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Who will be the strong west contenders this year?
I'll go with a top 8 since 16 teams make the playoffs. I'll throw in a sleeper pick as well.
1. Magna Vista
2. Lord Botetourt
3. Heritage
4. Abingdon
5. Staunton River
6. Brookville
7. Western Albemarle
8. Rustburg
Sleeper: Blacksburg
All starts with the state finalists. Two-time defending champ Magna Vista loses a lot of talent but the cupboard won't be bare. They won't be as dominant as the past two years but I see no reason why they won't be playing deep into November and probably Dec. Lord Botetourt returns a great nucleus from their finals appearance and should be as formidable up front as anyone in 3A.
After that I'm going with Heritage-Lyn. They were very young last year and played well at times in the playoff loss against Magna Vista. Bradley always has his kids motivated, I'd expect them to be a legit contender this year. Carrington Anderson, remember the name.
Abingdon (along with LB) were probably the sleeper team last year to folks outside of those communities. They've got the QB back who'll likely be the best passer in 3A-West. They schedule does them no favors for points playing so many smaller schools, not sure if the new points changes will benefit them or not.
Staunton River if they can keep Overstreet from jumping ship to county rival JF, should be primed to build off last seasons record breaking season. That single wing is sure fun to watch when they get it clicking.
Brookville is here because they've always got talent. They looked like a contender early in the year last year but tapered off losing 4 of the final 7 games. Ryan Perry is a beast at WR/DB. Meeks will have them in the conversation if he finds a QB to run the show.
Western Albemarle is like Bville. They've built the program to the point that they'll always be solid. Lost a lot of talent but return DL Tenuta and Crutchfield and ATH Derek Domecq. Interesting to see if they put Domecq at QB or leave him at WR.
Rustburg loses Mike Jones but they return enough young talent and had a solid JV from what I'm told. Baker has things on the upswing in East Campbell County. District schedule plus Altavista won't do them any favors.
Blacksburg is my sleeper. They had a young RB Tiquest Terry that should become the focal point of the offense this year. They've been average at best for the past decade. Lost a close game against Abingdon last year. I'd picking them to get over the hump this year.
Conspicuous by their absence is Northside. I'd say talent wise, they are top 8 but with no coach hired and no word on if any players will leave, I decided to keep them off the list. With the right hire and buy in from players, they'll easily be a top 8 team. With the flip of that coin, they could also have their worst season in a long time. Schedule is tough with LB, Byrd, River district and Salem & Pulaski non-district. If they don't come to play, thats 5 losses right there. I wish the program luck because they've been great for a while. If I was betting man, I'd bet the community will rally the kids no matter who the coach is and they'll be the same ol' Northside in a year or two.
It's quite early but I don't think the West will be as formidable as in previous years. For sure it won't be as deep as it has been. Wouldn't at all be surprised to see an East team win the title next year (James Monroe & Hopewell jump out). I'm pretty confident the two West state semi-finalist will come from the top 6.
If Blacksburg can protect the QB and block for Terry & Beck then they should be a playoff team with a chance of sneaking up on people. The QB should be the younger brother of Isaac Johnston who has great size (6'4" 190) and a good arm. Their dad was a QB at WVU. The OL will be the key to their season. If they have a good one look out, if not nothing better than last year.I'll go with a top 8 since 16 teams make the playoffs. I'll throw in a sleeper pick as well.
1. Magna Vista
2. Lord Botetourt
3. Heritage
4. Abingdon
5. Staunton River
6. Brookville
7. Western Albemarle
8. Rustburg
Sleeper: Blacksburg
All starts with the state finalists. Two-time defending champ Magna Vista loses a lot of talent but the cupboard won't be bare. They won't be as dominant as the past two years but I see no reason why they won't be playing deep into November and probably Dec. Lord Botetourt returns a great nucleus from their finals appearance and should be as formidable up front as anyone in 3A.
After that I'm going with Heritage-Lyn. They were very young last year and played well at times in the playoff loss against Magna Vista. Bradley always has his kids motivated, I'd expect them to be a legit contender this year. Carrington Anderson, remember the name.
