Best winning percentages in VHSL

[GilliamRatings]

I stumbled on this Gate City page that had a list of the 20 VHSL football programs (with at least 200 games played) with the best winning percentages in their history. I have no idea how he ever got this information, but it's awesome. However, the site hasn't been updated in 4 years so I updated the records of those 20 teams. I have no way of knowing if other teams have cracked this list since then. If you have access to information that would help me, I'd appreciate it. The original list is here.

Here's the current list

1. (332-83-2 79.36%) L.C. Bird
2. (793-256-45 74.54%) Hampton
3. (488-166-6 74.39%) Gate City
4. (395-146-7 72.72%) Central - Lunenburg
5. (401-166-15 70.19%) Powell Valley closed[/I]
6. (523-242-22 67.85%) Clintwood
7. (578-273-35 67.21%) Appalachia closed
8. (498-236-33 67.08%) Highland Springs
9. (307-164-5 65.02%) James Robinson
10. (594-314-58 64.49%) Harrisonburg

11. (158-87-0 64.49%) Sherando
12. (310-171-7 64.24%) Nottoway
13. (550-307-25 63.78%) Martinsville
14. (646-359-47 63.64%) E.C. Glass
15. (593-332-44 63.47%) Radford
16. (585-330-39 63.36%) John Handley
17. (282-163-3 63.28%) Pulaski County
18. (570-323-39 63.25%) James Monroe
19. (312-180-8 63.20%) Colonial Forge
20. (215-129-1 62.46%) Mills Godwin

Stone Bridge at 152-29 is ready to take over this list when they get to 200 games. They have an 83.98% winning pct. They simply need to go 7-12 or better over their next 19 games to take over the top spot. Even if they went 0-19 in getting to 200 games they would still be second on this list. I think we overlook what a feat 152-29 really is.

Briar Woods at 78-23 still has 99 games to go before they qualify for the list, but their 77.23% winning pct. is also pretty darn impressive.

I should point out that it's a lot easier to slip several places on a list like this than to climb because when you have such a high winning pct, additional wins don't add to your pct near as much as additional losses subtract from it. Several teams here had significant drops from the original list.

Look at it this way. Bird would have to lose 27 straight games to fall behind Hampton on this list, but Hampton would have to win 256 straight games to catch Bird. Of course, teams with fewer games played will be effected more by one good season or one bad season that a team that's played lots and lots of games, too.

I think it's interesting that this list probably isn't correlated that well to teams we think of as powerhouses today (particularly not that second ten), though if you've followed the game for decades, all of these schools definitely drip with tradition.

I'm surprised teams like Salem, GW Danville, C.D. Hylton and Giles aren't on this list

This post was edited on 5/8 10:11 PM by GilliamRatings

 

[cutnjump]

Not sure about Salem or a couple of the others. GW Danville has approximately 529 wins and a 59% winning percentage the last I looked, weighted down by a significant number of losing or near .500 seasons in the 20's, 30's and 40's. There is a site, www.gwfootball.com, that use to archive a lot of information on the GW program. I expect Salem has similar issues with losing seasons from the early/mid 70's once the new high school was built until Willis White took over. It's predecessor Andrew Lewis as well as the White/Magenbauer years would probably rank near the top percentage wise as those teams were annual contenders. Salem use to have a site that maintained a lot of historical info as well. I am sure one of the Salem fans can point you toward that site.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

Salem's numbers and link

Here are Salem's numbers, after 37 seasons of football (school opened in the fall of 1977):

Overall (regular season and playoffs): 326-112-4 (73.76%)
Regular season: 274-92-4 (74.05%)
Playoffs: 52-20 (72.22%)

I've included a link to the "History" page from the old Salem Football site, on the Salem City Schools website. All of the seasons' records shown are correct, although I've found errors on a couple of the individual season pages (such as 1978, which has Salem beating Pulaski 17-14, when the reverse was actually the real result). The site hasn't been updated since following the 2011 season. The records for 2012 and 2013 were 12-1 and 11-3, respectively. On the linked-to "History" page, 1987's team should be noted as a district champion, while the 2000 team did not win the district, as shown (but did win the state).

