An Improved Northumberland Squad

[BayShore Marauder]

Northumberland has benefitted from the hiring of Marcus Cutler, a Suffolk native and an Virginia Union alumni. Coach Cutler has had one of the largest recruitment of players in a number of years; infused a self confidence in these young talented players. Also the transfer of Rayquon Ball, a tremendous athlete from Lancaster HS certainly hasn't hurt. [4 TD's]. It will be an exciting year for the Indians taking 1 game at a time!
Indian Nation!

 

[uvacavs1]

BayShore Marauder makes some great points. This Northumberland team under Coach Cutler looks to have a very promising season indeed. Lets see last year Surry (finished 10-2) beat the Indians 52-22. This season Northumberland went to Surry and crushed them 38-0! 1st opening win in like four seasons or so.

Ball looks great as does Blue. Lots of energy and physical play. NHS has an open week coming up for Cutler to continue to implement his system and style. I could see the Indians winning 7 or 8 games during the regular season (only Essex game appears out of reach, but I don't see too many old Group A teams that could take them this year).

As riversportsfan posted below, it will be a fight for 2nd place in the old NND. The Indians just might take it. Should be exciting!

 

[bpsdrefromva]

I will agree Northumberland has improved, but they should go undefeated in their first five games against sub-par competition.

While Essex should be their first defeat, a good measuring stick will be the Washington & Lee game. I believe that will be good, even test on par. That contest will dictate their finish against the rest of the Northern Neck.

 

[Essex Trojan1]

I'm not buying into Northumberland yet. Although improved, i don't see them finishing 2nd. Rappahannock's O & D lines, along with the rest of the Defense are good! I think Rappahannock and Essex will meet at 4-0 each in the NND, in the last game of the regular season for the Conf/NND Championship. I'll go with 1st Essex, 2nd Rapp, a toss up for 3rd and 4th between C.B./W&L, 5th Northumberland and Lancaster last.

 

[dringtuoti]

I'm not buying into Northumberland yet. Although improved, i don't see them finishing 2nd. Rappahannock's O & D lines, along with the rest of the Defense are good! I think Rappahannock and Essex will meet at 4-0 each in the NND, in the last game of the regular season for the Conf/NND Championship. I'll go with 1st Essex, 2nd Rapp, a toss up for 3rd and 4th between C.B./W&L, 5th Northumberland and Lancaster last.

Rapp overrated as always. See my post from the beginning of each of the past five years. They start season beating up on poor teams and then poof. Every year is the same, "Rapp is rising..." Sorry, but I'm not a believer.

 

[NND Sports Fan]

Northumberland may be better but they have to watch out for going for 2 when they are up by 40 points.

 

[uvacavs1]

Sometimes folks may get caught up in the moment and excitement, but I would say, if one has big lead in last minute, just knell and go into victory formation.

as for NND's 2nd place, It may be wide open this year. I am not sure what to think about CB. Their loss to Randolph-Henry, although a 2A team, concerns me as R-H is usually not that good. Any details about that one? Not sure about the Avalon loss. CB still has Lucas etc. Big ?

W&L is also a big question mark. Loss to 4A KG was wide after the big win last season. They got WP next which wont tell us much (dang, what happened to WP?). The next game v Rapp will tell us a lot about the strength of those two teams and help make more accurate predictions I would think.

I think Rapp and NHS will be a great battle indeed. I was talking to someone about that the other day. Rapp's loss of Byrd will be hard to replace. Northumberland may have edge there. Lancaster may struggle but also may be in the thick of things. It's hard to tell with these early games.

The NND has been putting three teams in the top ten the last two years. W&L has the big challenge of 2A. Obviously. Essex will remain #1 but I hope that the Neck still produces two more. I think the trend will continue but Neck teams may beat each other up. Hopefully, that will help once playoffs begin.

 

[Twobyfour]

Ive seen Rapp and would find it hard to believe they are the #2 in the neck. If thats the case none of them other than Essex will make it past the first round. Right now I would rank them Essex, CB, Numberland, Rapp, WL, Lan

 

[Essex Trojan1]

I'm not saying Rappahannock will be a threat. I too agree that Rappahannock has been hyped up for the last couple of year. I didn't believe they were that good back then. I'm just saying that every team in the NND except for Essex, are pretty much on the same level, give or take. I would of put C.B. at the 2 spot but as uvacavs1 said "not sure what to think about CB". Besides Essex, none of the NND teams have played a decent team yet. Don't know about the Md team CB played. Saw a post that Nandua was half way decent this year and Rappahannock had to go in OT to win that 6-0. I'll stick with Rapp at 2

 

[NNDanalyst]

FYI, besides Essex....only W&L and Rapp are the only teams from the old NND to make it past the 1st rd of the playoffs in the past 2yrs. So if the measuring stick of a solid team is getting out of the 1st rd of the playoffs, how is Rapp always overrated? Twobyfour.....seeing a team in Aug/Sept doesn't indicate what they will be like in Nov. I'm sure Rapp has no problem with being the underdog. Good Luck to all the NND Teams........

 

[uvacavs1]

True, Rapp and W&L made it to the 2nd round last year, knocked out by a strong Essex and PM. However, CB advanced to the 3rd round to also be bounced by Essex in a good game. Rapp is currently ranked number 10 by Preps as the only other Neck top 10 team at the moment. I think that you are correct in that their recent success has played a part in their current ranking.

 

[Essex Trojan1]

For the record... What I mean by Rappahannock being hyped up the last 2 years, I'm talking about in the NND. There were posts those 2 years saying they will beat Essex because they had gotten better. That proved to be all hype. Still feel like they have more pieces in place over the others in the district to take 2nd.

 

[Twobyfour]

FYI, besides Essex....only W&L and Rapp are the only teams from the old NND to make it past the 1st rd of the playoffs in the past 2yrs. So if the measuring stick of a solid team is getting out of the 1st rd of the playoffs, how is Rapp always overrated? Twobyfour.....seeing a team in Aug/Sept doesn't indicate what they will be like in Nov. I'm sure Rapp has no problem with being the underdog. Good Luck to all the NND Teams........

Well, unless they have some speed that is being hidden or on injured reserve, they can only do so much. Speed kills at the 1A level, and you either have it or you don't. Not saying they are not deserving of their place, just was not impressed at all, and if they wind up being 2nd place in the Neck, then there is indeed a giant gap between Essex and the rest.

 

[Essex Trojan1]

Twobyfour.... You are right. There is a giant gap at this point (2 weeks in) between Essex and the rest of the Neck. I personally think C.B., W&L, Rappahannock, Lancaster are down this year. Northumberland may be improved, but not enough to be a threat. I hope I won't be eating crow as this season unfolds in the NND. Lol