Abingdon (along with LB) were probably the sleeper team last year to folks outside of those communities. They've got the QB back who'll likely be the best passer in 3A-West. They schedule does them no favors for points playing so many smaller schools, not sure if the new points changes will benefit them or not.
Staunton River if they can keep Overstreet from jumping ship to county rival JF, should be primed to build off last seasons record breaking season. That single wing is sure fun to watch when they get it clicking.
Brookville is here because they've always got talent. They looked like a contender early in the year last year but tapered off losing 4 of the final 7 games. Ryan Perry is a beast at WR/DB. Meeks will have them in the conversation if he finds a QB to run the show.
Western Albemarle is like Bville. They've built the program to the point that they'll always be solid. Lost a lot of talent but return DL Tenuta and Crutchfield and ATH Derek Domecq. Interesting to see if they put Domecq at QB or leave him at WR.
Rustburg loses Mike Jones but they return enough young talent and had a solid JV from what I'm told. Baker has things on the upswing in East Campbell County. District schedule plus Altavista won't do them any favors.
Blacksburg is my sleeper. They had a young RB Tiquest Terry that should become the focal point of the offense this year. They've been average at best for the past decade. Lost a close game against Abingdon last year. I'd picking them to get over the hump this year.
Conspicuous by their absence is Northside. I'd say talent wise, they are top 8 but with no coach hired and no word on if any players will leave, I decided to keep them off the list. With the right hire and buy in from players, they'll easily be a top 8 team. With the flip of that coin, they could also have their worst season in a long time. Schedule is tough with LB, Byrd, River district and Salem & Pulaski non-district. If they don't come to play, thats 5 losses right there. I wish the program luck because they've been great for a while. If I was betting man, I'd bet the community will rally the kids no matter who the coach is and they'll be the same ol' Northside in a year or two.
It's quite early but I don't think the West will be as formidable as in previous years. For sure it won't be as deep as it has been. Wouldn't at all be surprised to see an East team win the title next year (James Monroe & Hopewell jump out). I'm pretty confident the two West state semi-finalist will come from the top 6.
I think Phoebus returns a lot of talent. I think they are the favorite to win AAA.
Terry was a kid I made a mental note of when I first saw him in 8th grade when they played Andrew Lewis. He helped keep the game close. He's a good runner. Last year as a Fr they put him at WR. They would throw him little screens which were basically runs because he'd catch the ball around the line of scrimmage and turn it into a 6 yard gain. I think the QB will be the younger brother to last year's QB, Isaac. Their dad is Chad Johnston, who played at WVU. The youngest Johnston is 6'4" 190 as a Sophomore. Blacksburg has to replace some of their WR, but if they can block they have some good talent at the skill positions.I'll go with a top 8 since 16 teams make the playoffs. I'll throw in a sleeper pick as well.
1. Magna Vista
2. Lord Botetourt
3. Heritage
4. Abingdon
5. Staunton River
6. Brookville
7. Western Albemarle
8. Rustburg
Sleeper: Blacksburg
All starts with the state finalists. Two-time defending champ Magna Vista loses a lot of talent but the cupboard won't be bare. They won't be as dominant as the past two years but I see no reason why they won't be playing deep into November and probably Dec. Lord Botetourt returns a great nucleus from their finals appearance and should be as formidable up front as anyone in 3A.
After that I'm going with Heritage-Lyn. They were very young last year and played well at times in the playoff loss against Magna Vista. Bradley always has his kids motivated, I'd expect them to be a legit contender this year. Carrington Anderson, remember the name.
Abingdon (along with LB) were probably the sleeper team last year to folks outside of those communities. They've got the QB back who'll likely be the best passer in 3A-West. They schedule does them no favors for points playing so many smaller schools, not sure if the new points changes will benefit them or not.
Staunton River if they can keep Overstreet from jumping ship to county rival JF, should be primed to build off last seasons record breaking season. That single wing is sure fun to watch when they get it clicking.
