have effectively gutted the rule book on Virginia High School Athletics. There will soon be no VHSL. There will be no need for the VHSL. If they are powerless to enforce rules, there is no need for their existence. And their collapse will effectively result in anarchy.

Coalitions will likely form that will have virtually no rules or authority. Play wherever you want will be the rule. There will be no way for smaller localities with single high schools to compete. What kid will want to go anywhere other that a few magnet schools building super teams? Everyone already sees what happens when a blind eye is turned to kids transferring to a school assembling a power house team.

And remember, this isn’t the case for just football. Think about what John Marshall has been permitted to do in basketball. Now realize that this is an example of what will happen, not may happen, but WILL happen in all sports. Baseball, soccer, golf, you name it. You can tell your little Johnny or little Mary that you are truly sorry that honest and fair athletic opportunities were taken away from them.

And don’t you dare blame the kids at Hayfield. There is not a single kid that plays for Hayfield that is not on that team without the the explicit knowledge of multiple adults. Parents, guardians, coaches, the school AD and Principal, the school Superintendant, even the school board, all have their fingerprints on the knife that is the proverbial dagger to the heart of high school athletics in Virginia.

Way to go scorpions. Great job.
What do you mean it will start in other sports heck it's been happening in sports all over throughout the state. But people unfortunately get in a uproar when it comes to the sports that mainly well I'll say the black kids play. But there a certain program in Chesapeake in wrestling that's been doing this since the 90s and probably really look at any school that's been a long term powers in these non revenue sports and I bet ya there been recruiting or whatever happening.
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