Also, this info diverges slightly from the numbers on VHSL_Reference.com in that the Salem site counts a forfeit win over Cave Spring in 2000 as a win; VHSL_Reference doesn't recognize forfeits. IMO, the Salem site has it right, because that's the official outcome of the game, as recognized by the VHSL. Lastly, VHSL_Reference shows Salem's overall playoff record as 52-19, but it's missing Salem's 1987 loss in the first round at Courtland. It was cold and no fun, I remember that much.

Unfortunately, I don't know Andrew Lewis's records. I'd like to get that info, somehow.

Although the worst record in Salem history was 1-9 in 1981, I don't think that was the worst team in school history. The '81 Spartans only gave up 17 points a game, which wasn't terrible even then, and is almost considered good these days. The problem was averaging only eight points. But even that made the '81 Spartans offensive giants, when compared to their predecessors from the previous season. The 1980 Salem team went 2-8, but only managed a whopping four points per game - getting shut out six times. Ouch!! Glad I was away at school from '80 to '83.

One last comment. Salem's averaged - averaged! - 8.8 wins over 37 years. When you're only guaranteed ten games a season, that is phenomenal. Salem's average season has been to go 8-2, with one win and a loss in the playoffs. Every year, for 37 years. That makes me appreciate Salem's program (and the other programs near the top of the list) even more. I try to never take for granted the results provided by the blood, sweat, and tears of the players and coaches, across nearly forty decades. I really enjoy high school football, and going to the games. I like to think I'd still be a loyal supporter if my alma mater had been a perennial doormat, but.....would I? So, thanks yet again to all the hard-working Spartans over the years. And to all you Phantom, Skyhawk, Blue Devil, Bulldog, and Crabber fans - to all fans of highly successful programs - let's appreciate what we have, while we have it.


This post was edited on 5/10 1:47 AM by SpartanOfYore

Salem Football - History

 

[GilliamRatings]

Re: Salem's numbers and link

I have that record coming out to 74.21%

 

[SpartanOfYore]

Re: Salem's numbers and link

I wasn't sure how ties are handled. To calculate winning percentage of all total games, I treated them as losses. I divided the number of wins by the total number of games. 326 divided by 442 gave me 73.76%.

If ties are thrown out, then I get 326 divided by 438 equals 74.43%. I don't know - I'm probably doing something wrong.

Speaking of ties - look how many some of those schools that have been around for 50+ years have! One of the best decisions ever made was to initiate an overtime procedure. I hate ties - one of the many reasons I can't get into soccer.

 

[GilliamRatings]

Re: Salem's numbers and link

Count ties as half a win an half a loss.

 

[SpartanOfYore]

Updated list - Salem added

1. (332-83-2 79.36%) L.C. Bird
2. (793-256-45 74.54%) Hampton
3. (488-166-6 74.39%) Gate City
4. (326-112-4 74.21%) Salem
5. (395-146-7 72.72%) Central - Lunenburg
6. (401-166-15 70.19%) Powell Valley closed[/I]
7. (523-242-22 67.85%) Clintwood
8. (578-273-35 67.21%) Appalachia closed
9. (498-236-33 67.08%) Highland Springs
10. (307-164-5 65.02%) James Robinson

11. (594-314-58 64.49%) Harrisonburg
12. (158-87-0 64.49%) Sherando
13. (310-171-7 64.24%) Nottoway
14. (550-307-25 63.78%) Martinsville
15. (646-359-47 63.64%) E.C. Glass
16. (593-332-44 63.47%) Radford
17. (585-330-39 63.36%) John Handley
18. (282-163-3 63.28%) Pulaski County
19. (570-323-39 63.25%) James Monroe
20. (312-180-8 63.20%) Colonial Forge