Brookville is here because they've always got talent. They looked like a contender early in the year last year but tapered off losing 4 of the final 7 games. Ryan Perry is a beast at WR/DB. Meeks will have them in the conversation if he finds a QB to run the show.
Western Albemarle is like Bville. They've built the program to the point that they'll always be solid. Lost a lot of talent but return DL Tenuta and Crutchfield and ATH Derek Domecq. Interesting to see if they put Domecq at QB or leave him at WR.
Rustburg loses Mike Jones but they return enough young talent and had a solid JV from what I'm told. Baker has things on the upswing in East Campbell County. District schedule plus Altavista won't do them any favors.
Blacksburg is my sleeper. They had a young RB Tiquest Terry that should become the focal point of the offense this year. They've been average at best for the past decade. Lost a close game against Abingdon last year. I'd picking them to get over the hump this year.
Conspicuous by their absence is Northside. I'd say talent wise, they are top 8 but with no coach hired and no word on if any players will leave, I decided to keep them off the list. With the right hire and buy in from players, they'll easily be a top 8 team. With the flip of that coin, they could also have their worst season in a long time. Schedule is tough with LB, Byrd, River district and Salem & Pulaski non-district. If they don't come to play, thats 5 losses right there. I wish the program luck because they've been great for a while. If I was betting man, I'd bet the community will rally the kids no matter who the coach is and they'll be the same ol' Northside in a year or two.
It's quite early but I don't think the West will be as formidable as in previous years. For sure it won't be as deep as it has been. Wouldn't at all be surprised to see an East team win the title next year (James Monroe & Hopewell jump out). I'm pretty confident the two West state semi-finalist will come from the top 6.
I think Hopewell has got to be considered one of, if not the top, east team.
Rumor has it that Monroe will be down just a bit.
Until such time as Phoebus proves me wrong, I think they are no longer a factor. There is just too much internal strife.
gwb can shed more light on this, but I think Poquoson is a top east team.
And, I'm not sure what they lost to graduation, but I seem to remember some significant talent on the Park View team.
I saw a very talented, but undisciplined team lose to MV last year. Was MV the better team? Yes, but mainly because they played team ball. Phoebus didn't. I suggest that this is a sign of something systemically wrong.
I make no bones about it, it sticks in my craw that three times we have played Phoebus, and three times we have lost. I give the devil his do, but that doesn't mean I like it. But that has zilch to do with my assessment.
I will admit, I very well might be wrong, but that is why I stated it the way I did. "Until they prove me wrong", I do not believe they are in the elite class any longer.
I hope you are correct. Because ultimately what we all want to see is that our kids get the best we can give them.
Phoebus will always be in the mix but, for a long time, there was a fear factor. Other teams were afraid of them. Grant it, they had some great teams and great talent but as one Coach said a few years ago "They won because they're Phoebus". LT has been the same the past few years. But now, for both those teams, the fear factor is over.Well your bitterness towards Phoebus makes your opinions about the program very much flawed. I agree that Phoebus isn't what it once was in Div 5 but that doesn't give any speculation that the program is in turmoil. The MV game had nothing to do with discipline. I don't recall any personal fouls or ejections. It was a clean hard fought game that both teams displayed nothing but sportsmanship afterwards. We lost and made no excuses. I was actually impressed with how those kids fought back after being down 28-0 late in the second half only to lose 28-23. Coach Blunt has done a great job with the program considering the turmoil that he walked into 4 YEARS AGO. He really doesn't deserve the speculation that you are implying on his program. I know for a fact that he is working around the clock to ensure that his kids are becoming better young men on and off the field. He is doing all he can to help them get into college and further their education. Phoebus has the uppermost respect for Billy Mills and the Generals. Instead of having disdain for Phoebus, you should thank us for helping elevate Dinwiddie's program into the what it has become. The Phoebus games only made y'all better. I think it's time to bury the hatchet on this hate. These are sum good kids at Phoebus. And trust me, we'll be elite sooner than you think. They are working extremely hard this off-season and there is a level of excitement there that i haven't seen in a long long time.
Phoebus will always be in the mix but, for a long time, there was a fear factor. Other teams were afraid of them. Grant it, they had some great teams and great talent but as one Coach said a few years ago "They won because they're Phoebus". LT has been the same the past few years. But now, for both those teams, the fear factor is over.
Phoebus will probably never be the dominant force they once were but they will always be good. LT will also be good but teams know they can be beaten. They won't win just because they're the Titans anymore. Salem proved that to everyone. No fear.
But these guys will be back almost every year as a top ten team. Excellent programs who will continue to do well. GL to both.
LOL!!!Just gotta keep our names in your mouth huh? We won games because we out executed teams and won. We didn't execute and lost the game. Had nothing to do with fear...Ya'll fans get all caught up in that.
Would've executed with a better game plan....LOL!!!Just gotta keep our names in your mouth huh? We won games because we out executed teams and won. We didn't execute and lost the game. Had nothing to do with fear...Ya'll fans get all caught up in that.
Game plan was fine. But of course you were on staff at Salem correct? Their game plan was the same as they showed all year. Again didn't execute and that's all. Not going to cry over it, but we missed some blocks that could have made 3 yard gains bigger. Also the QB didn't take advantage of some runs but that's from experience. Shiheem exploited every running lane that was given Tyrek didn't. He's a year better this year. So game plan wasn't the problem.Would've executed with a better game plan....
I agree about the QB running, or the lack thereof. I didn't know if that was conservative coaching, missed reads by the QB, or better containment by the Salem ends. Tyrek will be tough this year, considering he was just a Sophomore last year. He was already bigger than Johnson last year so he'll be a handful the next 2 years for opponents. He's also got a pretty good arm and did a good job getting the ball to his playmakers. Another year of working in the veer system and in the weight room and he'll be even more formidable.Game plan was fine. But of course you were on staff at Salem correct? Their game plan was the same as they showed all year. Again didn't execute and that's all. Not going to cry over it, but we missed some blocks that could have made 3 yard gains bigger. Also the QB didn't take advantage of some runs but that's from experience. Shiheem exploited every running lane that was given Tyrek didn't. He's a year better this year. So game plan wasn't the problem.
Respectfully disagree here. If you oppose the idea that there are games won before the opponent ever steps on the field, you're welcome to that opinion.LOL!!!Just gotta keep our names in your mouth huh? We won games because we out executed teams and won. We didn't execute and lost the game. Had nothing to do with fear...Ya'll fans get all caught up in that.
Maybe Salem was the one that didn't "execute" the first time they played LT. But I'll go out on a limb, and bet you don't look at that way, though.Game plan was fine. But of course you were on staff at Salem correct? Their game plan was the same as they showed all year. Again didn't execute and that's all. Not going to cry over it, but we missed some blocks that could have made 3 yard gains bigger. Also the QB didn't take advantage of some runs but that's from experience. Shiheem exploited every running lane that was given Tyrek didn't. He's a year better this year. So game plan wasn't the problem.
That poor kid just had a bad game. The zone often gives HS QBs fits and Salem stopped the run enough to force them to throw. The kid had an arm but i don't think he threw more than one or two good balls all night. To me, those were the keys to the game. Titan's couldn't move Salem off the ball to successfully run and the QB couldn't fill the offensive gap with his arm.I agree about the QB running, or the lack thereof. I didn't know if that was conservative coaching, missed reads by the QB, or better containment by the Salem ends. Tyrek will be tough this year, considering he was just a Sophomore last year. He was already bigger than Johnson last year so he'll be a handful the next 2 years for opponents. He's also got a pretty good arm. Another year of working in the veer system and in the weight room and he'll be even more formidable.
There does have to be some regrets by LT here and I can understand it because IMO, Titans still win that game nine out of ten times. No disrespect intended.Maybe Salem was the one that didn't "execute" the first time they played LT. But I'll go out on a limb, and bet you don't look at that way, though.
Ok...I don't recall me coming up here and questioning Salem's gameplan after we beat them the year prior. He questioned the gameplan and I said we just didn't execute. Pretty sure Mags thought his gameplan was a good one in 2014 as well. But ok its getting closer to football season, so now the Salem faithful are coming out in full force. SMHMaybe Salem was the one that didn't "execute" the first time they played LT. But I'll go out on a limb, and bet you don't look at that way, though.
Just FYI, Redzone4us is not a Salem fan. I'm not positive which team he supports, but he's just as quick to antagonize Salem fans as anyone else. He was probably trying to pull you into a discussion because he missed you.Ok...I don't recall me coming up here and questioning Salem's gameplan after we beat them the year prior. He questioned the gameplan and I said we just didn't execute. Pretty sure Mags thought his gameplan was a good one in 2014 as well. But ok its getting closer to football season, so now the Salem faithful are coming out in full force. SMH
SMH thanks for the clarification.Just FYI, Redzone4us is not a Salem fan. I'm not positive which team he supports, but he's just as quick to antagonize Salem fans as anyone else. He was probably trying to pull you into a discussion because he missed you.
actually, I was just curious. devils basically said that the reason LT lost to Salem was because LT didn't execute. ( at least that how I understood it). So I was wondering couldn't Salem have said the same thing the year before? Or maybe that only applies to LT, that is if they happen to lose a game, it was because they didn't execute, and if they win, if was because they flat-out beat you. comments are welcomed.Just FYI, Redzone4us is not a Salem fan. I'm not positive which team he supports, but he's just as quick to antagonize Salem fans as anyone else. He was probably trying to pull you into a discussion because he missed you.
I think people are quick to jump to the notion of "same old Northside" but since BT was there for awhile they forgot he was what turned them into said Northside. Northside pre-BT was a totally different program. Torrance made Northside, not the other way around. Without him they could be struggling to stay afloat for some time.
Listen, don't take it as Northside was nothing before Torrence but take it as he clearly raised their game. Jim Hickam was a fine coach but he also averaged a 7-5 record in 32 years at Northside and few seasons of truly great success. Torrence's early losing seasons are no different than many other coaches but Burt's 81-40 record with 2 titles in 10 years is decidedly better.
I'm a bit puzzled at your statement of great players making average coaches look good and that Northside has always had great players. What is that saying about Hickam?
Burt changed the culture at Northside. Northside looks and acts like a football now(we'll see what the future holds). They travel better, I'd be amazed if the home attendance isn't markedly better, it's not entirely night and day from years past but it's pretty close.
Don't take this as a real defense of Burt. I don't like the man, I don't like the coach, but he did a lot of good for Northside and made them a hell of a lot more respectable as a program on a year-in, year-out basis.
To mention Torrence in comparison to Hickam is a huge insult to Coach Hickam and shows a fundamental lack of understanding in to how those coaches went about their jobs and exactly what each did for the program, in my opinion. It is true Torrence brought some state championships to Northside, however, the manner in which he and Dent went about it ultimately did more harm than good to the Northside community, in my opinion as an observer. The investigation is ongoing and best to let it run its course but, the old adage where there is smoke there is fire is relevant. I will defer to the longtime Northside fans such as leftovers(if he is lurking) to provide a much more knowledgeable perspective than I can bring, however, I will say that, in my opinion, if choosing between Torrence and Hickam I would take Hickam every day of the week and twice on Sunday.Listen, don't take it as Northside was nothing before Torrence but take it as he clearly raised their game. Jim Hickam was a fine coach but he also averaged a 7-5 record in 32 years at Northside and few seasons of truly great success. Torrence's early losing seasons are no different than many other coaches but Burt's 81-40 record with 2 titles in 10 years is decidedly better.
I'm a bit puzzled at your statement of great players making average coaches look good and that Northside has always had great players. What is that saying about Hickam?
Burt changed the culture at Northside. Northside looks and acts like a football now(we'll see what the future holds). They travel better, I'd be amazed if the home attendance isn't markedly better, it's not entirely night and day from years past but it's pretty close.
Don't take this as a real defense of Burt. I don't like the man, I don't like the coach, but he did a lot of good for Northside and made them a hell of a lot more respectable as a program on a year-in, year-out basis.